Is the 2021 Toyota Sienna a handsome automobile?
Supplied you don’t immediately write off all minivans as ugly, you’re sure to seek out some magnificence within the 2021 Sienna.
The elemental proportions of the Sienna haven’t modified a lot. It wears the acquainted “two-box” look that’s a calling card of the van style—with a physique formed for max house plus a relatively low, rakish hoodline and steeper windshield than you’ll discover in most crossover utility autos.
What does distinguish the Sienna on the skin is its sculpting. At a fast look, what you discover is the aggressive creasing, however your eyes will seemingly transfer previous that to the zones in between—as a result of each has its personal clean contouring that at any angle or time of the day, replicate mild in a different way. The result’s some intelligent sheet steel work that in lots of lighting conditions could make a car that’s all one coloration seem like it’s two-tone.
There are primarily two tracks to the place the design goes as you progress up the mannequin line. The LE, XLE, and XSE get sportier blacked-out trim in again, ending out the lower-body aero work and rocker panels, whereas the Restricted and Platinum have extra brightwork and chrome badging.
Inside, the design has been reconceived towards a multi-tiered give attention to the place to place stuff. The “bridge console” actually bridges the house from the highest of the middle console to the center of the sprint, and it offers house for smaller objects up prime and bigger objects like a purse down under. There’s a tray that goes nearly all the way in which throughout the sprint, and it’s punctuated with different shiny trim working horizontally throughout. There’s loads occurring—it might appear a bit of busy, as we counted 5 horizontal design layers, and never all of it coordinated—however on nearer look it’s all purposeful.

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How briskly is the 2021 Toyota Sienna?
On stopwatch phrases, the 2021 Toyota Sienna finally ends up close to the again of the pack relative to most minivans in the marketplace at the moment. Toyota hasn’t launched an official time, however our tough estimate pegs the Sienna hitting 60 mph in about 8 seconds.
The 2021 Sienna breaks custom underneath the hood and now not comes with the V-6 engine it’s supplied ever since its begin for the 1998 mannequin yr. Within the curiosity of saving gasoline—a variety of gasoline—the brand new mannequin has a model of Toyota’s hybrid system, pairing a 189-horsepower, 2.5-liter inline-5 engine with a 180-hp electrical motor. By way of Toyota’s planetary-gear system, that quantities to a system output of 245 hp.
As in Toyota’s different hybrids, the system permits the gasoline engine to close off throughout lower-speed driving for brief distances, or when coasting, and it recaptures vitality from deceleration and braking to recharge the 1.9-kwh battery pack to assist enhance acceleration or present that electrical operation.
Is the 2021 Toyota Sienna 4WD?
All through the complete lineup there are front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive fashions. The latter embody a further 54-hp motor in again that gives all-wheel drive allowing as much as 80% of torque to go to the rear wheels, despite the fact that there’s no bodily connection from entrance to rear—and no promise of true off-road skill. AWD variations make the identical system output.
The remainder of the driving expertise within the Sienna helps make up for the merely satisfactory acceleration. The experience is quiet, and the suspension soaks up jolts whereas staying stiff sufficient for the Sienna to really feel much more coordinated on twisty backroads or freeway cloverleafs than SUVs. The steering is mild, fast and exact, and the brakes have been recalibrated to be clean and progressive.

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The 2021 Toyota Sienna excels in two areas the place minivans have all the time flexed their muscle: offering house for stuff and protected seats for a lot of mates or members of the family. Whereas it is a van that doesn’t skip a beat in these respects, the celebs of the Sienna inside are up in back and front within the second row.

Up in entrance, the Sienna makes an announcement with its cargo tray on the midline of the sprint, good for a number of smartphones and smaller objects. And between the doorways’ higher trays and decrease pockets, plus different areas within the “bridge console” main throughout to the sprint. There are a complete of 16 cupholders.

Within the second row, a lot of the lineup comes with twin captain’s chairs, and so they’re simply as supportive because the entrance ones, providing a 25-inch fore-and-aft sliding operate that may prolong the seat again to a limousine-like stage of legroom. Some top-trim Restricted and Platinum variations include a flip-up ottoman-like characteristic—primarily creating your personal La-Z-Boy. That slide operate additionally makes it simple to entry the third row, the place the bench is positioned nicely sufficient for adults—though placing three throughout there could be a bit of optimistic.

The third row is break up into two sections and flips ahead then pulls again right into a rear storage nicely in a fluid, comparatively low-effort transfer, and it offers a flat cargo ground. In the meantime, the second row doesn’t take away nevertheless it does flip ahead—permitting simply sufficient house for a 4×8 sheet of plywood, balanced on the highest of the seat (and simply behind the driving force’s head, we must always add).

Entry and exit are top-notch and simply as you’d anticipate in a minivan. You may kick underneath the sliding door to activate it in case you have the fob in your pocket, and the seat peak feels nearly at a midpoint between sedans and true SUVs.

Supplies tow a line between soft-touch surfaces wherever attainable, combined with upholsteries that really feel robust sufficient to climate spills and little one seats. Restricted fashions step up from artificial to leather-based, whereas Restricted and Platinum variations get leather-based heated/ventilated entrance seats and the Platinum completely will get heated second-row seats.

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Which Toyota Sienna ought to I purchase?
The Sienna XSE isn’t simply the mannequin that we’ve spent probably the most time in to date; it suits proper in the midst of the lineup, above the LE and XLE however slightly below the Restricted and Platinum. And judging by its look, the blacked-out lower-body trim and sportier essence within the particulars are sufficient to underscore that it makes probably the most out of the Sienna’s redesign. It begins at $43,175 in front-wheel drive, or $43,875 with all-wheel drive.
Base LE and XLE fashions are the one method to get the 8-passenger format, which subs a bench into the second row as an alternative of the captain’s chairs in the remainder of the lineup. On the base stage, the Sienna LE, with energy sliding aspect doorways and tri-zone local weather management, begins at $35,635.
All variations include a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system, flanked with bodily buttons and some knobs. The system contains each satellite tv for pc radio compatibility and Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa connectivity. XLE fashions and above get a four-zone local weather system.
How a lot is a totally loaded 2021 Toyota Sienna?
The highest-of-the-line Platinum mannequin prices $51,075, or $51,635 with all-wheel drive. The Platinum, and the Restricted under it, additionally open the door to a variety of unique options—like leather-based upholstery, a coloration head-up show, heated second-row seats, and a fowl’s eye digicam system.
A 1500-watt AC inverter with two retailers is obtainable as a $300 standalone choice, and a rear-seat leisure system non-obligatory on the XLE mannequin and above has a fold-down 11.6-inch show with an HDMI enter plus a distant and two pairs of wi-fi headphones. A fridge can be out there.

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Is the 2021 Toyota Sienna good on gasoline?
Oh sure it’s. Entrance-wheel-drive variations of the 2021 Sienna are anticipated to be EPA-rated at 36 mpg metropolis, 36 freeway, and 36 mixed. All-wheel-drive variations do practically as nicely at 35/36/35 mpg.
That’s a mammoth enchancment over final yr’s scores of 18/24/20 mpg with all-wheel drive or 19/26/21 mpg with front-wheel drive. And if the worth of gasoline spikes once more, it is going to save some huge cash in gas and working prices.
From our expertise with Toyota’s hybrid system within the Sienna and lots of different autos, the system is frugal whether or not you drive easily, aggressively, or something in between.
Whereas it’s not stunning that Toyota developed a hybrid model of its minivan, it’s surprising that the complete lineup is hybrid. Severe green-vehicle customers, nonetheless, will miss that there’s no plug-in hybrid model of the Sienna—a Sienna Prime, it could be known as—to match the all-electric driving functionality of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

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