Safety always key, driving performance not so much

This Tech package also offered useful safety aids such as a blind spot monitor and rear cross traffic alerts, GPS navigation and a system that can read out texts and emails to you, though it never quite read out messages consistently in my 10 days with it.

On top of the full complement of side curtain airbags, front side and a driver’s knee airbag, the Sienna offers four ISOFIX child seat anchors, and separate high-seat anchors, to make sure there’s always plenty of safe ways to mount a child seat. The Sienna also received top marks for crash protection from both the IIHS and NHTSA.

No matter what the exterior looks like, few minivan buyers will choose their minivan based on performance, but the Sienna provided generally responsive if unexciting acceleration, combined with a similarly competent if unenthusiastic acceptance of highway ramp challenges. The body leans notably in corners, and all the weight of the Sienna means its response is a little laggardly from a stop, but its V6’s 266 hp and 245 lb-ft of torque move it along smartly for the most part once moving.

Zero to 100 km/h comes in at under eight seconds, which is fairly quick for a minivan. But dynamically, there are certainly more crossovers that provide similar acceleration and a lower, flatter stance in cornering for a similar amount of money.

That said, those crossovers won’t offer the Sienna’s easily disappearing third row seat, nor the 1,107 litres of space back there even with all seats in place. This expands to a lofty 2,466 litres with the third row stowed, but the second row seats don’t disappear into the floor, a magic trick that only the Dodge Grand Caravan accomplishes.

The Windsor-built Grand Caravan owns the minivan market, and its much higher sales volumes translate to much lower real-world prices at the dealer level. It’s very true that the Dodge can’t offer the refinement, reliability record, driving performance and good looks of the Toyota Sienna, which is right at the top of its class, especially in SE mode. But in the minivan market, one has to look at those two and the Honda Odyssey to truly pick the best deal according to their key priorities.

Warranty:
3 years/60,000 km; 5 years/100,000 km powertrain; 5 years/unlimited distance corrosion perforation; 3 years/60,000 km roadside assistance

Competitors:
Chrysler Town & Country
Ford Flex
Honda Odyssey
Kia Sedona

Pricing: 2015 Toyota Sienna SE
Base price (base trim): $31,040
Base price (SE trim): $37,845
Options: Technology Package (wireless headphones, dual-screen rear seat entertainment, 16.4-inch overhead monitor, navigation, SMS-speech, EasySpeak, blind-spot monitor, rear cross traffic alert, smart key with power back door button, power moonroof) – $5,355
Freight: $1,690
A/C tax: $100
Price as tested: $45,023

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