 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited. Click image to enlarge |
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2011 Toyota Sienna
Victoria, British Columbia – Now into its third generation, the redesigned Toyota Sienna minivan arrives as a 2011 model with all-new styling, a completely redesigned interior, more interior room, more comfortable seats, easier interior access, more features – and notably, sportier handling. As well, there’s a new base four-cylinder model that’s priced $1,600 lower than the base 2010 Sienna V6, and a new SE (Sport Edition) trim with a stiffer suspension, 19-inch tires, and sporty styling add-ons. The new Sienna is still the only minivan available with optional all-wheel drive.
  2011 Toyota Sienna base four-cylinder (top) and 2011 Toyota Sienna SE V6. Click image to enlarge |
At the 2011 Sienna’s introduction to Canadian media in Victoria, British Columbia, Chief Engineer, Kazuo Mori, explained his objectives for the new Sienna: “I wanted to create, in the new Sienna, a minivan for people who like cars. Minivans are typically parked next to many different types of cars in a driveway or garage. Luxury sedans… sports coupes… you name it. Owners purchased these cars for the passion they inspire. I thought, ‘Why not make a minivan that gives them the same passion.’ ”
This passion is most evident in the new Sienna SE model which features 19-inch low-profile tires and alloys, a sport-tuned suspension, sport-tuned electric steering, unique front & rear bumpers and side skirts, smoked head lamps and tail lights, and a sportier interior with unique gauges and sport fabric seats with leatherette trim. While it’s difficult to make a large, bulky vehicle like the Sienna look sporty, there is a sort of hulking menace to the SE model, and I can confirm that the SE is definitely more fun to drive than most minivans.
Other 2011 Sienna models have also benefitted from its wider track (front +53.3 mm/rear +20.3 mm), resulting in improved handling and stability. As well, the new Sienna has a more aerodynamic body (0.30 cd) which includes an under-body aerodynamic cover to smooth air flow, a rear spoiler with hideaway wiper, privacy glass, standard 17-inch alloy wheels, and projector beam headlamps.
Compared to the 2010 Sienna, the 2011 Sienna’s length has been reduced by 20.3 mm (0.8 inches) but its overall width has increased by 20.3 mm (0.8 inches) and its height has increased 45.7 mm (1.8 in.). The wheelbase is unchanged. The redesign has produced a more spacious cabin that is longer by 38 mm (1.5 in.) and wider by 30 mm (1.2 in.) for front passengers.
     2011 Toyota Sienna SE V6 (top); 2011 Toyota Sienna base four-cylinder; 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited; removable second-row centre seat; 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited. Click image to enlarge |
The 2011 Sienna’s completely new interior was designed by Benjamin Jimenez, a native of Burlington, Ontario, who also did the interior of the 2009 Venza and the 2008 Avalon.
Innovative new features include second-row captain’s chairs that fold up, clamshell-like, to allow third row passengers easier access. These seats can also be removed completely from the van without tools. While Toyota considered hideaway second-row seats, like Chrysler’s Stow-n-go seats, they decided that the sacrifice in seating comfort wasn’t worth the extra utility.
Also new is an easy-clean seat fabric that should prove popular with parents of young children, and new tri-zone automatic climate control that gives rear passengers the benefit of automatic temperature control.
Perhaps the most interesting new feature is the second-row Lounge chairs (available in the top of the line Limited model) which recline fully with a retractable “ottoman” foot support, a la Lazy Boy. Available in the top-of-the-line Limited model, these recliners allow you to sit back with your beverage and relax while watching a movie on the Sienna’s new extra-wide video screen (416 mm/16.4 in.) which folds down above the second row. Its split-screen technology enables rear passengers to watch two different videos on the same screen using the Sienna’s DVD player for one video, and a portable DVD player for the second video. Rear passengers also get two wireless headsets, USB and 12 volt outlets. Videos can also be played on the front navigation screen when the Sienna is in Park and the parking brake is set.
2011 Siennas are still available with seven or eight-passenger seating; the latter includes a new removeable second-row centre seat that stores in a cavity on the left side of the cargo area when not in use. It’s a lightweight seat that’s easy to snap into place when you need an extra seat. When it’s not there, a small tray between the seats include two cupholders, and it’s low enough that you can walk through between the seats.
The Sienna’s sliding side door openings have been increased by 50 mm (2 in.), making it much easier to slide into the third row. As well, a special indentation in the door opening at head height helps prevent head bumps. To make it even easier, some models are equipped with power sliding rear doors and a power rear hatch.
    2011 Toyota Sienna folding third row seat (top); 2011 Toyota Sienna Limited dash; all Siennas get power second-row windows; dash-top information display. Click image to enlarge |
As before, the split third row seats fold flat into a floor cavity, creating a flat cargo floor. The seats can be lowered or raised in a two-step process, but the wider seat is heavier and more awkward to lift from the rear of the vehicle. With the 2nd row seats removed and the 3rd row seats lowered into the floor, maximum cargo space is 4,250 litres (150 cu. ft.), the most cargo space in its class.
The new Sienna’s more upscale interior has a classier look, more soft padded materials and a better quality finish. New are automatic up/down power windows with pinch protection for all four side windows, and retractable sunshades on the 2nd and 3rd row side windows in LE V6 and higher models.
Storage areas include new upper and lower gloveboxes, coin tray, centre console bin, door pockets, seatback storage with grocery bag hooks, second row bin and third row side bins. All three rows have cupholders.
Sienna LE, SE, XLE and Limited come with an information display at the top of the dash that includes average fuel economy, average speed, distance to empty, and outside temperature. And you can choose English, French or Spanish language settings. There’s also an ECO driving monitor designed to help the driver maximize fuel economy.
The 2011 Sienna now has seven standard airbags including a new driver side knee airbag and revised seat-mounted side airbags designed for improved protection in a side impact. Standard active head restraints for driver and front passenger are designed to reduce whiplash in rear-enders.
The Sienna’s new 187-horsepower 2.7-litre four-cylinder engine is adequate for around town use, but I found it lacked punch when accelerating onto the freeway or when attempting to pull out and pass. The 266-hp 3.5-litre V6, in contrast, is a real powerhouse that’s very responsive and willing, and also smoother and quieter than the four while not being a lot more gas-hungry. Published fuel consumption figures for the four-cylinder are 10.4 L/100 km in the city and 7.5 on the highway while the Sienna V6 FWD offers 11.5/8.1 city/hwy, and the V6 AWD 12.8/ 9.0 city/hwy. The V6 uses Regular gas.
  2011 Toyota Sienna SE V6 (top) and Limited. Click image to enlarge |
The revised six-speed automatic transmission performs flawlessly, and includes a manual mode, and the shift lever is located conveniently close to the steering wheel. The new electrically-assisted power steering has a light feel that’s easy on the arms, and the Sienna’s tight turning circle makes it surprisingly manoeuvrable for such a long vehicle. At freeway speeds, the Sienna tracks very well and feels very stable.
I drove both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models and couldn’t really tell the difference in driving behaviour. The Sienna’s AWD system can vary front/rear power distribution from 100 per cent front and zero per cent rear, to up to 50 per cent front and 50 per cent rear via a rear differential with an electro-magnetic coupling device that varies the amount of torque sent to the rear wheels based on electrical current amperage. It’s all completely automatic and the driver has no input.
The new Sienna also includes an enhanced Vehicle Stability Control system and Traction Control system that integrates engine, braking, and steering controls to help prevent loss of control in emergency situations. The System includes Normal, TRAC “OFF” and VSC “OFF”, but will automatically engage if the vehicle exceeds pre-set limits for directional stability.
With a wide track and a fairly low centre of gravity, the Sienna handles very well, although base models with 17-inch tires seem a little soft. The SE model, with its lower, stiffer suspension, 19-inch radials and quicker steering, offers a little more excitement though the ride is a bit harder.
 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE V6. Click image to enlarge |
As well as driving the new Sienna, I took the opportunity to ride in the second and third row seats and can report that the standard second row reclining Captain’s chairs are extremely comfortable with plenty of headroom and legroom and folding armrests for comfort. Second row passengers have their own fan speed, ventilation, and temperature controls and roll-down side windows. The Lounge chairs in the Limited model are even more comfortable, but in order to extend the ottoman feature, they have to be positioned very far back, eliminating legroom for third row passengers.
I found the third row seat cushions and seatbacks stiffer but the seatbacks do recline and there’s plenty of headroom and adequate legroom. Third row passengers have flip-out vent windows at the rear for ventilation, and outboard cupholders and storage bins. After riding in the third seat for 20 minutes on a windy road, I didn’t experience any motion-sickness, a common problem in larger vehicles.
Sportier styling, improved handling, a more engaging driving experience, and a much classier interior with increased comfort and utility make the 2011 Toyota Sienna a more attractive minivan for drivers and passengers alike. But the new four-cylinder engine seems a bit underpowered.
