Toyota’s Sienna Maxivan – THE MAGIC BUS

Toyota’s Sienna Maxivan

THE MAGIC BUS

Santa Clarita, CA – Arriving at LAX via United was the prelude for two additional airport stops between that Thursday and the following Sunday, both before Christmas. My son and grandson, traveling from DC’s Dulles Airport, were collected at LAX (on Saturday night, no less. You wanna’ talk scrum?), while on Sunday I picked up my brother and his family at the Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. In all three trips the transport vehicle was Toyota’s Sienna hybrid minivan, a conveyance absolutely perfect for conveying. 

Toyota, of course, arrived (relatively) early to the minivan game. Motivated by Chrysler’s success with its Dodge, Plymouth and Chrysler entries, Toyota’s U.S. arm introduced the Previa for the 1991 model year. With – at the time – a futuristic design sitting atop an innovative, front mid-engine platform, the Previa proved either too much in its design or too little in its spec. Regardless, in the late ‘90s the Previa was dropped and a far more conventional, Camry-based Sienna took its place.

Fast-forward almost 30 years, and today’s Sienna is much larger, and while its hybrid powertrain is innovative and available all-wheel drive provides all-season capability, the new Sienna’s menu is absolutely perfect for the carpool, perhaps less so in the tight one-stall garage. Stretching almost 204 inches, the Sienna sits atop 10 feet of wheelbase and is over 6.5 feet wide. And while I know styling is subjective, in this view there’s too much going on in the Sienna’s sheetmetal. Fronted by a grille area that Car and Driver finds way too similar to a space whale, the rear half is accented by flared fenders that fit perfectly with our test Sienna’s Ruby Flare paint – but really don’t fit anything else. I’ll take the more conversative visage provided by Chrysler’s Pacifica, older Siennas or – if I could find one – a well-preserved Previa.

Inside, however, the case is closed, as there’s abundant room – in our XSE test model – for six people and (probably) all of their stuff. In the run from LAX the luggage fit easily into the well behind the third row, while our two passengers in the second row were treated to limo-like legroom. And with sliding doors on both sides, getting in at the arrival curb presented no disruption to those LAX throngs attempting to maneuver around a parked minivan; no legs were crushed, no doors were lost.

On the road the Sienna’s size was carefully concealed by its handling and responsiveness. No, this isn’t what you’ll take to a track day (unless towing  a smallish track car – the Sienna’s towing capacity is 3,500 pounds), but the van drives smaller than its footprint suggests. And if you can get past its width, a tight turning radius makes mall parking possible; given the Sienna’s minivan mission, it’s probable.

If there’s a nit to pick with the drivetrain, it’s that under heavy throttle it can get mildly agricultural. Let up and things smooth out; highway driving at 80 is very relaxed, and at 30+ miles per gallon you’ll want to stop before you need to stop.

With that 245 combined horsepower and available all-wheel drive, the Sienna is not only appropriate to the carpool lane, it’s perfect for the state or national park. And if the middle row seats were removable (they’re not), it’d be a prime candidate for mattress camping. Without that, throw a small awning on the side and (perhaps) a tent sleeper on top, and you’d have a perfect platform for long weekends up and down the California coast – or wherever you happen to stop. And despite its 4,800 pounds of curb weight, you can expect the Sienna to deliver most of its 35 City/36 Highway EPA estimate.

In base LE form the Sienna is offered at just over $40K, while our XSE with all-wheel drive came in at closer to $50,000. If you’ve taken a look at 3-row crossovers, you’ll know the Sienna price point is (comparatively) chump change. With its interior volume it certainly has utility…and you can either take the ‘sport’ with you, or tow it behind you. 

It is, in short, a Magic Bus.