Toyota Sienna

Toyota Sienna is the “purr”fect mini van. If you are in the market for a mini van – look no further – go to the nearest Toyota Dealer and drive away with the Sienna 2004. Trust me – I will bet my ninth life on it.

It has been four weeks and 3000 miles since I have been a proud owner of the Sienna’04. After dribbling for several years in the mini van market, finally Toyota seems to have scored a goal. This is what would have happened at the Toyota Design Center year after year:

The Chief Engineer goes on a 55, 000 miles trip across the country and gets the feedback from several people including children. The only reason the Chief Engineer did not visit Hawaii was so that his boss (Mr.Toyota) will not think that he was on vacation. But the end result was a no-flaw “purr”fect mini van.

What is Sienna ‘04

This is a mini van which is built on the Toyota Camry Sedan platform and comes with dual sliding doors in three models - the basic CE, the intermediate LE and the high end XLE. The difference in the models is the additional features like leather seats, automatic sliding doors, garage key opener, 7 seats or 8 seats etc.

The basic model comes with two seats in the front, two or three seats in the middle and a three seater bench in the rear,

Imagine a new Bollywood heroine with Madhubals’a face, Madhuri’s smile, Sharmila’s dimples, Sridevi’s right thigh, Rambha’s left thigh, Bindu’s front axle and Asha Parekh’s rear axle. Sienna 04 is such a beauty to behold having incorporated all the goodies from rivals Honda Odyssey, Dodge Caravan, Mazda MPV and the Chevrolet Venture.

For technical and engineering details, a knowledgeable source would be Toyota’s official website. Presented below are some of my observations / comments as an end user.

Features:

# 1. The second row seat (captain seat) can be indexed so that they can be moved together or separated – to give room for third seat or to give more space for entry to the rear seat.

# 2. The rear seat which sits three person, is split into a two seater and one seater and called as a 60/40 split. This can be folded neatly and flattened and brought all the way down to the floor to give extra cargo space. Even though the seats are heavy, it is an engineering marvel as to how, with a limited effort, the seats can be folded down.

# 3. For those who are music buffs, there are 10 JBL speakers located strategically within the van. Listen to either the radio or your favorite Cassette / CD.

# 4. The climate control is different for the driver , the front passenger and the rear – this helps as many a family argument can be averted as to how cold or hot it should be inside the van.

# 5. The table in between the front seats is foldable. I like this feature as it is a neat place to carry to put your briefcase.

# 6. There is an additional conversation mirror, next to the rear view mirror – this helps in maintaining eye-contact with the rear passengers while talking. A very useful concept.

# 7. The rear view mirror has automatic dimming feature to make night driving a pleasure without the harsh glare of headlights.

# 8. There are 4 bottle and 10 cup holders – and these are conveniently and strategically located all through the van.

# 9. The back portion of the seats are covered in plastics, this prevents kids from kicking and spoiling the seats.

# 10. The standard V6 engine – the same engine used in the Toyota Lexus – one beauty of an engine.

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# 11. The windows of the middle seat can be power rolled down – unique in the Sienna 04.

# 12. The remote keyless entry – which helps in locating the car in a crowded parking lot.

Safety Features:

All the standard safety features from Toyota like ABS, Tire Pressure Warning System. Front and Side Airbags, Crumple Proof Body etc.

Accessories:

Some of the accessories worth considering are:

# Metallic Mud guards for the wheels – prevents the underside of the van from being bombarded with small stones / gravel from the road.

# Cargo Net – helps to organize the trunk storage area.

# All weather floor mats – to take care of the daily wear and tear.

# Hood Protector – protects the hood and the windshield from flying pebbles.

How does it perform?

1. Fuel Economy: 29 mpg. One of the best for this class of vehicle.

2. Ride Quality: Excellent suspension system ensures minimum jerks and bumps even when going over rail road tracks.

3. Quietness: Well designed Body which effectively filters outside sound.

4. Steering / Handling / Braking: Very easy to handle – at no stage you get the feeling that you are driving a heavy vehicle.

5. Instruments / Controls : Easily identifiable and located. Most of them are intuitive – rarely do you need to refer to the user manual.

6. Cargo Room: Pretty large in the rear and can be increased by folding the rear seats.

Maintenance:

Do not have much experience since it is brand new. But as with all Toyota vehicles, stick to the factory recommended maintenance schedule, do all your oil changes in a timely manner and the vehicle will serve you for years.

But I did buy the extended warranty for 7 years and 100, 000 miles (costs about $900) – I can sleep peacefully at night

Price:

A very competitive price at $26, 000. Fully loaded price on delivery is $29, 502.30. Wonder why Toyota bothers about the chillar – I would have rounded it off or paid $29, 503 to Mr, Toyota and said “keep the change”. Nonetheless, It is worth every penny.

Honda Odyssey and Dodge Caravan may be the largest selling mini vans in the US – but the Sienna 04 has finally arrived and will give it tough competition.

Finally a Goooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal.

A “purr”fect vehicle to own.