2011 Toyota Sienna Review and Prices

By Chuck Giametta

2011 TOYOTA SIENNA BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Toyota Sienna is the best minivan for you if you regard Toyota as a member of the family and you want the newest version of a great family vehicle.

• The 2011 Toyota Sienna is the first all-new Sienna in more than seven years. It replaces the 2004-2010 second-generation Sienna and gets evolutionary styling and more interior room. Powertrain updates designed to deliver more power with greater fuel efficiency are on tap, too.

• Should you buy a 2010 Toyota Sienna or wait for the 2011 Toyota Sienna? If there’s life left in your second-gen Sienna, hold out for the 2011. That’ll net you the technology, styling, and features to keep your minivan fresh well into the decade.   

2011 TOYOTA SIENNA CHANGES

• Styling: The redesigned 2011 Toyota Sienna kicks off the third-generation of this minivan and gives Toyota an opportunity to advance its game on several fronts. Though its styling may copy the swept-back nose of Toyota’s Venza crossover SUV, the 2011 Sienna won’t look markedly different from the 2010 model. It can’t. Toyota’s smart enough to know a boxy minivan is a good minivan. Overall exterior dimensions won’t change much, either, though the wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear axles) could be stretched to create more space for the third-row passengers. And while the instrument panel will be refreshed, don’t expect its components to undergo significant rearrangement. That means the gearshift will again sprout from the lower-center section of the dashboard.

• Mechanical: The 2011 Sienna almost certainly will stay with a version of the current 3.5-liter V-6, though it’ll use a six-speed automatic transmission instead of a five-speed. That’ll be an important upgrade for fuel economy and maybe improve power delivery, too. Fuel efficiency would also benefit from cylinder deactivation; the only minivan with that technology right now is the Honda Odyssey. A bigger step would be introduction of a gas-electric hybrid version. Toyota is on record promising a hybrid variant of each model in its lineup, but Sienna’s turn probably won’t come until model-year 2012. Whether Toyota will offer the 2011 Sienna with all-wheel drive in addition to front-wheel drive is uncertain.

• Features: Toyota also has a real opportunity to improve interior versatility with fold-into-the-floor second-row seating. For that matter, it could offer the 2011 Sienna with a table-and-chairs arrangement like the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan. A simpler-to-operate navigation system would be nice, as would satellite TV reception and USB iPod connectivity. Adopting new technology that turns the minivan into a mobile Internet hot spot would be an upgrade, as would a hard drive on which to store videos for the rear-seat entertainment system. Blind-spot detection is expected these days, too.   

2011 TOYOTA SIENNA PRICES

• Toyota won’t release 2011 Sienna prices until shortly before the third-generation model goes on sale. But it won’t wander too far from the cost structure or model terracing it used for the 2010 Sienna.

• That points to another four-level lineup and probably retention of the model designations with which Sienna buyers have become familiar. Expect the entry-level 2011 Toyota Sienna CE -- as it’ll likely be badged -- to have a base price of around $25,500. That would lift the better-equipped 2011 Sienna LE to about $26,000 before options. (All price estimates here take into account destination fees, which average around $750.)

• If Toyota continues to make the CE and LE models available in seven- and eight-passenger configurations, eight-passenger seating will add about $175.

• The 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE would kick in at around $30,900 and begin to enhance the standard equipment list with amenities such as alloy wheels and power operation for both front seats, both sliding side doors, and the tailgate. The 2011 Sienna XLE Limited would top the line at around $36,900 before options and come with leather upholstery, sunroof, heated seats, and other luxury touches. If the 2011 Sienna offers all-wheel drive it’ll probably again be available on all but the CE version and add some $2,400-$3,500, depending on model.

• Toyota’s been trying to simplify equipment groupings, but the 2011 Sienna can be expected to offer a comprehensive list of extra-cost items that allows buyers to strategically dress up any model to suit their needs.  

2011 TOYOTA SIENNA RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Toyota Sienna could go on sale as early as the first quarter of calendar 2010.   

2011 TOYOTA SIENNA COMPETITION

• Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan: Boxy benchmarks for value and features. Good owner loyalty, too, despite trailing Honda and Toyota for reliability and resale value. That’s offset by aggressive pricing. No major changes before model-year 2013.  

• Honda Odyssey: Redesigned for 2010, this again is Sienna’s closest rival for refinement and quality, though it promises to remain the class leader for road manners. A sophisticated V-6 and exceptional interior space are additional highlights. Figure 18/27 mpg and a price range around $27,000-$41,500. The next major redesign won’t come before model-year 2015.   

• Ford Flex: Refuse to be seen in a minivan? Consider this roomy crossover wagon that puts three rows of seats and good cargo room in a lower-slung body with conventional side doors. It’s a 21st century Country Squire – except it’s available with all-wheel drive and a rowdy twin-turbo V-6. Base prices span $29,000-$42,000 and no big changes are expected before model-year 2013 or so.