Toyota Sienna - 2005 Review

I cannot say enough about my Totota Sienna... love it! First off, the cost is less than a comprably decked out SUV. Even though Toyotas tend to be expensive, the minivan truly is reasonably priced. Toyotas also retain their value well. I will be keeping mine forever, though, which may be an exaggeration, but with the durability of a Toyota, I can certainly plan on keeping it a long time. As a parent, the Sienna has been a life-saver. It comes equipped with LATCH, and with the middle row captain's chairs, installing a car seat is a snap. I can also put a car seat in each captain's chair and move the seats side by side, or put both against the doors with space in between them. The dual side doors, (automatic, of course) make it easy to access either seat. The seats also fold down easily for third row passengers to get in, and if you have a car seat in both captain's chairs so that one cannot be folded down, you can put it in the middle position and people can just walk right by to get into the third row. The third row of seats also folds up to make a very large cargo area for hauling. We have lots of storage room and yes, lots of cup holders! The back hatch is also automatic, and can be activated from the key fob or by a gentle tug. This may not seem like a big deal, but it sure is easy with a baby and tons of groceries in your hands! My Sienna has all the standard features, including 6 CD changer, moon roof, etc... A complaint I do have to mention is that Toyotas come with pre-set packages, which means if you want a moon roof, you might have to take other options that are pre-packed with it even if you don't necessarily want them. Also, it's often hard to get the exact package you want - when we were purchasing my Sienna, we went through a broker because we couldn't find one with the option package I wanted in any of the dealerships we visited. Toyotas often aren't discounted, either, so at the time, we couldn't get a price break from Costco... that may have changed by now, but the overall cost can be prohibitive for some. If you can swing it, though, it's a great car - awesome for hauling kids, dogs, and stuff. It may not be considered "cool" to drive a minivan, but my friends who don't have one are sure envious when I open my doors with a touch of a button and toss my stroller in the back... still fully open if I want!