Yahoo Autos 2024 Toyota Sienna Review: Still the high-mpg monster of minivans
Pros: Monumental fuel economy advantage; big-kid-friendly second-row; above average handling; interior storage
Cons: Not as powerful as other minivans; behind-the-times infotainment; cheap interior materials on lower trims
If cost-savings and fuel efficiency are top priorities, the 2024 Toyota Sienna is the minivan for you. Depending on whether you choose front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, you’re going to get either 35 or 36 mpg from this massive family hailer. That out-greens all but the (more expensive) plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica. The volatility of gas prices could see the amount of savings over a year of driving come and go, but there’s no doubt the Sienna will be the most frugal option of the bunch of other excellent minivans out there.
Thankfully, the Sienna backs up its efficiency with other excellent aspects such as how it drives, its attractive interior (particularly on higher trims) and great utility features like the Super Long Slide second-row. It’s not as quick in a straight line as some of its V6-powered competitors are, but it handles well for a minivan and can tow up to 3,500 pounds should the need arise. Our least favorite part about it is the loud and groaning engine, but it’s hard to complain too much when you’re getting over 30 mpg in a vehicle that is this utilitarian.
And while Toyota might be guilty of pricing its vehicles above the competition in many segments, the Sienna is priced similarly to its Pacifica and Honda Odyssey brethren. The Kia Carnival will undercut it on the low end, but look to the Sienna’s massive fuel economy advantage to save you money in the long run. For us, it comes down to the Sienna and the Pacifica Hybrid, which is why we performed a comparison test for you to check out all the advantages and disadvantages of each. In the end, though, we’d drive off in the Sienna.
Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy
What it's like to drive | Pricing & Trim Levels | Crash Ratings & Safety Features
What's new for 2024?
Changes for 2024 are slim, but one big one is the addition of a Premium Package for the sportier XSE grade that adds many of the luxuries you might find on higher trim levels like power leather seats, orange interior stitching, 7-inch instrument panel display and heated side mirrors. Wheel finishes for the Woodland and XSE AWD grades are changed, and both the LE and XLE grades get darkened headlight accents.
Sienna XLE and Sienna Platinum interiors
What are the Sienna interior and in-car technology like?
The Kia Carnival has since trumped it, but the Sienna's front cabin is still shockingly high-style for a minivan. The controls are canted ever-so-slightly toward the driver, while the high center console provides more of a car- or SUV-like feel. Nevertheless, that console is really just a bridge over a vast open canyon ripe for whatever you want to put down there (likely a purse or small diaper bag). There are a number of other handy places up front to stow things, as well, which we go over in this deep dive review of the Sienna's interior storage.
Unfortunately, we've found that cabin quality differs widely depending on trim level. The upper XSE, Limited and Platinum trim levels trim levels get padded, leather-look trim across the doors and a modern wood-look trim level across the console. By contrast, the lower XLE trim level, gets hard textured plastic instead of the padded stuff and bizarre rust-colored plastic trim with embossed lines and metallic specks (pictured below). It looks cheap, and it’s the difference between the Sienna being better than its competitors and being a little bit worse.
As for technology, all the usual features are present and the 9-inch touchscreen is easily seen, reached and operated, though it's still running a dated version of Toyota infotainment software versus the rest of the automaker's lineup (which admittedly has its own foibles). It's very much outdone by every competitor's system, especially Chrysler's and Kia's. The rear seat entertainment system also offers only one roof-mounted screen, versus the dual seatback screens of the Chrysler, and its USB ports are not as conveniently located as those of the Chrysler and Kia.
Sienna XLE and Sienna Platinum center console interior trims
How big is the Sienna?
The Sienna is comparable in size to the other minivans. We didn't find it any more maneuverable or less cumbersome to drive in tight places, and it offers the same sort of vast cargo space behind its third-row seat. Now, its specs indicate far less cargo space when the third row is lowered as well as when the second-row seats are removed, but we suspect this is due to a difference in the way Toyota measures cargo capacity. In reality, we think it's effectively similar.
Really, minivans most differ in terms of their second-row seating concepts. The Sienna offers a choice of two (and is most similar to the Kia Carnival). The eight-passenger model is probably better suited to parents with smaller kids since it comes with a removable second-row middle seat (pictured below) that you can affix a child seat to while keeping the outboard seats open. The seven-passenger setup found on upper trim levels features the new “Super Long Slide” second-row captain’s chairs, which slide further than its competitors by a considerable amount. Slid to the rear, they provide enough legroom for NBA forwards to kick back and relax. They also slide forward all the way to the front seats, making it more likely to fit whatever you need inside without moving the seats (while being more comfortable than the non-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica's Stow 'N Go 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 even further.
There are certainly advantages to Stow 'N Go (for those who prioritize cargo-carrying versatility) and Honda's "Magic Slide" second-row (for those with multiple small children), so there isn't a right or wrong answer here. Choice is good. In this case, we think the Sienna's concept is best suited for families with older kids.
What are the Sienna fuel economy and performance specs?
Every 2023 Toyota Sienna is a hybrid. There's a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and two electric motors, plus a third added to create the available all-wheel-drive system. Its battery recoups energy from the brakes and engine (it's not a plug-in hybrid like the available Pacifica Hybrid, which has all-electric range and a higher price). Total system output is 245 horsepower, which is less than its V6-powered competitors.
Fuel economy is massively better, though. Toyota estimates the Sienna will get 36 mpg combined with front-wheel drive in EPA testing and 35 mpg combined with AWD. We averaged 39.4 mpg on a 454-mile road trip without making any effort to drive efficiently, but our long-term test of a 2023 Sienna Platinum AWD has returned an average of just over 31 mpg. The Odyssey, Carnival and V6-powered Pacifica get 22 mpg combined. Because of today’s high gas prices, that’s a difference that could equate to as much as $1,000 in gas savings per year with the Sienna. Even if gas prices go down, you’ll still be looking at a figure in the hundreds. That’s impossible to ignore.
