Her and His Reviews
July 2011
2011 Toyota Sienna
There are always two sides to everything, right? Well, the truth is there are many more than that!
To keep our car reviews innovative and well-rounded, we are providing you with not just one, but two points of view on the same exact vehicle –
Her and His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate,women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| MSRP:$38,661.00 | MSRP:$38,661.00 |
| Performance | |
| The most powerful of caravans with 266 horsepower and a 3.5 liter V-6 engine. This car is like driving in a luxurious Lexus, Cadillac or Volvo �?? smooth, effortless and performance oriented. The quiet cabin might only be appreciated when the kids are not in tow. | Our car had the 266 horsepower, 3.5 liter V-6. Acceleration was pretty swift for a minivan, and the engine operation was so quiet and tranquil that it was almost intoxicating. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| Rated at 16 city and a decent 22 miles to highway gallon. . | The engine's economy is rated at 16/22, with estimated annual fuel cost of $2,168 based on gasoline selling for $2.60 per gallon and 15,000 miles. And if you decide to buy either the Sienna base model or LE grades, you can get a 2.7 liter four cylinder engine that gets even better gas mileage. |
| The Car | |
| Mommy Like. Hey, it is the Swagger Wagon�?�..just take a look at the way it handles, the appeal and design centric interior and how it is built for family �?? seats up to 8 with room and comfort. It's even driving on 18" alloy wheels.
Utility describes the vehicle's additional seating capacity and room, while flexibility describes the ability to stow-a-way the third row seats, and extended Captain's chairs for two �?? almost Lazy-boys for the road. And, the minivan is affordable even thought this review is on the state of the art model with all the features. The 2011 opens up at $25K. |
Just a fabulous family vehicle. Toyota may have had its troubles recently, but the Sienna isn't among them. It's a good, beautifully done, comfortable automobile that deserves its popularity. Just the seating is worth half of the space in this review:
|
| Safety | |
| ABS with Brake Assist, Driver and Passenger Advanced Airbag System, Seat Mounted Side Airbags, Third row Side Curtain Airbags and Driver knee Airbags. LATCH system for children in 2nd and 3rd rows. Child protector sliding Door Locks. Reinforced Steel Unitized Body; Collapsible, Energy Absorbing Steering Wheel. Disc Brakes. Smart Key system on all doors & Keyless Entry. | All the usual safety bells and whistles and then some. |
| Technology | |
| Fabulous ride and luxury interior starting with the rich, leather captain's chairs that make driving a true comfort. Met my brother and his family of six in Iowa last week. While they already have a minivan, they opted to rent this very model so the four girls could have their technology and assigned seats (not sure which was more important), and mom and dad could drive from Michigan in style.
Tri-Zone climate control, Cruise Control, 60/40 Third row seating, Great sounds system with 90 day XM trial (would love to see this for 6 -12 months), CD player and lots of auxiliary jacks to support all the gadgets. NAV system with voice activated touch screen, 2-View Backup Camera, Hands free driving with Bluetooth. Push Button starter. Excellent roominess and organization included, starting up front in the new, all improved, sliding and EZ access console �?? quite brilliant for storage, actually. |
There are plenty of other new features for the Sienna. They include a dual view entertainment center, a dual moon roof with a front power tilt/slide feature as well as a rear slid feature. It also offers a panorama camera that has an integrated backup camera with two views--regular mode and wide mode-- and on screen backup guides.
Other new stuff includes a sliding center console that also is fantastic. Hitting an easy-to use handle on the top causes the rear part of the console to open side to almost file cabinet size. It's wide enough and practical enough to be used for a host of things. Also new: a pre-collision system, vehicle dynamics integrated management system, automatic high beam headlights, aluminum alloy wheels and several other things. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| Kudos to Toyota for keeping with a good thing. No squared off, angular corners like others, rather-- attractive, clean and universal lines. The interior is well thought out with roomy, intelligent, organization. | Best looking minivan on the road from the new model crop. It's sleek, elegant, sportier looking, expensive looking--what's not to like here? |
| Warranty | |
| 5 year, 60,000 mile Powertrain warranty. | 5 year, 60,000 mile Powertrain warranty. |
