Honda Pilot and Toyota Sienna, 2011 - Little Elm,TX

I would always choose a minivan over a SUV. Minivans are MUCH easier to get kids in and out of, and I love Toyotas, so I would go with that!

I love my Sienna! I liked the way it handled better than the Odyssey. I got a loaded used one that is incredible. I don't think this is necessarily true, but it seems roomier to me than the Honda.

We love our Seinna,
everyone got claustropic in the Pilot.
Make sure you sit and get driven around
in that back row BEFORE
you expect your kids to.

I have an '09 Pilot and I love it!!! We bought it just over a year ago and have had no problems with it! The third row is easy to get up and down and we've used it quite a bit. I will admit though, it's tough to get in and out of that row so I usually put the younger ones back there or if we're transporting a grandparent, I've been known to sit back there myself. We have the Touring model and I can't complain about it at all! I LOVE the navigation, which is the main reason why I chose to go with the top end model and it is so worth it. Yes, you can always buy an external navigation and set it on the dash, but this is so so so much nicer (I think) and easier, plus your chance of theft goes down on it. Gas mileage is about what you would expect, not great, but we love ours and have taken it on one really long road trip and a few shorter ones. One of the perks too is that with Honda you don't have to change your oil every 3 months/3,000 miles....the car will tell you when it's time...rock on! I only changed mine 1x the first year and just had it changed again farily recently after our long trip. I highly recommend it!

I LOVE my 2011 Sienna - it is the best car I have ever owned. You cannot beat sliding doors with children! My favorite feature is the footrests in the second row seats, plus split screen dvd w/ wireless headphones, auto everything - all doors, hatchback, third row. I love the parking sensors and the backup camera and all the tech gadgets, mobile maps, plug-ins, wireless phone for my husband - it truly is a luxury minivan - we are die hard lexus fans and had no idea a minivan could be this nice!

We have a 2009 Pilot and I love it! Nothing I would change. Rarely use the 3rd row seat, but so nice to have the option.

ETA: Scratch my message below. Honda just announced a major recall today and it includes our minivan. Ugh.

Personally, I would choose a Honda right now because they just haven't had the same amount of problems as Toyota lately. Toyota just announced another major recall this morning. I think Toyota will eventually get back on track, but for now, too many red flags.

I have an 06 Pilot and I do love it. I'm not sure if it has changed with the newer Pilots, or how old your kids are, but I would test drive it with any carseats in it. While I find the second row roomy for adults, with two carseats, the front passenger seat has to be all the way forward, and an extra person in the back has limited shoulder room (infant seat behind passenger, front/convertible in center). I love the heated seats and the oil indicator too. I opted for no navigation, as I didn't want a DVD player, and they are a package set when we got ours.

I have a 2008 Pilot and there is NOTHING that I don't like. If I had to choose something just to choose it would be that the window on the back doesn't open independently from the back. They may have changed this on the later models. I like the size better compared to the Toyota Highlander. I had a mini-van and will NEVER go back. I think the seat options in the middle are good and easy to move. the third row is roomier than most I have been in. The storage options are endless. Easy to clean. I could sell these if I had to.

I have a 07 Pilot and absolutely love it! I will definitely buy another one when it's time to buy a new car. This is my first Honda, and after the troubles I had with my last SUV (Ford) I've decided that I'm going to stick with the Honda. The only features that I miss on my 07 Honda have been added to the new model (back up indicators, remote back opener). It has been the most reliable and well made car that I've owned. The Honda minivan is super nice also.

I have an 08 Sienna. Love that the 3rd row folds completely flat. Hate that we opted for the model that does not have an auto tailgate. Also would definitely opt for the built in shades. Hubby drove the 11 Sienna and he said that it felt far more stable when turning corners. We also like the backup sensors even though they're a little oversensitive when backing out of our garage.

I drove the Pilot from 2002-2009 (my husband drives it now) and it is a great car. Have never had any major problems with it. I chose to buy the GMC Acadia in December because it's similar in size to the Pilot, but had the option of captains seats in the middle row, which the Pilot doesn't offer. This makes carpool much easier because kids never wanted to fold the middle seat up to get in the back; they prefer to just climb over. The third row of the Acadia does fold flat just like the Pilot, which was another big selling point for me (lots of other SUVs have third row seats that either have to be removed or don't fold flat). Overall, I feel like the Pilot is a better-built car, but I am enjoying the Acadia (not to throw another option into your mix ; )). Good luck making your decision!

I have had my 2010 Honda Pilot since February and love it. I got a nail in my tire and didn't know it and the tire sensor let me know I was losing pressure got it checked and found the nail. It will tell me when (and which) doors are open, if seat belts are off, I call it my tattle tell but I love it. I have two little ones in huge car seats that fit great and have used the third row of seats. I love how much space I have when the third seat is folded down. I can fit anything in there! My friends that ride with me say the Pilot is roomy and it drives/rides comfortably. This is our third Honda we have owned.

I personally would not buy a Toyota right now with all of the problem they are going through. My dear friends just traded their Toyota for a Honda because of the safety of the kids. Good Luck!

Just curous if you are looking into the pilot and sienna, why not the Honda Odyssey? I own an Odyssey and its the best purchase I have ever made. I test drove the Sienna also but decided the Odyssey was the best choice overall. Honda's are excellent vehicles. Good luck!

We just bought the 2011 Sienna XLE this past Wednesday. Love it so far. It was between the Odyssey and the Sienna. We chose the Sienna because the drive was a lot smoother whereas the Honda drives are a bit stiffer, sportier. The Sienna drives like a Lexus.. our other car is a rx330 so we like that feel. It also has significantly less road noise. When driving in the Odyssey...it was really loud. I went and test drove each car 3 times before we finally made our decision. We did like the interior of the Honda a lot better. The dash and the seating was better compared to the rail system of the second row in the Toyota. So we based our decision based on how the car drove and then price. We got a lot more for our money with the Sienna.

Before we actually had our second child, we considered the Pilot... but it didn't have enough trunk space especially with the third row up. We also just bought a double stroller and that thing is huge but fits perfectly in the van.

Good luck in your search. hope this helps a bit.

Love my Honda Pilot. I had an 06 and now have a 2010. I totalled the first one at 6 months pregnant with the air bags deployed and my husband and 5 year old with me. We are thankful to God and very thankful for our Pilot and Britax car seat. Everyone was fine. I love the back up camera, remote back gate opener, the "secret" compartment in the back, the rubber mat liner for the back and the 3rd row. We also really like our navigation system and DVD player.

I have an older Sienna (2004), so I can't comment on the 2011. However, my Sienna is FANTASTIC! I love, love, love it. It has been a wonderful vehicle to drive. It drives well (never been able to make a u-turn so easily), and with small kids there is no feature I love more than the automatic sliding doors (no worries about door dings on the cars parked next to us)... just hit the button on the remote, and they can start climbing in while you put away groceries, etc. Would definitely recommend a mini-van over a SUV if you have kids.