Much maligned, the minivan is the redheaded step child of the automotive family. Pejoratively referred to as the vehicle of choice for soccer moms, it is given a wide berth by self-described hip drivers of both genders. Although a card-carrying member of the "too cool" set may not don a paper bag over his head when suddenly finding himself behind the wheel of one of these, gasp, family transports, it is a stigma to be avoided at all costs. Ultimately, the market place has relegated the minivan to the role of family hauler, not to be taken seriously for filling any other task. What a waste.
Infected with this same prejudice, a minivan wasn't even on my wish list when trying to arrange a vehicle to carry five adults on a nearly 1,400-mile round trip from Greenville, SC to Delray Beach, Fla. Visions of a Chevrolet Suburban, Cadillac Escalade ESV and Ford Expedition danced in my head. Finding none of these, or any other long-wheelbase SUV, available in the current press fleets, the Toyota Sienna became the fallback vehicle. In other words, I settled for a Sienna.
A bigotry based on attitude rather than experience, I have long been an admirer of minivans such as the Sienna, Honda Odyssey and Dodge Grand Caravan for their comfort, drivability and utility. They just aren't show-off vehicles that will impress friends and valet parking attendants.
That, however, isn't a fair statement. The Sienna more than impressed this little band of travelers. These weren't kids, but mature adults requiring some spreading-out room. A third-row seat with decent legroom was a must; as was sufficient cargo space to hold the gear for five adults required to see them through four days. The rear seat has more than 36 inches of legroom, and with it in use, there is 39 cubic feet of cargo space behind it. Cargo room more than doubles to 87 cubic feet when the split-folding third-row seat is folded flat into the floor, and it balloons to 150 cubic feet when the second-row seats are removed.
Two second-row captain's chairs with their reclining seatbacks are ideally suited to long voyages. Every Sienna comes with full power accessories and these include power-operated windows located in the sliding side doors for the second-row seats. Triple-zone climate control is also standard on all Siennas and it works flawlessly. There are cupholders galore scattered throughout the cabin.
Available in five trim levels, Sienna prices begin at $25,260 for the Base version and range upward to $40,470 for the Limited AWD. My test Sienna was the $31,930 LE 3.5L AWD.
Although there are some engine restrictions based on trim level, two powerplants are available. One is a 187-horsepower 2.7-liter inline four-cylinder. More powerful and better suited to hauling loads – like five over-fed adults and their luggage – is the 265-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. Both use a six-speed driver-shiftable automatic transmission to transfer engine output to either the front or all wheels. The V6 was enthusiastic in pulling its load. Hills, open roads or stop-and-go city slogging couldn't dampen the Sienna's get-up-and-go. EPA estimates put the fuel economy of the four-cylinder at 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. These numbers drop for the FWD V6 to 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway. AWD versions are EPA rated at 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway. Loaded down, my AWD LE V6 managed an average of 21.5 mpg on the highway. Impressive!
Every Sienna rolls out of the showroom with four-wheel antilock disc brakes, traction control, stability control, electronic brakeforce distribution, emergency brake assist, seven airbags and front seat whiplash protection system.
Although the front suspension is an independent setup with MacPherson struts, the rear is a torsion beam. Even so, the ride is remarkably car like. There is a slight bit of roll in the corners, but no more than expected.
Capable of seating up to eight when the second-row captain's chairs are replaced with a split-folding bench seat, Sienna doesn't skimp on passenger room. My Sienna had the captain's chairs, which makes accessing the third-row bench even easier. The LE gets upgrades like a 3.5-inch display with backup camera/monitor, redundant steering wheel-mounted audio controls and heated outboard mirrors. Opting for the AWD LE adds power-sliding side doors, and in place of the base four-speaker audio system, an upgraded six-speaker audio system with an integrated iPod connection. Bluetooth connectivity is also standard.
Springing for the top-of-the-line Limited ups the content to include leather seating, power-folding outboard mirrors, dual sunroofs, upgraded second-row seats, power-folding third-row seat, keyless entry/ignition and a 10-speaker JBL surround-sound audio system.
The only nit to pick is that the speaker arrangement – even with the six-speaker upgrade in my test Sienna – favors front-seat- and third-row-seat passengers at the expense of the second row. Otherwise, Sienna is an ideal road-trip vehicle. Gobs of space, plenty of comfort, smooth road manners, quiet performance and surprising fuel economy conspire to deliver a praise-worthy experience. Pulling up to the valet at your favorite restaurant won't turn the heads of curb-standing gawkers, but you will dismount rested and immensely pleased with yourself.
