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There are multiple reasons why the Toyota Sienna has always been a favorite amongst minivan buyers. The refined powertrain coupled with excellent interior space, comfort, and features made it an instant hit ever since it initially launched in the United States back in 1997. The same ethos of the older models has been carried forward, and with the arrival of the fourth-generation Sienna in 2021, Toyota has also made it quite a well-rounded offering of the segment.
Offered for a selling price of $34,710 and coming in six trim configurations including the brand-new Woodland Edition, the 2022 Toyota Sienna is loaded with features, has decent performance, and is one of the best in terms of fuel efficiency. The impressive Toyota reliability, class-leading safety performance, and beautiful design language are definitely going to excite many prospective buyers too. Competing with the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid and Honda Odyssey, here are 10 things you need to know before buying the 2022 Toyota Sienna.
10 Acceleration Is A Bit Lethargic
Coming with the 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-4 motor coupled with dual electric motors for the FWD variant, the 2022 Toyota Sienna has 245 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque. If you get the AWD variant, which comes with the all-new Woodland Edition, there is a third electric motor as well, which is used to drive the rear wheels.
The performance is decent and feels adequate for driving through the crowded city streets and the open highways. However, driving enthusiasts should look at the Honda Odyssey, as this hybrid powertrain is not made for the ultimate driving experience. The top-end is lackluster and there is no forced induction on offer as well. The 0-60 mph time of 7.7 seconds is the worst of the segment too.
9 Elegant Exterior Design
The all-new generation of the Sienna turned out to be a looker and this is going to be one of the biggest selling points of this minivan. Even though the minivans are not going to have the same appeal as a similarly priced SUV, the Sienna managed to stand out with the SUV-like design language, especially when viewed from the front.
The LED headlights with LED DRLs, the passive blacked-out air dam, chrome elements, and the masculine bumper and hood design look appealing. The profile also looks decent due to the subtle character lines and the massive 20″ alloy wheels. The rear-end gets the futuristic touch from the LED taillights, blacked-out cladding, and well-integrated spoiler.
8 Pliant Ride Quality
The independent front and rear suspension setup with the shocks that are tuned to the softer side means that the ride quality is top-notch. Drive the car slowly through pothole-infested cities, and you would appreciate the level of plushness the Sienna has to offer. Even the sharpest of the irregularities are filtered with ease.
The body roll is well under control when taking the corners a bit enthusiastically, and we found it great, especially when compared to the Chrysler Pacifica. There’s also nothing to complain about regarding the traveling experience on the highway, as it doesn’t wallow around and has very minimal vertical movement.
7 Fuel Efficient
Since the 2022 Toyota Sienna can only be had as a hybrid, fuel efficiency is one of its strong points. The VVT inline-4 motor is mated to a well-calibrated CVT automatic, and the dual electric motors helps the car in achieving a city and highway gas mileage of 36 MPG, which turned out to be better than any rivals.
With a large 18-gallon fuel tank capacity, the 2022 Toyota Sienna also gave out the best in class tank range of 648 miles. If you opt for the AWD variant, the fuel efficiency does drop marginally, with 35 MPG combined for the city and highway.
6 Top-Notch Safety
Coming with all the bells and whistles due to the inclusion of the Toyota Safety Sense, the 2022 Toyota Sienna is surely going to top your wishlist if you want a comfortable and safe family hauler. The build quality is top-notch, with the minivan entirely constructed in high tensile steel and aluminum, and everything screams quality.
The standard driver-assistance features include automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and many more. All the basic safety features are on board, too. All of these helped the car to get a 5-star rating in the NHTSA crash test and the 2022 top safety pick + title from the IIHS.
5 Spacious Cabin
Like all its rivals, the Toyota Sienna also offers an impressive traveling experience, which is partly contributed by the excellent room and space. The front row and second-row passengers get unmatched headroom, legroom, and shoulder room, making this minivan quite comfortable even for long road trips.
They also get good under-thigh support, lower back support, and soft leather. Even the third-row has nothing to complain about, as the kids are going to enjoy the above-average under-thigh support and the airy cabin. The light color combination, wide armrest, HVAC controls, and rear cabin infotainment also add to the comfort factor. The 33.5 cu ft of cargo capacity makes sure that all the luggage goes to the trunk without intruding into the cabin and lessening the traveling experience.
4 Excellent Infotainment
The 9″ touchscreen infotainment comes as standard and is very neatly integrated into the dashboard. The display quality and viewing angles are top-notch, and we also found the infotainment to be incredibly easy to use. The animations are very fluid and there are no noticeable freezes and lags to report either.
All the regular infotainment features like Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, Amazon Alexa integration, USB, aux support, etc are standard across the lineup. The audio experience provided by the 12-speaker JBL audio system that comes with the Limited and Platinum trim is great too.
3 Very Reliable
Toyota has always been quite famous for its reliability, and the same ethos is carried forward with the 2022 Sienna. This could be understood from the impressive overall consumer rating of 79 out of 100 provided by JD Power, with an average score of 74 in the quality and reliability section, which is superior to the Chrysler Pacifica.
So far, the 2022 iteration has not received complaints from consumers and there were no recalls. However, the NHTSA has noted six complaints about the older 2021 iteration of the Sienna. Nevertheless, all of them are minor issues related to electronics. Even if you have an issue, Toyota is the only brand in the segment that offers two-year complimentary maintenance coverage, and the regular warranty is reasonably long as well.
2 Sharp Brakes
The brakes of the 2022 Toyota Sienna are more than enough to anchor down this minivan at any speed. Coming with 4-wheel disc brakes, with the front end getting 12.9″ rotors and the rear getting 12.5″ rotors, the 2022 Sienna has more than sufficient initial bite and great braking progression, and there is no twitchiness under hard braking.
This minivan managed to do the 70-0 mph braking in 188 feet, which is in the same ballpark as its rivals, the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey. Even though regenerative braking is on board, it is not very intrusive. Other braking features like ABS with EBD, ventilated rotors, brake assist, automated emergency braking, etc are standard across the trims.
1 Comes Loaded With Features
Coming in with six trim configurations, the buyers wouldn’t be disappointed with the standard features list, even for the base LE trim. Get the Sienna LE and the features like dual power sliding doors, blind-spot monitoring system, remote keyless entry, 17″ alloy wheels, three-zone automatic climate control, etc are standard. Offered for a base MSRP of $34,710, it is pretty value for money as well.
The all-new Woodland Edition which comes for $45,500 offers an AWD drivetrain, SofTex sport-trimmed seats, captains chair, HD entertainment center, black roof rails with crossbars, etc. However, if you wish to go all-in, get the Platinum trim, which retails for an MSRP of $50,150. This trim comes equipped with a 10″ heads-up display, 360-degree camera, heated steering wheel, 20″ alloy wheels, and much more as standard.
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