2005 Toyota Sienna Reviews

PERFORMANCE - Acceleration is great for a minivan, Braking reaction is great (not too sensitive), Handling is good (soft response)
BUILD QUALITY - 5 * Safety Rated! Solid! Roomy! Clean! Accessible! - Run Flat Tires only lasts around 20K - 40K miles, Expensive tires, No compartment for Spare tire.
APPEARANCE - Gorgeous interior with leather seats and lots of power options including heated driver & passenger seat.
COST OF OWNERSHIP - Too new to tell...keep checking back
FUN FACTOR - A great family vehicle with good acceleration for a minivan.  Come standard with loads of fun and useful options.  Plenty of room for cargo and babies.

oday's Sienna is one of the very best minivans on
the market and should definitely be on your short
list of candidates. In addition to receiving above-
average crash test scores, the current-generation
Toyota Sienna is one of the few minivans to offer a
choice of seven- or eight-passenger seating
capacity. It also offers a wide selection of standard
and optional features. The sheer variation in
equipment can make for a confusing trip down the
options list, but the Sienna is definitely a van to
consider if you're looking for upscale amenities like
adaptive cruise control and power-folding third-
row seats. And this is one of the few minivans
available in both front- and all-wheel-drive
configurations.

Trim levels consist of the affordable CE, the
midrange LE, the upscale XLE and the Lexus-like
XLE Limited. Most Sienna buyers will be happy with
the CE or LE, and these are the trims to look at if
you want the eight-passenger option, which places
a three-person, 40/20/40 bench seat in the
second row in lieu of twin captain's chairs. The
center section of the bench seat slides forward to
give parents easier access to a baby in a car seat.
All Sienna models are powered by a smooth and
relatively efficient 3.5-liter V6 that generates 266
horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque. The
only available transmission is a five-speed
automatic.

In our reviews, we have generally been enamored of
the Toyota Sienna. It's versatile, swift and refined.
Our main complaint has been that the Sienna feels
too much like an appliance from behind the wheel.
If you want a somewhat sporty driving experience,
this isn't the best choice. But then again, how many
minivan buyers are really interested in steering feel
and sharp handling? The average consumer in this
segment wants safety, lots of room and general
dynamic competence. On all three counts, the
Sienna delivers.

If you're shopping for a used current-generation
Sienna, note that the current generation debuted
for 2004. We would recommend looking at 2005
and newer models (built after February 2005), as
Toyota strengthened the van's side structure and
revised the side airbags to improve performance in
side-impact crashes. Side airbag protection was
made standard on all Siennas for the 2006 model
year; previously, these bags were standard only on
the XLE Limited and optional on other trims. The
Sienna also received minor styling and equipment
updates for '06.

Additionally, the Sienna received a significant
underhood upgrade in 2007. The original 3.3-liter
230-hp V6 was replaced by a 3.5-liter unit
churning out 266 hp. It is also worth noting that
due to revisions in SAE testing procedures, the
Sienna's stated hp rating dropped from 230 to 215
in 2006. Acceleration and performance were
completely unaffected, however.

I love it

We love our Sienna. It has been a terrific car for us.  

I've had the car in to have it checked  3 times; it checks out perfect on the diagnostic. But it still only will get 12 mpg city /17.5 mpg country.
I had a ford aero star that always got 28 mpg . Why is there such a difference. I even put Michelen tires on it.