Towing with a Honda Odyssey Van

wizard1880

Thinking out loud here.  The Sienna, Highlander and Camry all share the same drivetrains (unibody construction)  The 4Runner is built on the same chassis as the Tacoma and shares similar engines (body on frame construction)

The 4Runner is more suited to tow but the ride is rough and it handles more like a truck.  The Highlander has the same tow rating however.

If both were used for towing on a daily basis, the Highlander will show wear and tear sooner.  But for occasional camping duties, I doubt it would make any difference.

Unless you need the off roading capability of the 4Runner, the Highlander may be a solid (and more affordable) choice.  YMMV.

SGH0004

We tow with a 2014 Highlander.  It does amazingly well.  We also have a Sequoia.  They both get the same gas mileage towing. We live in North MS & just got from FL towing the T@b.  No hiccups & if you're not careful you'll find you're running way faster than you should.  We are planning a month long trip out west in October & I think I'm gong to pull out the 3rd row seats to make more room & save weight.  They don't come out easily like the Sequoia but they'll come out one way or another.  lol.  The one issue I have with the Highlander is that it does not have a button to turn the overdrive off or lock up the converter (tow/haul).  You can manually shift it but that gets annoying so I just leave it in OD & am hoping for the best. 

rhaspyhonker

Towing the T@b in overdrive overheated my 2004 Honda Odyssey's trans. Smoke, fluid spewing out of the transmission vents...freaked my wife out and stranded us about 3 hours from home back in 2015.  I've decided to save my pennies and start looking for a great deal on a Toyota Sequoia.  I'm in no hurry since my 2009 Honda Odyssey does a slow but adequate job in D3.  SGH0004, you are brave to tow in OD...Maybe Toyota is suited for that and I'm just not aware. It is intriguing to me that you guys all say Toyota's have the choice to shift manually into each gear.  Seems like that would solve the problem. My Honda only gives me the first three gears manually. 

Ratkity

As I was looking at a unique feature that Toyota has in their SUVs, I read in an interview about it that Toyota SUVs are targeted for the beach goer that runs in sand. I couldn't believe someone would make that statement, but it was said by someone rating trucks and suvs - best for off-roading and beach and towing. I can't rem where I read it!! I was searching on the "crawl" feature to learn more about it and the statement was made about why the feature was created.

It doesn't mean that it's not a great vehicle to tow with. My family is a big fan of Toyotas, but they don't tow stuff like I do. I really love the look of the Tacomas! 

rhaspyhonker

I like the look of the new Tacoma, too!  It seems like a great possibility but my problem is space. I do home interior work and I can't effectively work out of a smaller pickup truck with a cap. And unfortunately my tow vehicle also has to be my work vehicle since I can't afford to buy both. Otherwise the tacoma with a king cab would be great!  I've met several T@bbers over the last two years who use the Tacoma. However, Toyota in general seems like the way to go if you don't want to use a Chevy or Ford...Dodge is simply out of the question based on very bad personal experiences. 

Ratkity

@rhaspyhonker, I've some bad experiences with Dodge, but had a good one with their old partner, Mitsubishi (small all-manual truck). Sis had bad experience too with her truck. My friend is currently having the worst time with her 2004 Dodge diesel dually (granted it's 13 yrs old and has worked hard on a farm).

My truck is a '15 GMC Canyon. I have the long bed (6'2" - when did that become a LONG bed?) and the 'crew cab' which is what many referred to as the king cab - two doors, full bench back seat with leg room. Not just slightly extended with a bench seat where you could put 2 small kids! lol. I have a cap that is 4" higher than the cab. My old extended cab '94 Chevy had a wedge-shaped cab. Loved it, but didn't want that look on the GMC. The whole reason I bought the mid-sized with towing capacity is because of many people... it's my only vehicle (motorcycle really isn't good for grocery shopping!) and gas mileage. I'm almost regretting I didn't just go for a V8, but then I remember that I was the only person with a truck that could get into a barn to help a downed animal because of the width. It has its advantages. I whine about the entertainment system for the '15s, but seems things have been fixed for the later years. First world problems!

Photomom

We test drove a Highlander and a 4Runner on the same day on a variety of road surfaces. The 4Runner definitely had a more truck-like ride and handling. It also had a higher seating position, which I prefer but my husband doesn't (he's always driven sedans.) He really didn't want to drive a truck so we compromised on the Highlander. BTW, Consumer Reports compared the two vehicles and recommended the 4Runner over the Highlander only if you expect to drive off-road, because of the ride and handling differences.

I've mentioned this before, but not all Highlander models have the same towing capacity. Be sure to check the specs on Toyota.com, don't assume.

SGH0004

@rhaspyhonker, Our Sequoia is a 2004.  We bought it when it had 8k on it. It has 300k miles on it now & I didn't change the spark plugs until last year.  Mechanic couldn't believe it.  I couldn't tell any difference in performance or fuel mileage afterwards, lol.  We love that car.  Sucks down lots of gas.  13.5 not towing & 12.5 towing the T@b.  The only reason we even bought the Highlander is for a month long T@b trip in September & was afraid that it might decide to take out along the way.  Doubt it, though.  Since it rolled over 265,000 miles we drove it to Columbus, OH to get the T@b & then over to Dallas, TX for a short trip.  All from MS.  There's my take on the Sequoia just in case you are thinking of getting one for yourself.  Oh what a feeling! For those that remember.

KBaggins1

I am pretty sure that the 2009 Odyssey has the same transmision as our 2009 Pilot. That was the year of the updated model. We towed a 3000 lb Edge trailer out to Nova Scotia and back and other than the screaming revs (5000+) by the top of a long hill and the terrible gas mileage it performed well. We always left the overdrive on because instead of going in to 4th gear shutting it off drops it down to 3rd. It is not necessary to shut the OD off as it will downshift to 4th as soon as you start going up the slightest hill anyway. At least you can keep the revs down a bit that way. We got the T@B to save on fuel and on the same trip the year later we decreased our fuel use by 1/3 . But we still had the engine screaming for mercy going up hills so we retired the Pilot from towing duty. We had no problems at all with it though and it has over 100000 miles on it. We used to tow at 60 -65 mph as well. In 2009 the Pilot received an upgraded Honda built transmission. The previous trans that a lot of people had fail (including our 2005 MDX) was built by GM I was told.

gooselady

I don't use D4 when towing.  It pulls just fine, with good gas mileage.  I tow on the flat, no elevation usually.  The model year is 2014.

rhaspyhonker

gooselady said:

I don't use D4 when towing.  It pulls just fine, with good gas mileage.  I tow on the flat, no elevation usually.  The model year is 2014.

Gooselady, what is your TV? I'm curious because most of what I'm reading here and other forums is that towing in OD will come back and bite you..it bit me bad two years ago in my 2004 Odyssey. 

rhaspyhonker

SGH0004 said:

@rhaspyhonker, Our Sequoia is a 2004.  We bought it when it had 8k on it. It has 300k miles on it now & I didn't change the spark plugs until last year.  Mechanic couldn't believe it.  I couldn't tell any difference in performance or fuel mileage afterwards, lol.  We love that car.  Sucks down lots of gas.  13.5 not towing & 12.5 towing the T@b.  The only reason we even bought the Highlander is for a month long T@b trip in September & was afraid that it might decide to take out along the way.  Doubt it, though.  Since it rolled over 265,000 miles we drove it to Columbus, OH to get the T@b & then over to Dallas, TX for a short trip.  All from MS.  There's my take on the Sequoia just in case you are thinking of getting one for yourself.  Oh what a feeling! For those that remember.

I remember!  Love those old commercial jingles!  You just sealed the deal for my decision to get a sequoia.  Question now is do I spend the extra cash to get a gen 2 (2008 and newer) which has the 10K towing capacity and larger engine/larger cargo?  The 2007 and older models only tow up to 6500#. How do you tow with your 2004 sequoia...in D3? 

rhaspyhonker

KBaggins1 said:

I am pretty sure that the 2009 Odyssey has the same transmision as our 2009 Pilot. That was the year of the updated model. We towed a 3000 lb Edge trailer out to Nova Scotia and back and other than the screaming revs (5000+) by the top of a long hill and the terrible gas mileage it performed well. We always left the overdrive on because instead of going in to 4th gear shutting it off drops it down to 3rd. It is not necessary to shut the OD off as it will downshift to 4th as soon as you start going up the slightest hill anyway. At least you can keep the revs down a bit that way. We got the T@B to save on fuel and on the same trip the year later we decreased our fuel use by 1/3 . But we still had the engine screaming for mercy going up hills so we retired the Pilot from towing duty. We had no problems at all with it though and it has over 100000 miles on it. We used to tow at 60 -65 mph as well. In 2009 the Pilot received an upgraded Honda built transmission. The previous trans that a lot of people had fail (including our 2005 MDX) was built by GM I was told.

Kbaggins1, I think you are correct about the '09 pilot and Odyssey sharing the same trans. That is what turned me off to the pilot. They give it a higher towing capacity but I think that's because it has bigger brakes.  Otherwise it's the same engine and transmission.  Please correct me if I'm wrong.  

KBaggins1

I do not know for sure but the Oddysey is about 500 lbs heavier than the Pilot. The Oddysey, Ridgeline and the Pilot all share the same engine, transmission, chassis and lower platform. Given the Oddysey's heavier weight I doubt if they would have made the brakes smaller.I looked up tow ratings on the dealer brochure we kept and the 2 wheel drive models have a tow rating of 1590 KG and the AWD models have a rating of 2045 KG , aproximately 3500 lbs and 4500 lbs. Only the touring model came from the factory with all the towing equipment necessary for the higher rating installed. All other models the package was available as a dealer installed option.

gooselady

I tow with a 2014 Odyssey.

rhaspyhonker

KBaggins1 said:

I do not know for sure but the Oddysey is about 500 lbs heavier than the Pilot. The Oddysey, Ridgeline and the Pilot all share the same engine, transmission, chassis and lower platform. Given the Oddysey's heavier weight I doubt if they would have made the brakes smaller.I looked up tow ratings on the dealer brochure we kept and the 2 wheel drive models have a tow rating of 1590 KG and the AWD models have a rating of 2045 KG , aproximately 3500 lbs and 4500 lbs. Only the touring model came from the factory with all the towing equipment necessary for the higher rating installed. All other models the package was available as a dealer installed option.

I think the brakes are a bit smaller...that's one of the few complaints I hear on the Odyssey forum.  They get pretty hot and as a result, they tend to warp/develop a residue buildup that causes a vibration when applying the brake.  I'm speaking of the 2004-2009 models that I have owned and changed many brake rotors.  

SGH0004

rhaspyhonker said:

SGH0004 said:

@rhaspyhonker, Our Sequoia is a 2004.  We bought it when it had 8k on it. It has 300k miles on it now & I didn't change the spark plugs until last year.  Mechanic couldn't believe it.  I couldn't tell any difference in performance or fuel mileage afterwards, lol.  We love that car.  Sucks down lots of gas.  13.5 not towing & 12.5 towing the T@b.  The only reason we even bought the Highlander is for a month long T@b trip in September & was afraid that it might decide to take out along the way.  Doubt it, though.  Since it rolled over 265,000 miles we drove it to Columbus, OH to get the T@b & then over to Dallas, TX for a short trip.  All from MS.  There's my take on the Sequoia just in case you are thinking of getting one for yourself.  Oh what a feeling! For those that remember.

I remember!  Love those old commercial jingles!  You just sealed the deal for my decision to get a sequoia.  Question now is do I spend the extra cash to get a gen 2 (2008 and newer) which has the 10K towing capacity and larger engine/larger cargo?  The 2007 and older models only tow up to 6500#. How do you tow with your 2004 sequoia...in D3? 

I actually prefer the older body style if you can find one with decent miles (around 100k).  The newer body style is huge & are significantly more expensive & you are not likely to tow anything that weighs 10k miles.  I have used ours to haul a livestock trailer full of cows to the auction multiple times & a full size k5 blazer.  Granted, both of those were a load & definitely knew they were back there.  I towed in D3 with those.  With the T@b, I towed in OD & never even knew it was there.  The sequoia has 4:30 gears which is extremely low.  A regular 1/2 ton truck normally has 3:42 gears & a one ton dually has 4:10 gears.  If you pull in drive at 60mph it's churning something like 4,000 rpm's.  In the 12 years that we have owned the car we have done regular maintenance such as changing the oil & brakes.  I have never changed the trans fluid (not a proponent of such nonsense).  I have replaced 1 idler pulley, valve cover gaskets once, timing belt once, radiator at 225k , ac compressor, spark plugs & wires at 275k.   That's it.  Still has orig alternator, starter, power steering pump, wheel bearings, u-joints. Oh, yeah.  I bought it wrecked in 2005 so hard the oil filter was knocked off of it & fixed it for the wife to drive.  If it wasn't for her wanting a newer style veh I would have bought another just like it except 4wd.