By accessing this website, you acknowledge that Edmunds and its third party business partners may use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information about you and your interactions with the website as described in our
Privacy Statement, and you agree that your use of the website is subject to our
Visitor Agreement.
Comments
I found my kids had an easier time getting in and out of the third row of the Sienna than say the Sequoia or another large SUV. not to mention the point siggie1 made about the day to day driving and parking. I agree the Sienna is perfect except that they aren't doing 8 seats in the XLE line.
What's wrong with the LE? Well that's a matter of opinion. I think the LE is a great option that should be out there for whoever wants it. But I too would like the up scale amenities. leather and power seats just begins the list of options you cannot get on the LE from the factory. My deal breakers are the dual power doors and power rear hatch, and the 6 changer cd player.
I had my 6 year old try to open and close the drivers side sliding door to see if she could. Realistically with 4 kids I may ask my older 2 to open and close that side of the car from time to time. She could not manage the door. I tried the back hatch and found it heavy and hard to reach (I'm on the short side). I tried it while holding our baby and found it very difficult. Again this is a realistic scenario for me in my day to day life.
with 5-6 different bodies in the car at any given time I like putting in a variety of CD's while parked in the garage at home and then at the push of a button changing music to fit my needs.
I have 1 cd to lull the baby to sleep. 1 for my preschooler to sing and enjoy 1 that my big kids get to pick for their ride to school and the others a variety to suit my moods. Believe me it makes my day more pleasant. and it's safer than ejecting a CD and fumbling through cases every time we want to switch.
Those are simply my "big deal' items. someone else mentioned power seats. Leather is a deal breaker to my husband. (mostly for the ease of clean up).
You may not agree with me but again I think it is a matter of what each individual or family sees as important. Thus my opinion that both 7 and 8 seat configurations should be available at every tier ce, le, xle and xle lim
Le Package #7
Includes: Trip Computer/Homelink, Power RH Passenger Sliding Door, Rear Seat Audio, Vehicle Stability Control w/TRAC & Brake Assist, Rear Disc Brakes, Windshield Wiper De-Icer Grid, Daytime Running Lights, Driver & Front Passenger Side Bolster Airbags, All 3 Row Curtain Shield Airbags, P215/65R16 Tires w/Alloy Wheels.
Here is what is listed on the web site for the Gulf states (a New Orleans zipcode):
Le Package #7: Includes
-Trip Computer/Homelink
-Power Rh Passenger Sliding Door
-Rear Seat Audio
-P215/65r16 Tires W/Alloy Wheels
-Vehicle Stability Control W/Trac And Brake Assist
-All 3 Row Curtain Shield Airbags
-Rear Disc Brake
-Windshield Wiper De-Icer Grid
-Daytime Running Lights
-Driver And Front Pass. Side Bolster Airbags
I don't see a power seat available. Can you post the package you saw with the power seat?
I used the Toyota Build-your-own with a 78666 zip code (San Marcos, Texas). The leather/power seat is NOT part of Pkg. 7. Scroll down below the 'Extra Mile Options' A & B to find....
-Leather Interior Upgrade ($1995)
-Power Lumbar Support Upgrade
-(Driver Side Only)
-Incl: Leather Seats / Door Trim
I have no idea if this is the same 'power' seat as the XLE or not; it just lists as power lumbar support.
I hope this helps.
We're looking for these minimum features:
All Wheel Drive
Leather (Wife has always wanted leather and she shall get it)
Seating for at least six
Good lumbar support in the front seats.
Good safety, reliability, and fuel efficiency.
Our short list of vehicles available in So. California are:
Sienna AWD Limited (7 passenger)
Pilot EX-L
Questions for this group are aimed at the 7 vs. 8 passenger models. We've never owned a minivan so I'd like your opinions.
1.- Are the floor mounting points the same for both; i.e. could the middle seats from an 8 passenger mount in the 7?
2.- On road trips mom often rides in the back seat with the kids. This lets us get a lot more miles in between stops vs. mom in the front seat. The 8 passenger seems perfect for this but how would we manage it with a 7 passenger?
3.- I know it's not a good idea but how practical is it for the front seat passenger to move to the center or rear row? Obviously the center console would need to be removed.
4.- Would traveling with one center seat removed and both kids in the way back seats be practical?
Thanks,
Jim
I don't know whether the mounting points on the floor are the same, but I believe the problem might be the seats themselves. I think in the 7 passenger version the second row seats have armrests that might get in the way of putting in the middle seat. In the 8 passenger version of the LE I don't believe the second row seats have armrests and this allows the middle seat to fit in.
If anyone knows whether you can purchase what is essentially an 8th seat to fit in the second row to upgrade a 7 passenger XLE, or XLE limited, to 8 passenger seating please let us know by posting the information. If this can be done at a reasonable cost it makes it a done deal, we'll buy the Sienna.
Jim
Uugh! all that said I agree if we could find a way to make the XLE sienna into the 8 seat configuration we would be all set as well.
I think a mini van is more practical for the kids etc than an SUV and the Sienna offers greater cargo space than the Pilot. and a more comfortable third row. (consider that as your kids grow) We are in the same boat with 4 kids. a baby and an almost 3 year old.
As far as dealing with kids in the way back I think the oldest 2 go back there and the baby and toddler sit side by side in the middle row. That way the passnager side third seat is free to fold over and allow entry/exit from the third row. It also leave that seat available for mom to move into the back like you need from time to time on road trips etc.
Does anyone know how long it normally takes for crash tests to be conducted on new models?
Perhaps as time goes on Toyota will make adjustments to the Sienna such as adding the 8 passenger version to the XLE.
In the meantime we are very happy with our 7 passenger and rear entertainment system (RES), keeps all the kids calm on trips. Ages, 8, 4, and 2 1/2.
I think there must be a center high mounted light since it is required by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 108.
It is explicitly part of the canadian Limited package, which can be seen on toyota.ca
The Siennas I have seen around here dont have a spoiler.
I suppose I can call Toyota's 800 number and see what they say.
Any other spoiler sighting would be appreciated!
In any event, I got a copy of the Toyota vehicle inquiry report for my car in production from the dealer, and it says:
GW Package is installed at the factory
And further down it says this package (#3) includes :
Center console box
Spoiler with integrated Brake light
Wireless Headphones
Wheel Locks
So at least according to this report the spoiler/light is included.
tgh2 where is your information from?
Does anyone know how reliable an inquiry report is? It seems to me that is at some level the bill of materials for this specific car.
#698 - guardlights: The reason some people believe the spoiler is left off some models is that it causes the total vehicle weight to exceed the variance permitted by the EPA for the Sienna gas MPG rating. If your vehicle inqiry report says it is included, I'll bet you'll get it. Please post when you take delivery.
#699 - tgh2: Are you sure this is true for *all* AWD models? I think it is only true for AWD with DVD or DVD+NAV. Does anyone have a Limited AWD *without* DVD or DVD+NAV? Did you get a spoiler?
Regarding the eBay availability, at this time they are NOT the normal factory models. My deleted post #697 pointed out that those being sold are made by SET Toyota. They do not have the integrated light, and they are a different design that does not sit flush to the rear body.
As for me, I have a Limited AWD with DVD+NAV, and it did not come with a spoiler. Also, my dealer could not get GW added. (GW is a Limited package that includes the center console and a rear spoiler.) I worked extensively with my dealer, and he worked with his Toyota district manager, and the spoiler was not possible. Normal Toyota spoilers are expected to be available for order as a part in early August.
The other first was seeing a Segway.
Now if I could just test drive both of them for a day....
Steve, Host
Also, AWD does not include the spare, The temporary tire weighs a bit. But I think this is because there is no place to stow it.
A few weeks ago I was at the dealer and there was an AWD parked right next to the FWD. The Drive shaft and differentials on the AWD result in the exhaust system and associated giblets to be re routed. There did not appear to be a good place to put the spare. I think a spare is available as a dealer accessory, but I think you just have to throw it behind the 3rd seat row.
The problem with the run Flat tires is that I think it would be OK if you have a flat locally , and can get some help with the logistics of having it fixed or possibly replaced. But if the fauilre mode of the tire is where it shreads or rips up, you have to replace it immediately. If you are far from civilization, that might be hard. I would like to hear anyone's experience with these kind of tires
I am thinking about getting the spare, and just placing it in the van during long trips where it may be a concern. I would hate to have a non recoverable issue at 3 in the morning if me or my wife were hundreds of miles from anywhere.
Also, I'm in Central MA - the one guy I spoke to at Herb Chambers claimed they're only available at MSRP, anyone get any better deals than that?
After checking several Toyota dealerships and major tire places (NTB, Firestone, STS, etc.) discovered that NONE of them had these tires in stock because of combination of RFT and rare size (225/60R17). Lead time to get the tire from the distributor varied from “several days” to indefinite (back ordered). The only place which had these tires in stock was tirerack.com, but because of shipment time, it is possible to be without a tire for several days. Little did I know, but availability of the tire was not the only issue with the replacement of RFTs! Keep on reading
Based on the above decided to order “dealer installed temporary spare” which was available with the AWD models per the sales brochure, only to discover that the “kit” was not available till middle of June (first contact with Toyota Customer Service) and then until end of July (second call to Customer Service in the middle of June).
I firmly believed that RFT tires without spare, contrary to the claim of “added safety” are UNSAFE, and decided to buy full size spare tire/wheel and keep it in my garage for all local driving and taking it with the van for long trips. I did not want to spend $350 for Toyota 17” alloy wheel and decided to buy steel rim/tire combination as a full size spare. Two surprises: 17”steel wheels are not available, and there are very few choices for 225/60R17 tires. I ended up “sizing down” the tire and buying 15” take-off wheel (from older model of Sienna) with 225/70R15 inexpensive Kumho tire for a total of $98.00 from tirerack.com (including shipment)
I thought that I was safe now, until my wife lodged a metal rod into the tire (turned out to be a piece of somebody’s exhaust system hanger). Since the rod was protruding approximately 1” from the tire, and it was impossible to get it out without the tools, the van was not drivable. Went home, got my improvised spare, drove back to my wife’s van and changed over damaged wheel to a spare one. Called several Toyota dealerships regarding replacing the tire (although the tire was not driven after the puncture, the rod was more than 0.5 inch in diameter, and hole was to big to repair) only to discover that not only the tire was not available (no stock at the Toyota dealerships, back ordered at warehouse) but that the tire NEEDS SPECIAL MACHINE to install. Two out of three Toyota dealerships in immediate area did not have the machine! Also checked major tire places (NTB, Firestone, STS, etc.) to discover that none had these special machines available.
Ended up ordering tire (Bridgestone B380 RFT) from tirerack.com ($200.00 a piece + shipment) and planning to install it at the Toyota dealership. The last surprise: it will cost $67.50 to replace the tire!
I absolutely love the van, this is second Toyota Sienna we owned, and improvements in ride, handling, utility are huge, but Toyota has to be ashamed for manufacturing AWDs with runflats without available spare tire kits. Also, I will be replacing runfalts with regular tires. At $200 per tire +$70 for installation, every revolution of these tires leaves $1 on the pavement, especially if you consider their UTOG rating of 240 (Traction B, Temperature
I travel a lot on business..the new wide body planes offer amazing first class seating...but please dont try to tell me you "need" that room. There is always a cost, and it is most often borne by somebody else. Dealing with compromise is a little bit of an effort sometimes. In a pinch, you might even try playing "scavenger hunt" "license plate bingo" or listening to Sheakspeare or Harry Potter books with your kids on CD or cassette...they dont "need " captains chairs with personal DVD players and wireless headphones.
BTW, with a nifty aftermarket 3rd seat, my ole' Explore is also a 7 passenger vehicle..its just SO MUCH EFFORT to get that third seat out of the corner of the garage and bolt it in place. Likewise that bike rack or cargo basket that fit into the receiver hitch or the canoe racks on the roof. Amazingly, I dont "need" a 6000lb 8 passenger SUV or a 8 passenger mini van.....
The new Sienna is a great vehicle, as are many of the new vans and full size SUV's. But please dont try to justify your purchase on 'need" unless you have a crew of surveyors or forest fire fighters.
mark
Driving 10-15 mph over the speed limit, we get 27mpg on the highway.
We have airbags for the head. If we should hit a guard rail, we won't flip over it. We have a much greater chance of not flipping over because we are not in a sky high suv. Our bumpers are lower so we won't unnecessarily kill people in cars should we hit them. Suvs have 8% greater fatality rate than mini vans, and this is state of the art model. PUtting an aftermarket 3rd row in an explorer seems like a really bad Idea if its not proven. The Explorer is a bad Idea anyway, so why put more people in it unless you don't like them.
I agree that driving the speed limit is a good idea. It helps the stability.
Nobody "NEEDS" any of this. But nobody NEEDs an explorer either.
I have no quarrel with mini vans, full sized vans, oversized SUV's or any other particular vehicle, but I reserve my right to scrutinize everything that directly affects me or my family or my business. Thus, it is perfectly appropriate for each of us to scrutinize whether a vehicle in front of us which obstructs our view of the roadway really needs to be as tall or as wide as it is? Whether the single occupant really needs to consume as much area on the road and as much fossil fuel and create as much air pollution as he/she is creating in order to get from point A to point B. If that single occupant is distracted by a cell phone conversation and runs into my vehicle and the elevated bumper height and trememndous mass of that vehicle creates an inordinate amount of bodily injury to the occupants of my vehicle and property damage to my car, I would wonder why that person required such a large vehicle to use as a mobile phone booth. Since I breathe that air and my tax dollars pay for the roadways,and my insurance premium dollars go into the pool of resources avaialble to insure motorists, these are legitimate questions for everyone to ponder. That pondering often includes an assessment of the alternatives available.
We, as a nation, possess an inordinate majority of the world's wealth and consume such an inordinate majority of the world's resources. Our choices of automobiles are reflective of our tremendous privilege and advantage. Those are the choices we make...my point is that we really cant justify much on the basis of "need".
I think the new Sienna is a great vehicle, and is well-suited to a family of 6,7 or even 8. Sonar parking assistance must be necessary to address visibility issues for the driver; I hear a lot of complaints from van and similar vehicles about difficulties with parking. My Explorer was well-suited to my family of 5 in 1994 that does a lot of camping, canoeing and biking and lives on top a mountain at the end of a steep gravel road. Ive managed over 150,000 miles without rolling it over even once. I traded in a Mazda MPV for the Explorer because there werent any reliable AWD mini vans back then and I WANTed greater towing capacity and ground clearance. My next car will be smaller, more fuel efficient and safer for me and my family. But it will still be far more than we "need"
I don't like SUVs, why do you?
Minivans vs SUVs
Steve, Host
Perhaps you should start a new thread in N&V titled "Why do greedy, whiney Americans need anything more than a Prius?"
One thing that we experienced at night was that people were always putting their brights on us. I guesse the Sienna's lights are pretty bright. There wasn't anything we could do but flash our brights back, so that they could see that we weren't using our brights. Has anyone else experienced this?
Glad to hear you made the trip without any problems and survived the heat wave out West. Mark
I wonder if there is any aftermarket loadleveling equipment available for the Sienna for people who anticipate frequent heavy loads? I know that for the 4runner (and most other SUV's as far as I know) you can add a loadleveling system fairly easily.
The owners' manual covers the "Headlight Beam Level Control" on page 151. The control is next to the mirror and rear vent controls to the left of the steering wheel. The manual has suggested settings but with your cargo platform you will probably need to set it to a higher number.
A typical setting for headlights in general is for the low beam to drop 4" in every 25'.
JW
Shopping for a Sienna
COOL! Is that only on the Ltd's with the HID lights or is that on all Siennas?
Anybody?
Honestly, I don't know that much about HID lights: do they all employ some variation of 'beam level control'?
I wouldn't buy runflats, talk to the tire guys about replacement tires. i learned my lesson when i had a vette, and a new grand cherekee. thery both had tires that were very specific so now i check on the internet about tires sizes and cost. when i couldn't find one even on tirerack for the sienna runflats i knew anyone who bought it would be at the dealers mercy. the vette and grandcherokee had similar problem, when my jeep lost a side wall--not repairable 3 weeks into ownership i learned they put out parts and tires after a certain amount of time they work the statistics. so i suggest that anyone that wants a runflat, work a deal for 2 replacements at time of purchase and put them away and hope you dont lose your tire on a long trip away from home. It's easier for me to get studded snow tires or snow tires on rims then get screwed by some dealer in a "have to have it" situation it's just plain wrong for manufacturers to put out stuff that won't have parts for some time or have hughe costs associated with it.
JUST DON'T BUY RUNFLATS or keep a spare in your vehicles but who really wants that
i just wanted to say that i found your post very illuminating and informative even though i don't own a toyota or a vehicle with runflat tires.
i imagine the "real-world" information you posted will help other potential owners decide if that is a worthwhile option which represents real/true value. it certainly prepares someone to ask some hard questions of the dealer.
it seems it would be nice if Edmunds could build-in a voting mechanism to the forums by which others could recognize posts of significant content and value.
if there was a way to do it, i'd nominate that post of yours.
I use the Bookmark button next to the post title to keep track of those exceptional messages.
People who are getting 18 and 20" wheels are just now beginning to face replacement costs for them. $100 doesn't buy new shoes when you have those big and tall tires.
Steve, Host
Run flat tire issues have me rethinking our want of an AWD model.
so, can you be trusted steve?
but seriously, i had never considered any of the issues, raised in that post.
you'd think car reviewers would be hammering on the whole concept.
is this required when moving to an 8-person seating configuration? on the Odyssey, the spare is located behind the front seats in the floor. on a 7-person Sienna, where is the spare located?
Cleveland dealers are giong for straight MSRP , anyone getting a discount?