The 2011 Toyota Sienna is all-new, and most reviewers say it brings some much-needed oomph to the minivan market.
Though other carmakers have abandoned their minivans, Toyota has introduced an all-new Sienna for 2011 (even though it hits dealer lots in February of 2010).
What’s odd about the 2011 Toyota Sienna is that reviewers are actually excited about it. The Sienna has a relatively affordable base price, but with five trims to chose from, reviewers say buyers can option the Sienna with enough features to compete with cars from Lexus, Toyota’s luxury brand.
Also, the toyota Sienna is the only minivan with available All-wheel drive, further challenging SUVs and crossovers for family-car sales. While the minivan segment has shrunk, it’s still competitive. Reviewers like the Sienna’s performance, including the sporty SE trim, but a few say that the Honda Odyssey is a better performer. While the Sienna is not involved in the Toyota accelerator recall, some critics have begun to raise questions about Toyota’s quality. There are five trims available on the 2011 Sienna: base, LE, SE, XLE and Limited.
The good: The 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited breaks new ground with a 16.4-inch rear-seat entertainment system. Adaptive cruise control and a dial-by-name Bluetooth phone system contribute to this minivan's advanced features.
Adaptive cruise control cannot stop the car, and blind-spot detection would be nice.
The bottom line: The 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited offers comfort and entertainment for rear-seat passengers, and a reasonably tech-filled driving experience, with some limitations.
Although the front incorporates some of the latest Toyota styling language with its angular grille opening and curved hood, the sides are dominated by large, power-operated sliding doors. It looks modern and will fit unassumingly into grocery store parking lots.
Automatic entry
Our Limited trim model Sienna made a good case for the harried parent with its smart key system. Toyota's reliable 3.5-liter V-6 sat under the hood, an engine that is more than adequate for moving the Sienna. The EPA rating for the V-6 is 18 mpg city and 24 mpg highway (16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway for the all-wheel-drive version), while the four-cylinder gets 19 mpg city and 24 mpg highway; not much of a gain, and a big loss of power. Maneuvering around parking lots, we found another feature of the Sienna that should please parents: the overpowered steering makes low-speed turns very easy. Further enhancing our parking lot prowess, our car came with a backup camera showing distance and trajectory lines. The camera is invaluable for reversing the Sienna, as a rear cabin filled with rough-housing children can destroy rear visibility.
Though flawed in a couple key respects, the Sienna's fundamentals are sound. The Sienna comes in five trim levels: base, LE, SE, XLE and Limited.
As minivans go, it's handsome.
The Sienna's 36.9-foot turning circle nearly ties Honda (36.7 feet) and beats Chrysler vans' 39.1-foot circles.
Base, LE and XLE models carry 17-inch alloy wheels. The outgoing Sienna's five-speed automatic felt far more responsive. (Yes, even minivans can have cool exhaust notes.) I did not sample a Sienna with all-wheel drive. Toyota's 2.7-liter four-cylinder, of recent Venza and Highlander vintage, comes standard on front-wheel-drive base and LE models. At the L.A. Auto Show, where the Sienna was introduced, I puzzled over the wisdom of offering a four-cylinder on a large minivan. The V-6 Sienna gets a competitive 18/24 mpg with front-wheel drive and 16/22 mpg with all-wheel drive.