Yahoo Autos 2021 Toyota Sienna First Drive | Functional efficiency with style
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The minivan segment isn’t a huge one, and it’s largely dominated by three players. There’s the stylish Chrysler Pacifica, with the excellent plug-in hybrid option. The Honda Odyssey unapologetically leans into its minivan-ness and family-hauling duties. Then there’s the new, totally redesigned 2021 Toyota Sienna. Its selling points are immediately apparent: unique styling, a standard hybrid powertrain and available all-wheel drive. Oh, and it’s a Toyota, which precedes itself with a reputation for reliability and utility, as well as a huge existing customer base. Barring some sort of dealbreaker in the test drive, this blend of existing traits (brand, AWD) and new ones (design, hybrid only) should probably be enough to make the Sienna appealing to those shopping in this lightly stocked aisle.
Spoiler alert: we found no dealbreakers during our test drive, but we were able to dig deeper into what we love, what we like and what we can accept.
First, we like the looks. Toyota did this van a service by making it look more like an SUV. Toyota’s not shy about gaping maws on its vehicles, but the prominent grille looks especially supportive of the high hood and thin, sweeping LED headlights. The character line that traces up and over the bulging rear fender gives a sense of fortitude below the rising beltline. Toward the rear is where the Sienna looks most like a minivan, where the long roof and vast liftgate can’t be downplayed by any design tricks. Still, the roof spoiler and slender LED taillights give this van the best possible rearward expression.
Inside, the Sienna makes a fantastic use of the available space, and includes a wealth of cubbies and pockets for stashing items of various sizes. The huge storage area below the center console “bridge” can accommodate a tote bag or large purse and, when empty, adds to the open airiness of the front seats. There are little nooks and crannies in the doors for beverages or other small items. Cupholders abound, including those on the sides of the second-row captain’s chairs that use little cargo nets to keep beverages in place. There’s a shelf just below the dash, which is where the wireless charging pad lives, but the two little nubs that are supposed to hold it in place are no match for even the most average of corners. Don’t leave your phone there if you don’t have a passenger to fetch it for you from wherever it lands (usually at their feet). Thankfully, there are plenty of other places to stash your phone within easy reach, like the slot in front of the center console cupholders.
The standard 9-inch touchscreen infotainment display is bordered by a number of physical buttons and knobs. It’s hard to beat the slick functionality of the Pacifica’s UConnect system, or the customizable menus in the Odyssey, but we didn’t have to deal with any of the major glitches or lagginess we’ve experienced in other Toyota infotainment systems. Below it, the climate control system gets its own display and set of controls. Our top-of-the-line Platinum tester came with heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain’s chairs are standard in this trim level. The ventilated seats made more noise than we’re used to, but that’s a small price to pay in exchange for comfort and a sweat-free shirt-back.
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We absolutely love the Sienna’s “Super Long Slide” captain’s chairs in the second row. Although the Sienna's second-row seats already slid further fore and aft than its competitors, Toyota lengthened their travel even further for 2021. "Super Long" amounts to 25 inches of travel, and is made possible by a seat redesign that lets the base partially slip past the rear wheel wells. Slid to the rear, they give occupants all the legroom they could’ve dreamed of, and make the optional ottoman leg rests possible (our tester sadly didn't have them). They slide forward all the way to the front seats. A second lever folds the seat cushion up and the seatback forward to either provide an easy ingress into the third row, or to maximize cargo volume without removing the seats.
Now, they don’t slide left to right like the Honda Odyssey’s “Magic Slide” captain’s chairs, or fold into the floor like the non-hybrid Pacifica’s “Stow & Go” seats (the plug-in version's seats can't be stowed away but are more comfortable as a trade off). There are arguments for all systems, but Toyota’s seems to strike a fine balance of passenger comfort and cargo-focused utilitarianism. If anything, the added legroom they provide seems like it makes the Sienna's seating setup especially good for families with older kids.
In the trunk, the Sienna boasts a deep load floor, similar to the competition. In addition to being able to hold a bulk of your belongings, it’s also where the rear seats fold into when you need to maximize cargo space. The handles used to fold the seats into the floor aren’t the tidiest in terms of looks, but they’re a solid grab point, and the motion of folding and unfolding the seats is smooth and fluid. When folded, it’s not the world’s flattest load floor, but it’s good enough for loading bulky cargo. Beware of small items, though, that could fall through the cracks. A final bonus, again, is the maneuverability of the second row, allowing you to make the most of the cargo area without removing the captain’s chairs.
