Toyota Sienna 2004+

hansienna

YES, the Denver Region 2006 Sienna LE had listed on the window sticker as standard equipment the "Deluxe AM/FM/6 Disc CD w/6 speakers".
However, I did NOT watch to see if my friend could actually put 6 separate CD's into the changer.
That does not necessarily indicate that Toyota builds the 2006 Sienna LE the same for the Canadian market.

maxellman

There are enough bug fix and minor but many improvement in the 06 Model. Also the DVD screen is 9 inches, like the Oddessy.

Most people prefer 9 inches more than 7 inches.

taxesquire

Also the DVD screen is 9 inches, like the Oddessy...Most people prefer 9 inches more than 7 inches

Careful what you wish for - my wife & I purchased on '04 with the 7" screen. We had wanted to get the van w/o the DVD and add an aftermarket 10" screen, and were disappointed that the only one they had withour required options also had the player included. Anyway, she wound up being really happy with the 7" screen b/c of visibility. SUre your passengers might prefer a larger screen, but 9" cuts down significantly more on your rearview visibility. Friends of ours who bought an '05 XLE Lmtd got a larger screen (don't know if it was an option that year or they did aftermarket) and wish they hadn't b/c of visibility reasons.

nwng

I was watching msnbc last night when some reporter standing in times squre doing a live report and I saw a yellow sienna taxi cab

can someone confirm this for me?

toyo_van_owner

My 2006 Sienna LE can play 6 CD's and/or MP3s. I average 5 CD's per MP3, so it works out to 30 CD's loaded at a time. Very nice for long trips. The only thing is that I can't change between folders from the steering wheel. That button is on the passenger side.

dimar

I just got mine a little more than a month ago and I am not too impressed with the gas mileage. I am getting just under 17 mpg. My 2000 averaged about 20 and better on a trip. I just got back from a trip and I still only got 16.7 gallons. I really hope it gets better like the Toyota salesman said it would. Not too sure though.
It sure is awesome though, and I wouldn't go back to the 2000. This one has so much more!!

hansienna

My friend's 2006 Sienna LE 7 passenger used 19.5 gallons of fuel in the first 549 miles. That is an AVERAGE of 28.1 MPG.
He refueled twice to check accuracy of fuel gauge. First refueling was 26.7 MPG and 2nd refueling was 30.3 MPG.
Does the newer lower rated 215 HP and 222 Lb-ft torque result in higher gas mileage?

irg

Yeah, I was in NYC some time ago (I live in Upstate) and I saw a ton of Sienna minivans, in yellow. I think they are replacing the standard 4 door taxis. Equal if not better gas mileage, more passengers, more flexibility, and better reliability. If I owned a taxi service, I would go this route.

heywood1

Unfortunately, the Run-Flat/PAX discussion was allowed to die, so I'm posting my update here.

I recently replaced the OEM Dunlop DSST's on my XLE AWD with conventional Yokohama Avid TRZ's. Absolutely great tires, and a bargain at $86 each. Road noise has lessened dramatically, wet traction is superb, and now I understand why many FWD Sienna owners compare this van to a Lexus.

Also, I (politely) complained to Goodyear, Toyota and my local dealer about the short life of the Dunlops. I proposed to Toyota that they provide me with a free spare tire kit, and my offer was accepted. (I only carry the spare in the van for extended road trips, otherwise it stays in the garage).

Also, Goodyear provided me with a rebate of $280 toward my next purchase, good until 2010.

My guess is that there have now been enough complaints regarding the inappropriate application of the high-performance DSST's to this van that Toyota and Goodyear are quietly addressing complaints to those who don't walk into the saloon with guns ablazin'....

pape

I am considering buying an '05 Sienna AWD and asked the dealership parts manager about installing a temporary spare behind the 3rd row seat in the floor. I had read there is a kit that comes with a cover over the tire. The parts manager said he couldn't find it and acted like the item doesn't exsist. Please help!!

Could anyone please tell me (so I can tell the Toyota parts guy) where to find a temporary spare, tire cover and the accessories required?

hansienna

Are all Sienna Dunlop tires noisy with short tread life? Did my friend get ripped off when his 2006 Sienna LE came with Dunlop tires? :sick:
The OEM Goodyear tires on my 2002 T&C LX are NOT high performance tires but at 37,000 miles the ones now on front have 8/32 inch treadwear while the ones on the rear have between 4 and 5/32 inch remaining and the T&C is as quiet on the highway as my friend's new Sienna. Under acceleration and while idling, the Sienna is MUCH quieter than my T&C.

heywood1

The Dunlop DSST's are run-flat tires, and come standard on AWD models only. Unless your friend's LE is an AWD, his Dunlops are conventional tires, and will probably be quieter and have a longer life. That being said, it's been my experience over the years that most original equipment tires aren't that great and don't last very long.

hansienna

THANKS for your information. I think it is sad that Toyota would not put high quality tires on their high quality vehicles.
OK for Kia/Hyundai, Volkswagen, Volvo, Ford, GM, Chrysler, etc. to use lower quality OEM tires on new vehicles since the overall quality of their vehicles is lower than Toyota....and sales trends are dropping for all but Kia. Kia is trying hard to improve their reliability image but for people who buy cheap, the tire quality is not as important as for people who buy Toyota quality.
People who buy JC Penney suits do not have the same expectation for quality as those who purchase at Nordstroms.

taxesquire

I think your getting a tad over-the-top on this Toyota-quality thing. We are very happy with our Sienna, and "yes," Toyota is the marquis name in quality, but Hyundai's are making quality economy vehicles and recent VWs have good quality, too. The fact is that all car companies cut corners where they can, even Toyota.

jipster

Hans,I beleive the Sienna OEM tires are the same that come on the Mazda MPV. My MPV has the Dunlop Sport 4000 tires... size 215/60/17. They are considered ultra high performance tires ..and are pretty expensive , around $110 for my size tire. My experience, and those of many other MPV owners I converse with, is that the Dunlops are fairly quiet, but they indeed do have a much shorter than advertised tread life.The ride quality has been described as mediocre...but handling characteristics are very good and well tuned with the MPV's sportier suspension. I really don't understand why Toyota would put such a tire on the "plusher" riding Sienna.

weedshasta

heywood1: You recently replaced all your run flats on your AWD with conventional tires. I think this is the way I will go when the time comes. Even the guy in the Toyota service dept. where I take my car says he will do the same. Just a couple of questions: Did you make this decision when the tread life was getting low, or did you have a tire failure? How many miles did you have on the tires? Where did you get the Yokohamas? If from the Tire Rack, what was the shipping price? Is the spare you got the donut size that goes behind the 3rd row seat? Thanks for the info.
I was hoping when a lot of AWD owners got to the end of their tread life and the tires were in more demand, maybe they would be cheaper and easier to find. But if we all switch to conventional, just the opposite might happen.

Also a general question from someone who doesn't know much about tires: I have been told that you have to have all 4 tires run flat or conventional; you cannot mix them. Can someone explain why this is if they are exactly the same size.?
It would be much easier if they could be replaced one at a time as necessary. For example, I had a complete failure at 12,000 miles. The sidewall was compromised and could not be repaired. I had to either buy a new run flat at $250, or replace all 4 tires with conventional even though 3 of the run flats still had a lot of tread left.

wwest

There are two reasons why all four tires should be of the exact same size, brand, etc.

1. The tire pressure monitoring system works by sensing differing tire rotation rates via the ABS wheel sensors.

2. Your AWD system is totally and completely reliant on all four tires having an equal rotation rate when on a high traction surface. An undersize tire, or one that is more resilant at an equal air pressure, will result in the AWD system engaging the brakes of that wheel needlessly.

hansienna

I looked at my friend's Sienna tires: Dunlop SP 4000 T A/S size P215/65R16 with rating 340 A A rated 1565 lbs @ 51 PSI....while my 02 T&C LX has Goodyear Integrity size P215/70R15 rating 460 A B rated 1653 lbs @ 44 PSI.
My T&C OEM front tires have 8/32" tread and rear 4 to 5/32" tread with 37,000 miles on them.

weedshasta

So it would seem that ANY time you have to replace a tire, you would have to replace all 4. If not, one tire would have 100% tread so would be larger than the other three. Or is that not enough to throw the system off? Does the same thing happen when you don't have EXACTLY the same air pressure in each tire?
On the run flats vs the conventional, I guess the difference would be in the resiliancy? The size is exactly the same so the rotation rate should be the same.

wwest

Obviously the runflats will have a stiffer sidewall and therefore a different size than a conventional tire inflated equally. You can't measure the "running radius" absent the tire being weighted down by the vehicle.

irg

Not all Sienna's have Dunlop tires on them (or are you only referring to the AWD models?). My 2wd XLE has Michelin (sp?) tires on them, and they seem ok to me for now. I think I will spring for 4 snow tires though this year. Just seems like it is worth it for some of the storms we get here.

sienaching

Back when I had my Grand Cherokee, Costco would not change just one tire. They would change one set of tires either both front or both rear but not just one tire of a set. So for me it was either two or four tires.

Now 10k miles later I got a flat that they couldn't fix and they were willing to change just that one tire since it was under warranty.

Also note that when I did change my tires it was right after the issue with Ford and Firestone exploding tires.

taxesquire

as someone else said, tires should be replaced in pairs, and if properly rotated, they'll all go bald at the same time.

I imagine that changing just 2 would not negatively impact the TPMS, as long as both new tires were both on the back or on the front.

wwest

The only time I ever had to replace only one tire on my 92 Jeep I put the never used spare on the ground and bought one exactly like it for the other side. The odd worn tire became the spare.

wwest

Insofar as that goes you could probably "normalize" the TPMS with any disparate pressure or tire size you wished to.

But the AWD system will still be screwed up.

heywood1

My tread life was getting low. I have a set of Blizzak run-flat winter tires, so only 15,000 of the 30K+ on the odometer were with the OEM Dunlops. I bought the Yokohamas from the Tire Rack. They were $86 each, and shipping was an additional $44. Keep in mind, the Tire Rack has several shipping locations, and and shipping cost is based on proximity. In your case, the Tire Rack has a distribution point in Nevada. The spare is a limited-use type that fits flat on the floor behind the third row.

PS: After 15K miles, the Blizzak winter tires show hardly any wear. So I don't think the pre-mature wear problem of the Dunlops is a run-flat issue. I believe it's a matter of inappropriate application. These tires were never meant to be put on a van.

dudleyr

A couple of Sienna questions.

Can the traction and or Stability be shut off (sometimes this helps when getting out of snow banks)

Does the DVD in the rear play through the speakers or just the headphones.?

Thanks

taxesquire

Traction control can be shut off. There's a button somewhere around waist level on the driver's side dash (like the sliding door lock). SOrry I can't be more specific, but I can't picture the location right now).

The DVD can play through the radio if you tune in to the correct FM station. Don't know if it's the same for everyone, but for me it's 89.1 FM. It comes in loud and clear.

dudleyr

Thanks

Sounds good. I am a little suprised that there is an FM modulator for the DVD from the factory, but as long as I can get sound it is OK.

sjbrody

The traction control can not be turned off if you have AWD. It can if you have FWD. The DVD in our Limited can be played through the speakers--you press the "disk" button on the front audio control panel TWICE and the speakers change from the CD player in the front unit to the DVD player in the rear unit. If you are stopped and have the parking brake on, you can also watch the DVD picture on the front screen by touching the "picture" button on the touch screen.

wwest

Just pull the ABS pumpmotor fuse to disable traction (and VSC, BA, EBD, ABS, etc.) control.

Just remember to put it back right away once you get unstuck.

dudleyr

Our dealer finally got one in (small town) and I tried it myself. You can definately play the DVD through the speakers by pushing a button on the radio. It sounds very good with a subwoofer and 5.1 surround.

I am looking at a FWD so it seems like there is a button for the TC.

Thanks.

wwest

The onset, activation, of Trac in a FWD must of necessity be much more aggressive than RWD or even AWD, as loss of traction at the front results in total loss of directional control.

Thus the need to be able to disable it.

bill69

Would a 2005 or 2006 Sienna owner please tell me what type of fuel does the Sienna require? Regular or Premium Unleaded? What does the owners manual call for? Is there a sign in the fuel door that specifies what type of fuel to use?

sjbrody

Regular!

hansienna

2006 Sienna owner's manual states 87 octane. Use premium 91 octane for improved performance. My friend has been using 85 octane in his 2006 Sienna since he bought it (high altitude does not require octane rating as high as lower elevations).

bill69

Thanks hansienna that really helps. Can a 2005 owner quote me what the 05 owner's manual says? :confuse:

sjbrody

"Select Octane Rating 87 (Research Octane Number 91) or higher. For improved vehicle performance, the use of premium unleaded gasoline with an Octane Rating of 91 (Research Octane Number 96) or higher is recommended." (Page 376)

I have had no problem using regular (87) gasoline and my performance seems fine.

Spencer

endo1

Hi, just test drove an 05 Sienna Limited with AWD. Felt the ride was somewhat rough. It had Bridgestone 380s. I have not seen those discussed in this forum. Does anyone know how they will last compared to the other tires discussed here? Also are there any reasons why I should consider an 06 over an 05? Any advice is welcomed! Endo1

redline2

A local dealer replaced my 2005 XLE's carpet under warranty after a clogged AC drain tube backed up into the passenger compartment. The new carpet is much different from the one it replaced. It is darker in color (We have the gray-toned interior with the silver mist exterior.) and it is not nearly as plush. The new carpet looks and feels cheap and kills the very nice Lexus-like interior of the vehicle.

Do all Siennas come with the same carpeting, or is it possible he ordered an LE carpet rather than an XLE carpet? Or do all new Sienna's have the same carpeting? Thanks in advance.

traders008

I was offered a 06 LE model with Package #6 for $26500 before title and tax. Is this a good offer? Need to make a decision soon. Need some opinion.

johndenny

I want to buy sienna right now but dont know what year to buy. I heard there is no much different 2005 and 2006. But 2006 price is more expensive. For basic 2005 and 2006, what should I go with: 2005 or 2006 at this time (end of year)? 2005 might be cheaper? since they have to clean up the inventory? Any idea? so I can make decision what to go. My budget around 22 - 23 k for Basic Sienna LE.

jchan2

Lately, after some problems with my Odyssey, I am considering replacing it with either Sienna or Odyssey. I am currently leaning towards the Sienna.

What problems have Sienna owners had? I went over to the Problems & Solutions board and saw that there is a lawsuit pending on the run-flats. Since I don't plan on getting All Wheel Drive, what other problems have Sienna owners had? (I scrolled around a little, but mostly I saw posts about the Run Flats)

toyo_van_owner

We took our first road trip about 300 miles away. It was to the mountains.

Good points - 29 MPG on highway only, 25 combined twisty highway and little bit of city. We had plenty of space. All our luggage and coats for a family of four for 5 days fit in the well behind the third seat. We figured that the depth alone was more spacious than our last cars trunk.

It handled the steep grades and curves great both up and down.

We had the easiest trip ever - first one we didn't feel cramped. The passenger side has tons of leg room. And, there was great places to put all the things you have to be able to reach on a trip.

Bad points - it was not a quiet ride at all. We really heard the road noise. I don't know if it was the crossbars or the fact the kids were separated, so we didn't have their fighting to drown out the road noise.

Question - we bought a package #2, but the Toyota website no longer lists that as an option on the LE. Anyone know why?

hansienna

Interesting as my friend also bought a 2006 Sienna LE with LE Package # 2 that contained the Trip Computer/Homelink, Power RH Passenger Sliding Door, 8-Way Power Driver Seat and LE Package # 2 had an MSRP of $1,040. His 06 Sienna had a 28.4 MPG overall gas mileage for the first 986 miles.
The same LE PKG # 2 is listed in the 2006 Sienna brochure. :confuse:

For the Denver Region, the Toyota Web Site lists Option Combination # B which is the same as Package # 2. Option Combination # A is Package # 1, Option Combination # C is Package # 4, and Option Combination # D is Package # 6.

Why does Toyota play silly games by listing packages differently in their Brochure and on their Web Site?

FWIW: How many people buy an Odyssey because the Sienna has too many confusing options? :sick:

dudleyr

They don't build all the packages at once - they kind of shuffle through them. You can probably have the dealer allocate the package you want.

Yes Honda has an easier system, but with Toyota you can get something closer to what you want.

Also, a question for Sienna owners. I tried the defog tonight, and it did not seem to do a very good job. With my other vehicles turning on the A/C clears all windows completely in less than 30 seconds. Even with the defog on high and the A/C on it took a few minutes to clear the windshield and even then the edges were still slightly foggy. The temp was about 45 degrees. Does the A/C not turn on at this temp?

While the owners manual mentions that the recirc is automatically changed to fresh air when you defrost it mentions nothing about the A/C. I think most cars these days turn the A/C on automatically with defrost. Anyway I turned it on manually as well, and it did not make any difference.

-Dudley

Claires

johndenny, you might also want to drop into the Smart Shopper and/or Prices Paid: Buying and Leasing Experiences Forums.

samnoe

If the engine is now rated for JUST 215 hp and 222 Lb.-Ft. of torque - which is one of the lowest among minivans - why didn't they throw in the Avalon's engine which produces about 265 hp to compete with Honda? Nissan Quest and GM Vans offer 240 hp, and Ford Freestar 265 Lb.-Ft. of torque.

I also dislike the new front fascia. The '04-05 was not good either, but the '06 are inferior. The rear lights are better, but the signal is still too small. I'll also miss the cassette player. (Probably the only one here...)

dudleyr

I think most of the domestic minivans have less power.

The vehicle has plenty of pep - who really cares what the hp is? Weight, gear ratios etc are also factors? Hp is overrated (no pun intended). Both the Odyssey and Sienna are about as fast as each other - plenty fast, but not race cars.

The only reason I would favor a different engine would be if it got better gas mileage (the Avalon engine may actually do this).

-Dudley

taxesquire

My understanding is that all Hondas' actual HP ratings are reduced, too.