2009 Toyota Sienna
by Jim Prueter -02/2009

Hauling the family in Lexus-like luxury

(This review is representative of model years 2005 – 2009)

For those who want or need minivans, it doesn’t get much better than this. With near Lexus-like manners and luxury appointments and features, the Toyota Sienna ranks as a virtual tie with the Honda Odyssey as our best choice when choosing a minivan.

The Toyota Sienna is big, roomy and cleverly designed to fill the transportation needs of families, while doing its best to make a “soccer mom” vehicle attractive. After all, “good-looking minivan” is certainly an oxymoron to many. There’s no head-turning quotient here, but Sienna is one of, if not the absolute, best-looking minivan available in North America today.

First introduced in 1998, the second-generation Sienna remains basically unchanged after a major redesign in 2004. Upgrades for 2006 included a mild front-end facelift with new headlamps, fog lamps and a revised grille. Rear tail lamps were mildly redesigned. This generation Sienna is larger and more powerful than the pre-2004 model.

For 2007 Sienna got a significant boost in horsepower to 265, up from 215 in the previous model. Other changes for ’07 included satellite-radio-ready delivery and a new tire-pressure monitoring system.

For 2009, Sienna still comes in four trim levels: CE, LE, XLE, and XLE Limited. All models come well equipped with standard power windows, door locks and mirrors, dual-zone front and rear air conditioning, sliding doors on both sides with power windows, keyless entry, AM/FM/CD/cassette with six speakers and an auxiliary audio jack, tilt/telescopic steering column, tire pressure warning system, third row 60/40 storable split bench seat and captain’s chairs for the first and second rows.

Option packages vary depending on the region, and are diverse and potentially pricey. A DVD-based entertainment system is available to LE, XLE and Limited buyers, however the navigation system (with back-up camera) is only offered on the XLE and Limited.

LE is the most popular model; we tested the XLE Limited with optional equipment.

We found the Sienna ride quality Lexus-like and on par with several luxury sedans we’ve driven. The ride is smooth, quiet with responsive handling. We noticed a little more body roll and lean during cornering than we would have liked. It’s not quite up to the sportier feel of the Honda Odyssey.

All Sienna trim levels come with the same engine/transmission combination: a 3.5-liter 265-horsepower V-6 engine and a five-speed automatic transmission. Toyota recommends premium-unleaded fuel. Power is adequate and Toyota claims the Sienna can accelerate from zero to 60 in 8.3 seconds, making it one of the quickest minivans on the market. All Siennas are front-wheel drive with all-wheel drive available on all trim levels except the base CE.

Sienna’s large exterior dimensions allow for a roomy interior. The standard leather seats in our Limited model were exceptionally comfortable. The CE and LE can seat seven or eight, depending on your choice of seating configuration. The other trim levels are seven-passenger only. The middle-row captain’s chairs can be moved together or kept separate, but there’s no track for the seats to slide together as in the Odyssey. You must lift the seats manually (not easy) and reposition and lock them into place on the floor. Finding the exact place for the four latches to drop into is difficult at best and nearly requires two adults to complete the task. When positioned together, access to the third-row seats is easier.

The XLE model features standard dual power front seats and the XLE Limited has driver-seat memory and power folding mirrors with puddle lamps and turn signals. There’s also a power-folding rear seat option on some models.

Choose the middle-row bench seat and a small “Front and Center” middle seat section slides almost 13 inches forward and closer to the front seats. Reaching toddlers for replacing a pacifier and the like is easier, but the seat is still far enough back to prevent contact with an airbag in a collision. A similar seat is offered in the Volvo XC90. Child seat anchors (LATCH) are included in all three rows of seats.

Another convenient feature is a center console that can be moved from between the front seats to between the middle-row seats. Middle-row passengers get power windows in the sliding doors, however they only retract about half way — still a nice touch.

All gauges and controls are easy to operate and well designed. A small interior mirror flips down from above to help the driver keep an eye on children riding in back seats. The Sienna is loaded with cup and bottle holders and storage bins. There are 10 baggage hooks for plastic grocery bags and one large hook for a purse or handbag.

In terms of safety equipment, standard features include front-impact airbags that deploy at one of two speeds depending on crash intensity, seat-mounted side and side-curtain airbags for all three rows, four LATCH anchors for child-safety seats (five in eight-passenger models), vehicle stability and traction control, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, and tire-pressure monitoring system.

On 2005 Siennas, side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain-type head airbags for all three rows are standard in the Limited and optional in all other trim levels, and are oddly packaged with other features, including non-safety items.

In government crash testing, the Sienna earned the highest four out of five stars for driver protection in front impacts, and five-stars in all other tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety returned a rating of “Good,” its highest score.

Safety features on our Limited model included the “dynamic laser cruise control system,” which can be set to maintain a pre-set distance from vehicles ahead. Our tester also had a sonar-type parking aid on the front and rear bumpers, which beeps in tones of increasing frequency as the vehicle nears an obstacle. A rearview camera automatically engages when shifting into reverse and can be viewed on the LCD navigation screen, providing the best solution for drivers to see small children or obstacles when backing up. Unfortunately, it is only available with the costly navigation system and not sold separately.

Sienna is arguably the best choice when competing against models like the Nissan Quest, Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Grand Caravan. It drives and handles like a fine luxury sedan yet is roomy, safe and backed by Toyota’s reputation for quality and high resale value. Sienna is a top recommendation.