Best Minivan The 2011 Toyota Sienna

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 2011 Toyota Sienna XLE

Auto Car | Best Minivan The 2011 Toyota Sienna | Styling: The redesigned 2011 Toyota Sienna kicks off the third-generation of this minivan and Toyota dumps a boring, lozenge shape for sculpted curves and a more solid stance on the road. The 2011 Sienna’s styling wisely takes cues from Toyota’s best-looking vehicle, the 2011 Toyota Venza crossover SUV. Both in fact are products of Toyota’s young-thinking California design studio. Sienna’s new face is defined by a multi-blade grille and headlamps that sweep back into the fenders. Swelled wheel arches help it look hunkered down over its larger new tires; the only other minivan to suggest such athleticism is the Honda Odyssey -- and it’s due for a model-year 2011 redesign, as well. Despite the new styling, the 2011 Toyota Sienna’s exterior dimensions change little. The body has about an inch less length and about an inch more width. Height is the same, though the new sheet metal creates the welcome impression of a lower roofline. Also unaltered is the key metric: the wheelbase. This distance between the front and rear axles is a prime determinate in how much space a vehicle can allot for passenger room. Despite no increase in wheelbase, the 2011 Sienna’s reshaped body lengthens usable interior space by about two inches. The 2011 Sienna again matches the Odyssey as one of only two minivans that can seat eight. It also comes in a seven-passenger configuration. For 2011, Sienna’s seats slide fore and aft over a greater span to allow for more leg room in all rows. The gearshift again sprouts from the dashboard just right of the steering wheel. The 2011 Toyota Sienna lineup returns with a base trim level and ascends to the popular LE model, luxury XLE version, and the top-of-the-line Limited. It also adds a fifth model – the SE, for Sport Edition. The 2011 Toyota Sienna SE is visually distinguished from other Siennas by a more aggressive grille appearance, lower side skirting, smoked-lens taillamps, and unique instrumentation and interior trim.

 

Mechanical: By adding the alternative of a four-cylinder engine, the 2011 Toyota Sienna is the first minivan in years to stray from the V-6-engine-only formula. Luckily, the four-cylinder powertrain is a good one: the same 187-horsepower 2.7-liter and six-speed automatic transmission that provides likeable performance in the Venza. In the 2011 Sienna, however, it’s saddled with several hundred additional pounds of vehicle weight. The four-cylinder is available in the 2011 Sienna base and LE models. The V-6 is available at extra cost in those models and is standard in the 2011 Sienna SE, XLE, and Limited. This 3.5-liter V-6 is a slightly revised version of the one in the second-generation Sienna. It’s rated at 266 horsepower, one more than before, but now works through a more efficient automatic transmission with six speeds instead of five. V-6 Siennas can pull trailers weighing up to 3,500 pounds. Sienna returns with front-wheel drive, the layout used in all minivans. This locates powertrain components in the nose for compact packaging and concentrates their weight over the tires that propel the vehicle, which enhances wet-surface traction. Sienna, however, repeats as the only minivan to also offer the added security of all-wheel drive (AWD). The 2011 Sienna’s AWD system is not intended for off-roading. Instead, it senses tire slip and automatically shuffles power between the front and rear wheels to optimize grip. It does not change ride height or external appearance. AWD is available on the 2011 Sienna LE V-6 model and on XLE and Limited trim levels. Every Sienna comes with Toyota’s Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system, which is enhanced for 2011 to coordinate the response of the antilock brake system (ABS), traction control, and electric power steering in an emergency maneuver. Optional on the 2011 Sienna Limited model is Toyota’s new Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management. This is designed to anticipate an impending collision and respond by cinching seatbelts and triggering early VSC engagement. All 2011 Siennas come with alloy wheels. Base models and front-wheel-drive LE and XLE models have 17-inch tires. Limited and AWD models have 18s.The 2011 Sienna SE has 19-inch wheels and tires that compliment a lowered, sport-tuned suspension.

Features: The 2011 Toyota Sienna doesn’t answer the Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country by adding the interior versatility of second-row seats that stow in the floor or swivel into a table-and-chairs arrangement. But Toyota goes every rival one better by equipping the 2011 Sienna Limited with what it calls Lounge Seating. This is a pair of second-row buckets that recline into La-Z-Boy thrones complete with pop-out leg rests. All Sienna second-row buckets have dual armrests and a full 23 inches of travel, allowing them to slide rearward for better leg room or move closer to the front seats for child-tending. Eight-passenger models accommodate a middle rider in the second row with a central seat section that can be removed and stowed in the rear; doing so reveals a cupholder and storage tray. The 2011 Sienna XLE AWD and Limited models come with an illuminated center console that slides to serve both the first- and second-row seats. Sienna’s third-row is a 60/40 split bench and Toyota says there’s room for five golf bags behind it. The third-row folds into a floor well (with power operation on front-drive Limited models) and the second-row seats can be removed. Among notable features is Toyota’s new Dual View Entertainment Center option. It boasts a video display that folds from the ceiling behind the first-row seats to create a seamless 16.4-inch widescreen image from a single source. It can also display input from separate sources – say individual DVDs or a movie and a video game. Also of note is a new-to-Toyota Panorama Camera rear monitor that displays on the navigation screen. It can provide a 180-degree wide-angle view to the rear and includes on-screen back-up guides to help drivers reverse from parking spots or driveways. All 2011 Siennas come with torso-protecting front side airbags, head-protecting curtain side airbags for all three seating rows, and a new driver’s side knee airbag. Toyota’s latest Safety Connect telematics system is standard on the 2011 Sienna Limited and optional on the XLE. It offers automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle location, an emergency assistance button, and roadside assistance; a complimentary one-year trial subscription is included.

Source: iguida.com