BRRRRR! It’s cold and wintery as I conduct this mid-January test of the Toyota Sienna minivan from the Rocky Mountain Redline press fleet. The front-wheel drive system works well getting my wife and I around Northern Colorado, and thankfully, no blizzards took place this month; just a couple of nice snowfalls. Front and rear heat is on hand in the Sienna so that I can warm up the vehicle pretty fast with zero degree temperatures to contend with. That system includes air conditioning and is a three-zone setup with separate temperature controls for driver and passengers, both front and rear. A digital control panel is ceiling-mounted in the rear of the Sienna.
My test Sienna was the SE Premium model with several upgrades such as backup camera, audio/navigation with 7″ screen, SiriusXM radio, Bluetooth connectivity, Toyota’s Entune app suite, Blu-ray 16.4″ rear entertainment center with headphones, perforated black leather seating for eight, 40/20/40 middle row seating with stowable center seat, stowable third row seat, cruise control, tilt/telescope, Smart Key system with remote/pushbutton starter, triple 12v power outlets, blind spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, and ten cup holders.
Toyota’s Sienna SE Premium comes in five different colors and the one I drove was painted Salsa red pearl metallic. Of course the vehicle was equipped with power sliding side doors (they have roll-down windows) and a power rear lift gate. The length of the Sienna was 200.2″ set on a 119.3″ wheelbase; weight was 4,560 lbs. Getting in and out of the minivan is easier than a sedan and not quite at a crossover SUV level of convenience. Visibility is great, as is ride and guidance on the road. Handling is, well, as you would expect for such a vehicle, that being OK.
Minivan styling is not an attraction to such a vehicle, although I personally like the looks of all of them. This Sienna had bold-looking six-spoke gunmetal-finished gray 19″ alloy wheels with P235/50R19 steel all-season radials. Luggage rail cross bars were up top and round fog- and backup-lights dressed up the fascia, front and rear. The color was particularly attractive on the Sienna, a selection I would make if purchasing one.
Power for the Toyota minivan is produced by a 3.5 liter V-6 with 266 horsepower and 245 lb. ft. of torque. A six-speed automatic is coupled to it with the shift tower mounted on the dashboard to the right of the steering wheel. Thus, the driver (or front passenger) can slide over to the other armrest-equipped bucket seat, if desired. Fuel economy for the Sienna is 18 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. The combined rating is 21 mpg. I found the performance of my test Toyota to be suitable, and the company also offers an all-wheel drive setup on the Sienna.
M.S.R.P. for the van totaled $41,293.00 – base price was $39,680.00 and freight plus odds and ends made up the difference. I enjoyed testing the Sienna and it seems to me to represent a pretty good value in its segment.
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