2006 Toyota Sienna

Pros: great standard features, nice interior, sporty exterior
Cons: none

After discovering our family of 4 was going to be 6, my husband & I researched & purchased a 2006 Toyota Sienna. Being under 30, I was not prepared to have to settle into being a 'minivan Mom' just yet-but it was our only option. At first, my husband said we bought the car for me, since he did not like the idea of having to drive a mini-van either. Now, 6 months later, my husband loves the car more than I do! Every time it rains he mentions how 'smooth & in-control' the drive is. It has countless other convenient features, all of which are simple to figure out. We have the 8-seater & it is pretty simple to move the chairs around, or put the back seats down when we need the space for other things. Being 9 months pregnant with twins, it is still pretty easy to get in and out of. The only problem we've had is the back plastic area of the drivers seat keeps falling off (my 4 year old likes to kick it)& the dealership is not very accommodating when it comes to minor details.

Pros: Smooth handling, feels like you're floating in a bubble down the road.
Cons: Road and excessive wind noise on freeway driving.

I spent so much time researching minivans on the internet and reading reviews I thought I had narrowed my choices down to the Honda Odyssey and the Toyota Sienna. My number one consideration as a driver was interior cabin noise. I was trading in an 2002 Oldsmobile Silouette, which I had grown to loathe because of it's noise levels. Both the Honda and the Toyota were quiet and drove wonderfully in the test drives so it came down to my liking the interior of the Toyota better in making my decision. I purchased the Toyota two weeks ago and this past week we took it on vacation...the wind noise traveling at 70 miles per hour on the freeways was horrendous! I was so upset by the time we returned from vacation I was depressed and crying over spending so much money on a vehicle that is such a disappointment. It drives and handles wonderfully, it's a perfect family hauler, but the wind noise ruins everything good about this vehicle.

Pros: All wheel drive, a lot of space.
Cons: Run flat tires are terrible. Toyota not cooperative.

Although I love the Sienna itself, I hated the run flat tires that they come with. I began to have problems with the tires when the car was less than one year old. My dealer did not diagnose the problem correctly, and eventually I ended up having to replace the tires. The problem is, there is no room for a spare tire in the Sienna. You would basically have to give up the trunk space. And isn't space the whole reason why you buy a mini van?

There was a class action suit against Toyota, in which they apparently settled to cover the tires for 2004, 2005 & some 2006 Siennas. Unfortunately, I am told that my car is not covered. Toyota is not stepping up to the plate, so I would not recommend a Toyota ever again.

Pros: Comfort, quite, good ride.
Cons: longer leg room. Wider seat.

I rented a Sienna. Takes a little gettin use to the bells and whistles, but I liked them all.
I rented it for 300 miles. I would like a bigger driver seat, but other wise, it was very comftorble. I had a Grand Prix, with leather heated seats. A Infinity G 20, and many pick up trucks.
The Sienna was comftorble above all.
Thus a wider seat, 3 more inches of leg room, and it gets a 10. Till then a 9+.

Pros: Nearly effortless comfort and handling.
Cons: Could use more adjustments in the front driver and passenger seats for taller people.

We rented a Sienna for a family vacation, and found it to be comfortable, easy to operate and had excellent handling. On a 450 mile trip that was half and half highway and city driving, the mileage was slightly over 20mpg, not bad for a loaded vehicle. Severe heavy thunderstorms were encountered twice in the mountains, and the car drove effortlessly and smoothly, no slipping or problems with speed or slowing during rapid weather changes. Wipers, defrosts and AC worked fast and well. The seating was comfortable for everyone except my 6ft 4inch tall husband, whose legs were unable to stretch out fully in the front passenger seat. The seats were easy to adjust and we liked the way the back seats recessed. The doors and hatch were easy to use, you simply pulled the handle towards you and the doors slide open or closed. The hatch is powered and was easy to open and close, even for me with my poor upper body strength. The remote key and security features were easy to operate, we never needed to read the manual for this.

Pros: none
Cons: Cheap, substandard but expensive DVD player

Recently bought a 2006 Sienna Minivan with a factory installed, expensive, DVD entertainment system. Recorded DVDs would play but not eject, and then jam the system. Required disassembly of the housing to reset power to eject. Took 3 visits and many calls to the dealer before we discovered that these expensive DVD players do not play recorded DVDs! Even a cheap home DVD player will do this. Toyota looks like it's pinching pennies with its OEM and charging the consumer a fortune for a substandard product. Beware before you buy this expensive option.

Pros: Power sliding door, CD player, Alloy Wheels.
Cons: Power Door Closes Too Slow

We bought our Toyota Sienna at Hoover, AL Toyota. We got the LE model, it came with one power sliding door. It rides smoothly compared to the 2002 Honda Odyssey we just traded in. It is a wonderful family car.