2011 TOYOTA SIENNA: Dude, where’s my van?

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 29/03/2010 (5640 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

VICTORIA, B.C. — While it was surely nothing more than coincidence, the Canadian media launch for the newly redesigned 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan coincided with the city of Victoria’s first-ever tattoo convention.

Apparently ink is more popular than ever in these parts. To back this theory up, there are more than a few young snowboarders and mountain-bike daredevils on the island who are covered in tattoos and begin every sentence with the word “dude.”

This got me thinking about what these 20-something hipsters will be driving in the not-so-distant future when full-blown adulthood arrives, complete with a responsible job, love and marriage, and a baby carriage.

The way I see it, one day our enlightened B.C. buddy will be loading a pair of baby seats into his jacked-up 4×4 or his low-down tuner car for a day of snowboarding with his wife and kids when the words will flow like an avalanche.

“Honey,” his blushing bride will proclaim with a twinkle in her eye, “we’re going to have to sell this thing and buy a minivan… I’m pregnant again.”

He’ll be stoked about the unexpected third addition to the family, but he’ll also be less than thrilled about his vehicular dilemma.
Minivans don’t seem to bother the lady of the house one bit, but when it comes to young males perilously close to their thirtieth birthday, it’s like a death blow to their cool factor. All the tattoos in the world can’t ease the pain.

But wait… could Toyota, the company renowned for sense and sensibility, actually be responsible for changing the image of the dreaded minivan?

Make no mistake, the new Toyota Sienna is still a minivan, but thanks to more than a few sharp styling cues and an interior packed with amenities that rival a Gulfstream Jet, this may just be the coolest minivan ever. Granted, that’s a bit like being the coolest librarian ever, but it’s still a giant step in the right direction.

Following a day of touring around Victoria and the rural roads of Vancouver Island in the third-generation 2011 Sienna I’m confident Toyota is onto something big — they have successfully blended versatility, affordability and style into a minivan.

In addition to standard necessities like passenger comfort and an abundance of cargo space, Toyota engineers have also obviously spent a great deal of attention on the performance and handling of the new Sienna. Even in standard trim the ride is downright car-like, and in the Sport Edition, with its stiffer and lower sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in beefy tires, the ride dynamics come close to many sport sedans.

In the power department there’s a choice of two dual overhead cam engines available: a 3.5-litre V-6 or a 2.7-litre four-cylinder. The 3.5-litre V-6 generates 266 horsepower while the 2.7-litre four-cylinder engine delivers 187 horsepower. Fuel consumption with the 4-cylinder is only moderately better than the V-6 so expect to see the majority of Siennas sold with the bigger engine under the hood.

Although it might be a stretch to call this a muscle-minivan, the V-6 was surprisingly spirited. The 4-cylinder engine, however, did feel a bit laboured on steep inclines. Both engines are matched to an electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission that seems to always be in the right gear, even when mated to the higher-revving 4-cylinder engine. The new Sienna also continues to be the only minivan on the market available with an all-wheel-drive option.

The Sienna can be configured with either seven- or eight-passenger seating and is equipped with a bevy of standard features that includes cruise control, dual-zone manual climate control, power windows with auto up/down and jam protection, power door locks, remote keyless entry, a satellite radio ready AM/FM CD player with four speakers and an auxiliary jack and three 12V outlets.

Seven airbags are standard—dual-stage front and seat-mounted side airbags for the driver and front passenger — plus a new driver’s side knee airbag. Side curtain airbags also cover the length of the cabin from the front seats all the way back to the third row. Other standard safety features include anti-lock brakes, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, vehicle stability control and traction control.

The list of available options is staggering and the highlights include leather-trimmed heated seats, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, a backup camera, rear window sunshades, Bluetooth wireless technology, voice-activated DVD navigation, a push-button starter with a smart key, steering wheel audio controls, dual power-sliding doors, multi-panel moonroof, and a power rear door. The available 16.4-inch widescreen entertainment system is also new and can operate in split-screen mode so rear passengers can use different input sources to play both a video game and watch a DVD simultaneously. Sponge Bob on one side for the little guy and The Transformers on the other side of the screen for his big brother should transform even the fiercest sibling rivalry into a harmonious affair.

One of the more innovative features on the new Sienna is the standard second-row lounge seating on the XLE and Limited models. Essentially, what these new rear seats do is recline backward and offer a footrest just like your favourite easy chair. With this configuration the new Sienna’s backseat has pretty much every airline in the world beat hands down for comfort.

While it was initially difficult to fathom getting excited about a minivan, the new 2011 Toyota Sienna has raised the bar in this competitive segment of the auto market. It will be interesting to see how the competition responds.

willy@freepress.mb.ca

Highlights

The new 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan is available in eight different models with a choice of two different engines and either front or all-wheel-drive configuration.

Engines and fuel economy

3.5L V-6 engine offers 266 h.p. @ 6,200 r.p.m. with fuel economy ratings of 11.5 L/100 km city, 8.1 highway and a combined rating of 10.0 L/100km. AWD models achieve 12.8 L/100 km city, 9.0 highway and combined rating of 11.1 L/100 km. 3.5L engine offers 3,500 lb. (1,587 kg) towing capacity. 2.7L 4-cylinder engine offers 187 h.p. @ 5,800 r.p.m., while delivering fuel economy ratings of 10.4 L/100 km city, 7.5 highway and a combined rating of 9.1 L/100 km.

Transmission

6-speed electronically controlled automatic. Sienna also continues to be the only vehicle in its segment to offer an all-wheel-drive option.

Pricing

The new 2011 Sienna has already started arriving at Toyota dealerships across Canada. MSRP for the 4-cylinder Sienna LE 7-passenger starts at $27,900. V-6 Siennas start at $28,900 for the standard model, $32,500 for the LE eight-passenger model, $36,600 for the SE eight-passenger and $38,700 for the XLE seven-passenger. The Mobility starts at $31,375 while Sienna AWD suggested price starts at $35,350 for the LE seven-passenger and $49,100 for the Limited seven-passenger model.