2015 Toyota Sienna

That's right, this is Grassroots Motorsports reviewing a minivan. You know, it really wasn't long ago that owning a minivan meant handing in your man card. And many of us still cling onto that perception. But recently, they've grown larger and have become much more practical. In fact, we have a few secret minivan fans here on the Grassroots Motorsports staff.

Recently, we were given a brand new Toyota Sienna to test drive for a week. Bright red paint and aggressive body styling on a minivan shouted some sort of mix between tuner and soccer mom. But how did it do? We'll refer to our resident minivan aficionado, Joe Gearin.

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Pity the poor minivan. Treated with destain by most, dismissed by others as being the equivalent of vehicular "mom jeans". Their capability, economy, and versatility are unmatched, yet they are still the Rodney Dangerfields of the automotive world. It's really not fair.

I love minivans. I think so highly of them that I actually purchased a brand new one recently. Mock me if you want, but sometimes sensible shoes are the best fit.

As a minivan aficionado, I was curious to see how this new Toyota Sienna stacked up to my humble Chrysler Grand Caravan. I had plopped down my hard-earned cash for my van, so I was hoping it would fare well against its competition. Fortunately, it did.

While the Toyota has a smoother, more refined engine, and is noticeably quieter going down the road, it isn't all peaches and cream. The Toyota's interior is less intuitive to use, it's seating less versatile, and get this, the Toyota's MSRP starts at around $29,000—our tester was just over $40,000. For comparison, a base Grand Caravan costs just above $21,000. Both machines are similarly equipped, so why the huge disparity?

Is the Toyota a better machine than the Dodge? Well mechanically, perhaps. It doesn't drive any better, it doesn't look any better, and it's lack of Stow and Go makes the interior less useful. If history is any guide, the Toyota will hold up better over time, but how much is the legend of Toyota reliability worth?

I'll take my chances with the Dodge. It may lack some of the flash of the Sienna, but it also lacks the styling weirdness and inflated sticker price. Also, even though our tester had every bell and whistle conceivable, it didn't feel plush or luxurious. It felt like an appliance in a fancy package. I'd rather have my sensible shoes come in a plain wrapper and spend my extra dough on more entertaining things.

Comments

Alleycat10 New Reader
6/28/15 9:25 a.m.

If you have a handicapped passenger needing an Auto Access Seat, the Sienna LE or XLE is the best choice. No other minivan manufacturer offers this factory-installed option. It adds about $5750 to the cost of the vehicle. I shopped other brands, the proposal for all of them being a retrofit reusing the original right rear second row set, costing about $9300. With the factory installation comes full integration with the vehicle and a seat that looks good in the vehicle and carries the 36 month Toyota warranty.