2004 AWD Sienna Limited - A great family hauler
Written: Feb 25 '04 (Updated Feb 26 '04)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Reliability: |
 |
|
| Seat Comfort: |
 |
|
| Build Quality |
|
|
| Roominess: |
|
|
| Ease of Conversion: |
|
|
|
Pros: Features, drivetrain smoothness, safety features, interior space and flexibility, turning radius
Cons: No spare tire, minivan styling, complicated DVD system
The Bottom Line: Outstanding family vehicle that combines space and features with a refined drivetrain and driving dynamics.
|
|
|
| esbuop's Full Review: 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD |
After growing tired of loading and unloading two small children, strollers, diaper bags etc. in and out of a sedan, my wife and I started looking at larger vehicles. Since we didn't have a need to tow anything substantial, we quickly ruled out large body/frame SUVs due to their size, space inefficiency and general "truckiness". That left unibody SUVs like the MDX or a minivan like the Sienna. The MDX won in the styling department, but the Sienna was better in just about every other respect.
We decided practicality was more important than styling, and ended up buying an AWD Sienna Limited with the HO option package (aka #6 Limited option package). We have been very happy with it. It has the drivetrain, ride and interior appointments of a mid-priced luxury sedan rather than a minivan. The quality of interior materials like the leather and interior plastics is very high, and it is loaded with useful features. There are enough cupholders for anybody (the driver has 6 within easy reach), there are storage compartments all over the place, each seat has it's own vent and light, the second row seats tumble and fold for easy access to the third row, and the third row folds into the floor with a 60/40 split so the third row isn't "all or nothing." Loading and unloading kids into car seats is no longer a chore, and there is enough space to carry "kid stuff" without feeling crammed to the gills.
The HO package Limited is loaded with bells and whistles. It comes with a DVD player, navigation, backup camera, HID headlights with height adjustment, three zone heating/cooling (driver/passenger/rear) and laser guided cruise control. The latter is a very cool feature that allows you to use the cruise control without constantly turning it on and off as you come up on slower traffic. If you come up behind a slower car, the car slows and maintains a safe distance, and once you move over to pass, it speeds back up to your preset speed.
I have very few negative things to say about it at this point. Probably the biggest negative is that as a minivan, it isn't the most stylish thing on the road. Another negative is that if you get AWD, there is no longer space for a spare tire between the well for the third row, driveshaft and gas tank so you get run-flat tires. They are currently very expensive but I expect (hope?) the price will come down as more tire makers come out with run flat models. Because the DVD player doubles as a second audio system (rear seat passengers can listen to their musical choices via headphones) playing DVDs is a fairly complicated process. It is difficult to insert/eject DVDs from the front seats, and once you're moving, it is nearly impossible for a passenger to push the correct buttons at the appropriate time to start DVDs from the front seat for small children since the navigation screen will no longer display video from DVDs like it does at rest. A dash mounted DVD player like the MDX had would have been more convenient.
Overall, I highly recommend the Sienna. If you can get past the "SUVs are cool - minivans aren't" image marketing people have successfully created, it is an amazingly nice family vehicle. I'm a sports car guy, and I don't mind driving it since it feels like a big car rather than a truck. It isn't fast, but it is still enjoyable to drive, and very easy to drive around town due to it's incredibly tight turning radius. It is a much nicer drive than an SUV of comparable interior space.
Edit:
Several people pointed out that my review focused on the interior features and didn't address the driving experience. Hopefully the following will address that:
The lack of description in my original review of power/handling/performance probably stems from the fact that those were secondary considerations for me when I was shopping for this vehicle. I wanted a large, safe vehicle to haul the kids around in, and all the features were a big plus for me and one of the main reasons I bought it. None of the choices in that category (large 7+ seater vehicles) did much for me from a power and handling standpoint (the only thing I drove that was close was a Cadiallc SRX, but it is tremendously overpriced in my opinion and not that big), so it wasn't a big consideration for me.
However, since I've been a car nut forever, and have actively autocrossed and done track events for 10+ years, and have spent many hours (and $) evaluating and improving the handling of cars I've owned in the past, I can certainly comment on the driving dynamics. With respect to handling, would I want to drive it on a racetrack? No. It understeers quite a bit when pushed, and the suspension isn't designed with driving at 10/10ths in mind. Is it more than adequate for driving around town and on the highway without feeling ponderous and hard to maneuver? Absolutely. The steering, although light, is very precise, and the suspension is well damped so it doesn't float around and feel disconnected from the road like many big family haulers. My best assessment is that I don't mind driving it, which although it sounds negative is really a compliment given that I've always owned sports cars and sports sedans up to this point. As a point of reference, I haven't enjoyed my driving experience with other vehicles of similar interior space that I've rented or borrowed (the Yukon XL and Ford Expedition) in the last couple of years. My motto when I bought it was that if I want to go fast, I drive the 500 hp sports car that shares the garage with it. :)
Power is also more than adequate for family hauling duty, although it requires a lot of rpms to accelerate quickly. The engine and transmission are very well matched and extremely smooth. The transmission is actually much smoother than the one in the Infiniti Q45 it is replacing. I find the ride to be excellent, although I have heard complaints from owners on other forums who find it to be harsh. Out of the three minivans (Odyssey, Sienna and Quest) I test drove before buying, I'd put it in second place behind the Odyssey for handing and in first place (by a significant margin) for ride and quietness, which is an area it excels at for a minivan. I can speak to somebody in the third row in a normal tone of voice on the highway at 75 mph while driving. Both road and wind noise are minimal for a big box.
My only complaint from a driving standpoint is that the brakes are not as responsive to pedal pressure as I'd like. I find myself not slowing as fast as I expect from the pedal pressure I'm applying at times. I haven't tested braking distances personally, but the auto magazines have found the braking distances to be very competitive with other minivans, so it's more of an adjustment you have to make when judging pedal pressure than a brake problem. My guess is that a somewhat more aggressive brake pad compound would improve the initial bite.
Overall, I'm very pleased with the performance relative to other 7 seater alternatives. It's not a sports car, but the power, handling and ride are excellent for its class.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 37500
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: AWD XLE Limited with HO(#6) option package
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
esbuop
|
|
Reviews written: 1
Trusted by: 0 members
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.