Topic: Test Drive: 2012 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD

[Autos_Editor]

Now offered with all-wheel drive, the surprisingly luxurious Sienna XLE offers increased driving safety ' for a price.

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[nlm]

Holy cow: the cargo cap behind the 3rd row seats is more than the Outlander's or RAV4's behind their respective 2nd row seats!!! I wonder if the fuel tank is thus smaller to provide for this space?

God forbid if I ever have to get a minivan.....this would be top of the list. God forbid.

Alternatively, with the 2nd and 3rd row seats out, it might actually make a decent and cheaper alternative to a RV van. With a couple of powered coolers, an air matress facing the dvd player and a rolled up awning onto the roof rack I wonder if it could be made to work? Lack of a kitchenette would be the only hold back.

[Frontier1]

It has good looks, smooth and quiet, very roomy, but very low grade on the inside.

[greengs]

Holy cow: the cargo cap behind the 3rd row seats is more than the Outlander's or RAV4's behind their respective 2nd row seats!!! I wonder if the fuel tank is thus smaller to provide for this space?

God forbid if I ever have to get a minivan.....this would be top of the list. God forbid.

Alternatively, with the 2nd and 3rd row seats out, it might actually make a decent and cheaper alternative to a RV van. With a couple of powered coolers, an air matress facing the dvd player and a rolled up awning onto the roof rack I wonder if it could be made to work? Lack of a kitchenette would be the only hold back.

We didn't have to get a minivan but after driving a few we decided we wanted one.  With 2 toddlers it has made life so much easier.  We looked at the Sienna, Odyssey and GC.  Ended up with the Odyssey.  For us it was a no brainer.  Odyssey is top of the class.  (AWD is the only differentiating thing here, if you must have it Sienna is the only van that has it).  The interiors don't compare Sienna's is very cheap compared to Hondas.  Middle row seats on the Honda also slide side to side as well as back and forth.  And it has 5 child seat positions instead of 3 in the Sienna.  Found that Honda also had more gadgets and features.  I know what you mean about the space.  With 3rd row up it has more room than forester behind second row.  And the fuel tank is 80L!!

Either way I used to say never ever would I get a Van. Now I wish we had one earlier.

[opg210]

Either way I used to say never ever would I get a Van. Now I wish we had one earlier.

Hats off to you greengs. Probably wasn't easy if you were dead set against one. We used to have one and I loved it and miss it. It utterly baffles me how people can dismiss them for image reasons without trying them. It's like wearing a jacket that's two sizes too small because you think it looks better.

With two kids, I simply couldn't find another vehicle that was comparable in usefulness than a minivan (we went with the Honda too). Low floor in the back, sliding rear doors, massive room, and any creature comfort you can think of, there was no comparison. We also found it very safe - on one occasion we came across a freezing rain storm between Saskatoon and Calgary. My wife noticed a little twitch going around a corner, which was the stability control saving us as the car behind lost control and went into the ditch. On the rest of the trip back we say about 100 cars in the ditch, not kidding, it was about 250km of white knuckle driving on icy roads, and the van got us home safely. I was very impressed.

[Fobroader]

Im sure its not a bad thing to drive....but $40K for a minivan...wow.

[paul246]

Im sure its not a bad thing to drive....but $40K for a minivan...wow.

I can see it. They are nice highway movers, a versatile design for both people and cargo. Much more useful IMO than those expensive, big-ass with a tiny box four door pick-up trucks everybody seems to want now.

[ktm525]

I would say $40k is reasonable. What is the average cost of a mid/large soft SUV (Pilot, Highlander, Acadia) these days? The AWD adds..

[SaskSpecV]

We also found it very safe - on one occasion we came across a freezing rain storm between Saskatoon and Calgary. My wife noticed a little twitch going around a corner, which was the stability control saving us as the car behind lost control and went into the ditch. On the rest of the trip back we say about 100 cars in the ditch, not kidding, it was about 250km of white knuckle driving on icy roads, and the van got us home safely. I was very impressed.

Do you really think it was the "van" that got you home safely?  I'd hazard a guess that getting home safely was far more likely due to your good (conservative/safe) driving for the road conditions, and proper tires - and maybe even a little bit of luck (such as not having to swerve into the ditch to avoid someone sliding into your lane).  Not that stability control isn't an important safety feature (all evidence suggests it is), but if there truly were "100s" of cars in the ditch, I'm betting they weren't all RWD muscle cars...some of those vehicles also had stability control or were minivans, too. 
By far the most important safety equipment is a driver with good judgement. I think you may be giving the van too much credit, and you (or your wife) not enough.

[ktm525]

Holy cow: the cargo cap behind the 3rd row seats is more than the Outlander's or RAV4's behind their respective 2nd row seats!!! I wonder if the fuel tank is thus smaller to provide for this space?

God forbid if I ever have to get a minivan.....this would be top of the list. God forbid.

Alternatively, with the 2nd and 3rd row seats out, it might actually make a decent and cheaper alternative to a RV van. With a couple of powered coolers, an air matress facing the dvd player and a rolled up awning onto the roof rack I wonder if it could be made to work? Lack of a kitchenette would be the only hold back.

We didn't have to get a minivan but after driving a few we decided we wanted one.  With 2 toddlers it has made life so much easier.  We looked at the Sienna, Odyssey and GC.  Ended up with the Odyssey.  For us it was a no brainer.  Odyssey is top of the class.  (AWD is the only differentiating thing here, if you must have it Sienna is the only van that has it).  The interiors don't compare Sienna's is very cheap compared to Hondas.  Middle row seats on the Honda also slide side to side as well as back and forth.  And it has 5 child seat positions instead of 3 in the Sienna.  Found that Honda also had more gadgets and features.  I know what you mean about the space.  With 3rd row up it has more room than forester behind second row.  And the fuel tank is 80L!!

Either way I used to say never ever would I get a Van. Now I wish we had one earlier.

Absolutely. Nothing beats a van for schleping kids stuff around. The sliding doors in a crowded parking lot sure make bolting JR into their seat much easier.

I wasn't smart enough to use a van during my kid seat days. I had to be "enlightened" and use an array of Euro wagons. My back paid for it...

[Fobroader]

Im sure its not a bad thing to drive....but $40K for a minivan...wow.

I can see it. They are nice highway movers, a versatile design for both people and cargo. Much more useful IMO than those expensive, big-ass with a tiny box four door pick-up trucks everybody seems to want now.

Yeah, but a minivan will neither haul or tow anywhere near those trucks....so dont go down that road. The only reason I thought it was expensive, everytime I open the newspaper there is some dealer offering a Grand Caravan for $18K, didnt think you could double the price for a car without adding carbon-ceramic brakes, racing tires and a rollcage, it just seems weird for me.

[Frontier1]

I would only buy a Caravan, it gets the job done.

[dkaz]

Most people don't need to tow a boat or large trailer.

And could say... $56k for an SUV wow.

[dkaz]

I would only buy a Caravan, it gets the job done.

I'd consider a Caravan... if it had proper comfortable 2nd row seats instead of those flimsy stow n go things. I think you can get a 2nd row bench in a base model SE Canada Value Package? But they always seem to be advertised with Stow n Go.

[Fobroader]

I would only buy a Caravan, it gets the job done.

Im with you, if you ABSOLUTELY have no other choice but to get a minivan, "shudder", Caravan is the way to go. At least theyre cheap, decently reliable and and from what I hear offer some very "family freindly" option.

[Jaeger]

I honestly don't get the extreme minivan-aversion of many on this forum.  I mean, I get why you wouldn't seek one out if you didn't need the people-space, but I don't understand the "shudder" "God-forbid" "rather die than drive a minivan" attitude. Are people really that wrapped up in image - and is a vehicle really that much of what they perceive as self-defining?

I don't want a minivan and don't need a minivan, but if I had 3 or more kids, I'd be driving one quite happily.  And it would be a Quest - because as minivans go, I think that one has some style inside and out.

Jaeger

[richink]

Yes I tend to agree with that assessment as well with the caveat of quality. There are those among us that will buy the higher quality item, or at least perceived so regardless.

At the end of the day, a minivan is an appliance vehicle. A Grand Caravan can be had for $20k with everything a family appliance vehicle needs, it's got a 5 year warranty and they are cheap to maintain. Drive it trouble free for the first 5, everything after that is a bonus. I can't think of a more affordable value, prospective minivan ownership or not.

[Fobroader]

I honestly don't get the extreme minivan-aversion of many on this forum.  I mean, I get why you wouldn't seek one out if you didn't need the people-space, but I don't understand the "shudder" "God-forbid" "rather die than drive a minivan" attitude. Are people really that wrapped up in image - and is a vehicle really that much of what they perceive as self-defining?

I don't want a minivan and don't need a minivan, but if I had 3 or more kids, I'd be driving one quite happily.  And it would be a Quest - because as minivans go, I think that one has some style inside and out.

Jaeger

I just dont like the way they look, feel and drive....I get that if youre a family of 5 or 6, its the only affordable way to haul the family around. I just would not want to drive one on a even semi-regular basis. I have yet to meet a minivan I like.....if someone can get me a test drive in that formula 1 powered Renault Espace minivan....maybe Ill change my tune 

[tpl]

I honestly don't get the extreme minivan-aversion of many on this forum.  I mean, I get why you wouldn't seek one out if you didn't need the people-space, but I don't understand the "shudder" "God-forbid" "rather die than drive a minivan" attitude. Are people really that wrapped up in image - and is a vehicle really that much of what they perceive as self-defining?

I don't want a minivan and don't need a minivan, but if I had 3 or more kids, I'd be driving one quite happily.  And it would be a Quest - because as minivans go, I think that one has some style inside and out.

Jaeger

I agree with you Jaeger.   I have driven a minivan for exactly 4 trips  TO to Guelph loaded with stuff and 4 trips back empty.   It was an Odyssey and it was a fine car either way.   If I needed a big vehicle I would have no problem with one and as people say, a Caravan is unbeatable value.   But in my normal life I have exactly no use for such a thing.

[CanuckS2K]

Do we really need to discuss, yet once again, why people choose what vehicle they do??  Everyone has different needs and priorities.  Geez.  It seems like every minivan/SUV/Truck thread ends up discussing why one should choose one type of vehicle over the other and not about the actual vehicle in the review.