Sometimes sacrifices have to be made when you have a family. That’s where the minivan comes into play. Traditionally uncool but oh-so-practical, the minivan segment has lost some of its market share to the crossover and SUV buyers, who want a little more flash to their family haulers, lest they get stuck with the soccer mom tag.
My tester for the week just might take that kind of logic to task. The 2013 Toyota Sienna shows that minivans still have some swagger to them.
My tester was the 8-passenger Sienna XLE. And yes, that’s EIGHT passengers. A passel of children can fit in this vehicle, with room to spare in fact. And that’s the beauty, as well as the practicality, of the Sienna.
A cavernous interior keeps kids from yelling out “she’s breathing on me” and the XLE premium package brings a dual-view entertainment center to keep everyone amused, especially on long trips. Nary a “are we there yet?” will be heard from satisfied, and comfortable rear passengers. It
certainly met with my
10-year-old’s approval.
In the second row, a jumper seat can snap into place, between the two second-row captain’s seats, for toting around a smaller passenger. This eighth seat is not suitable for adults or larger children but could make a little child feel special having his or her own seat.
Mom and dad can
enjoy the plush front seats with ample legroom and headroom and heated front seats. The Sienna is decked out with Toyota’s Entune infotainment system, which can stream Pandora radio and real-time traffic. It’s relatively easy to use and fairly intuitive and connects easily to Bluetooth as well for hands-free dialing.
New for this model year is a standard V6 engine (gone is the sluggish 4-cylinder). This 3.5-liter engine is well-powered to move the Sienna’s 4,300 pound frame. I drove a 2012 version with the aforementioned 4-cylinder engine and found it to be way underpowered, so I rather enjoyed the additional horsepower in the new engine.
Paired with the 6-speed automatic transmission the Sienna offers a smooth, controlled ride. Handling is what you expect from a vehicle of its size. The turning radius is impressive considering the Sienna is over 200 inches long.
My tester had front wheel drive, but all-wheel drive is available for the XLE and LE trims.
Toyota could improve
on the quality of interior materials used inside the Sienna, as harder plastics were prominent on the dashboard, which contributed to some increased road noise. But, again, certain sacrifices have to be made in order to move your family comfortably around town.
The Sienna has an improved fuel economy rating for this model year. The EPA estimates the Sienna
at 18 city and 25 highway. I averaged a little over 21 MPG in a week’s worth driving.
A Sienna can be had for a MSRP of $26,585 for the basic, 7-passenger L trim. The 8-passenger XLE trim starts at $33,360. With the entertainment package and several options, my tester came in at a final price of $41,185.
So, I’m not gonna sit here and tell you that the Sienna was the coolest vehicle I’ve ever driven. It’s not. But, I will say when it comes to practicality, usefulness and amenities, the Toyota Sienna doesn’t disappoint in that regard. At some point in your life, those features may just outweigh cool, hip and sporty.
Jimmy Dinsmore is Wheels editor for Cox Media Group and may be reached at (937) 225-2115. Follow him on Twitter @wheelseditor