Toyota’s new Sienna has been getting a lot of press lately, and for good reason. It’s extremely good and fills a niche that used to be an auto sector mainstay.
2011 Toyota Sienna LE 4-Cylinder
Let’s face it. There are nowhere near as many brands in the midsize minivan market now than when the segment was at the height of its popularity in the late ‘80s and throughout the ‘90s, but the models that remain certainly deserve their loyal fans. There’s the single South Korean entrant, Kia’s Sedona — the short-lived Hyundai Entourage now history, while the Japanese contingent now only includes Honda’s Odyssey and Toyota’s Sienna from the original four. Good news, mind you, is that Nissan will be back with an all-new yet still eccentric Quest. The domestic minivan segment has seen ten separate brands join the fray since 1984, but now only two remain, the Chrysler and Dodge. These two, as you likely know, are the segment originators, and like always they’re virtually the same van. The only recent minivan offering is another Chrysler, sort of — Volkswagen’s Routan.
Yes, it’s certainly been a rocky ride for the minivan over the past decade, so those of us who love practical transportation should truly be singing the praises of the manufacturers who’ve stuck by their side-slider enhanced motorized monoboxes. And they’ve become real performers at what they do best — haul people and their gear. The new Sienna, brought to you by one of the most practical companies on the planet, does this extremely well.
The Sienna can be configured for seven or eight occupants, depending on the centre row, and comes in a wide variety of model choices, with LE (base), SE, XLE and Limited trim levels available, while the all-wheel drive system is available with V6 models only, on LE and Limited trim levels. I’ve already written about the V6-powered SE model, a truly sport-oriented minivan, but haven’t covered the base LE yet, and I’ve got a feeling it’s going to be more popular than even Toyota realizes once would-be customers get behind the wheel.
Toyota is the only minivan manufacturer to offer a four-cylinder engine, so right off the mark it’s the most fuel-efficient van on the market with estimated numbers that range from 10.4 L/100km city, 7.5 highway and 9.1 combined. Impressive for a van that moves along at a pretty good clip when pushed, thanks to 187 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 186 lb-ft of torque at 4,100 rpm. Front-wheel drive is standard, with the 2.7-litre engine’s twist fed through an ultra-smooth gated six-speed automatic with manual mode on all models.
The four-cylinder Sienna handles better than V6-equipped models, unless the sporty SE package is chosen. Its lighter front end gives the Sienna nimble reactions while it feels like it would roll perpetually if the brakes were never actuated. Low rolling resistance is a boon to fuel economy, of course, something Toyota has learned through its decade-plus of hybrid development, but instead of those thin hard rubber tires used in early HEVs the Sienna gets a nice meaty set of P235/60R17 all-season shoes standard, my tester’s mounted on an attractive set of five-spoke alloy rims. The suspension setup includes MacPherson struts up front and a multilink in back, while Electronic Power Steering (EPS) gives the rack and pinion setup a nice linear feel. The turning circle is amazingly tight too, making city driving and especially parking a dream.
Braking is good too, and comes by a set of four-wheel discs enhanced by standard Antilock (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), and Traction Control (TRAC), for what Toyota refers to as its Star Safety System. A total of seven airbags are part of the standard package, including a new driver’s side knee airbag and side-curtain bags for all three rows.
Standard convenience features include a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, tri-zone manual air conditioning with pollen filtration, cruise control, six-way-adjustable driver’s seat, power windows up front and on the side sliders with auto up/down and jam protection, an AM/FM/CD audio system with four speakers, XM compatibility and an auxiliary jack, power door locks with remote keyless entry, rear heater ducts with separate controls, and the list goes on. There are no factory-installed options with the $27,900 four-cylinder LE, but if you want to go the fuel friendlier route to save on gas, for environmental reasons or just to pocket some money initially, Toyota offers a number of dealer-installed accessories from towing hitches and roof rack cross bars to Bluetooth connectivity and rear entertainment systems that can add to the ownership experience.
And minivan life is a good life, as long as you can get over the stigma of buying into a segment that lacks sex appeal. The Sienna doesn’t feature second row buckets that stow beneath the floor like Chrysler’s vans, but the rear seats are a lot more comfortable and fold down low enough for most peoples’ needs. And the third row folding mechanism is one of the best in the business. The 60/40-split bench seat tumbles down with little more than a tug and a push, and back up just as effortlessly. Altogether, the Sienna is good for 4.25 m3 (150 cu ft) behind the third row, 2.47 m3 (87.1 cu ft) when the third row is folded flat, and 1.11 m3 (39.1 cu ft) when the second row is removed. Handy grocery bag hooks can be found all over, as can cupholders and auxiliary power points. Truly, it doesn’t get more practical than a Sienna.
But it’s not all about practicality with the 2011 model. Toyota has dressed up the new van to look especially attractive inside and out. The grille is deep and wide, while headlight and taillight assemblies are jewel-like and attractively shaped. The lenses and metal panels that surround in the rear are particularly handsome, featuring graceful creases and cut lines to form what is easily the best looking rear end design in the minivan segment, and the intelligent way Toyota has hidden the high-mounted rear wiper should be noted too. Overall the van’s elegant shape combines for a Cd of 0.306, good for this class. That comes from a van that’s lower and a bit shorter than its predecessor.
That predecessor is a mere shadow of the 2011 Sienna, however, and last year’s model was still very good. Now with thrifty four-cylinder power it’s the ultimate stingy pragmatic’s ride, and fuel prices being higher than they have been for a long time and not looking to decrease anytime soon, this new well-equipped base version should be very popular.-autotrader.
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