The Sienna can get to speed fairly quickly. It's capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 8.3 seconds, according to Toyota, making it one of the quickest minivans available. Toyota's 3.3-liter V6 features a two-stage variable-valve setup for good power at low and high rpm, while improving fuel economy by 3 mpg over the previous design. In other words it's quicker and more fuel-efficient than the 2003 model.
A new smooth-shifting five-speed automatic transmission adds to the Sienna's responsiveness around town and on the highway. The first four gear ratios are lower than those for the old four-speed automatic, while the higher fifth gear overdrive improves highway gas mileage (27 mpg EPA Highway).
Shifting into reverse turns on an outside warning beeper, which improves safety in a crowded shopping center parking lot but may not be popular with neighbors late at night. Models with the navigation system also feature a camera that switches on whenever the Sienna is shifted into reverse, displaying a moving picture of what's behind. The top-of-the-line XLE Limited features a park-assist system that sounds a tone inside the vehicle when backing up or pulling forward toward close objects, very useful when parallel parking or detecting unexpected objects. There are different tones for front and rear and the tone beeps faster as objects get closer.
Braking is smooth and powerful, the best in the class, according to Toyota. Making big 16-inch wheels standard equipment allowed Toyota to design bigger brakes. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) come standard. ABS helps to prevent the brakes from locking during severe braking conditions. EBD distributes the braking force evenly among the four tires for quicker, more stable stops.
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Traction Control (TRAC) and Brake Assist are optional. Vehicle Stability Control utilizes the braking system to help the driver maintain control in adverse driving conditions. The systemÆs TRAC feature helps reduce tire slippage during acceleration. Brake Assist adds brake pressure during emergency stopping situations when the driver mistakenly reduces pedal pressure.
All-wheel drive models come with 17-inch run-flat tires. Run-flat tires are equipped with reinforced sidewalls with a special bead shape to permit driving for up to 100 miles at speeds up to 55 MPH even when all the air pressure is lost. So you don't have to stop and change a tire in a threatening area of town or on a dark and stormy night. We associate run-flat tires with a rougher ride quality but we could not discern much difference between front- and all-wheel drive models. A spare tire is available for all-wheel-drive models. Next Page