For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Sienna are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Honda Odyssey doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.
The Sienna has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Odyssey doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.
Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sienna XLE/XSE/Limited/Platinum/25th Anniversary Edition has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Odyssey doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.
The Sienna offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Odyssey doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.
The Sienna Platinum has a standard Panoramic View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Odyssey only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.
The Sienna’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Odyssey doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Sienna and the Odyssey 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, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras and rear cross-path warning.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Sienna is safer than the Honda Odyssey:
|
Sienna |
Odyssey |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
42 |
66 |
Chest Movement |
.5 inches |
.5 inches |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
52 |
125 |
Spine Acceleration |
30 G’s |
70 G’s |
Hip Force |
542 lbs. |
709 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
12 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
31 G’s |
41 G’s |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Sienna is safer than the Odyssey:
|
Sienna |
Odyssey |
Overall Evaluation |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Structure |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Driver Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Torso |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Shoulder Deflection |
.55 in |
.87 in |
Shoulder Force |
178 lbs. |
223 lbs. |
Torso Max Deflection |
.83 in |
1.26 in |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
|
Passenger Injury Measures |
|
Head/Neck |
GOOD |
GOOD |
Head Injury Criterion |
18 |
142 |
Neck Compression |
22 lbs. |
67 lbs. |
Torso |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Torso Max Deflection |
.71 in |
1.81 in |
Torso Deflection Rate |
7 MPH |
11 MPH |
Pelvis |
GOOD |
ACCEPTABLE |
Pelvis Force |
625 lbs. |
915 lbs. |
Head Protection |
GOOD |
GOOD |
For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard front crash prevention system, and its headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sienna its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2019, a rating granted to only 134 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Odyssey is only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.