Happy with your Sienna?

[Chicho]

Just found out another kid is on the way, looks like the 4Runner will soon be obsolete. I like the Sequoia, but I'm afraid the Sienna is more practical. I owned a Caravan once which was "OK"...nothing good or bad to say about it.

What do you think about the Sienna? Am I better off with a bigger SUV or a minivan?

[sooner4x4]

My Sienna is my fourth minivan, so obviously my opinion is going to be biased towards minivans. I also own a Tundra Double cab, which is essentially the same vehicle as the Sequoia.

Biggest benefits of a minivan over an SUV:
1. Gas mileage. We average 19 in the Sienna, 15.5 in the Tundra. May not seem like much but that is a difference of $750 a year at $2.50 per gallon and driving 25,000 miles per year (which we do in the Sienna). Difference in highway gas mileage is even more pronounced (26 vs 17).

2. Usable Room. Minivan wins hands down over any SUV. I have plenty of friends with Suburbans who dream of being able to haul as much stuff as we can in the minivan.

3. Safety. Do your research. A minivan is way safer than a top heavy SUV.

4. Fits in the garage a lot easier.

5. Access to third row seats way easier. Small boys may enjoy climbing over the seats in the SUV, but that gets old.

6. Driving Experience. More pleasant and easier drive for the driver. Visibility out the back is also better in a minivan. This is appreciated everytime you back out of your driveway or out of a crowded parking lot.

By the way, my four minivans:
1986 Dodge Caravan (the original design)
1997 Chevy Astro (cured me of ever wanting to own another domestic, what a lemon that was!)
2000 Honda Odyssey
2006 Toyota Sienna

[userw5]

Originally Posted by sooner4x4

2. Usable Room. Minivan wins hands down over any SUV. I have plenty of friends with Suburbans who dream of being able to haul as much stuff as we can in the minivan.

This is true. I have a tonneau cover on my '01 Tundra. The bed sides are only about 17", therefore I only have about 18 inches of usable depth with the cover closed.

If I have to carry anything big, either the cover has to come off or I use our Sienna.

I should have gotten a truck cap or a retractable cover. But that's another thread.


We are happy with our Sienna!!

[longwoodklon]

I actually went from a Sequoia to a Sienna. It wasn't solely based on practicality, we were having issues with the Sequoia and I'd just had enough of it(and the wife saying she wanted the minivan).

Hands down, the minivan is MUCH more practical for young kids. The power passenger sliding door is a must, and honestly that one feature alone is worth it's weight in gold. The minivan is lower(easier for kids to get into, and easier for mom to load an infant), the sliding doors means you don't have to worry about the kids hitting other parked cars with the door while getting in/out, things like the light switch which has 3 settings(off, door, on) is a real bonus with the 3 rows and kids that tend to turn their lights on and leave them on. The fold flat 3rd row is nice, though not used a lot(fold flat 2nd row would be nice too).

And, it drives easier. It tracks better on the road and you don't feel like you are pushing it(drives like a car, Seq. drives like a truck). Better gas mileage(though not spectacular). Overall, it's a better vehicle for hauling people. If you need to tow a big boat or something, by all means get the Seq. But if it's use is to haul kids to/from school then the minivan is hard to beat.
/Mike

[Bobbyg123]

3. Safety. Do your research. A minivan is way safer than a top heavy SUV.

Not to stir up trouble, but that is not always the case. Before the days of traction and stability control, I would have agreed with your statement. Now that rollover accidents are coming down, large SUV's are probably the safest cars on the road. Safety ratings are done within a class and can confuse the general public. A 5-star safety rated Camry will not fare too well against a 4-star safety rated Sequoia, and I don't care what the safety "experts" say to the contrary.