The second row captains' chairs in my tester were very comfortable and most supportive however they did not tumble into the floor the way others do in a number of competing minivans, such as the new Dodge Caravan. The seats can be tumbled forward to increase overall cargo capacity or they can be removed in their entirety. Warning though: once removed, the units are quite heavy and cumbersome to cart about.
The Sienna's third row, 60/40-split bench seat is worth marveling. A quick pull of two straps directs the seat into a massive well, located in the very rear portion of the floor. One or both sides of the split bench can be so stowed, producing a flat floor on which to load cargo.
Same powerful drivetrain for 2008
The Sienna may not have the latest in seating technology but it does have a very satisfying drivetrain that includes a powerful V6 engine. As the only engine available, the 3.5 litre, DOHC mill produces 266 horsepower @ 6,200-rpm and 245 pound-feet of torque @ 4,700-rpm. That's plenty of grunt, which runs through a 5-speed automatic transmission before heading to the front wheels or all four wheels if we're talking about the all-wheel-drive Sienna XLE.
I was impressed with the Sienna's ability to accelerate. On-ramps and highway passing posed no threat. The transmission was quick to place the refined powerplant into its sweet spot, allowing the resulting power to smoothly and firmly place the Sienna where it had to be. Fuel economy ratings are quite attractive given the Sienna's size and its cogent on-road punch.
Toyota rates the full size van at 11.7 and 8.1 litres of fuel per 100K of city and highway driving respectively. The AWD model fares not as well at 13.3 and 9.5 litres respectively. Unlike some of the Sienna's adversaries, it does not feature an electronically controlled manual-mode shift capability. However some may actually find the Sienna's gated shifter superior to modern manual-mode applications.
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| The rear seats are heavy and not that easy to manipulate. |
The Sienna's third row, 60/40-split bench seat is worth marveling. A quick pull of two straps directs the seat into a massive well, located in the very rear portion of the floor. One or both sides of the split bench can be so stowed, producing a flat floor on which to load cargo.
Same powerful drivetrain for 2008
The Sienna may not have the latest in seating technology but it does have a very satisfying drivetrain that includes a powerful V6 engine. As the only engine available, the 3.5 litre, DOHC mill produces 266 horsepower @ 6,200-rpm and 245 pound-feet of torque @ 4,700-rpm. That's plenty of grunt, which runs through a 5-speed automatic transmission before heading to the front wheels or all four wheels if we're talking about the all-wheel-drive Sienna XLE.
I was impressed with the Sienna's ability to accelerate. On-ramps and highway passing posed no threat. The transmission was quick to place the refined powerplant into its sweet spot, allowing the resulting power to smoothly and firmly place the Sienna where it had to be. Fuel economy ratings are quite attractive given the Sienna's size and its cogent on-road punch.
Toyota rates the full size van at 11.7 and 8.1 litres of fuel per 100K of city and highway driving respectively. The AWD model fares not as well at 13.3 and 9.5 litres respectively. Unlike some of the Sienna's adversaries, it does not feature an electronically controlled manual-mode shift capability. However some may actually find the Sienna's gated shifter superior to modern manual-mode applications.
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| The 3.5-liter V6 can be found under the hood of many other Toyota products. |