stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

i'm a no fan of minivan whatsoever, but the new Sienna Sport really is a very intriguing piece. it looks awesome, with the body kit and the 19'' wheels, strong V6 (0 - 60 in 7 sec) with 6 speed auto, more fuel efficient than the Odyssey equip with VCM. priced very well against the overly expensive Odyssey, you would have to opt for the $40k Odyssey Touring model for the 6 speed auto. i don't mind owning one to haul our newborn daughter and her entourage (parents, in-laws). my only gripe on the Sienna is they still come with the long fender antennas unless you opt for the Limited model or something like that.

spwolf

you can change the antena :-)


i just first sienna here in europe, on diplomatic plates... gotta say it did look good, especially front.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

My buddy got the SE Sport version since he and his wife had their first kid late last year.

I like the nice Sport touches like the black trim, the black cloth/leatherette seat combination, and the more aggressive grill. It handles sufficiently as well.

Here is his Sienna:

spwolf

seats look really nice... it will be interesting to see how ultrasuede looks in SE, we didnt see any real pics of it.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

That's a simple fix.

Most of us go for the shorty/stubby antenna. More sportier.
I haven't ordered mine yet though.

I want to take it out completely and use one of those amplified windshield one, but there's no clean way to plug that antenna hole.

We just came back from a 600 mile trip. It was awesome in every way.
Smooooth sailing

The BIGGEST advantage to me was the sliding second row. No other minivan has that and that allows alot of leg rooms to stretch. The shorties/kids can sit in the 3rd row

Or you can move that second up and allow the 3rd row to have plenty of space.
Works perfectly either way

VIPG35

iTrader: (6)

Looks very nice

mmarshall

Well, if you have a family, you just might change your mind, once you forget the anti-minivan nonsense floated around in auto-press/auto-enthusiast circles and see what great, practical machines they are as people-movers. And the Sienna (which you seem to like) one-ups all the other American-market minivans by having an AWD option, though,of course, that can make it a little pricey....and the Sienna is not an inexpensive miniovan to start with.

jadu

iTrader: (42)

yes, if my family size reached 4 or 5 (3 atm) I'd honestly consider this

blacksc400

iTrader: (4)

I am so regret to get my Sienna LE where I could just pay 4000 more for a SE.

J.P.

auto-enthusiast and practical does not mix well

I am in the anti mini-van crowd, so is my wife, its not nonsense to us, thanks

Sienna looks like a nice ride, I would also look at the toyota highlander as we found it to have a big back seat that could take a infant seat very well

stlgrym3

iTrader: (4)

between the two and if i only need fwd, Sienna SE will be my choice over the highlander. highlander is a big crossover, not a true SUV (but what is nowadays anyways). from ethusiast's point of view, Sienna's 6 speed auto and more JDM look (relatively speaking for the SE model) than the built for U.S. Highlander should easily sway me toward the Sienna SE.

llamaboiz

You can always cut the antenna to the length you like, we used to do this with FOX mustangs, n it wont interfere with reception.

KillaIS250

iTrader: (1)

I like the new Sienna. It looks really good for a minivan, sporty even. If you ask me, the Honda Odyssey went down hill since the 07 style model. My mom has one of those and its pretty nice, the new Odyssey looks odd to me. We might actually trade her Odyssey in for a Toyota Sienna soon, she loves the look of this new one.

LexFather

Sienna SE is the ONLY Mini-Van I would consider.

Sulu

The minivan does have its place. If you need the room for more than 4 or 5 people, AND room for cargo (baby/young children's stuff can take up a lot of room), you just cannot beat the minivan. With its low and flat floor, it is easy to get in and out of, and the low lift-over height at the back bumper makes loading stuff that much easier than a crossover or SUV.

I like the Highlander also but do not like some of its features. Instead of being a real 7- or 8-passenger (or 7+1 considering that useless 2nd-row centre seat in the Sienna) vehicle like a minivan, it is really only a 4+1+2-passenger (4 full-size seats, a useless 2nd-row centre seat and the tiny 3rd-row seat) vehicle; and if the 3rd-row seat is up, there is barely even room for a few small bags of groceries in the cargo area. And the rear lift-over is very high.

No manufacturer has yet to make a minivan -- flat, easy-enter/exit floor and good cargo area behind the 3rd-row seat -- that looks more like a crossover vehicle. I think that the Ford Flex and Explorer are the closest, but they have high side sills that are a real climb up and over to get in the vehicle; they are more like crossovers/SUVs in that regard. It should not be impossible, but no one has done it yet (or does it anymore, if you consider the Gen1 Odyssey to be such a vehicle).

We recently rented a Dodge Journey (crossover that is a bit smaller than a Highlander) for a week-long driving vacation for the 5 of us (4 adults + 1 pre-schooler in a car seat). Worried that the 2nd-row seat may be a bit narrow for 2 adults and a car seat, we considered using one side of the 3rd-row. We found that was not possible because it did not leave enough room for luggage in the back. It was also a high climb up and over the side sills to get in, especially for the 2 shorter women (and the child). In hindsight, a minivan (or perhaps a wider Venza, which I find quite easy to enter and exit) would have been a better bet.

I wish there were smaller (narrower) minivans than what is now available. With only 3 in the family, I cannot justify it to get a full-size Sienna or Odyssey. The Odyssey has a better 2nd-row centre seat that can also has the LATCH attachments for a child seat. If I could justify the Odyssey, I would normally not use the 3rd-row, leaving it just a 5-passenger vehicle with a huge cargo area (or 7- or 8-passenger vehicle with still a nice-size cargo area when we need the extra passenger room).