Toyota Sienna 2004+

lok888 · July 2003

Why auto makers offer this option on cars with leather seats only these days?

stever · July 2003

VW has a nice option selection of heated cloth on many of their cars. Wish I had heated cloth instead of leather on my wagon.

I don't see too many leather electric blankets at the department stores.

Steve, Host

robsoo · July 2003

Discgolfer,

I need help in your reply to the following question:

If so, can the rear passengers listen to one CD placed in the rear DVD entertainment system using the headphones while the front passengers listen to a different CD placed in the front CD player that is behind the Nav screen?

Yes.

I poured over the manual and could not bring myself to do the above. Can you kindly help me out? Thanks

lok888 · July 2003

While I am still stopping for my Sienna, I have been checking various websites for both Toyota and aftermarket accessories for Sienna.

I just talked to someone at MacNeil Automative (www.mats.com) about the WeatherTech products. They only have the WeatherTech rubber mats (front, 2nd and 3rd seats) and the short verison of the cargo liner which only fits the 3rd seat well area with the 3rd seats up. They are still working (at least for another two months) on the extended verison which covers the whole cargo. area with the 3rd seats fold down.

In the meanwhile, I am still shopping for a Sienna. It will be the right time to get (if order now) van and the cargo liner then.

hansienna · July 2003

Example: 8 passenger available only on CE and LE. Separately controlled temperature for driver and front passenger available only on XLE and XLE Limited.
I prefer 8 passenger seating but would like separately controlled temperature for driver and front passenger that is on my son's 02 GC Sport.

discgolfer · July 2003

Well, as i mentioned, I don't have the NAV, but I have the in-dash 6 disc CD changer. I am 95% sure that the first night we brought the XLE home, I was playing a CD throughout the vechile from the in-dash CD, while my kids were listining to a different CD through the headphones from the rear DVD system. I will try this again tonight...

russell29 · July 2003

I am looking at the XLE with DVD. Has anyone had problems with children in car seats not being able to see the screen from their angle? I have had other people with ceiling mounted screens tell me this. They suggest after market headrest mounted screens for the back seat passenger to have an eye level straight on view. Also, does Toyota include the system on warranty?

discgolfer · July 2003

It works just fine. I was able to play a CD from the in dash 6 disc CD changer, which played through the normal stereo system. While that was playing, I inserted a music CD in the rear DVD player, turned on the headphones, and was able to listen to this CD. Nothing special. It works...

wwest · July 2003

On commercial aircraft the best ones are the ones on swing arms with lots of positioning freedom. The ones mounted in the back of the seat in front of you are rather useless.

Personally I would buy "x" number of $199 portables before buying a captive DVD. X being the number of kids screaming because they can't see/hear nor choose content of the ONE and only DVD player.

lok888 · July 2003

Do I need to buy the wireless headphone in order to this this feature?

doug889 · July 2003

Hi! I am new to the board. I had a 99 Honda Ody for 3 year. had to replace the tranny at 42,000 miles (covered under extended warranty). Bought an Acura MDX in April 2002. Now I am interested in replacing the MDX with a Siena AWD. Is the ride of a Siena AWD stiffer than that of a Siena FWD. Consumer Guide says it it a bit stiffer. I am just wondering if anyone on the board has experience? Thanks in advance for any help.

Douglas

rjleaffan · July 2003

I recently bought a 2004 Sienna CE (pick it up Saturday). Does anyone know if the rust protection module that they sell you in the back room with the business manager actually works? It is a module that sends an electrical charge through the vehicle so that the van will never rust.And it is guarenteed never to rust for the life of the vehicle (transferable)as long as you do the free yearly check. Any info on this would be helpful.

wwest · July 2003

Anything you buy there is too worthless for the salespersons to spend time on.

backy · July 2003

If these really worked--a module that prevents rust for the life of a car--wouldn't they be the hottest things since sliced bread? Wouldn't we see them as a factory option on every car, for us Rust-Belters? Save your money and use it for regular car washes in the winter.

acedriver · July 2003

It is a module that sends an electrical charge through the vehicle so that the van will never rust

Hahahahahaa! Thank the "backroom" manager for a good laugh :-)

Electric charge through the vehicle to stop rust, eh ? And the salespeople wonder why the consumers are wary of them ...

modena2904 · July 2003

I'm a bit confused with all of the option combinations that Toyota uses. My question is this:

Is it possible to get an XLE with cloth seats, DVD entertainment system, and the Nav system?

Also, while Edmunds lists many option package combinations, the Toyota website lists only four of them as "available in my area". Is this really true, or can the others be special ordered?

(Sorry if these questions have been covered before, but I couldn't find the answers through the search feature).

rjleaffan · July 2003

I know it seems hoaky to me to have an electronic module as a rust protector. Of course the business manager says what you are buying is a warranty against rust. So if it doesn't work it doesn't matter because it is covered. If any one knows a chemist who can explain it to me that would be great. Otherwise here is the website for the product if anyone is interested.

www.capfinalcoat.com

The dealer did show me some indipendant test results but I don't see any evidence of it working on their website.

acedriver · July 2003

I am pretty sure that the rust-warranty will have plenty of weasel clauses to ensure that your claim is never paid up !!

IMHO, the manufacturer's rust warranty is enough for me.

Did they try to sell "fabric-protection" for $200 ?? Try a $5 Scotch-Guard from your local retailer :-)

stever · July 2003

The science behind some of that stuff is good and it's common to have sacrificial anodes supplemented by an electrical current and other gizmos - on ships.

My snake oil bells are ringing louder than St. Mary's on this one though, especially when the web site also sells that fabric protection stuff.

But you Canadians still oil spray your chassises every year too, so what do I know.

It probably would work great if you kept the van submerged under water all the time :-)

Steve, Host

steveb84 · July 2003

Sorry but to get the (factory)DVD and/or Nav on an XLE must go with a leather interior.

There are numerous option packages available, but you cannot order each option "ala carte"

diesel88 · July 2003

You do need to get the leather and on the XLE Limited, you can't get the Nav without the DVD! Stupid-IMHO

diesel88 · July 2003

At $1500+, I can't see why anyone would buy the captive DVD. You could buy four portable DVD systems for that price. The wireless thing is very cool, but IMHO, the portable makes more sense. You can watch it on the way to grandma's house then bring it in with you.

There are a few systems or attachments that you can buy that allow you to hook them up between the front two seats.

Has anyone bought an after market DVD and what size screen did they find works best.

famof6 · July 2003

Does anyone know why Toyota is not offering the 8 passenger option in the XLE and XLE Limited versions of the Sienna? It seems to be a marketing choice ie to force consumers that want luxury-comfort and 8 seats into a SUV.

I am very frustrated at this point to find that Toyota will not accomadate this configuration. As a mom of 4kids , ALL in car seats I not only need the extra seat belt I prefer the power doors (both sides) and rear hatch. not to mention the climate control and 6 CD changer leather etc.

Needless to say my husband is not interested to an SUV he is convinced that the extra ownership costs, gas tires etc will be considerable. and he believes that in 6 months I will complain that the kids can't get in and out of it vehicle without loads of help.

Any suggestions?

libertycat · July 2003

three seats in each row. I agree that they should, but this is why I think they don't. I'm not sure if the Chevy Venture/Pontiac Montana/Olds Silhouette have eight passenger seating in their high end models; you might take a look. DON'T get an SUV as they are bad for the environment and are nearly impossible to reach the third row in. Why wouldn't you be able to put four kids in a 7 passenger? You and Dad in front, two kids in the middle, and two on the outer seats in the back.

famof6 · July 2003

Like I said I think they are trying to push folks into the SUV category which means more profit for them. When I told the sales guy i need 8 belts and wanted the "luxury version" He told me the Sequoia was "perfect" for me. My husband laughed and we walked off the lot.

Seven seats works fine when its just our family. In fact the configuration that you describe is what I plan on. But consider the car pool needs of a young family. None of my kids nor their friends are old enough to sit in the front seat yet. So I need 2 more rear seat belts to get the 2 boys on my son's soccer team or the two other girls in my daughter's dance class into the van along with my four kids. (yes that make six kids in my van at once) Otherwise it is a logistical nightmare either figuring out other arrangements for one of my "big kids" or never joining in on the car pool since I can't get everyone in my car.

Then there is the long road trip senerio. The third row has to split To still fit my whole family and add the extra cargo room.

UUgh! I am really ticked off at Toyota right now. At any rate. Thanks for the suggestions. As far as I can tell the Chevy and the Pontiac look like they could meet my logistical needs. But I'm not sure how they will rate on safety and quality Both biggies for my husband.

better yet. Anyone able to find a way to "special order" the XLE with 8 seats?

libertycat · July 2003

It is NOT only Toyota. Chrysler and Dodge don't make ANY 8-passenger vehicles for 2003 (the Ram wagon was discountinued). And the GM minivans have bad safety rates and not too great quality, so I guess they are out for you. You may have to just settle for a 7-passenger unless an extra belt is THAT important to you. If so, you will be forced to get an Expedition, Sequoia, Suburban, Tahoe, Yukon, or Yukon XL (DON'T get an Excursion). Or of course you could get the less luxurious version of a minivan. Or you could forget about safety and quality. Wait a sec. You might be able to get an accessory 6-disc in-dash cd changer on an LE and leather seat covers. That may work best for you as one power door is optional on the LE. You would have to forget about power rear hatch and other power door. But if I were you, I would get a 7-passenger Sienna Limited and not worry about fitting another kid in.

subewannabe · July 2003

Famof6. it sounds like your situation is not going to be served by an off the rack vehicle. There are van customizers all over America that start with a stripped shell and will make anything you want....most for much less than the OEM.There probably arent any '04 Sienna's available for the custom shops yet, but its not clear that the Sienna will have enough room for your needs, no matter what seat configuration.

siggie1 · July 2003

The problem with buying an LE to get the 8 seat configuration is that you cannot get power seats on an LE - even as an option. The features my wife and I are looking for in a new vehicle are 1)The utmost in safety; 2) 8 passenger seating; 3) Easy ingress & egress presumably for via power doors all around; 4) Power seats for both the driver and the front seat passenger with a memory feature so that when we switch vehicles we can easily change the configuration. In the configurations that Toyota is offering the Sienna simply does not meet our needs. I don't understand why Toyota pushes the "front and center" seat in the 8 passenger configuration and then does not make it available with its higher end configurations. I can't understand what they were thinking. We're looking at the Honda Pilot instead. We hear that the '04 Pilot will offer a lot more amentities in addition to 8 passenger seating.

samnoe · July 2003

#651: "It seems to be a marketing choice to force consumers that want luxury-comfort and 8 seats into a SUV".

#653: "Like I said, I think they are trying to push folks into the SUV category which means more profit for them".

Why do you think so? Do you think they're making more profit from an SUV than a minivan?

samnoe · July 2003

You may look at GM, but you'll not find split rear folding seat, no power liftgate, and a lot of other stuff missing, and above all the 3.4L engine with just 185 hp.

You will also not find 8 seater with leather. Only in the WB edition, which is a mix of leather and cloth (cannot understand that mix...)

I hope GM will change that in their redesigned 2005 minivan lineup.

famof6 · July 2003

I agree with you siggie1. I don't know what the guys at Toyota were thinking not building XLE 8 seaters. But here is my quick take on the pilot. It is small. My kids (the oldest is 7) had minimal trouble getting in and out. and the cargo space is small. If you don't need that 3rd row of seats routinely than it's great but it failed my "trunk test" For me minimum trunk space allows me to keep my (preferably)8 seats and fit in a jogging stroller.

I looked at the GM minivans this weekend and did not like what I saw. The conversion van path is an option we had not considered. So I'll look into that next. thanks

libertycat · July 2003

A much easier conversion is to add leather seat covers and a 6-disc in-dash cd changer to an LE. It lacks a left hand power door and liftgate, but do you think you can do without these? Or do you think you could do without one extra seat?

xjbuilder · July 2003

I have the same issue. I have a third child on the way, and an 8 seater allows 3 across the middle row with the third seat down for all the gear on long trips. No minivan has anywhere near the cargo capacity I need (think weekend mountain snow sport trips in Colorado) with the third seat up. But I could get a roof bin, so it's either Sienna sans a lot of options and only FWD (no 8 seat AWD) or an Expedition or Suburban.

I don't buy this crap about "bad for the environment" for SUV's. People buy cars with good gas mileage and drive 80 miles each way to work and then complain about people with SUV's who spent the extra money to live a mile from work. Vehicles are bad for the environment. The more you drive them, the worse they are. If you are taking 8 people in a minivan, it's not going to get excellent gas mileage. If you need the space, get the SUV.

Yes, it will cost more, but the idea that your husband is concerned about the cost of tires when you can't settle for less than leather sounds a bit off the mark to me. What is exactly is the issue on tire cost when the vehicle you want is $35,000? Besides, you will LOVE the V8 compared to the engine in any of the minivans you are considering.

When you have four kids and all their gear, are taking two more kids regularly and all their gear, you have Suburban written all over your purchasing decision. It makes sense, and it justifiable by even the harshest standard. Not to mention that you will be able to buy that Suburban for about the same cost as the Sienna due to purchase price at or below invoice and $3,000 in cash back from Chevy vs. near MSRP for the Toyota. Yes, you might get 6-7 mpg less, but you can use regular fuel vs. premium fuel required by the Sienna, which will make up the cost difference. Plus, kids who play soccer can climb into a relatively low riding SUV with step boards without any problem.

Nay

alpha01 · July 2003

Sorry if this was covered already- is the 3.3L in the Sienna/RX/Solara using a timing chain or belt?

~alpha

multiplechoice · July 2003

A couple of points to remember when looking for the 8 passenger seating...most SUVs don't have middle passenger position head rests. Therefore the car/booster seat needs to be highback. Also, most SUVs don't have three-point seat belts in all positions. My bias (if safety is the big issue) would be to get the 8 passenger Sienna. One last point, the Tahoe, Expedition, Pilot and Land Cruisers don't have much cargo space when the 3rd seat is occupied--the exceptions being the Suburban or Excursion. By the way, I'm always skeptical about the quality and/or safety of "conversions", I am not aware of any safety testing done on converted vehicles.

self_mechanic · July 2003

2004 Sienna - Timing Belt
1999-2003 Odyssey - Timing Belt
2004 Quest - Timing Chain

george96 · July 2003

I just recently sold my Suburban (97) and now have the 04 Sienna LE7. I have five kids (one in college now) and we love to travel (camp, bike,etc). From my perspective, there is no better vehicle for hauling kids and travelling American Interstates than the Suburban. The only caution I would have is the cost for keeping a Suburban in the road. I don't have the time (or the skill in many cases) to do my own maintenance (besides filters and oil). Suburban (more than the one I owned since friends and I frequently shared Burb maintenance stories) maintenance costs are significant. Tires are the least of your worries. Brakes, seals, alternators, air conditioning systems, fuel pumps and several other repairs really add up. My other vehicles in recent years have included Toyotas and Nissans and we have not had near the repair bills.

Hopefully the new Sienna will have the same track record for repairs as other Toyotas. We love it. We have put almost 3000 miles on it the first month. My wife can actually park the Sienna and likes to drive it. The kids and I miss the Burb though. My wife on the other hand does not miss the almost monthly trips to the repair shop!

guardlights · July 2003

Can anyone confirm that the rear spoiler does or does not have the high mounted stop lamp? Looks to me like this lamp on the rear door would be blocked by the spoiler. I believe this is a safety requirement. Thanks

longdistance1 · July 2003

Has anyone purchased the Cargo Carrier, Bike Rack, Cargo Tray or Swing Away designed for the Dual Port System? If so, is there anything I should consider or prepare for? Please advise. Thanks!

canuck13 · July 2003

The rear spoiler covers the spot where the rear stop light would normally be located on the rear door. The rear spoiler has a stoplight built into it. I can't see under the spoiler to see what is behind, but I expect that the wiring for the light for the spoiler runs through the opening where the rear light would normally be installed.

siggie1 · July 2003

The problem with full-size SUVs is simply that they are too big. We have an Explorer and a full-size truck. The truck was originally intended for my wife so that she could haul the dogs and her horse. Well, when it came time to climb up into the truck, park in shopping malls, and negotiate traffic she said forget it. The vehicle is simply too big for everyday suburban use (sorry for the pun). As a result, she drives the Explorer and I drive the full-size truck. We are now looking to replace the Explorer, but we need 8 passenger seating and want an upscale list of amenities in a vehicle that my wife feels comfortable driving day-in and day-out. The Sienna seems perfect except for the lack of 8 passenger seating in the XLE version.

multiplechoice · July 2003

The 8 passenger Sienna would seem to pose an access problem to the third seat. Anyone have experience with this issue? Have you considered the Land Cruiser/Lexus LX470 for your wife. Can seat eight, has lots of amenities,not much bigger than a Sienna,Toyota build quality, but $$$.

dudleyr · July 2003

What is wrong with the LE if you need 8- passenger seating? Will it not get you where you are going? Does it not have the same engine, ride, space, handling etc as the XLE? How hard is it to actually adjust the seats manually? If you really need power seats you can buy them aftermarket - Recaro makes some nice ones (not just sports seats).

multiplechoice · July 2003

The 8 passenger Sienna would seem to pose an access problem to the third seat. Anyone have experience with this issue? Have you considered the Land Cruiser/Lexus LX470 for your wife. Can seat eight, has lots of amenities,not much bigger than a Sienna,Toyota build quality, but $$$.

dudleyr · July 2003

The LX 470 has the same (if slightly harder because of he added height of the vehicle and weight of the seats) access to the rear seat as the 8 passenger Sienna.

BTW you can leave out the center seat of an 8 passenger Sienna, and still have regular minivan seating - just use the extra seat when you need it.

acedriver · July 2003

The three middle row seats in the 8 seater are smaller than the two captain chairs in the 7 seater. That's how they fit in 8 seats in the almost the same space. Even if the middle seat is taken out in the 8-seater, it would leave you with two small and uncomfortable seats (especially for adults)

EDIT: I meant, uncomfortable compared to the two captain chairs of the 7-seater

dudleyr · July 2003

Have you tried sitting in the outboard seats of the 8-passenger Sienna?

The middle seat is smaller, but the outboard seats are pretty normal sized. There is less space around the seating area (seats are a little closer to the door) so a circumfirentially challenged person may be less comfortable.

3 adults fit comfortably in my Odyssey (first gen) which is about 7 inches narrower than a Sienna, so I don't see why 3 can't sit comfortably in the
Sienna.

I guess it is all relative. You could have seating for 1 passenger in the middle row, and complain how uncomfortable it is with two people in that row.

rorr · July 2003

When I did a 'build your own' on Toyota's website for an LE 8 passenger model (w/ pkg.7), there was an option for the full leather interior, including a power driver's seat. I'm not sure if this is a regional (Gulfstates Toyota) thing or not, but I'm pretty sure this was a 'port installation' option rather than a factory option. MSRP for the package was $1995. I have no idea if this is the same power seat as the XLE model or not.

I've got a couple of other reasons for looking at the 8 vs 7 seater version: by folding the center seat back forward, it forms a large armrest/table between the two outboard 2nd row seats. Second, by removing the center seat, it creates a much wider space between the two outboard seats than is possible with the 7 pass. version; perfect place for a long Igloo ice chest....8^)

sanfrandan · July 2003

Can anyone say why no minivan is made with six doors? It seems to me that having doors for the 3rd row would make it much easier to actually USE the 3rd row. More importantly to the car companies, I think the six-door models would become a must have, like the "magic seat." Any thoughts?

multiplechoice · July 2003

I had read about six doors in an upcoming version of the Suburban, I don't know if it will actually make it into production. If I recall correctly, the doors are over the rear wheels so it is not a full sized door.

Toyota Sienna 2004+

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