With only a few minivans on the market today from the likes of Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Chrysler the genre has moved more upscale than when they first came to market in the 1980’s. Nowadays, buyers expect many more creature comforts, features, and refinements.
Toyota offers all these things in the 2014 Sienna which has styling and form that is shoulder to shoulder with its competition in terms of upscale appeal, size, and overall capability. Our Limited AWD tester came with virtually all things, dressing it up both inside and out.
Notable exterior features on ours were the ten spoke 18” alloy wheels, driving lights, and high intensity discharge headlamps. They framed the large chrome grille nicely, giving an upscale look that fits well into the Toyota brand DNA.
Inside is where the action is with a minivan. While the Sienna can seat up to eight passengers, our Limited had the second row lounge seats making it a seven passenger vehicle. These chairs can slide way back and feature an innovative flip up ottoman for maximum comfort on those long trips.
The third row legroom does get a little snug if you push the second row seats all the way back and use those ottomans. In the normal seating position however, they provide the third row with adequate room for real adults.
The third row seats can be folded down flat into the floor which makes for larger cargo area when they aren’t needed. The second row seats are also removable as well should you need the entire cargo space.
Not to be left out, the driver enjoys a comfortable place to be as well. Visibility out the front and side windows is exceptional. Controls on the dash and center stack area are located well for ease of reach, and the steering wheel has most commonly used controls.
The design is contemporary but not outlandishly bold. The theme with simulated wood-grain is tastefully done and the Sienna can be optioned in a variety of trim levels inside to meet most people’s tastes.
Ours had the Limited Premium Package which brings among many things the dual screen rear entertainment system, voice activated DVD player and wireless headphones. My experience is this is a must if you have two or more kids.
Also included in that package is touchscreen navigation and premium JBL Audio with full connectivity capabilities for personal devices. The sound quality was very good and usability behind the wheel is above average.
Motivating the 2014 Toyota Sienna is a 3.5 liter V6 engine with 266 horsepower which drives the wheels through a standard six-speed automatic transmission. The EPA fuel economy is 16 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined.
The Toyota Sienna is standard with front-wheel drive which has traction control as well as stability control. You can also option all-wheel drive in the Sienna, something not all its competitors offer.
The chassis features fully independent suspension front and rear which offers up a quiet ride to go along with the Sienna’s solid body structure. Four wheel disc-brakes with ABS are standard and power steering is of the electrically assisted variety.
The 2014 Toyota Sienna achieves top marks with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, achieving a Good status on all categories. They do not at this time have data for the new Small Offset Front test, which is required to be eligible for Top Safety Pick.
As stated our 2014 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD was well optioned which brought the price close to the $50,000 mark including destination. The Sienna starts much lower at $26,920 for the front-wheel drive 2014 Sienna L.
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