Oh, What A Felling!
Written: Jul 14 '03 (Updated Nov 26 '03)
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Pros: Design, Power, Seating arrangements, overall feel of quality, that new car smell.
Cons: A/C weak, acceleration lag, industry created lack of availability.
The Bottom Line: Dollar for dollar and option for option this is probably the best choice of minivan in its class.
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| speedknot's Full Review: 2004 Toyota Sienna 2WD |
Where do I start. Ive owned Toyota's off and on for many years now. Ever since I met my wife we have had one or two Toyotas in the family. Now with the addition of another child, her Corolla just didnt cut it. We pounded the pavement in search of a minivan. My wife was really pushing to get a van with the 3rd row seat that folds down but was willing to settle. The Honda was the only size van that she liked that did the rear seat disappearing act. Well, the Honda experience was a sour one after getting snubbed by the salespeople and being told we might get a van in 4-6 months, not even in the color we want, if we order it today. Yea right! We looked at Dodge, Chrysler, Ford, Kia, Mazda, then we decided to stop at the Toyota dealership. It just so happened that on that day, they were authorized to sell the 04 Sienna. My wife was not crazy about the 03's but when we saw the 04 we were sold.
MODEL PURCHASED: 04 Sienna LE opt package 1, Phantom pearl gray
PRICE COMPARISON:
There really was no comparison in my opinion. I was shocked to find how reasonable the model that we chose was. Dollar for dollar, option for option, all the other mid sized minivans in this category could not beat the Sienna. The Honda was thousands more with the same option packages. Too bad Honda. Although I do see Toyota raising the price of this van after they find out they have real winner in their hands. Some dealers were taking a thousand or two above sticker. I thought this was rediculous considering I paid just below sticker and got a bunch of goodies thrown in and got my van the same time the other boobs got theirs.
QUALITY:
Starting from the exterior, I had noticed that the sheetmetal used seemed thicker and the way the paint was applied gives it an absolute perfect finish. We got the Phantom Pearl Gray. It shows very little dirt and looks sharp with the dark tinted windows. The doors closed with a solid feel. The door handles seemed a bit cheap though. I used the roof rack for the first time yesterday and was amazed how sturdy it is. It is rated at 150lbs. I put well over 250lbs evenly distributed on top and it showed no signs of stress. The lift gate opens with an electronic lock release. Opening it was a breeze but closing it was a bit tough. Dont get the hitch through Toyota. Reese makes the special hitch for Toyota for the Sienna. Draw-tite make a nice low profile tubular hitch as well. Both aftermarket are between $120-$150. Hundreds cheaper than Toyota.
THE INTERIOR:
Our model was very plush. The seats were soft and comfortable. Suitable for long rides. The interior door panels and dash were a soft padded vinyl accented with velor and black lacquer handles. I found the dash cluster layout to a but cheap looking durring the day but illuminated a nice soft blue in the eve. The radio and climate controls seemed to be a bit further away than their previous model but then again the 04 is much larger and more van like. Our LE model didnt come with the DVD or NASA remote flight controls but the over head control panel suggests there are tons of options to be gotten. Ours has the passenger power rear sliding door but it can be ordered with both automatic side doors. We paid a little over $25k but with all the available options you can find yourself getting to over $40k. The inside is cavernous. It has more than enough seating combos. There is and outrageous amount of cup and bottle holders. And storage; everytime I get in the van I find another storage compartment. A pack rat's delight. The carpets seemed a bit cheap to me but should clean up nice. The rear audio controls are not very useful. I should add that there is a lot of room between the 3rd row seat and the rear hatch so if you have many children you can still fit a double stroller with packages back there.
THE RIDE:
Oh what a ride. I travel over 100 miles a day in my corolla which can be quite uncomfortable at times but this van would whisk me to work in a much better frame of mind. Now if I can only convince my wife the use it every other week. It handles the road better than most cars I have owned. Hard cornering is achieved without major body roll. Bumps and land mine sized craters(New York) feel like your going over a pebble. I havent had to use the ABS but the brakes feel high and responsive. You can probably describe the ride as a bit more relaxed than a luxury SUV. But the cornering, braking, and responsivnes of an Avalon. The throttle response has a slight lag to it. Almost like the old turbo vehicles.
MECHANICAL:
The engine is a 3.3-liter 24-valve DOHC V6 with VVT-i rated at 230 hp. The engine is so well ballanced that you can hardly tell its running. Its first schedueled tune up is at 100k miles. You have plenty of power to tow. Gas milage will vary with the type of driving you do. I get around 25mpg. The tranny is a 5-speed electronically controlled automatic overdrive with intelligence(ECT-i). The five speed auto takes a little getting used to coming from a 4spd auto. The shift points are different so acceleration at different speeds will differ. On the highway traveling at around 70mph the tach is at 2000rpm. Thats really good.
NOTES:
If you can shell out a little more for the LE model, do it. The dark tint on the windows makes a huge difference and the roof rack is a big help. The power sliding door is a real joy. The LE opt. package 1 is a good base to start from. Please dont pay over sticker. Get the extended warrantee. They can usually throw it in. From experience with other new cars, dont opt to get the so called dealer installed electric items. ie, alarms, autostarts, Lojack. Dont let anyone fool with the vehicles electrical system. Its never the same when they do. Besides, from my experience in law enforcement in NYC alarms and Lojack are useless. Expect to wait a little while unless your a lucky one to find one on the lot. I can rattle off every little detail about the car for pages but the best way to experience the van is to test drive it and get a brochure. The Toyota web site is also a great resource. Most of all, do your homework. You'll feel better making an educated decision.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 25150
Condition: New
Model and Options: LE opt. package 1
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Epinions.com ID:
speedknot
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Location: Long Island, NY
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 0 members
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