When times are tough, a wise consumer looks for a best purchase value; so it shouldn’t be a surprise that minivan sales are on the rise again.
When fully utilized, it’s a very efficient way of getting people and their stuff from place to place.
A minivan occupies about the same space as mid-sized car, yet it can seat seven or eight people. It fits in the garage, yet fold down all of its rear seats and that spare mattress hogging storage space in the house is history.
There’s also been seen a spate of completely new or rejuvenated minivan action lately by automakers, including the subject of this review, the Toyota Sienna.
While Dodge Grand Caravan is still the No. 1 minivan seller, and has owned the sub-$30,000 sector, it now has some competition.
The new Sienna LE is a more fuel-efficient base four-cylinder engine edition with a lower entry cost. Its $27,900 price now puts it in a market “sweet spot” for minivan sales and back on the radar for budget-minded buyers who may have previously considered the Sienna too expensive.
The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) also named Sienna as the Best New Minivan for 2011, at the organization’s annual TestFest evaluation event. In a close race with the new Honda Odyssey, the Sienna was judged to be all-around a better value by the journalist judges and it also achieved some surprisingly good performance test numbers.
Unique or nice features available in the new Sienna include its tip-up second-row seats, tri-zone climate control, a driver’s knee airbag, power one-touch up and down on all windows and available widescreen DVD screen, second-row ottoman seating and an easy-clean cloth fabric.
The new 2.7-litre is one of the biggest four-bangers on the market and it provides 187 hp @ 5,800 rpm, which exceeds some V6 competitors while still delivering great fuel economy. It’s rated at 10.4 L/100 km in the city and 7.5 on the highway.
The V6 Sienna SE sits lower on a sport-tuned suspension and its steering system is quick for better handling. Sienna also offers the only all-wheel-drive option in the minivan segment.
The Looks
New Sienna has a wider stance, a sharper, more contemporary face that has angular projector beam headlights and flared fender shoulders. It’s a sleeker design, especially from a side view, with a reduced (0.306) coefficient of drag.
The tracks for the sliding side doors are cleverly concealed under the rear window frames. While not a completely new idea, it does give the side body a cleaner appearance. At the rear, a roof spoiler hides a wiper for the rear window and it comes with LED tail and stop lights.
The Inside
My test Siena LE didn’t feel like a base edition, other than the absence of switches on the steering wheel, power controls on the seats or centre console storage box. Yet, it had all the basic stuff that you really need, plus the steering wheel came with a tilt and telescope feature and all windows had the auto up/down power feature.
One concession to opulence was a dealer-installed upgrade to the base audio system that’s unique to Canada and called the Bongiovi Acoustics Digital Power Station. This is a new ($280 plus installation) digital upgrade that makes a significant difference to sound clarity and stereo performance, particularly at higher volume levels.
The second-row seats offer improved comfort and are mounted on a longer slider system that allows the interior to be configured for people or cargo.
A walk-through aisle can be made that’s big enough for an adult to help a child or an older passenger.
All the way forward allows even easier access to the third-row seat. Plus, the second-row seats can be removed from the vehicle and the third row folds flat for maximum cargo space.
Safety
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recently announced that the new Sienna had earned its “Top Safety Pick” rating. To earn this designation, a vehicle must get the top marks in its front, side, rollover, and rear impact tests, plus be equipped with standard electronic stability control.
The Drive
Offering a four-cylinder engine in the Sienna LE is a welcome return to back-to-basics good value and optimal fuel efficiency. Although not quite as silent or as smooth an operator when compared to the V6, if your planned usage is primarily around town, the four is a very good choice and it’s an impressive performer.
A holiday-season airport run with four adults and a load of heavy suitcases turned out to be a good test of the Sienna’s capabilities and it passed with flying colours.
The smaller engine pulls really well in its low rpm range, never labouring and encountering no problem accelerating, even on some fairly steep grades.
The transmission shift lever is located on a console that juts out from the dash, within easy reach of the driver. It also makes floor space available for storage or movement around the cabin.
There’s a manual mode if you want to navigate through the transmission six gears, and in auto the shifts are smooth.
The higher driver seating position allows good all-around vision that’s aided by nice big side view mirrors.
For a vehicle of its stature and girth, the Sienna also handles surprisingly well and easy to manoeuvre in city traffic. A backup camera would be nice addition in tight parking situations.
An ECO-drive light on the instrument panel is a new addition and when lit indicates fuel-efficient driving behaviour.
The Score
The all-new 2011 Sienna is a good looking minivan that raises the bar for its competitors and lowers costs for consumers. The new economical four-cylinder LE trim version is a smart and timely offering by Toyota.
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