It's Fantastic!!!
Written: Jan 20 '04
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Pros: Flexible Seat Configuration; Power Sliding Doors at LE trim level; Power windows on sliding doors
Cons: Captain chairs hard to move. 8 passenger option needs improvement.
The Bottom Line: If 10 is the rating for a minivan having everything one can think of, then Sienna scores an easy 9. For comparison, Odyssey will get an 8.
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| lkrkkr's Full Review: 2004 Toyota Sienna 2WD |
After a lot of research on the web, we decided on Odyssey being #1 on the list and Sienna being #2. We test drove the two vehicles in that order. My wife and myself were immediately sold on Sienna due to the following additional features compared to Odyssey:
1. 60/40 3rd row bench seat
2. Power Windows on Sliding doors
3. Second row captain chairs fold forward effortlessly creating additional space for entry/exit
4. Available 8 Seat Option
5. Available Power door option (which was a requirement for us) at LE level instead of EX level in the case of Odyssey (which is more expensive)
6. That power switch on the B-Column which operates the power sliding door is very useful and thoughtful.
7. The new look (I personally think that this one looks much better than Odyssey)
After checking the 8 seater option, we felt it would be more of a hinderance for our requirements. For one, the middle seat in the second row was very hard to move to the forward position. Also, with the 8 passenger option, the captain chairs at the ends cannot be moved sideways when 8th seat is completely removed. This is a huge drawback since, you would like to have the option of removing 8th seat (leaving it at home) and sliding captain chair together to create a bench in the second row. This would give you enough space to get in/out of the vehicle without folding the captain chair. I only wanted the 8th seat for an occasional use.
We ended up buying a 7 passenger LE with option pkg #1, which basically gives you a power sliding door and couple of miscellaneous items. The captain chair movement sideways is not as easy as Odyssey, but Sienna excelled in most other areas. The drive, turning radius, acceleration, roominess, quietness, exterior look, ergonomics, everything was superior.
Now coming to the deal making part, I waited for the year end promos, though we could have bought the van as early as Oct/Nov. During the last week of Dec '03, when I checked www.buytoyota.com web site, it said that the inventory in our region was "Excellent". Normally it would say the inventory is "Good". May be that was one of the reasons for a great deal and the other is that the dealers were trying to make their annual sales look good, its always a number game, right? So, I ended up paying $750 below Factory Invoice Price (the promo was basically $3000 below MSRP). Honestly, I would have paid $1000 more than that, thanks to the intense competition in the Washington DC area.
By the way, I did most of the deal making on the phone talking to about 12 dealers over a 100 mile radius and finally my preferred dealer agreed to price match the best offer I had in hand.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 22886
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: LE with Pkg #1, Carpets, Door Sill Guard
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Epinions.com ID:
lkrkkr
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Reviews written: 1
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