We owned a 1995 Ford Windstar that just had too many issues for us to want to keep it. From the first week of ownership (in July 1994) there was something that needed fixing. In Sept 1999 we decided to cut our losses & find something else to drive our 3 kids around in. We knew we'd either choose the Odyssey or the Sienna. When we discovered there'd be a wait for the Honda model & that we wouldn't be able to negotiate on the Honda (why go through buying a new car if you can't negotiate?!) we knew the only choice for us was the Toyota. We've had our '00 Sienna LE since Sept 30, 1999, & have not regretted our decision to purchase this vehicle yet.

Here's what I like about the Sienna:
- RELIABLE. What else do you look for in a new car? Every time I think something has broken (I just got used to that notion when I was driving the Windstar) I realize it's not. For example, the other day I thought the remote control to the sliding door was not working. Turns out I had used the wonderful feature of turning off the ability to open/close the sliding door using buttons (the only way to work it would then be manually & it's tough). It's a great feature when you have young children who like to play w/ buttons & open & close that door.
-QUIET engine.
-SMOOTH ride. We think this is a nice ride in a minivan. The only comparison we have is w/ the Windstar. That vehicle leaned quite a bit on turns but the Sienna does not.
-FOLD DOWN & SEPARATE rear seats. This makes the cargo area more flexible because we have the option of taking just one rear seat out if we can & still allow my oldest son to have a seat somewhere in the van. The second-row seats also fold forward or come out completely.

Here's what I'm not so crazy about:
-SEATS are firmer than those of the Windstar & also shorter. My legs have less seat under them than in the Ford. I've gotten used to it but it drove me crazy in the beginning. (I'm 5' 6 1/2".)
-ARMRESTS are too short. I have yet to find a comfortable position for my arms on these armrests. To me they are just short of useless.
-CARGO SPACE is smaller than I would prefer to have but we haven't run into many problems yet.
-Every so often the passenger SLIDING DOOR squeaks slightly.
-There are also some occasional CLUNKING noises from under the vehicle when reversing or going over large bumps. I have to admit that we have not taken the van in to be checked out, partly because the Windstar did this also & partly because we've heard of others w/ this noise. We're assuming it might be "normal" for these vans.
-LEG SPACE is less in the front passenger side than in the Windstar. Luckily I almost always am driving the car & my husband barely notices this since he has shorter legs than I.

All in all I feel this is a wonderful minivan & I'm glad we own it. There are a few minor things I wish were different but, considering its reliability, I can live with every one of them.