Yahoo Autos 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland Edition First Drive Review | Not woodsy enough
The 2022 Toyota Sienna excels at moving a lot of people and/or cargo frequently in comfort and convenience. One expects that from a minivan, but the current, fourth-generation Sienna that was all-new last year goes beyond what's expected. First, it offers all-wheel drive for added confidence in foul weather, and second, it uniquely comes standard with a hybrid powertrain that returns vastly superior fuel economy than its V6-powered competitors. Those are key reasons why the Sienna is one of our top minivan choices (the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is the other).
Now, there's a third distinctive element: the 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland Edition. Toyota appears to have been taking notes from Subaru, and from lessons learned about human behavior during Covid, and recognizing that increasing numbers of families want to get away from it all, where the air is fresh and you’re more likely to get eaten by a bear than to catch a bug from another human being. The Woodland Edition is a slightly ruggedized version of the well-rounded Sienna meant to facilitate those restorative adventures off the beaten path. It builds upon the XLE trim level (second rung up the trim ladder) with an increased ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, a tow-hitch rated to trailer 3,500 pounds, 18-inch alloy wheels, and crossbars for the roof rails found on other Sienna.
Looking at it in the driveway, you’d be forgiven for overlooking the Woodland’s specialized function. The added ground clearance isn’t obvious — in fact, at 6.96 inches it’s just 0.59 inches higher than the standard XLE. It's hardly a TRD Off-Road. The roof rails with cross bars are present, but for all you know, those could simply be standalone options. The tow hitch is also noticeable, inelegantly integrated below the rear bumper, but we had one on an XLE AWD we tested out in Oregon. To be fair, perhaps the extra ground clearance will mean the hitch won't so easily drag on the ground when going up driveways.
Most surprisingly, there aren't even any special "Woodland" badges as there are on other such outdoorsy trim levels. The main clues therefore boil down to color: the exclusive Cement exterior paint (the other option is Midnight Black Metallic), dark chrome accents and blacked-out badging. It basically looks like a sporty Sienna with a few options. That's not necessarily a bad thing; we think it actually looks pretty cool.
Inside, the Woodland is differentiated with earth-tone stitching in the black Softex vinyl trim and upholstery, which on the seats features the same diamond-like pattern as the Sienna XSE. It has the Sienna's seven-seat configuration as standard, along with heated front seats, second-row sunshades, a wireless phone charger, seven USB ports and a 1200-watt, 12-speaker JBL sound system. Integrated navigation is also standard, which is appreciated in a vehicle supposedly intended to venture off the beaten path and therefore out of cell data range. There’s also a 1,500-watt inverter with a three-prong, 120-volt power outlet in the cargo area, which should come in handy when powering appliances while camping or tailgating, or running air pumps for an innertube trip down a river.
Overall, it’s a familiar space, with the same usefulness you’ll find in the other seven-seat Siennas that so impressed during our minivan comparison. That includes the extremely handy Super Long Slide captain’s chairs and split-folding third row that let you prioritize passengers over cargo — or vice versa — with the pull off a couple levers and straps. Unfortunately, as the Woodland is based on the XLE, it also includes a lot of hard plastics with questionable textures that don’t seem to know whether they’re trying to (poorly) mimic wood or metal. The XSE, Limited and Platinum get higher-quality materials.
