Overview
The undisputed fuel efficiency champ of the minivan segment, the 2024 Toyota Sienna masks its mild-mannered personality behind an enormous maw and a liberal application of creases and angles intended to separate it from the minivan status quo. But no amount of bold styling can hide its minivan credentials: dual sliding side doors, a spacious cabin with three rows of seating and a large cargo-swallowing rear tailgate. The ride is well sorted, the cabin quiet, and the accommodations refined but unlike most minivans, the second-row seats are not removable, which may cramp the style of some users. This fourth-generation Sienna is offered solely as a 245-hp hybrid with the option of either a front- or all-wheel drive. Though the Sienna is thrifty, serving up an EPA-estimated 36 mpg combined (35 for AWD), it’s slower than many competitors and the engine groans in protest under heavy acceleration—the drone penetrating the otherwise quiet cabin. While the Sienna deserves its place in this tightly grouped segment, there remain a few things we prefer about the Chrysler Pacifica, the Honda Odyssey, and the Kia Carnival.
What’s New for 2024?
Last year’s 25th-anniversary package has run its course, but the XSE Premium trim steps in to fill the void. It includes leather seating, power driver and passenger seats with memory, power tilt-and-telescopic wheel with memory, heated side mirrors, puddle lamps, orange highlight stitching and a few additional details. The bright wheels on the XSE AWD and on Woodland trim feature a darker coloring that matches the wheels on the front-wheel drive XSE. Finally, the chrome headlamps on LE and XLE trims get the darkening treatment.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
We’re eyeballing the sporty XSE model, which comes with a sunroof, front sport seats, premium audio with navigation (a JBL system is also available), second-row captain’s chairs and Toyota’s “one-motion” 60/40 split & stow third row. Exterior tweaks include 20-inch wheels, more-aggressive front and rear bumpers, and tauter suspension. The XSE, like all Sienna trims, comes standard with front-wheel drive, but adding all-wheel drive costs just $760, which seems like a worthy upgrade to us.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Sienna has been offered exclusively as a hybrid since its 2020 redesign. At the core of the powertrain is a 2.5-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors that make a combined 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive is available across the lineup and is achieved by the addition of a third electric motor that drives the rear wheels exclusively. One of two hybrid minivans currently available, The Sienna is a traditional hybrid, while the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, its primary main rival and the only other hybrid in the segment, is a PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle) and has 260 horsepower. The Pacifica is front-wheel drive only, however. Our all-wheel drive Sienna Platinum delivered a competent yet uninspiring driving experience and failed to excite us during acceleration testing, requiring 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph and completing the quarter mile in 15.8 seconds at only 88 mph. These numbers are similar to the Pacifica Hybrid’s but are far slower than non-hybrid examples of the Pacifica, as well as the Odyssey and Carnival.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
With EPA fuel economy estimates of 36 mpg city and 36 mpg highway, the Sienna stands as the segment’s thriftiest people hauler. (Adding all-wheel drives subtracts 1 mpg in each metric.) Our all-wheel drive Platinum test vehicle returned a combined 29 mpg in the hands of the C/D staff and test drivers. We haven’t yet put the new Sienna through our 75-mile highway fuel economy test, but when we do, we’ll update this story with the results. For more information about the Sienna’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
Toyota took a sidestep with Sienna’s interior, equipping it with a large center console that spans the distance from the dashboard to the center armrest, with a large storage cubby underneath. Some buyers may miss the open floor concept typical of nearly all of its competition, but the center stack/console arrangement does follow through on the husky design theme of the exterior. The top-tier Limited and Platinum models have two-tone interior trim and dashboards covered in stitched leather-like material, while the sporty XSE model gets black-and-white faux-leather seats with red contrast stitching. Frequent haulers of cargo will be disappointed to learn that the Sienna’s second-row seats are not removable like those in the Odyssey and the Pacifica Hybrid. As a consolation prize of sorts, the second-row captain’s chairs can slide a total of 25 inches providing either maximum legroom for second-row riders or more cargo room aft of the second row. Maximum cargo area behind the third row is 33.5 cubic feet compared to the Kia Carnival’s 40 cubes. Limited and Platinum models can be had with reclining second-row seats with pop-up ottomans. The two top trims can also be equipped with an onboard vacuum cleaner.
Infotainment and Connectivity
The 2024 Sienna utilizes Toyota’s latest 9.0-inch touchscreen display infotainment interface residing on the dashboard above the climate controls. Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa connectivity features are all standard, as is an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot and SiriusXM satellite radio. Seven USB ports dot the van’s cabin. The base stereo is a 6-speaker setup, and XLE models get eight speakers. A 12-speaker JBL stereo system is optional on the XLE and XSE and standard on the Limited and Platinum. In-dash navigation is standard, starting with the XSE trim; a rear-seat entertainment system with an 11.6-inch display is optional on all but the base LE model. A 7-inch instrument cluster display relays vital driving information and a head-up display is available and is standard on Platinum.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The 2024 Toyota Sienna counts ten airbags, blind-spot monitoring and its Safety Sense 2.0 bundle of driver-assistance features as standard equipment on the new Sienna, while convenience items such as parking sensors, and a 360-degree exterior camera system are optional. For more information about the Sienna’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection
- Standard lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist
- Standard adaptive cruise control
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
The Kia Carnival offers longer coverage for both the powertrain and the bumper-to-bumper warranty than the Sienna. But Toyota adds some value to its fairly basic warranty package with a two-year complimentary maintenance plan.
- Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Hybrid-component warranty covers 8 years or 100,000 miles
- Complimentary maintenance is covered for 2 years or 25,000 miles
Specifications
Specifications
2023 Toyota Sienna Limited
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door van
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $51,730/$53,855
POWERTRAIN
DOHC 16-valve Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter inline-4, 189 hp, 176 lb-ft + 3 permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors, front: 180 hp, 199 lb-ft; rear: 54 hp, 89 lb-ft (combined output: 245 hp); 1.5-kWh (est.) nickel-metal hydride battery pack
TRANSMISSIONS, F/R
CVT/direct drive
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 12.9-in vented disc/12.5-in vented disc
Tires: Goodyear Assurance Finesse
235/55R-19 101H M+S
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 120.5 in
Length: 203.7 in
Width: 78.5 in
Height: 69.7 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 58/58/47 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: –/75/34 ft3
Curb Weight: 4811 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 7.5 sec
1/4-Mile: 15.8 sec @ 88 mph
100 mph: 22.1 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 3.9 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 5.8 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 117 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 190 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.78 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 27 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 33 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 590 mi
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 35/35/36 mpg
