The Toyota Sienna has been completely updated for 2021, and all trims are now Hybrid. The Sienna is still available in front or all-wheel drive. The Sienna starts at CAD $39,900 and we tested the All-Wheel-Drive top-of-the-line Limited trim in Blueprint Blue, with seating for 7, which is priced at CAD $58,190.
Fun Factor: 6
Can it Family: 10
Fuel-Friendly: 10
HWY-warrior: 9
Karaoke-Friendly: 7
Baby-Friendly: 10
City Cruising: 8
The perfect family hauler
I have always been a huge fan of minivans because I’m a Mom of 3 and I have actually owned 2 of them myself when my daughters were younger. Now that they’re teens and 1 tween, we’re able to make do without a minivan, but I still love them and recommend them to parent buyers all the time.
There are so many conveniences with minivans, but my favourite feature is the power sliding doors. They keep your hands free when loading and unloading kids, dealing with car seats, strollers, and babies. They also keep your kids from dinging other cars with the door, and you don’t need quite as much space for parking because of this. In the Sienna, there are 7 ways to open and close them! My favourite of all would be the brand new for this model-year, the kick motion sensor which means you can literally have both of your hands full and still be able to easily open or close the sliding doors.
The other reason I love minivans, and this Sienna, so much is that while there is room for 7 (or 8 if you opt for a second-row bench seat in the lower trims), there is so much cargo space for important family stuff like strollers, groceries, and plenty of space for luggage too. We did plenty of road trips in our minivans and with AWD and the amazing fuel economy, nothing is stopping you!
Speaking of fuel economy, this is the first year for the Sienna Hybrid and there is no longer a gas-only option. It’s stated to get 6.7L /100 KM however, I was getting 8.6L /100 KM but that included mostly city driving. When the gas motor kicks in, you definitely hear it but it isn’t annoyingly loud or overly noticeable. There is an energy monitor on the instrument cluster as well as on the infotainment so that you can see when each motor is powering the wheels and when the battery is being charged by the gas motor, this is a pretty cool feature.
The amazing space in the Sienna means a lot of flexibility as well, the long sliding second-row seats slide all the way from the front seat to the third-row bench, leaving room for anything you could possibly need to throw in here with or without the family tagging along.
Conveniences and luxury features abound in the Sienna Limited
At this price point, I do want luxury features, and Toyota brings it. Leather seating, four-zone climate control, second-row heated seats, an entertainment system with HDMI connectivity plus USB and USB-C charging ports in both the second and third rows are high-end conveniences that I love and expect when spending over $50,000 on a family car.
As the driver, I appreciated the full-screen Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, and spacious front center console with space for a mom-sized tote bag, and plenty of other essentials (think: wet wipes, water bottles, tissue, snacks) when piloting my family all over town.
Absolute comfort means power seats, leather, heated steering wheel, and both heated and ventilated front seats keep the adults happy while shuttling and road-tripping.
Speaking of conveniences, how many cup holders does a 7-seat Sienna get? 16 Cupholders grace all three rows throughout the Sienna, including 8 just between the driver and passenger in the front.
Safety is a top priority for a family car:
All trims come with Toyota Safety Sense suite of features which include: pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, dynamic radar cruise control (adaptive cruise), lane departure warning, automatic high beams, lane trace assist, road-sign assistance.
Why We Would Buy the Toyota Sienna
I would buy the Sienna because I love how family-friendly and road-trip ready it is. All-wheel-drive and amazing fuel economy gives me the confidence to want to plan a road trip for every season of the year, post-pandemic of course!
Why wouldn’t we buy the Sienna?
While I love minivans so much, my family is ready for an SUV or sedan these days and would love to opt for the Highlander, or even perhaps the adventure-bound 4Runner. The Highlander is capable with its 3-rows and yet is also hybrid plus an SUV body style, while the 4Runner is perfect for camping and adventure families.
Overall, I think the Sienna is a clear winner for families. The new fuel economy of the hybrid, combined with available all-wheel-drive and so many luxury and convenience features, it’s a home run for me.
*The Toyota Sienna was loaned to me by Toyota Canada for a week to facilitate this review.
