   2013 Toyota Sienna XLE. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Jonathan Yarkony
After reading about the Toyota Sienna victory in the Minivan Comparison Test conducted by our west coast team, I decided I needed to get acquainted with this pinnacle of family movers. And the pinnacle is what I got: the XLE V6 seven-passenger with Limited Package. This thing was a rolling dream cruiser for a growing family. Obviously, driving a minivan is never going to set my automotive synapses firing, but let me cut right to my conclusions. We loved this minivan.
Sure it’s pricey; as equipped, our tester rang in at over $50,000! However, the last two minivans I tested were priced in the same stratosphere: over $48K for the Nissan Quest and $51K for a Chrysler Town & Country. However, at these trims, incentives come into play in a big way, so it’s up to you to negotiate your best deal for the van that appeals most to your tastes. Also consider that the Sienna starts at a downright economical $29,120 MSRP, and the ‘sporty’ looking SE model is also a reasonable $37,205 (Confession: I think the Sienna SE is a sexy rig in a clean black or white with heavy tint on the windows).
But the XLE, oh dear, the gear on the XLE totally justifies the price. Did you know it has reclining second-row seats with padded, multi-position armrests and built-in La-Z-Boy style footrests? The only other vehicle I’ve been in with a feature like that is the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class! There is also 650 mm (23 inches – that is almost two feet!) of seat travel for people to lounge with plenty of space (executive class, anyone?), or to slide forward for increased cargo space or third-row legroom.
And of course there is the double-wide DVD screen that can display different shows or movies for different offspring, wireless headphones (so you don’t have to listen to Dora and the Lost Puppy for the umpteenth time), power sliding rear doors, easy-tumble third row seats, power tailgate, backup camera and easy to wipe down leather seats.
While not so equipped, the Sienna also offers all-wheel drive in LE ($36,190) or XLE ($41,425) trims, a feature exclusive to the Sienna in the minivan segment. For any shoppers convinced of the need for AWD, this also means it is a valid consideration against seven-seat crossover minivan wannabes.
    2013 Toyota Sienna XLE. Click image to enlarge |
While few of the masses flocking to crossover SUVs will consider a minivan, there is no debating the greater practicality of the minivan. The floor is lower, making it easier for most to enter, while the roof is still plenty high, so it offers some of the most comfortable seating arrangements in any vehicle type, with a bona fide useful and comfortable third row. And with the third row up, a deep, wide, commodious cargo well that goes below the floor level of the seats. I could be describing any of the popular minivans these days, but the Sienna is the class leader in cargo space with 1,107 L with all seats in place and up to 4,248 L with the third row stowed and second row removed. Granted, the volume advantages over the Odyssey and Caravan are negligible.
If you regularly convert between family mode and full cargo mode, note that it would require you to remove the second-row seats in this seven-seat configuration, rather than stowing them under the floor as with Stow n’ Go–equipped Caravans or the Chrysler Town and Country. Nissan’s Quest sacrifices outright cargo space for a high flat load floor with all seats folded. I have a hard time imagining the kind of shopping trips that would exceed any of these vehicles’ interior space. The third row was not a power-tumble affair, but a quick tug and a yank and the seats were stowed. A bit more effort was required to get them back up, but most adults should be able to manage that.
