2011 Toyota Sienna – First Drive Review « New and Used Car Listings

2011 Toyota Sienna – First Drive Review

Toyota actually claims to have beaten Chrysler’s minivans of 1984 to market by a few months with its creatively named Toyota Van. But it would take another 20 years and the second-generation Sienna for Toyota to directly compete with the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country. Starting in 2004, Toyota’s family hauler finally had enough room, horsepower, and practical features to be considered a serious contender in the minivan ranks.

In our last minivan comparison test, the Sienna, despite being a three-year-old design, placed second, beating out the current-generation Dodge Grand Caravan and falling behind the Honda Odyssey. We marveled at the Sienna’s luxurious demeanor but leveled criticism at its flaccid responses and boring, anonymous character. It seems Toyota may have heard our complaints, because the redesigned 2011 Toyota Sienna has upped the sportiness quotient in driving dynamics and looks.

A Highly Adaptive Living Room

Built on the same platform as its predecessor and riding on the same 119.3-inch wheelbase, the new Sienna is marginally wider but nearly an inch shorter overall. Exterior styling is all-new and far less anonymous than before; we might even go so far as to call it attractive. The shape is especially slippery, too; Toyota claims a low 0.31coefficient of drag. The newfound style continues inside, where sweeping lines look more interesting and modern than the upright and conservative design of the previous Sienna. Interior plastics are pleasing to the eye, but touching them reveals a hard and slightly cheap-feeling texture.

As one would expect in a minivan, storage space abounds—two glove boxes, massive door pockets, more cup holders than there are seats (12 on eight-passenger models and 10 on seven-passenger versions), a sliding storage console between the front seats, and even a place to store your purse (or European carryall) on the floor. A 60/40 split third-row bench collapses easily into the floor and only requires one hand to fold or deploy. Second-row captain’s chairs, however, don’t fold into the floor like Chrysler’s Stow ’n Go setup, which may turn off some buyers. Eight-passenger versions of the Sienna come with a tiny “jump seat” that fits between the second-row seats. Uncomfortable, cramped, and perhaps only suitable for a child, the center seat is—thankfully—easily removed and stores in the wall of the cargo compartment. The good news is that the full-size second-row seats are well padded, have adjustable backrests, can be moved fore-and-aft, and are quite comfortable. Third-row space and comfort are also good enough for adults, as long as the second-row occupants don’t slide their seats all the way back. Top-of-the-line Limited models come with manually adjustable “recliner style” second-row seats that have footrests. For an adult-sized person to take advantage of the seat’s reclining and footrest function, the passenger-side front seat must slide forward toward the dash. Basically, no one will be able to fit in front of or behind the reclined second-row seat.

Passenger comfort also extends to the optional rear-seat entertainment system. Toyota has fitted a wide, 16.4-inch screen that can display two separate images from two separate sources. For example, the right side of the screen can be showing a movie while the left portion of the screen displays a video game. If only one input is utilized, the image can be stretched across the entire screen or displayed on the left or right of the screen. Unlike the Chrysler minivans, however, Toyota does not offer satellite television.

Heightened Reflexes

Toyota offers five trim levels (base, LE, SE, XLE, and Limited) on the Sienna. Base and LE versions come standard with a 187-hp, 2.7-liter four-cylinder mated to a six-speed automatic that returns 19 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. Powerful enough for most buyers, the four-cylinder does make a few gritty noises under acceleration, but there is enough torque (186 lb-ft) to move the Sienna smartly. Those who regularly carry a full load of passengers might want to opt for the 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 266 hp and 245 lb-ft of torque. The V-6 is available in every trim level (standard on SE, XLE, and Limited) and carries over from the previous model. The only new part of the powertrain is the six-speed automatic that replaces last year’s five-speed unit. Compared with the previous Sienna, V-6 fuel economy increases by 1 mpg in the city and highway cycles, to 18 and 24 mpg, respectively. Toyota continues to offer optional all-wheel drive, and the Sienna is the only minivan that still does. Paired only with the V-6, all-wheel-drive Siennas return fuel economy of 16 city and 22 highway, an improvement of 1 mpg in the highway cycle.

The Sienna’s chief engineer, Kazuo Mori, tells us that he worked hard to improve the handling and create a sportier feel while maintaining the quietness and refinement of the previous Sienna. Immediately noticeable is higher-effort steering that gives the Sienna something it never has had—some semblance of steering feel. No one will confuse the feel at the helm with that of a Porsche, but it’s a useful improvement. Although the chassis layout—front struts and torsion-beam rear axle—carries over from the previous model, Mori completely retuned the suspension to give a tighter and more controlled feel.