2010 Toyota Sienna

Offering plenty of room, a decent selection of standard features, and a wide array of options packages, the 2010 Toyota Sienna remains among the best selling minivans on the market.

Pricey higher-end trim levels, an aging design, confusing options packages, and difficult-to-remove second-row seats are notable downsides of the 2010 Toyota Sienna.

The 2010 Toyota Sienna, though not quite up to the standards of the Honda Odyssey, is nevertheless a family-friendly minivan that’s long on quality and reliability. Unfortunately, the 2010 Sienna is long on price as well. A significant redesign due for 2011 ought to refresh its aged styling and add to its status as one of the better minivans on the market.

Though a significant redesign had been rumored, the 2010 Toyota Sienna is essentially unchanged from 2009. Word has it, however, that Toyota will implement some major upgrades for the 2011 Sienna. Meanwhile, the 2010 Sienna remains a well-built, more-than-adequately equipped, seven- or eight-passenger, five-door minivan available in four trim levels: the base CE, LE, XLE, and the top-shelf XLE Limited.

The 2010 Sienna offers decent acceleration and reasonable fuel efficiency from its standard 3.5-liter V6 in combination with a five-speed automatic transmission, while virtually all reviewers agree that the Sienna’s ride and handling are about average for this market segment, meaning, essentially, somewhat less exciting than Honda’s Odyssey. Though the Sienna CE is offered only with front-wheel drive (FWD), the LE, XLE, and XLE Limited trims are available in either FWD or permanent all-wheel-drive (AWD) configurations, a distinct advantage in areas prone to wintry weather.

Finally, the CE and LE trims are offered with unique, removable Front and Center second-row modular seats in the eight-passenger configuration. Most reviewers find the second-row seats, whether the modular ones or the standard captain’s chairs, unwieldy, at best, to install and remove. Once the second-row seats are removed, however, and the third-row seats folded flat, a whopping 149 cubic feet of cargo space are available in the 2010 Sienna.

Only one engine and transmission grace the entire 2010 Toyota Sienna lineup - a 3.5-liter DOHC VVT V6, managed by a five-speed automatic, featuring electronically controlled overdrive with intelligence (ECT-i). This combination puts out 266 hp at 6,200 rpm and 245 lb-ft of torque at 4,700 rpm, and is rated by the EPA to deliver 17/23 mpg in FWD, and 17/21 in AWD.

The 2010 Sienna is rated to tow 3,500 pounds when properly equipped, and has been timed from 0 to 60 in an eye-opening 8 seconds. Indeed, most professional reviewers report better-than-decent acceleration from the 2010 Sienna for highway merging and passing. Better yet, the 2010 Sienna runs just fine on regular unleaded gas.

With a MacPherson strut front independent suspension, front and rear stabilizer bars, and a torsion-beam rear suspension, the 2010 Toyota Sienna delivers a smooth highway ride and acceptable management of bumpy or uneven roads as well. The 2010 Sienna CE, LE, and XLE trims sport 16-inch wheels, while the XLE Limited mounts 17-inch wheels. Professional reviewers find no significant differences between the two wheel sizes. Reviewers find, as well, that the 2010 Sienna’s body lean when cornering and noseplow when braking hard, which are common to all minivans, meet or beat most competitors’ standards.

Braking and steering are described by most reviewers of the 2010 Sienna as adequate, if not inspiring. A disconcerting softness to the brake pedal doesn’t detract from sure stopping, nor does a numb feel to the wheel take away from feeling in control on the road.

As with nearly all minivans, indeed, even with most full-size SUVs, the third-row bench seat in the 2010 Sienna is adequate only for kids or small pets. The consensus is, however, that the 2010 Sienna handles trips across the country and to the mall with equal aplomb.

While not loaded with luxury, the 2010 Toyota Sienna packs enough appearance and interior features and options to impress and to satisfy most reviewers, not to mention family-van aficionados. Starting with the base Sienna CE, such standard offerings include front captain’s chairs, removable second-row captain’s chairs, split-folding third-row seatbacks, power door locks and mirrors (but, curiously, not power windows), a tilt/telescoping steering wheel, front and rear air conditioning, and a single-CD player with six speakers.

The lower-mid-level 2010 Sienna LE adds a roof rack, power windows, heated outside mirrors, cruise control, and a 6-CD changer, while the XLE piles on such standard features as alloy wheels, dual sliding rear doors, power-adjustable front seats, three-zone climate control, leather and faux-wood trim, and a universal transmitter for garage doors and home security lighting.

The high-end 2010 Sienna XLE Limited supplies standard leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, memory settings for the driver's seat, steering wheel, and mirror, a power sunroof, a premium JBL audio system with 10 speakers, front and rear parking-assist sensors, and Bluetooth hands-free communications technology.

Options for the 2010 Sienna include upgraded power accessories, added chrome and leather accents, premium audio, and eight-passenger seating configurations, featuring Toyota’s unique Front and Center second-row seats, for the CE and LE trims, as well as the power sunroof, and rear-seat DVD entertainment for the LE trim level. The XLE and XLE Limited Sienna trims offer such options as touch-screen, voice-activated DVD navigation, Dynamic Laser Cruise Control, HID headlights, and a rear-view backup camera system.

Standard safety features for the 2010 Toyota Sienna lineup include four-wheel disc ABS, with electronic brakeforce distribution and emergency braking assist, traction and stability control (all part of Toyota’s Star Safety System), and dual front side-mounted airbags. The XLE and XLE Limited trims also offer standard dusk-sensing headlights, a remote anti-theft alarm, and available front fog/driving lights.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the 2009/2010 Sienna four stars for driver front impact protection, five stars for passenger front impact and front and rear passenger side impact protection, with four stars awarded for the Sienna’s rollover protection capabilities. Further, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2010 Sienna their highest rating of “Good” in front and side impact testing.

Issues that owners have with the 2010 Toyota Sienna include the lack of a six-speed transmission, its initial price and confusing options packages, heavy and bulky second-row seats, making removal and re-installation difficult, and the inefficient placement of some of the Sienna’s controls. Some also wish the engine had more beef. Additionally, many owners would like to see Toyota introduce a hybrid Sienna.

On the positive side, owners of the 2010 Sienna praise its roominess, ride comfort, fuel efficiency, braking capabilities, and the power-sliding doors offered on the mid- and high-end trims. Additional laudable features of the 2010 Sienna for some owners include the JBL premium audio system, DVD navigation, and Bluetooth features, as well as its decent handling characteristics, fuel economy, and safety features.

By Eric Tallberg