I Never Wanted to Be A Minivan Mom, But I LOVE It!
Written: Jan 02 '05
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Pros: Lots of Storage, AWD, Folding Rear Seats
Cons: Poorly Placed LATCH locations, Cheap center console, Poorly design rear passenger seat
The Bottom Line: It's a roomy minivan that handles well and is comfortable. The AWD, folding rear seats and large cargo area are great! A few minor quirks.
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| brainerdian's Full Review: 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD |
When we found out we were expecting triplets, we took our 15 month old daughter and started minivan shopping. We knew what features we wanted: lots of cargo space, all-wheel drive, dual sliding passenger doors and fold-to-store rear seats. I really hated the prospect of driving a minivan-I loved our SUV and didn't want to give up 4-wheel drive. We live in Northern Minnesota, which means lots of snow and lots of cold during the winter.
The 2004 Toyota Sienna AWD seemed to have all the features we were looking for...and it didn't look half bad! It was totally redone for that model year.
Overall, I really love the van. We bought the van in June 2003 so have been driving it 18 months. I haven't seen anything else on the market that I really would have even considered. Of course, no vehicle is perfect. But the pros outweigh the cons on this one.
First the Pros:
There are lots of nice features: folding rear seats, lots of storage compartments for CDs, sunglasses, etc. There are lots of cup holders for both drivers and passengers. There is a "bus driver" mirror so you can see all the passengers while driving without having to turn around.
The audio is decent. We purchased the LE model, so it didn't have the upgraded sound system, but it's adequate. It has a power sliding door on the passenger side, which is nice so I don't have to walk around to the other side to close the door. The controls are well laid out and easy to read.
The rear seats are easy to fold, although with 4 car seats we rarely fold them. It gets decent gas mileage (about 20mpg)-slightly better than my SUV. The 2 captains chair in the first row of passenger seats can be moved-either right next to each other or separated with a space between. We have them separated for easier access to the rear car seats. The seats are comfortable. The rear seat needs to be at the right angle or it can get a bit uncomfortable.
The van is roomy. We have 2 car seats on the rear passenger bench seat and there is still room between for another passenger (as long as they have a skinny rear-end). There is lots of head room (my husband is 6'2). It has good ground clearance, but is low enough my 3 year old can climb in unassisted. The cargo area is quite deep, since they don't have to make room for the spare time. It holds a lot more than I thought it would
It rides smoothly and has an awesome turning radius. It isn't the quietest vehicle, but it's better than some we owned.
The AWD works well. It handles well in snow. Not quite as good as 4-wheel drive, but I feel like I have good control in slippery conditions.
Now for the Cons: My main complaint is where they located the LATCH hooks for car seats. It does have 4 LATCH locations, but in the rear passenger bench seat, they are located on the left and in the middle. It would be much handier if they were on the left and right. We just use the shoulder belt to secure one of the seats, but the LATCH is so much easier.
I also don't like how they attached the middle shoulder belt in the rear passenger seat. It comes down from the ceiling, so if you're shorter, it rubs on your neck. The other annoyance is that the rear passenger headrests block the view out the rear window if they aren't completely pushed down to the seat back. You also have to raise the head rest to sit in the rear seat, otherwise it digs into your shoulder blades. Therefore we are having to raise and lower it every time anyone sits in the rear seat.
The center console between the front seats is weird. It's made of hard, cheap plastic and it is essentially just a tray with compartments. It is open underneath. It would be better to have something that one could open up and have storage. It folds down for easier access to the rear of the vehicle, but then you have to move everything off the console before you fold it. That also makes it tough to store anything underneath. You have to keep moving and rearranging. It's just a poor design.
The van has a few rattles that area annoying. I would have expected a new vehicle to be rattle free for a bit longer, but it's nothing that can't be tuned out.
Overall, I would recommend this van without hesitation. We did have a few recalls that have been fixed, but no major mechanical problems. I would purchase this same van again if I had to do it all over again.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 30,000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: LE, Power Sliding Door, Homelink, Side Curtain Airbags
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Epinions.com ID:
brainerdian
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Location: Minnesota
Reviews written: 17
Trusted by: 1 member
About Me:
Full-Time Pharmacist, Wife and Mother of 3 yr old and 15 month old triplets.
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