Toyota Sienna Pros and Cons: What To Know When Weighing Your Decision
Toyota Sienna by Dinkun Chen – CC BY-SA 4.0
The Toyota Sienna is an adventurous minivan option and one of the most popular in its category. It even comes with a unique hybrid powertrain for those who want to save more on gas. With its minivan design, you might ask yourself - is the Toyota Sienna worth the cash?
If you’re looking to purchase a used or new Toyota Sienna, it’s helpful to look at the Toyota Sienna pros and cons to have a complete understanding of the vehicle. It has some places where it stands out from the competition - where that’s a good or bad thing. Read on to learn more about our analysis of the machine.
What We Love: Toyota Sienna Pros
Of course, there are drawbacks to the car, but let’s first discuss the benefits of the Toyota Sienna pros and cons. These are some of the most convincing reasons behind the machine.
Available All-Wheel-Drive
The first reason we love the Toyota Sienna is the available all-wheel drive. Although the car comes with standard front-wheel-drive, there is the option to add all-wheel-drive for the ultimate experience on the road. Those worried about the control offered in their minivan will enjoy the choice.
Generally, front-wheel-drive brings traction, which will provide control on slippery roads. It provides most of the power to the front wheels and thus gives them the stopping ability and beyond.
On the other hand, all-wheel drive offers maximum forward traction whenever accelerating. It also allows better balance as the engine sends power to all four wheels at the same time. It’s easy to enjoy the simple upgrade for more money up front.
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Pleasant Driving Experience
The Toyota Sienna also brings a pleasant driving experience, which can unfortunately be a rarity for so many minivans. While it isn’t anything exciting, you won’t feel jerked around as the Toyota Sienna accelerates and pushes forward to get you and your passengers from one destination to another.
The pleasant driving experience, of course, won’t necessarily be ideal for those looking to get a little more power out of their machine. However, speed racers probably won’t be looking into a minivan for their next vehicle so most people shouldn’t have too much trouble with this aspect of the Toyota Sienna.
Incredible Fuel Efficiency
One issue with minivans is that they tend to get poor gas mileage, but the Toyota Sienna proves them all wrong. According to caranddriver.com, the machine gets an estimated 36 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. That’s worlds better than many of its competitors and enough to easily get you from your journey to your endpoint with minimal stops.
Others report a combined mpg of 29 from the Toyota Sienna, which is still an excellent return for the minivan. If you decide to go with the hybrid powertrain for the vehicle, you’ll get even more out of its system. The Toyota Sienna might not look super exciting at first glance, but it’s a great choice for fuel efficiency.
What We Dislike: Toyota Sienna Cons
If we touch on the best parts of the Toyota Sienna pros and cons, we also must dive into the less-than-ideal sections. These are where the Sienna falters a little bit.
Front-End Styling Errors
First, the front-end styling of the Toyota Sienna has a little bit that seems to fall apart in our eyes. It has a massive front end and sharp curves and edges that do make it stand out from other minivan selections on the market, but not always in the best way. It appears a little more aggressive than many would like their minivan to be.
Some might like the bold grill and pushy styling details, all intended to make the Toyota Sienna stand out from other minivan options. However, those who don’t care that it’s a minivan might wish they’d stuck with something a little simpler in the overall appearance of the classic car.
HOW LONG DO TOYOTA SIENNAS LAST?
If you’re interested in purchasing this car, it’s helpful to understand the lifespan you can anticipate from this vehicle. You might wonder - how long do Toyota Siennas last on the road?
Non-Removable Second-Row Seats
Usually, the second-row seats in a minivan are removable to provide more room to place items inside the car or to take care of things under the system. In the Toyota Sienna, the second-row seats cannot be taken out. They will slide back and forth and fold, but you can’t remove them from the car for more space.
Those who count on the removable second-row seats of a minivan to fit items like multiple bikes in the back might find this feature a little frustrating. However, those who do not need to ever remove the second-row seats shouldn’t have too much trouble with this setback in their Toyota Sienna selection.
Loud Engine Noise
Finally, the engine of the Toyota Sienna is incredibly loud and can disrupt the overall driving experience for the person behind the wheel and the passengers inside. It might feel at times like you’re driving a monster truck instead of sitting in the front seat of a minivan.
Of course, it’s critical to note that this noise only seems to break into the cabin when the Toyota Sienna is pushed to its top speeds. Otherwise, you’ll have a quiet cabin experience everyone will enjoy. Take care, though - driving long distances on the highway could be a pain if you aren’t a fan of constant engine humming.
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Should You Buy a Toyota Sienna?
We’ve gone over the ever-so-critical Toyota Sienna pros and cons. Now, it’s time to answer a valuable question - should you purchase one or go somewhere else with your hard-earned money?
Although there are areas where the car does struggle, it’s overall an incredible choice for a minivan and one of the most popular on the market. Not only does it bring a pleasant driving experience to the table, but it provides fuel efficiency that is budget-friendly and practical for all your driving needs.
If you get the Sienna, avoid the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2011 options. They’re the most problematic and will only cause continuous trouble over time.
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