Please help me choose between a 7 and an 8 seat Sienna

[teachermommy]

DH and I have decided to purchase a minivan. We have two children, 3 and 6, and are probably through having babies. We test drove both the Honda and the Toyota, and the Sienna was our favorite. Now we can't decide between the number of seats. DH likes the looks of the captain's chairs in the 7 seater, but I'm worried about the loss of storage space between the seats. Right now DD is in a Parkway and DS is in a Roundabout. They like to keep a few soft toys, books, or their blankets on the seat between their carseats. This makes it handy for them to grab things themselves. Those of you with 7 seats, do you miss having this extra space?

[o_mom]

We have a seven seat Honda. I keep the captains chairs together, so they can still put toys between them. On long trips it is so nice to have a "real" seat to sit in back there, so I would vote 7-seat.

[DeeEast]

We have the 7 seater because that's the only way to get the All-Wheel-Drive. If we could have gotten the 8 seater, we would have but I like the 7 seats well enough.

[kosmo]

I have the Seven seat Sienna. I am very happy with it, I like the fact that I can move the middle seats together or apart if needed. However I have never seen the set-up of the 8 seater. I moved the middle seats together so if someone need to get in the back ther is room. I also moves my DS away from the door.
Stace

[jesseandgrace]

I prefer the 7 seat, and by the way the Sienna is an amazing vehicle, great choice! I like the flexibility and the space it leaves in the second row, and the fact that you can access the third row without moving any seats (great if your carseats are installed in row 2). I think unless I had 5 kids I would go with the 7 seats, for 2-3 kids definitely 7 seats!

[teachermommy]

Thanks for the help so far. If we choose the seven seater and push the two captain's chairs together, how much actual space is left between the two carseats? Would it be enough for a few toys, books, etc.? We regularly travel 1.5 hours at a time and is makes it handy when the kids can have access to some things to entertain themselves.

Also what is everyone's vote for a favorite Sienna color? I'm thinking silver because it will hide the dirt better than a dark color, but I love the slate.

[bubbaray]

We looked at both the Odyssey and the Sienna (went with the Odyssey, but honestly, both are great vans! -- its just personal preference really).

If we had gone with the Sienna, and not gotten the AWD (only 7 seats, I believe), I was seriously considering the 8 seat model because I think how the 8th seat slides closer to the front row is cool! With 2 children in restraints, that's not an issue for you. If I had 2 in child restraints and was probably done with babies, I would choose the 7 seat version because the seats in the 2nd row are roomier from what I could tell. I think you loose the arm rests with the 8th seat (bear with me, it was last summer when we did our shopping).

We removed the "8th seat" in the Odyssey (we don't need it and you can't put a child restraint in it in Canada) and have an LL boat tote filled with toys, blankets, etc. in between the 2nd row seats. It works great.

HTH

Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]

[thing1andt2]

I have 2 kids, going on 3. The boys are in RA in the captains chairs. If I was only having 2 kids, hands down I would get the 7 seater. We have the 7 b/c we have AWD. I do know what you mean, I used to keep a big basket between them in the Durango. I bought the clip on car seat bags on Onestepahead and honestly it isn't a problem. I think they need a lot less than we think they do!

[ColorBlue]

The seats are very close together when together, they really just leave a crack of space. I really don't think there would be room for stuff. In my car stuff usually just falls to the ground in the crack.

BUT...on the higher models the 7 passenger comes with a console between the front seats. That console can also be placed between the rear seats. It has five cup holders and bin and cubbies etc for storing things. That may be an option for you.

Also you could consider getting the sidesaddle thingie for the carseat, sorry I can't remmber the name of it but there was a thread a few days ago. ITs a mesh thing that hangs off the side of the carseat to put a cup and books etc in.

Tracy

[o_mom]

We have an Odyssey, and when the two captains chairs are toether there is plenty of room for a bag of toys. We have a RF Roundabout and a FF Decathlon and I use a bicycle luggage bag between the seats to catch everything and it fits perfectly (about 5-6 in wide).

When we looked at the Sienna, here is what I noticed. On the 8 seat, the seats are narrower, so there won't be as much room when they are pushed together. Also, with the eight seats in, you have to move one to get to the back which is hard to do with a carseat installed. One last thing - to fit three seats in the middle row, they have to push the outboard seats toward the doors, putting them closer to a side impact than the captain's chairs.

Don't know what colors are available, but the color that hides dirt best is, well, dirt color. :-) I have a "gold" Odyssey and it doesn't show dirt much at all.

[jesseandgrace]

It really seems like for a family of four the 7 seat has all of the benefits. In the 8 seat model you get an extra seat that you won't use, and less interior space that you will use. I have driven the Sienna across the country twice (we do have the new model w/awd), and most recently we drove from Northern California to Arizona and back. My dh is an artist, and he paints large abstract paintings. We brought 17 paintings with us for a gallery show, and still had room along the side in the second row for 2 suitcases, and I have a large bag with a wide opening with all of the kids toys, books, and dvds that I put right at their feet. I don't want them reaching for anything obviously, so it is a good place for it because I can easily reach and hand stuff to them. With the 7 seat model I am really pleased with the space on the passenger side second row when the captains chairs are together. It allows a place for the kids to stand up, put shoes back on, change diapers, change clothes, and access to row 3 without folding down a chair. I really wouldn't like to have to remove a carseat to use the third row, so it works perfectly.

[jeanum]

I have the 8-passenger Sienna and only two kids but wanted the 8 passenger seating capability for taking two sets of grandparents or other friends/family with us at times. I also wanted the front and center feature of the second row center seat, and the capability to transport five people plus cargo with the third row folded flat. My 10 month old rides in the second row center and my 4 year old rides in the third row center most of the time with the 2nd row passenger side seat removed for easier access to the third row. The Toyota salesman called the Sienna a "Swiss Army knife with wheels" because of the seating and cargo versatility, LOL.

[alaskadiver]

We have the 7 passenger Sienna LE. We really like it and have never missed the extra seat. Baby #3 just came home from the hospital today.

Several differences to keep in mind:

1. The 7 passenger 2nd row seats are wider and more comfy with better arm rests than the 8 passenger 2nd row seats. This is nice for us because when on occasion we have grandparents with us and they ride in the 2nd row for extended periods of time they are more comfortable. In other words, taking the middle row center seat out of an 8 passenger doesn't make it a 7 passenger, the seats will still be narrower and without arm rests.

2. You have a walk-through space with the 7 passenger so you can pass through to the third row without folding up any seats. My kids can easily pile in through the sliding door and skip back to the 3rd row without the need to flip up any seats. I don't own the 8 passenger but I assume that you must flip up a 2nd row seat to get to the 3rd row, correct? Seems this could be problematic if you have carseats mounted in the 2nd row.

Personally I've tried different seat configurations and I like the 2nd row seats separated so that there is a seat next to each sliding door. The older kids can still scoot back to the back seat just as easily by passing through the middle but it is easier to mount the infants in the car seats if they are closer to the door. I know it is probably safer to have the infant in the middle position but I haven't done that. Maybe with kid #3 arriving I'll move her to the center

[teachermommy]

Thank you so much for all of your comments. I appreciate the help making this decision. We live about 1.5 hours from the Toyota dealership and will probably make a trip this weekend to make our final choice. After reading everything I think the 7 seater will be the one we order. I really liked the idea of placing a LL Bean Boat and Tote on the floor with all of their "necessities." It will keep the new car looking clean and neat, and make it easy to bring everything back inside at the end of the trip. Now if I could just decide on the color!

[CPSDarren]

Keep in mind that kids probably won't miss the armrests and slightly bigger seats of the 7-passenger Sienna. Plus, you can always remove one of the three seats to leave an aisle on either side or in the middle. With the 7-passenger, you can never seat 3-across in the middle row or 8 total. Also, as Melissa said, the 8th seat in the Sienna also indexes forward to be closer to the reach of a parent in the front seat. The mechanism for tumbling the outside seats also is a bit easier in the 8-passenger model.

If kids are your rear seat passengers most of the time, the only real disadvantage of the 8-passenger model is that you can't get it on the upper level trims or with AWD. Of course, if you don't plan to use the 8th seat much, it's probably not worth the cost or time and space it takes to store one of the seats when not in use. I agree that if you aren't having a 3rd child, there may not really be much reason for the 8th seat unless you haul around a lot of teams, friends, relatives, etc.

I have a review here that might interest you, also:

http://www.epinions.com/content_208641101444


Darren
www.seatcheck.net

[o_mom]

On the Sienna if you put the captain chair center, can you move it forward? In our Odyssey, this is what I do so that I can reach DS1 and unbuckle him from the driver's seat.

I do think that even though the kids won't miss the armrests, it is a great feature because unless you have 4 or more kids, on a long trip there will usually be an adult sitting in the back and they will certainly appreciate it. (I think this will be a resale point also.)

[bubbaray]

The 8th seat on the Sienna is designed to come right up close to the front row of seats, so that you can easily reach a child in a child restraint. Its even pictured that way in their brochure (at least it was for the '05 model). It comes up a lot more forward than the 2nd row seats do in my '05 Ody.


Melissa

Maya Papaya!
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040411/3/4/1/-8/.png[/img][/url]