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Toyota Sienna 2004+
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Comments
when they change the Federal and CA emissions laws (need to reduce nitrogen oxides and particulates levels) so all those Euro engines with common rail injection can be sold here without significant changes and when the oil companies start selling low sulfur diesel (thats supposed to be in the next year or so)
VW will not sell 07 diesels as they are waiting for new engines for the US market for the 08s which is why they are selling the 06s like hotcakes with a huge markup! MB can afford to sell their cars and make customers pay a significant premium for the changes needed to get Federal compliance. All other OEMs are out of luck at this point. Quite honestly , till they tax cars by CO2 emissions like some EU nations or have $6 a gallon gas, diesel will not make it big over on this side of Atlantic.
So more money, and cold weather starting.
I'm worried the better half won't be as OCD as I am about checking it before going through a car wash, are we stuck with going through brushless washes if we don't remove it??
Has anyone found a good shorter mast which does not need to be removed for a replacement, like a Bosch??
Nothing in the way of option package reshuffling...
The new Sienna is likely to have the DFI V6 come fall.
mine 2004 xle ltd white no dvd or nav--tooooo much you can get a 7"dvd port at walmart for $79
The Odyssey's seats are wide, at a proper height, and are comfortable.
I disagree completely with master1 and feel the Sienna is more comfortable than the Ody.
Now, do you have a butt that looks like mine or one that looks more like master1's? I't's your butt... buy the van that fits it best.
As a point of reference for how "BAD" really feels, ride in the back of a Freestar!
Beautiful post!!!
Just to add, my wife and I find the Sienna's seats to be quite comfortable. I experience no lower-back pain. I do sometimes have knee pain, but I thik that's more-related to my tennis-playing than Sienna-driving.
I had a skydiving slip-up years ago that left me with some back problems. This is the best car seat I've been in since.
Nothing against the Ody other than my historical dislike for anything Honda.
BTW love the gas mileage so far (at 16,000 miles so far on a 2006). Just got 24.8 on a long trip going 80 mph with the A/C on. Get over 30 if I keep the speed to 65. I do run synthetic oil and 39 psi tire pressure which helps a fair amount. My old 4 cyl Odyssey would only get about 21.5 mpg under the same conditions.
Also very smooth, comfortable, quiet ride. Very nimble around town. Turning radius is amazing (same as my Integra). The Ody seems clumsy in tight spaces.
Are there disadvantages to going with the 8 passenger version? I'd probably leave the middle 2nd row seat at home and use it only if I really needed to carry 8. Might be nice to have the option though since we have 2 kids and 1 more on the way.
Try the seats yourself to see it it matters.
If you can take having less comfortable and narrower second row seats, then the 8 Passenger model would be perfectly fine for most of us.
To each his/her own, but we wouldn't ever consider a 7-passenger van after owning the LE-8
Mark
2005 Sienna LE-8
I was perhaps a little brief when my guidance against the 8 was summed up as, "it sucks". As Mark and others have better highlighted, it ALL depends on your needs.
Mark has 3 kids. Lets' say they are all under 11. That means: 1) They are small and fit in the 8's middle seats better. 2) If they each bring a friend, that's 8 (including Mark and Mrs. Mark). 3) They don't drive, so Mark is in the front seats during the LONG trips - he doesn't spend 6 to 10 hours in those middle seats. 4) Mark probably has one very young child that they need to be able to reach from the front seats. He needs an 8.
I have two teenagers, so: 1) They are large. 2) One friend for each = 6 (including me and Mrs. beernut). 3) They do drive, so I can sit in the middle seats for LONG stretches of road. 4) When I'm driving, the further away from me that my passengers are, the better. I need a 7.
Gadzooks! You may have choose what fits you best!
I guess what I was looking for was whether there were big drawbacks to the middle row having 3 seats instead of 2, other than the obvious one of lack of armrests. From a quick look at the 7 and 8 passenger versions, it doesn't look like the outer middle row seats are any different otherwise. They appear to be about the same size. Also, the middle seat felt usable for a while (especially compared to the middle seat in the Odyssey). I agree with beernut that I wouldn't want to sit there on a long trip.
I wasn't sure if there were other things I might have overlooked like how car seats would fit (I've read that three could fit across the middle row) or how access to the third row would be impacted (if you used all three middle seats with car seats, how would you get to the back?).
There have been times when I have wanted the 8 passenger though - airport trips etc, but that never ends becaus sometimes you need to take 9 or 10 people. Gotta draw the line somewhere.
I do prefer the new Ody 8 pasenger configuration. The 8th seat is like a spare that can be totally hidden, and it does not take any comfort away from the two bucket seats. It is a little less comfortable for long trips, but usually we have the most passengers for shorter trips. Long vacations are just family.
I can't imagine fitting 3 full carseats across 1 row. DId you know the rear row doesn't even have latch across all three seats? Does the middle row have latches all across in an 8-seater? Keep in mind you need 3 latch-sets - you're not supposed to use the inside latches of the left and right to use as a middle set. Now if 2 of the kids are in boosters, that might work.
As for rear-row access, here's a trick my wife and I have had to use on occasion when the kids were asleep in their carseats and we didn't want to wake them: first, fold the smaller portion fo the rear bench into the floor; then to get in the car, 1st step into the well behind the portion of the back seat that is flipped up, and from there you can step into the car and have the driver re-open the smaller portion of the back-seat, if needed.
To me, it looked like the outside 2nd row seats were either the same or only slightly narrower than in the 7 passenger. I really couldn't see the difference in size when I compared them back to back. The main difference was the armrests, but since we have kids in car seats, I figured that wouldn't be as big of a problem. As they get older, the middle seat in the middle row folds down and functions as an armrest and tray.
I think with the front and center seating (the feature that allows you to move the middle seat in the 2nd row forward a foot or so), there is room to fit three car seats across in the middle row, since they will be staggered. Also, there's at least a tether anchor in that middle seat, and I think latch attachments, too.
I'm thinking our baby (due in September) will go on the middle seat 2nd row, our 2 year old will go in one of the other seats in the 2nd row; and our 5 year old (who can buckle herself in) will go in the back row or the 2nd row depending on what we're carrying (e.g. other passengers or cargo).
Initially at least, I'm glad we got the 8 passenger, even though up until the last minute, I had only been considering the 7 passenger.
Does anyone know if it's supposed to be safe to drive with a middle row seat in the "tumble forward" position or is that only supposed to be used for getting in and out of the back row?
My opinion is that is better to have 8 seats, you don't give anything in comfort, get a lot more utility and versatility, but have to consider checking a bit more on the side mirror than on the normal front mirror.
According to this Orders will be accepted starting in September and Production will start in November and They will be delivered in January, but I would guess the delivery date would depend on where you live.
http://www.cars.com/go/crp/research.jsp?makeid=47&revid=50033&modelid=436&acode=- &crpPage=summary.jsp&mode=&year=2007&myid=&revlogtype=21§ion=reviews&mode=&a- ff=national
This link confirms the 3.5 for the Sienna.
I plan to seat the new born in the middle of the second row and the 2 others in the third row all with child car seats.
But eventually I plan to use the 3 second row seats only to seat all 5 of us, including mom.
My only problem is that the 8 passenger does not come in leather trim.
Isn't leather a lot more easier to clean up?
Please, any advise on keeping the interior clean will help.
FYI - With your intention of putting two carseats in the rear, my understanding sit hat the rear drivers-side seet does not have latch. At least that's the way it is in my 2004.
Phil
Does anyone have any advice on the Sienna FWD in the snow/ice? We live in southeastern PA and do get some aggressive winters. We were all set to get an LE FWD until our neighbors complained about their XLE FWD and traded it in for an XLE AWD. So now my wife wants the AWD. Most of the vans I see up here are FWD, so I assume people are doing okay. But I was looking for some more advice. Is there a noticeable difference between the FWD and AWD (other than gas mileage) in snow/ice?
Thanks.
Mark G
mlgss
:confuse: :confuse:
One of the features I am interested in are the memory seats and power folding side mirrors. Toyota online brochure says that these features are available with option package 8. However, one of the sales people I spoke to tells me that he is willing to order an XLE package 8 for me, but memory seats and power folding mirrors are not available on any XLEs and I should buy an LTD AWD. Needless to say, I don’t believe this guy.
My question is, has anybody purchased an 06 XLE package 8 in the Midatlantic and does it have those features?
If the Sienna uses the VC to facilitate AWD functionality then the AWD model is viable enough over FWD to justify its purchase. Otherwise a FWD w/VSC/Trac/BA/etc. Sienna will likely offer you as much safety and reliability in adverse roadbed conditions as would an AWD.
But for true, certain, sure, safety and reliable mobility in adverse roadbed conditions I would recommend a RWD based AWD with manual transmission such as the BMW X3.
Rember that 2 times some traction is a lot better than 4 times no traction. Also braking is more important than accelerating in bad weather (it keeps you from hitting that tree or going through that intersection) and AWD does not help braking, but snow tires sure do.