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The Sienna has been described as the Lexus of minivans, but
that’s probably too generous. The Camry of minivans is more accurate, but
hardly an insult. In short, that means that the Sienna does nothing wrong, is
at or near the top of its class in almost every area, doesn’t make a priority
of sporty behavior, and tends to cost more than much of the competition. For a
minivan, sporty behavior is not a priority, and the Sienna is good enough at
what it does to lead the class despite its price premium over a number of the
others here. It has the roomiest interior, the smoothest and quietest ride,
and the most luxurious interior. It does not fall short in terms of safety
ratings, acceleration, or fuel economy either. It handles adequately for a
van, never feeling unsafe because there really isn’t anything to feel. But
with that as the only possible complaint, one that most looking for a minivan
are unlikely to consider, the Sienna is well-worth its price premium over the
cheaper competition, and there is little reason to pay more for something
else.
The Sienna has the most comfortable ride of any minivan. It
is smooth and absorbent, but not floaty. The Sienna isn’t as agile as the
sport-oriented Nissans, Honda, or Kia, but still behaves like a smaller
vehicle in routine driving. The steering responds fairly quickly, but lacks
feedback. The van already is reasonably quick, and is expected to get a
substantial engine upgrade next year. The engine remains almost silent in most
situations, and wind and road noise are very well-suppressed. Fuel economy is
good for a minivan, but a notch below the Odyssey with cylinder deactivation.
Inside, the Sienna’s front seats are mounted high and
generally comfortable, but the cushions are a bit flat and short, and not as
wide as the Honda Odyssey’s. The roomy second row seats have larger cushions.
The third row could be softer, but it is roomier and more comfortable than the
other vans’ here. It folds easily into the floor in two sections, and there is
more space behind it than in any of the others here. The interior is very
well-constructed from high quality materials, and has the most luxurious feel
in this group. The gauges are clear, and the high-mounted instruments are
conveniently laid out. Drivers sit comfortably, and have excellent visibility
to the front and rear. Entry/exit is easy to all three rows of seats.
The Sienna has done very well in crash testing. It earned
four stars for the driver and five for the front passenger in the NHTSA
frontal crash test, as well as five stars for both the driver and for the
second row passenger. NHTSA estimated that the Sienna has a 15% chance of
rollover in a single vehicle accident, good for a four-star rating. The IIHS
awarded the vehicle a rating of Good in both its offset and side crash tests,
but its head restraints were rated Poor.
The Sienna reviewed here came in at $31,406, well-equipped.
It lacks satellite radio, but it does come with a tri-zone automatic climate
control system, power-down second row windows, and rear sunshades.
Overall, the Sienna focuses on comfort, luxury, safety and
practicality, and it excels. It’s not inexpensive, but its price is not
unreasonable. The Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedona are more fun, a Dodge Grand
Caravan is more versatile, and the Dodge and Kia are both less expensive, but
the Sienna brings together the right qualities to make it worth the price as
the best minivan on the market.
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