Compare the2022 Honda OdysseyVS 2021 Toyota Sienna

The Honda Odyssey has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Sienna doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Odyssey has a standard Whiplash Mitigation Front Seat Design, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Mitigation Front Seat Design system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Sienna doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Odyssey and the Sienna have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The engine in the Odyssey has a single overhead cam for simplicity. The engine in the Sienna has dual overhead cams, which add to the number of moving parts and the complexity of the cylinder heads.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Odyssey second among minivans in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Sienna isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Odyssey’s standard 3.5 SOHC V6 produces 35 more horsepower (280 vs. 245) than the Sienna’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid.

As tested in Motor Trend the Honda Odyssey is faster than the Toyota Sienna:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Odyssey’s fuel efficiency. The Sienna doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

The Odyssey has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Sienna (19.5 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Odyssey has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Sienna doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Odyssey stops shorter than the Sienna:

The Odyssey’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Sienna LE/XLE’s standard 65 series tires.

For better load carrying, ride, handling and brake cooling the Odyssey has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Sienna LE/XLE.

The Odyssey has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Sienna doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Honda Odyssey may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 100 to 200 pounds less than the Toyota Sienna.

The front grille of the Odyssey uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Sienna doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Odyssey uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Sienna doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Odyssey has 2.6 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1 inch more rear legroom, .9 inches more third row headroom and 1.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Sienna.

The Odyssey’s cargo area provides more volume than the Sienna.

The Sienna’s spare tire is stored in the cargo area, where it diminishes the useable cargo capacity and interferes with loading and unloading. The Odyssey’s spare is out of the way under the passenger floor.

The Odyssey’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Sienna’s (3500 vs. 0 pounds).

The Odyssey EX/EX-L/Touring/Elite has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The Sienna doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Odyssey EX-L/Touring/Elite’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Sienna offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Car Book by Jack Gillis recommends the Honda Odyssey, based on economy, maintenance, safety and complaint levels.