There was a time when I felt when one succumb to the minivan is the point in life where one loses the will to live, slowly drowning in a bucket of cement. Practical as they may be, most were about as enjoyable to drive as getting stung by killer bees.
These days, however, the new era of minivans have become rather nice, and in some instances, impressive. In a segment that was started by American carmaker Chrysler with their Caravan, it is now dominated by the Japanese giants, Honda and Toyota. Given the massive demand for such vehicles, it is no wonder that Toyota has gone to seemingly great length to develop and promote their new for 2011 Sienna. In an attempt to provide useful consumer information, we tested the Sienna. If you feel the minivan is the grim reaper’s attempt to make you lose your will to live, you may stop reading now. Otherwise, please continue.
The first thing that hits you when you see the new Sienna is the radical difference in exterior design versus the last generation. Whereas the last generation offered all the excitement of paint drying, this new redesign looks sleek and aggressive, with trendy wheel/rim sizes ranging from 17 to a sports car-ish 19 inch. It also has some clever touches such as hidden rails for the sliding doors, and nice projector beam headlamps.
Our tester car was the top of the line Limited model, with leather seats, nice big rims, fake wood trim, and get this: center seats are lounge style seats that recline ala the $400k Maybach super luxury barge or 1st class on an airliner. It also comes with a rear entertainment system that has a fantastic 16.4 inch display that drops down from the roof, with a dual screen function to allow one side to play video games for instance, while the other side is watching a DVD. However, some of the interior materials were unfitting for a $45k car, with the plastics a bit too hard and the seams a bit too exposed. The leather was nice and supple however.
Of course it comes standard with 7 airbags (knee airbag is new) and the usual automatic sliding doors and tailgate. It also has a fully automatic 3-row seat stowing system. That is a good idea, but the execution was a bit too slow. Still, there was plenty of cargo space, and with the center seats that could be slid forwards and back, leg room is more than ample. The backup camera system was also a nice touch, with a panoramic view mode that allows the driver to see on the screen the corners of the car, and had sight lines that automatically adjusts and displays where the car is going to go. This should be very helpful for soccer moms.
On the road, the Sienna felt composed and rode very smoothly. The new 6-speed automatic transmission offered silky shifts and responsive shifts. The steering however, felt a bit lacking in road feel, and offered little to give the driver confidence. That said, it was relaxed and perhaps a good setup for the grocery run.
Our car had the top spec v-6 engine, producing a healthy 266 horsepower. 4WD is also an option, as well as a more economical 187 horsepower 4-cylinder.
So what is the combination of all those facts and figures? Will it be the preventer of the loss of the will to live? Unfortunately, at least with our limited time with the Sienna, the answer is no. It is, at the end of the day, another minivan, built with practicality in mind. That said, at this point, it does offer a nicer ride than the competition, and the engine is surprisingly smooth. The brakes were also nice and linear. It is definitely a car suitable for the long road trip, with plenty of gadgets to keep the occupants occupied, as long as the road trip does not encounter twisty mountain roads.
The verdict? As of right now, the Sienna seems to be on the top of the class. It is not cheap though, with the basic inline-4 cylinder starting at around $25k and the test car we had going for a whopping $45k (fully loaded). That said, it is a nice ride. Yet, despite the gadgets and the gizmos, it still fails to provide that light at the end of the tunnel for car enthusiasts to avoid having the life sucked out of them by the practical needs of starting a family. Rumor has it that a SE version is on the way that may provide that refuge, namely because the chief engineer of the project is Mr. Kazuo Mori, an avid autocrosser. Till then, though, we must make do with another minivan.
6/10
