Motoramic2015 Toyota Sienna review: The family hauler at the head of the class
Ah, the minivan. The butt of jokes, the emblem of suburban surrender. This once-proud hauler has been overlooked in the rush to crossover SUVs.
Yet minivan sales have roughly stabilized after years of decline. Joke all you want, but the minivan remains a smarter and more-efficient way to transport parents and their juice-boxing progeny than most any SUV.
Toyota has dealt with the issue head-on, with clever ads in which families defiantly reject minivan stereotypes to declare their Sienna the “Swagger Wagon” instead. While the actual swagger quotient might be debatable, one thing is not: In a class invented by Chrysler, and lately ruled by the Honda Odyssey, the Toyota Sienna has grown into a prime contender.
Following the mild disappointment of the latest Odyssey – which seemed to stand pat in some areas — this modestly reworked 2015 Sienna closes the gap to become a virtual toss-up choice: The Honda still holds its familiar edge in car-like handling. (The Odyssey also sparked oohs-and-aahs with the ingenious, built-in HondaVac vacuum cleaner, even if it’s only available on the top-dog model that costs $45,000).
But the Toyota fires back with innovations of its own, along with perhaps the most inviting interior in the class. That includes an attractive, easy-to-use 7-inch touchscreen that beats the Honda’s annoyingly complicated controls. The Toyota continues to be the only minivan to offer all-wheel-drive, which could tip the balance for shoppers in wintry climes.
From the outside, changes to the 2015 Sienna are hard to spot: Redesigned headlamps and taillamps, a mildly reshaped grille, a now-standard backup camera. As before, the Sienna is available in seven- or eight-passenger configurations. With a cavernous 150 cubic feet of interior volume, the Sienna can still fit four-by-eight foot sheets of plywood when rear seats are folded, and can tow up to 3,500 pounds.
Under the skin, 142 new spot welds beef up the Sienna’s structure to reduce noise and vibration. Retuned springs and shock absorbers help quiet the ride and deliver more sure-footed control.
But the biggest changes are inside, as we learned on a whirl through the big island of Hawaii. Softly padded doors, an attractively reskinned dashboard and blue interior illumination boost the upscale effect. The front-wheel-drive Limited version supplies one of the Toyota’s signature features: Fold-out ottomans for the captain’s chairs. With seats steeply reclined and ottomans extended, it’s a fair approximation of a first-class airliner seat, minus the lousy food. Those second-row captain’s chairs can slide back a full 23 inches to max out legroom in the second row, or slide forward to put a child seat within easy reach.
For eight-passenger models, the second-row bench slides well fore or aft for easy entry and exit. Its center section can be removed and stored in the rear cargo area, leaving a cupholder and storage in the middle, and a clear path to the way-back. The 60/40 split third row folds flat in one cord-tugging motion, though the Honda’s is a touch more nimble in operation. The Limited FWD model makes it even easier with a power-folding third row.
The reworked center stack is better integrated and easier to navigate. Climate controls move much closer to the driver for easier reach, including a new switch that lets the driver smoothly reconfigure the three-zone climate control. Those switches are grouped in a single panel with the high-mounted automatic shift lever and multi-media controls. A heated steering wheel is now available, trimmed in two available grades of leather.
Uplevel versions get Toyota’s new 4.2-inch, multi-information driver’s display. Gauges are crisp and sharp, especially the white, Lexus-like versions on uplevel models. Like the redesigned 2015 Camry, the Sienna offers an Entune audio system with a subscription-free access to numerous phone-based apps, including Bing, Open Table and Pandora.
The Toyota can also soothe squabbling children with its new knockout Dual View Entertainment Center: Its 16.4-inch screen can split into two viewable displays from two separate sources. Blu-Ray capability is new, along with an HDMI input and an SDXC card reader that can play 10 different audio and video formats.
And while the Toyota has no onboard Hoover, it does offer the new Driver Easy Speak system: This virtual intercom sends the driver’s voice through the audio system’s rear speakers so you don’t have to shout. (Whether the kids will listen is another story). The amplified result sounded a little canned and tinny, and the adjustable volume could max out a little higher. But it does work.
Safety is as comprehensive as you’d expect, with Toyota’s Star Safety System as standard: Anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, stability and traction control and Toyota’s throttle-override system. Eight standard airbags include a new driver’s knee bag. Electronic watchdogs include an available blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert; and a pre-collision system with automated emergency braking.
As for the powertrain, the Sienna continues to generate 266 hp from its 3.5-liter V6, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. That’s 18 more horses than the Honda, though its trails the maximum 283 horses available in the Chrysler Town & Country.
The Sienna acquitted itself nicely on Hawaii’s scenic roads; it’s a smooth operator with unobtrusive acceleration and comforting stability. Fuel economy, at 18/25 mpg, slightly trails the Honda’s at 19/28 mpg, and adding AWD dings both city and highway mileage by 2 mpg.
Like other modern minivans, the Sienna covers a wide swath of pricing territory. Among five trim levels, the basic Sienna L starts at $29,485, rising as high as $47,035 for a fully stuffed Sienna Limited Premium with AWD. For people with a full set of children and a full schedule of lessons, activities and errands, the Sienna makes a lot of sense. You just need to ask yourself a question: Are you man enough, or woman enough, to drive a minivan?
