The 2011 Toyota Sienna LE test drive was highly anticipated by my family and me. The hilarious marketing campaign might have had something to do with it. The major redesign might have had something to do with it. Mostly though, my family loves minivans because we don’t own one. Whenever one shows up for a test, the kids are over the moon.
The Sienna LE looked sharp. She looked updated. She looked worthy of a little swagger, and it was not frumpy. So far, the vehicle was living up to its hype. It had an interesting blue color that had a lot of green in it. I wouldn’t call it teal, but it was a modern-looking color and I liked it. But is just living up to hype enough? Toyota’s competitors are hot on their tail, with Honda’s new 2011 Odyssey due out next year, and rumors and spy photos of Chrysler’s revamped Town & Country will keep potential buyers intrigued.
The LE’s interior was updated as well, following the other models’ leads with the swoopy, angled dash and some polished black plastic. In other models, I like this look. But there’s just so much of it in a minivan, I was curious how this would wear over my test week. Like a unique color, I wonder about its trendiness. Will we look back years from now and say, “OMG, that’s totally 2011!” Ultimately I got used to it and decided that I prefer to have this than no design distinction at all.
My test vehicle is priced at $29,703. The Sienna LE model had fabric upholstery, some power items, and not a whole lot of entertainment options. This was okay, because I could see the minivan for the minivan and not get distracted by other frivolities. Mind you, I don’t see four cupholders in the front center console, two in the center stack, and bottle holders in the doors, cupholders and cubbies in the third row as frivolous. Not when you’re staring down the barrel of long days in the car going from school to tae kwon do to a birthday party to gymnastics to a tutor to flute lessons to… You get my point. Functionality rules, and the Sienna delivers.
Speaking of functionality, the second row in the Sienna rules. It had captain’s chairs, and a portable seat that could fit between them, creating a bench. It’s a small seat, to be sure (40/20/40 split). But it’s workable for a kid who’s grown out of a booster. It’s removable with the pull of a couple straps, and stows handily in the cargo area. I like this flexibility a lot. Speaking of flexibility, the third row folds down in one maneuver (leverage required, folks) and creates an enormous amount of space. The second row seats fold, but not flat into the floor. However, they are removable. They also move forward and backward to provide the right amount of legroom and a good car-seat fit.
A couple peeves about the Sienna? Minor ones. It was a little louder inside than I expected. The road noise was noticeable. It’s not horrendously awful, but it’s there. The doors felt a little tinny. And the 2.7l i4-cylinder engine wasn’t exactly peppy. For running errands smoothly and effortlessly, it was fine, but it was definitely not swaggering. Maybe this is not a big deal for you because you don’t live in an area with many hills or you don’t have a lead foot. But for the variety here in Colorado, I was missing some power. The plus side is that the mileage is pretty good at 19/24.
I was also missing power to close the rear hatch. I could not close that puppy with one hand. I’d grab the door, get it down part way and then it wanted to spring back up right at the spot where I needed to switch my grip. It’s a strong spring, too. If you got the LE and are a smaller person, you might want to spring for the power liftgate. Seriously. Feel free to question my logic in a rainstorm in the grocery store parking lot.
All that said, the Sienna is still a good, solid minivan. The power sliding doors are a great investment, and the flexibility and functionality are pretty darn good.
On our TFLcar recommendation scale of:
- Buy it
- Lease it
- Rent it or
- Forget it
The modernization of the minivan is long overdue, and with the Sienna’s functionality and good looks, I’m giving it a “Buy It!”
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Growing up in Colorado Sara Lacey was always kind to her cars. These
days however, she spends her time punishing automobiles with the help of
her children. Reviewing cars from the unique perspective of a woman
and mom, Sara also writes for MotherProof.com and Cars.com. In addition, she sits on the board of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press Association.
Looks like a nice family car
I dont know about the noise levels inside
I generally like to be cocooned in my own world when driving
Posted by: lowest auto insurance rates | 08/11/2010 at 08:36 AM