Rental Impressions: 2008 Toyota Sienna LE

[AndrewGS]

This past week I left the Acadia with the dealer to repaint the A-pillars and fenders that were yellowed due to a common issue on white Lambdas. I took it in on monday morning and I was out within 30 minutes driving a 2008 Toyota Sienna LE in Silver Shadow Pearl with zero options. I got a minivan because it was the closest thing to the Acadia they had available and my grandmother, who drives the Acadia, needed something easy to get into and out of.

First impressions were that it felt typically Toyota, not bad, but not great, a solid, good driving appliance. It was silver with gray interior and basic-looking wheel covers, so it looked and felt cheap. This van had no options so the sliding doors, seats and everything but the door locks, windows, mirrors and transmission were manually operated.

The plastics on the upper dash and door panels were soft-touch but still cheap-looking, and there was visible mold flashing around the climate control vent. There was more flashing to be found around the cheap-looking switch panel to the left of the steering wheel which on this basic LE model was mostly full of blank covers where higher-end XLE and Limited models would have buttons. The metallic silver trim around the center stack and on the door panels looked cheap and housed more fimiliar Toyota switches and buttons. The seat fabric felt nice, as did the center stack-mounted, gated shifter, and there was storage space everywhere, including under the door-mounted armrests. The second row seats on the 7-seater model I had are configurable either as seperated captain's chairs or in a bench-like side-by-side mode. The second row seats can also be folded over or removed, and the third row 60/40 spit-bench folds over and into the floor of the van. When the third row seats are in the upright or folded position you can make use of the large well in the floor that the seats fold back into.

Driving the Sienna is effortless and comfortable. The 266hp 3.5L V6 has more than enough power to pull this van aound town and the 5-speed automatic does a nice job of minding the torque curve. Steering is light but precise and the brakes feel fantastic. The Sienna also rides very well, but at the price of a stable feel at highway speeds. I wasn't impressed with fuel economy as I got 17.2mpg out of a tank of mostly easy city driving, which I can get very close to in a new Suburban and beat in the Acadia.

My grandparents had it for two days and were unimpressed. They didn't like the upright seating position, low beltline and sloping hood and windscreen which are inherent minivan traits, but they also felt it lacked features most modern vehicles with a sticker price of $26,605.00 should come with. Features like floor mats, automaic headlamps, power driver's seat and a driver's information center are all features we feel this van should include as standard. My grandmother asked me if it had OnStar to which I replied no, that it is only GM that have such a technology. They can't believe Toyota haven't introduced a similar system.

At $26,605 the Sienna LE we had was a little pricey, especially with it's lack of equipment, but it does it's job as a comfortable, versatile, spacious people mover, quite well. It was solidly built with the only exception being the rattle-crazy driver's-side sliding door. I do think, however, that if GM put as much effort into a minivan as they did the new Malibu they could easily best the Toyota Sienna.

As our weather has sucked all week I didn't get a chance to snap some photos, so here are a few off the net to satisfy those that seek pictures of minivans.

[Minnesota Nice]

I would take a Honda Odyssey over any minivan there is. Of course, I won't ever need a minivan, so that takes care of that, but.

You know, gray sucks. I think it is the worst interior color since beige. The gray plastics almost ALWAYS look cheap and toylike. That's what kills that interior for me.

[Old Dood]

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

The 266hp 3.5L V6 has more than enough power to pull this van aound town

Those things are quick.
I got stuck behind an old couple once and I was forced to pass them on my right.
They were left laning it on the freeway.
The Effin Old Man in the Van then decided to not let me pass.
I couldn't get around him.

[likearock00]

My sister owns an Odyssey and absolutely loves it. They looked at the Toyota but thought it felt cheap as well. Oh, and it was more expensive too.

[FStephenMasek]

Did you notice the steering column which slants to the left, and the top of the seats which slant forward?

I bought a Sienna and sold at an $8,500 loss after driving it for about one month and 4,500 miles due to the sever upper back and neck pain which resulted from driving it 125 or 150 miles, a typical day for me. Think about it - if you hold the steering wheel rpoeprly with both hands, you will have to reach further with your left arm, or sit at an angle. If you are sitting normally, when you turn, an ocillating motion with be created in your upper back and neck. That combined with the top of the seat slanting forward and my 6" 1" height made it just horrible.

Plus, I had the top of the line loaded XLE Limited, and the radio sounded horrible compared to the one in my 2002 Mountaineer. I still had not sold the Mountaineer, so went back to driving it after I dumped that Toyota junk at CarMax.

[F14CRAZY]

Shouldn't the base Sienna be a CE?

[AndrewGS]

Originally Posted by FStephenMasek

Did you notice the steering column which slants to the left, and the top of the seats which slant forward?

I bought a Sienna and sold at an $8,500 loss after driving it for about one month and 4,500 miles due to the sever upper back and neck pain which resulted from driving it 125 or 150 miles, a typical day for me. Think about it - if you hold the steering wheel rpoeprly with both hands, you will have to reach further with your left arm, or sit at an angle. If you are sitting normally, when you turn, an ocillating motion with be created in your upper back and neck. That combined with the top of the seat slanting forward and my 6" 1" height made it just horrible.

Plus, I had the top of the line loaded XLE Limited, and the radio sounded horrible compared to the one in my 2002 Mountaineer. I still had not sold the Mountaineer, so went back to driving it after I dumped that Toyota junk at CarMax.

I didn't notice it while driving it for several hours at a time. I was actually pretty comfortable driving with both hands as well.

Originally Posted by F14CRAZY

Shouldn't the base Sienna be a CE?

The CE is even more basic. No cruise, cheaper guages, no roof rack, no privacy glass and a few other missing items.

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by Old Dood

Those things are quick.
I got stuck behind an old couple once and I was forced to pass them on my right.
They were left laning it on the freeway.
The Effin Old Man in the Van then decided to not let me pass.
I couldn't get around him.

Do you realize the irony of an Old Dood complaining about an old couple and an Effin Old Man?

Anyway, regarding the passing conflicts. Have you tried the PIT Maneuver on such recalcitrant old goats?

[IAMCANADIAN]

The things that you brought up about the Sienna I find are common with almost all Toyotas. They're solid vehicles, but are on the expensive side, lack features that the competition have standard or optional and have really plain jane interiors with so-so materials.

[member12]

I think I'd take the Caravan and Odyssey over this.....and if you knew how little respect that I have for Chrysler then you'd know how big of a deal that means.