Finally, the Dad’s Swagger Wagon has returned . . . to my driveway! I recently had a chance to test drive for a week, the 2016 Toyota Sienna for a week. In the past, I have loved this mini-van, and after driving the most recent model, I still love it!
We have always considered mini-vans to have a certain “stigma” about them, but the Sienna really is the “cool” mini-van. There is so much to love about it, here are some of my favorite things.
The Drive – Driving the Toyota Sienna is smooth, great acceleration. It offers a great combination of power and handling. I do not feel like the carpool dad at all when driving this bad boy!
Interior – I really like the spacing and the layout of the interior of the Sienna, it offers plenty of space up front, and the back has plenty of room for kids and/or anything else you want to haul around. Also, there are what feels like a million cup holders, which is a great feature for the kids in back.
Mid row seats – I love the options you get with the Sienna when it comes to seating. The middle row has to pilot seats which can slide forward/backward to provide more leg room. There is also a center seat for more passenger room which can be taken out – pretty easily. The middle seat can stay up as a seat, or when it’s not in use, it can also fold down and make a great console, or table area for the passengers. This gives you plenty of options for road trips.
Third row – You also have plenty of options with the third row in the Sienna. The seats are pretty roomy, great for kids, and with the seats up, you still have plenty of room to transport anything. If you have a big, the back seats easily fold down and into the floor, providing you with a ridiculous amount of space.
Storage – Like I said before, there is plenty of storage room and options. I think this combo makes the Sienna a perfect road trip van.
Tech – All Sienna models come with Easy Speak – a microphone system making it easy for the 3rd row to hear you, which is very cool. Upscale models are also available with a 16.4” LCD screen with Blue Ray DVD Player (awesome!).
I am totally impressed with the Toyota Sienna and all it offers, if I were to put on my design hat, there are a couple of small tweaks to recommend. The center console of the dashboard, with all the controls is a bit far from the driver. I am average sized and could see some shorter people having an issue reaching everything safely, however most of the controls area available in the steering wheel. I also would like to see a way for the middle row seats to fold down to create a little more space. Right now they are able to slide up quite a bit, so it’s not a major issue.
If you are considering a minivan, this one is pretty darn impressive. It offers everything you can think of and the new Toyota Sienna would look great in your driveway.
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