2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum Review: The Prius of Minivans
"With a standard hybrid drive train and an intelligent interior design, the redesigned Toyota Sienna 2021 is the perfect family haulier."
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Hybrid powertrain
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Functional "bridge" console
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Many devices available
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Ride quality
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Overwhelming infotainment
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Gets expensive with options
Minivans were once a popular choice for families, but have largely been replaced by three-row SUVs. While some automakers upgraded their minivans to win back buyers, Toyota did nothing. Now it makes up for lost time.
The Toyota Sienna 2021 replaces a model that went on sale about a decade ago and offers a major overhaul with an extroverted design and new gadgets like a built-in vacuum cleaner and 120-volt power outlet and a standard hybrid powertrain. This should help the Sienna stand out from the SUV competition as well as fresher minivans like Chrysler Pacifica / Voyager, Honda Odyssey and Kia Sedona.
Prices for the 2021 Toyota Sienna start at $ 35,635 for a front-wheel drive LE model, or $ 2,950 more than the 2020 model. This is in part because Toyota has cut the L trim level that was previously below the LE . Our test car was a four-wheel, platinum, all-wheel drive model with extras like leather seats, electric sliding doors and tailgate, and 20-inch wheels – all for a base price of $ 51,635.
Design and interior
Generally, when Toyota designers try to make a car look exciting, they pile up on as many stylistic elements as possible. Toyota's designers went to great lengths to make the 2021 Sienna look exciting. Given that many car buyers view minivans as chilly, it's hard to blame these designers for giving the Sienna the taillights of a Supra sports car and a massive grille that resembles the mouth of a baleen whale. Despite these diverse elements, the exterior design is remarkably coherent, at least by recent Toyota standards.
It's also a great contrast to the more conventional minivans from Chrysler, Honda, and Kia. The Toyota is pretty close to these competitors in the interior, but has significantly less headroom in the third row. This is still a cavernous vehicle, however, and as with all minivans, the Sienna has a lower entry height and lift height than most SUVs.
As with all three-row vehicles, cargo space is limited with the third row, but the Sienna's 33.5 cubic feet are better than the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica and are right behind the class-leading Kia Sedona. Fold the seats down, however, and the Sienna tells a different story: with 75.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the third row folded down and 101 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded down, it lags behind the competition. Toyota also doesn't offer a power-folding third row like Chrysler does, but electric sliding doors and an electric tailgate are available.
Toyota's designers went to great lengths to make the 2021 Sienna look exciting.
The Sienna looks more impressive the closer you get to the front. The lower level LE and XLE models come standard in an eight-seat configuration with a second-row bench seat. Higher equipment variants are given captain's chairs in the second row, which reduces the total number of seats to seven. A "Super Long Slide" option allows these chairs to slide back and forth up to 25 inches, and Limited and Platinum models get fold-out airplane-style ottomans. These features make driving in the second row more comfortable, but they have also been available on the Kia Sedona since the 2015 model year.
Up front, the Sienna gets a stylish dashboard with an integrated touchscreen and, as Toyota calls it, the "bridge", a raised center console that holds the gear lever, and a couple of cup holders. Underneath there is a rubberized storage corner that is big enough for a handbag. It's an unusual setup for a minivan, but a good one. The raised console offers two levels of storage, bringing the things you actually need to reach for – the gear stick and cup holders – closer to your handle.
The materials in our Platinum test car were impressive. The leather upholstery felt appropriately chic; rubberized, non-slip material has been strategically placed; and even the plastic paneling Toyota used instead of wood looked good. However, designers could have chosen back the color palette, which includes shades of browns, beiges, and grays that have managed to look boring and clash with one another.
Technology, infotainment and driver assistance
While the exterior and interior design offered some unexpected details, the Sienna's infotainment system is largely the same as on other newer Toyota models.
The standard setup includes a 9.0-inch touchscreen, seven USB ports, an integrated WiFi hotspot and compatibility with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon Alexa. A JBL audio system with 12 speakers, a navigation system and an entertainment system in the rear seats are optionally available. The latter contains a single 11.6-inch monitor that, unlike the dual monitors available from Chrysler, can be folded down from the ceiling.
The touchscreen was typical of Toyota, which meant it was easy to use (thanks in part to keyboard shortcuts and a volume control) but with boring graphics. The designers also included plenty of spots for the driver to place their phone, including slots in the "Bridge" console cupholders and a dashboard shelf (which can be fitted with a wireless charging pad), but none of them actually work. The slots that allow a phone to sit upright don't fit into larger phones, while phones can slide around on the dashboard.
The touchscreen was typical of Toyota, which meant it was easy to use, but with boring graphics.
Devices are a hallmark of modern minivans. So Toyota gave the 2021 Sienna a built-in vacuum cleaner, a 1,500-watt inverter (which sends power to a 120-volt socket in the cargo area), a small refrigerator, and a rear-seat intercom (that borrowed from the previous generation model has been). However, the refrigerator and vacuum cleaner are not available at startup due to a supplier issue. Honda and Chrysler have also offered built-in vacuums for years.
The standard driver assistance technology under the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 banner includes forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beam, traffic sign recognition, lane departure warning and automatic lane centering of Toyota's lane following assistant.
Since the Sienna is a pretty large vehicle, talking about cameras is also important. Our test car had the optional 360 degree camera system that had good camera angles but a low resolution display. The Sienna is also the latest Toyota model to receive a video rearview mirror that can be switched from a conventional mirror to a video display with the push of a button. This allows the driver to see what is directly behind the car without obstacles such as roof pillars and passenger heads. It was especially useful in the Sienna with its small rear window.
Experience at the wheel
One of the biggest changes to the Sienna for 2021 is under the hood. Toyota replaced the old 3.5-liter V6 engine with a hybrid powertrain based on a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. This is the only powertrain available, making the Sienna one of the few new cars exclusively available as a hybrid. However, you have a choice between front or all-wheel drive.
Toyota specifies a total system output of 245 hp. That's 51 horsepower less than the 2020 Nonhybrid model and less than the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey or Kia Sedona nonhybrid, all of which use fairly large V6 engines. However, it doesn't seem to matter.
If you're worried about underperformance, keep in mind that the Sienna has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds – just like an Odyssey or Sedona. The Pacifica is designed to pull more, but only by 100 pounds. The Sienna also has the same towing capacity as the similarly sized Toyota Highlander Hybrid, which proves you don't always need an SUV to tow.
The Sienna's gasoline consumption knocks the competition away.
Granted, we would have liked a bit more power for overtaking highways where the Sienna felt appropriate but not thrilled. However, this was the only problem with the powertrain. The hybrid system made the Sienna feel like an oversized Toyota Prius – which is good. The interaction of the gasoline engine and the electric motor may seem a little strange to drivers who are used to non-hybrid cars, but tuning the powertrain ultimately promotes smooth and economical driving.
Unlike the Prius, Toyota didn't bother to make the Sienna sporty. That means you only get a comfortable ride, which is probably what most potential minivan buyers are looking for anyway. We noticed a slight shudder over bumps and the steering didn't feel as tight and precise as that of the Chrysler Pacifica.
Fuel economy and safety
The Sienna also emulates the Prius where it counts – mileage. The minivan is rated at 36 mpg combined (36 mpg city, 36 mpg highway) with front-wheel drive and 35 mpg combined (35 mpg city, 36 mpg highway) with all-wheel drive. That knocks out the competition. Chrysler, Honda, and Kia are stuck together below 25 mpg.
Chrysler also offers a plug-in hybrid version of the Pacifica – the Pacifica Hybrid – with a range of 32 miles fully electric. However, in hybrid mode, the Pacifica Hybrid can only manage 30 mpg together and is not available with all-wheel drive.
The Toyota Sienna 2021 was recognized by the Road Safety Insurance Institute (IIHS) as a “Top Safety Pick +” – the organization's highest safety rating. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not published any crash test ratings for the new model.
Toyota offers a three-year base warranty of 36,000 miles and a five-year warranty of 60,000 miles on the powertrain. That's pretty standard for a mainstream car brand, but Kia offers a five-year base 60,000 mile warranty and a 10-year drivetrain warranty of 100,000 miles for the Sedona.
As with other Toyota hybrids, the Sienna comes with a 10-year guarantee on 150,000 miles of battery and an eight-year guarantee of 100,000 miles on other hybrid system components.
How DT would configure this car
Priced at over $ 50,000, our Sienna Platinum test car demonstrated that a minivan can be really luxurious – if you're willing to pay luxury car prices. However, it is possible to bring that price down by losing some of these extras.
We would go a few rungs down the trim ladder to the XSE trim step. It has the same hybrid drive and driver assistance technology as the Platinum (and all other Sienna equipment variants) as well as the seats in the second row "Super Long Slide", the navigation system, the automatic four-zone air conditioning and the heated front seats.
Then we add the XSE Plus package ($ 1,000), which includes cell phone charging and the inverter at 1,500 watts ($ 300). All-wheel drive costs $ 760 on the Sienna XSE and is well worth considering if you live in a snowy climate.
Our opinion
The Toyota Sienna 2021 isn't redefining the minivan, but this overdue redesign brings Toyota up to date with the competition.
The Honda Odyssey offers a bit more passenger space and more cargo space with the seats folded down in the second and third rows, but does not offer the sliding second row car or the optional all-wheel drive of the Toyota. It also can't compete with the hybrid Sienna's fuel economy.
The Chrysler Pacifica is available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and “Stow’ n Go ”folding seats. However, these features are not available together, and you also cannot purchase a four-wheel drive Pacifica Hybrid. The Chrysler is also a bit nicer to drive than the Toyota, but has a much worse reputation for reliability. For price-conscious buyers, the Chrysler Voyager is a dissatisfied Pacifica with a much lower base price than the Sienna.
The Kia Sedona is starting to show its age but is still competitive on the interior and is backed by Kia's extended warranty.
Regardless of the brand, minivans remain a great alternative to SUVs for large families. What they lack in sturdy style, they practically make up for it. The Sienna has more passengers than the Toyota Highlander. The lower ride height, the sliding doors and the larger tailgate opening make it easier to load and unload people and objects.
Should you get one
Yes. The Sienna is a great family car.
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