Suburban or Honda Odyssey

[caedmyn]

We currently have a Honday Odyssey.  I really like it.  Had it almost 5 years, over 200,000 miles on it, and I don't think it has had any mechanical problems, except problems with the automatic sliding doors.  That's kind of a big thing though, because one doesn't work at all and the other works fine, but we have to pull the fuse to it every evening or it drains the battery overnight.  DH has tried a number of fixes and it still has problems, and the dealership can't guarantee that they can fix it either.  

 

DH wants a Suburban for the 4WD and increased cargo space.  There really is very little difference between the two vehicles in terms of leg room and seat width, and I actually think the cargo space is similar because the van has an extended wheel base and drops down in trunk area, but the Suburban can probably hold more because of the trunk space shape.  I'm not sure I want to drive a vehicle that big, and I definitely don't like the gas mileage.  Apparently the door issue with the Odysseys is fairly common and DH is concerned that we'll end up with the same problem again if we buy another Odyssey.

 

Which would you choose?  For those who can't see my signature, we have 5 kids, 11, 8, 6, 4, and baby, w/4 still in car seats (3 of them can buckle/unbuckle themselves).

[My4arrows]

Following since I'm in a similar debate right now

[Guest]

Having owned both, I vote for the Suburban since your most of your kids can buckle themselves. That would be the biggest deal breaker were that not the case. I love my Suburban. You can fit the people AND cargo at the same time, and I personally like being big and being able to tow things.

[caedmyn]

What about an AWD Sienna? When I evaluated the SUV versus minivan pros and cons, the minivan was the pretty clear choice for us. YMMV.

 

Maybe...I looked at a friend's Sienna once and the Odyssey was so much nicer, and had way more cargo space too, but maybe Sienna's are nicer (and roomier) now?  Theirs was a 2001 or 2002 I think.

[KungFuPanda]

I'd find a good mechanic that can fix the door. Do your research. This can't be an unsolvable problem. This will be a tough sell if your DH has become attached to the idea of a newer, manlier vehicle. Even if you pay for the door repair a couple times you'd still come out ahead money wise; especially if your van is paid for. If you live in a city or suburbs, parking a suburban would get old pretty fast and the gas is insane.

[Ali in OR]

I would always go Odyssey (we own 2--our first 2000 basic model and a 2012 that's been converted for wheelchair access). For us, we can fit a wheelchair in the back of a minivan but not an SUV because they aren't deep enough. I don't know about Suburbans, but we borrowed a friend's Explorer once and I found it uncomfortable. My comment was that it felt more like a truck than a car. Gas mileage would be a big factor here, as would ability to park in the tiny parking spaces that seem standard now.

[cintinative]

Many of the Odyssey models have issues with transmission. Make sure you get it checked. 

https://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2010/03/honda-odyssey-owners-report-transmission-troubles-inconsistent-response-from-maker.html

 

[StaceyinLA]

I've owned 5 minivans (albeit Dodges), and 4 Suburbans. They certainly each have their pros and cons. My biggest con for the Suburbans (as much as I loved them) was gas expense. City driving gets you about 14 mpg, which is just really crappy. The parking is rough in tight places as well.

 

I find minivans to be pretty good on cargo space, and you can tow some things with them as well. Getting in and out of them is a breeze compared to the Suburbans, especially with kids. Gas mileage is better, and the ride is a bit more car-like.

 

You really just need to make a list of the pros and cons of each for YOUR family.

 

FWIW, I just traded in my Yukon XL for a Chevy Trax (which is in the subcompact SUV lineup, although it's not THAT tiny to me), and I have to say I am loving having something that is easy to zip around in. I can't fit a Costco trip's worth of groceries in the back, but I love it anyway. ;-p

[almondbutterandjelly]

Suburban because they're awesome.  I have a friend with a 94 Suburban and it just keeps going.

[Guest]

I guess I don't understand the difficulty in parking a suburban?? They actually have a really good turning radius compared to other SUVs and say a regular truck. I grew up driving trucks though and absolutely detest riding in cars, so I am probably biased. They're just so versatile. And it's not like they're too tall for parking garages. I get that with our diesels. Those are a pain to park, but a Suburban isn't horrid. It isn't going to get in those micro spots obviously but neither is a minivan. If you can fit a minivan in a spot I guarantee you I can fit the Suburban in it too- unless it's a short spot. :)

[Corraleno]

I have a 2005 Odyssey that is still going strong. I did have to have one of the sliding doors fixed, but that has been the only major repair (other than general maintenance) in 12 years, and I hope to get many more years out of it. I love how flexible the seating is, and that I can put all the seats down (or even take some of them out) and fill it full of IKEA furniture or whatever. Best car I've ever owned and I'd gladly buy another if this one ever dies.

[Rachel]

The 11 year old will soon be adult sized and might be more comfortable in the suburban. Having recently taken road trips in the back of a Suburban and a mini van, the Suburban is roomier. I'm not very tall but I still like legroom.

 

Vans are wide and I don't think they are any easier to park than a Suburban. However, you are the one that has to drive it, try both of them out with the whole family.

 

As far as the Sienna, there are different models with different features. Your friend may have the basic package.

[Janeway]

The Odyssey has more cargo space and better gas mileage.

[Pam in CT]

I drove a Sienna (not AWD) for 10 years / 240K miles, no problems  at all including with the automatic side doors, 23 mpg over life of the car.  There's a ton of cargo space.

 

I'm done now with the mondo vehicle stage of life  :party: but if I had to do it again I expect I'd do the Sienna again.

[Hilltopmom]

AWD Sienna, hands down. Best family vehicle, IMO.

 

We just traded a huge Nissan NV to go back to a Sienna :)

They do come in different styles, but are just like an odyssey, except come in AWD.

[Miss Tick]

I'd find a good mechanic that can fix the door. Do your research. This can't be an unsolvable problem. This will be a tough sell if your DH has become attached to the idea of a newer, manlier vehicle. Even if you pay for the door repair a couple times you'd still come out ahead money wise; especially if your van is paid for. If you live in a city or suburbs, parking a suburban would get old pretty fast and the gas is insane.

We took our Sienna to an automotive electrics place when our door stopped working. It was about $250 for them to replace the solenoid. Perhaps yours would be similarly "inexpensive".

 

ETA quotes around "inexpensive", trying to avoid tangents.

Edited December 30, 2016 by SusanC

[caedmyn]

Can't quote on my phone, but yes, DH said all the dealership could do that he hadn't already is replace the door motor, for around 2K, and it's not even a guaranteed fix.

 

We got the Suburban but DH agreed that if I really don't like driving it after a couple months, we can resell and look for another minivan. We got a great deal on it so would at least break even doing that so I'm ok with "trying it out" so to speak. I'll keep Siennas in mind, though I think they are a lot harder to find here than Odysseys.

[Laurel-in-CA]

Ah, yes, our Odyssey (2004) is nicknamed "peabrain" because the doors are so tempermental. One doesn't lock when you hit the electronic button, so has to be locked manually every time; the other doesn't shut EXCEPT with the button on the car's control panel. Oh, and one window may or may not go up and down depending on the day. (I know it's $300 for that one because the driver's side door did it too and I had to have that fixed.)

 

Nonetheless, with only 140K miles, we'll be driving it for a lot more time. Mostly we drive it with the back seat down these days to maximize cargo area, but we can still fit all 4 grown kids in when we need to. I would go with another Odyssey in a second. Drives and parks much more like a car, too.

[Momto6inIN]

We have a Suburban and I puffy heart love it!!!! â¤â¤â¤â¤

 

If you're going to have your next vehicle for a while, you're going to want the larger leg room for teenager legs than a mini van will provide.

 

Our Suburban has 213,000+ miles on it and is still going strong and our 5 kids don't fight over space. And I can haul home a month's worth of Sam's Club purchases in the back!

 

 

Sent from my Z988 using Tapatalk

[aggieamy]

Can't quote on my phone, but yes, DH said all the dealership could do that he hadn't already is replace the door motor, for around 2K, and it's not even a guaranteed fix.

 

We got the Suburban but DH agreed that if I really don't like driving it after a couple months, we can resell and look for another minivan. We got a great deal on it so would at least break even doing that so I'm ok with "trying it out" so to speak. I'll keep Siennas in mind, though I think they are a lot harder to find here than Odysseys.

 

I think you'll love the Suburban.  I'm the middle of seven so we always had Suburban's growing up.  We now have a Suburban and we only have two kids.  BUT we can also haul another family of four around with us comfortably when we go on trips.  My dad still has his from when we were kids and it has 330k miles on it ... not bad!

[bagel270]

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/29/honda-to-recall-about-650000-odyssey-minivans-in-us.html 

 

I was surprised to see this wasn't already mentioned here. Bad news for Odysseys.

 

[Guest]

http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/29/honda-to-recall-about-650000-odyssey-minivans-in-us.html

 

I was surprised to see this wasn't already mentioned here. Bad news for Odysseys.

 

In all fairness I had to take my 2015 Suburban in for a recall last week because something with the computer could theoretically affect the air bags or seat belt tensioners or something. It was basically a software patch from the sounds of it. I don't think there's a car company that's getting away from recalls lately. They've all got issues of one sort or another.

 

On the bright side at least they are doing the recalls instead of trying to hide it and endanger everyone, so that's an improvement from years past. 

[rebcoola]

 Suburban our 99 is awesome still runs great with only a few regular repairs.  We have hauled 8 people a weeks worth of camping gear and a folding kayak inside it at one time.  I have no problem parking it in any regular space it has a very nice turn radius.   Truly the only downside is gas mileage.

[DesertBlossom]

We have both. Actually, a Toyota Sienna and a Subrban. I drive the Sienna around because it gets better gas mileage and I like that it's a smaller vehicle. Dh drives the suburban because he only works a couple miles from home, but it is really nice to have a 4 wheel drive vehicle because we do a lot of outdoors stuff. Before the Sienna, I drove the Suburban and DH had a truck. But the truck didn't fit our whole family. Having both vehicles has been super convenient.

[wendy not in HI]

Piling on the suburban love. 2004 suburban with over 200,000 miles and it drives like the queen of the road. Only two of our kids are still at home, but I'm not ready to get rid of it yet - it is awesome at road trips!

 

But it is hard to park. I prefer a double spot or pull-through, if possible. I always park at the back of the parking lot. Our 'burb lived in Hawaii and near D.C. - there were definitely some parking garages that would not fit the suburban. I always tried to think through parking before planning a trip downtown... I think you are going to love your new sweet ride!!

[Rachel]

Can't quote on my phone, but yes, DH said all the dealership could do that he hadn't already is replace the door motor, for around 2K, and it's not even a guaranteed fix.

 

We got the Suburban but DH agreed that if I really don't like driving it after a couple months, we can resell and look for another minivan. We got a great deal on it so would at least break even doing that so I'm ok with "trying it out" so to speak. I'll keep Siennas in mind, though I think they are a lot harder to find here than Odysseys.

. Sounds like you made a good decision. I hope you like it!

[mykidsrmyjoy]

I vote Suburban all the way! We had an Odyssey for several years and finally got a Suburban this past summer after we had our fifth child. The Suburban is definitely more roomy than the Odyssey. I can actually take all the kids to the store with me and still have a place to put all my groceries. Someone mentioned upthread that the Odyssey has more cargo space but I don't see how that's possible. The Suburban's cargo space is fabulous, and is one of the reasons why I wanted a Suburban.

[Wheres Toto]

We have a 2002 Suburban with almost 200,000 miles on it.   Dh fully plans to get it to 300,000 miles.  We use it camping and can fit a week's worth of camping gear, 5 people and a dog.  It also has an optional towing package because dh has a boat and we're thinking of getting a pop-up.

 

I like it when we need to fit a lot of stuff or a lot of people.  Even with the third row in, you have a ton of cargo space.  

 

I don't like it when I need to park it but I generally have no problem finding pull-through spaces, and I very very rarely need to parallel park.  I've driven and parked our Suburban in NYC without a problem.

[TranquilMind]

Many of the Odyssey models have issues with transmission. Make sure you get it checked. 

https://www.edmunds.com/autoobserver-archive/2010/03/honda-odyssey-owners-report-transmission-troubles-inconsistent-response-from-maker.html

 

This is true.  It happened on many of our vehicles over the years. 

 

[Guest]

Suburban! We are on our third (current is actually a GMC Yukon) and I love it. We only have two kids, so we take out the third seat and have a ton of room - we just got back from CA with our family of 4 and 5 dogs! Even with that third row, there is a lot of room back there. (Not so much with the Tahoe, as we originally thought of getting one of those - no room!) My mechanic said mine is probably on it's last leg so we have been discussing getting one of the newer ones.