Toyota Sienna poised to give minivans run for the money

I'm jealous of the "younger" generation. They are so darn lucky! I just test drove a vehicle so good, with so many nifty features, that does so many things so well that it makes me wish I could go back in time and live my family rearing years all over again. This is the vehicle that should have been in my driveway 20 years ago!

When I called Soskin Toyota on Siemers Drive to arrange a test drive, I hoped they would give me the hot little MR2 two-seater convertible, or perhaps an exciting new Highlander sport ute. Honestly, I was a bit disappointed when they handed me the keys to a minivan. I had done the minivan scene several years ago, and found them to be a utilitarian, but uninspiring form of transportation.

"This baby is all new," the sales manager told me. "It's an '04. Totally redesigned. You'll love it." I shuffled out to the parking lot, drooling on the great-looking sporty jobs scattered around the showroom. I considered begging for a different car, but the salesman was so enthusiastic about the Sienna's new engine, disappearing third seat, power sliding door and quad bucket seating that I decided to give the van a fair shake.

Squealing tires

The 2004 Sienna has a new 3.3-liter V-6 engine, producing 230 horsepower, coupled to a new five-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. There is also a full-time, all-wheel drive option that turns this van into sort of an SUV! In 185 miles of spirited city and highway driving, which included a run to Carbondale, Ill., for lunch and a drive out to Marble Hill, Mo., for dinner, we averaged 26.5 miles per gallon.

Did I say spirited? Yep. You soccer moms are going to love this thing. When you're not running the kids all over town, you'll be squealing tires away from green lights! That's right, the high torque V-6 engine puts out more power than most V-8s of yesteryear. Mash down smartly on the throttle of this minivan and you'll leave black marks on the pavement in front of your favorite day-care center!

And since a minivan is supposed to be a vehicular "jack of all trades," the Toyota engineers thoughtfully gave it features that the man in the family will appreciate. Right out of the box the Sienna is rated to tow 3,500 pounds -- that's plenty of oomph to get your pontoon boat down to the lake, or a U-Haul trailer across the country. Drop the third-row seat into the floor, flip the middle row seats forward, and you can slide in a full sheet of plywood.

Interior design features

The Sienna is roomy, extremely quiet and comfortable. Controls are simple to use, and storage space is abundant. The seven-passenger version allows owners to mount the second-row captain's chairs together to create a bench seat, and the eight-passenger version uses a 40/20/40-split bench in the second row, enabling you to pull the middle seat several inches closer to the front seats for easier access to a baby. There are cup holders everywhere ... I think I counted 10. Kids in the back can don wireless headphones and use a remote to control their own sound system or DVD player. They also have their own air conditioning controls, and individually adjustable reclining bucket seats. When you arrive at the drop off zone, Mom, just push a button on the overhead panel and the right side door slides open. Push the button again to close the door.

Driving impressions

The automobile industry needs to dump the minivan moniker, because the name doesn't really describe what these vehicles are all about anymore. For one thing, there's nothing "mini" about these vans. For another, these vehicles may be vaguely shaped like a van, but that's where the similarity ends. Seriously! How about a truly descriptive name, like "LimoVan." The Sienna is every bit as quiet as the last Lincolns and Cadillacs I drove. And it rides as smoothly as those cars do, too. To be fair, I went to the car magazines to find out what other testers had to say about the Sienna's ride, and I have to report that they feel the Sienna's supple ride deteriorates somewhat when fully loaded. But how often will you have all the seats filled?

So my advice, if you want the ride of a luxury car, the ability to haul enough lumber to build a playhouse for the kids, and eight seats, but have a budget of less than $30,000, march yourself down to your Toyota dealer. Just try not to drool on the little sports car in the showroom -- that's mine.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian.