A lot of people I know would not be caught driving a minivan.
My wife is one of those people, yet I will bet that almost all of them have not driven a minivan in the last 10 years at least.
It would appear that the image of a middle-aged person driving the van is what comes to their minds. However, most of the people I hang around with are middle-aged.
The image is stuck in their heads of a van from the late '80s or '90s with a boxy frame, not a lot of power, the basic options and something today not too many people would want to be seen in.
But the vans of today are a completely different beast than those of yore, and the new Toyota Sienna is a perfect example of this.
Knowing that the Sienna had decent power, I decided while on my trip to - as my son says - to nail it. So, from plod-along speed I hammered the gas until I got to highway speed and immediately noticed two things. First, there is plenty of power to haul six passengers, and second, the exhaust note is not something that would ever be associated with middle-age, soccer mom, or minivan for that matter.
There are many so-called sports cars on the market that would be embarrassed by the deep, throaty growl from this people mover. If you close your eyes, although not a good idea while driving, you could pretend you were in a sports car.
The sound is great and the 266 horses get you moving in a hurry.
There is no need to be embarrassed any more about driving your wife's minivan. This Sienna will beat a lot of cars to 60, it has more options than a lot of other vehicles, there is definitely more room, and that great sound.
But it is not just the sound nad good power that are worth mentioning here.
If you are the type that has a lounge chair for watching TV or just relaxing, you will love the rear seats in the Sienna.
Behind the driver and front passenger are two reclining seats, both with extendable foot rests that pop out from the front of the seat when a lever is pulled. It is like having your own LazyBoy recliner in the van.
The seats slide back a good two feet or so and everyone will be fighting for these seats when you go on long trips.
There was also a third row of seats in the Sienna and there was a surprising amount of legroom there.
I was able to sit in the seat quite comfortably without feeling the need to keep my mouth shut for fear of chewing on my knees.
There are window shades on the side windows in this row as in the second row. They pull up and latch onto a hook at the top of the window. These seats also recline.
When in a reclining chair you have to make sure your favourite beverage is at arms length before sitting down. With the second row seats forward there are two cupholders within reach, however this is not the case with the seats back and in the reclined position.
So, Toyota made the back of the front centre console extendable. Push a large button and the cupholders slide back a good 18-inches, and because there are sidewalls on the opening that is created, it becomes a large storage space for game consoles, snacks, or even the pet dog.
Both the side doors and the rear door power open and close and this is especially helpful when transporting lots of kids and when getting stuff out of the van in the rain. You never have to get out of your comfy, heated, leather seat to let people in and out. But if you do get out to offer some assistance to the little tykes to get the soccer bags out of the back, if it is raining you can run back, hop into your seat and hit a couple of buttons and all the doors close.
You would never get this in a sports car, not even one with a good-sounding exhaust.
The Sienna is also filled with safety features like brake assist, antilock brakes, side and curtain air bags, traction control, vehicle stability assist, electronic brake distribution, and vehicle stability control and anyone who has kids or a cute spouse will certainly appreciate this.
Vehicle type: 5 door van
Transmission 6-speed manumatic
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Horsepower: 266 @ 6,200
Torque: 245 @ 4,700
Mileage: 1.5 l/100 km 25 mpg City 8.1 l/100km 35 mph hwy
Price: $44,401
