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2027 Chevrolet Equinox ReviewHands-On With the 2026 Toyota Sienna
We go hands-on with the 2026 Toyota Sienna to see how its comfort, tech, fuel efficiency, and practicality stack up for daily driving.
The Sienna is the King of the Road Trip
Dear anyone with kids: Skip the crossover and buy yourself a minivan.
That is the big takeaway from a week spent with the 2026 Toyota Sienna. Full disclosure: I already own a minivan, but it is a 12-year-old, no-frills kind of ride. The Sienna, particularly in Platinum trim, is all frills, but with real substance to back it up. We’re talking power-sliding doors, hybrid fuel efficiency, massive cargo space, and room for everyone. That’s standard across the Sienna lineup.
Tack on the Platinum badge and the content roster ratchets way up with the likes of a built-in vacuum cleaner, 6-pack-sized fridge, head-up display, digital rearview mirror, super-long slide second-row seats with ottomans, and so forth, and so on. It’s not cheap, this Platinum, at $59,980 as tested, however, you can get into a base LE for about $42,000 and still enjoy much of what makes this Toyota a top-tier choice among minivans. Of course, the Platinum is pretty nice and easy to recommend. Did I mention the Macadamia two-tone leather? So very lovely.
Exterior Impressions
I’m not sure you could describe the Sienna as handsome, but there’s no denying the style is distinctive, particularly the gaping front maw. Then again, those shopping a minivan are surely less interested in subjective looks than objective functionality. Like power-sliding side doors activated at the touch of a key fob button and a hands-free tailgate that opens to reveal an enormous cargo hold.
If you are over six feet tall, be aware the max tailgate height is a bit on the low side, so watch that forehead. Platinum variants add dashes of chrome, special two-tone 18” wheels, and upgraded LED headlights. Specifically, projectors instead of the reflectors from most other trim lines. Along with looking sharp, these beams are designed to deliver crisper edges to nighttime illumination and left me feeling confident on dark back roads.
An Interior Made for Family Drives
There isn’t a bad seat in the house when it comes to the Sienna Platinum. Two-tone black and Macadamia leather looks the $60,000 part and all 3 rows feel spacious. Up front, the seats are heated and cooled, the middle 2 seats have heat and can slide – manually – rather far back, where you can recline and pop up the integrated footrests for maximum comfort.
Storage spaces abound, with Toyota noting 18 total cupholders, and the cargo hold is easy to convert from a large well behind the upright third row to a vast flat-bottomed cavern when those seats are stowed within.
Unfortunately, the second-row captain’s chairs cannot be removed or folded into the floor, which limits room for long cargo. On the backside of the center console sits a refrigerator with room for a 6-pack and, down low, a port to plug in a vacuum cleaner tube, both of which are Platinum exclusives. Not only does the fridge get nice and cold, but the vacuum also reaches all four corners of the Sienna, has ample suction, and comes with a reasonably large dustbin.
Technology That Fits Real Life
The requisite – for a range-topping premium vehicle – digital screens are on hand in the Toyota Sienna Platinum. Wireless smartphone mirroring and charging are included and, unlike lesser models, dual 12.3” displays are spread across the dashboard. On the left, the gauge cluster features Toyota’s Hybrid Power Meter. It looks like a tachometer, but has sections labeled Charge, Eco, and Power. The idea is to illustrate how efficiently you drive.
In combination with the animation showing how battery and gas-powered energy is flowing in the minivan, it does a nice job of nurturing your inner hypermiler. I found the head-up display easy to read, the digital rearview mirror easy to toggle into traditional mode, and the 12-speaker JBL audio system appropriately thumpy.
It’s also worth noting that Toyota includes a trial subscription to its long list of connectivity services with the purchase of a new Sienna. The trial length varies, but Safety Connect – with its emergency roadside assistance – is on the house for 5 years.
Behind The Wheel of the 2026 Toyota Sienna
Between the naturally aspirated 2.5L four-cylinder gas engine and hybrid battery system, the 2026 Sienna makes 245 horsepower. So, it’s not fast, but it is EPA rated for 35 MPG combined when fitted with optional AWD. That translates to more than 600 miles of range, which is no bad thing in this climate of high gas prices, and makes it easy to understand why hybrid demand continues to soar.
I found the hand-off between the gas-powered and hybrid system a bit herky jerky, particularly at low speeds, and when pushed, the noises are on the thrashy side. With more time behind the wheel, I would likely acclimate to these nuances and really, for that kind of fuel efficiency, I’d be willing to put up with a lot.
Nice touches include the Brake Hold button. Press it at a stoplight and you can take your foot off the brake without putting the Sienna in park. Get back on the gas when the light turns green and you’re off. This would be a nice way to avoid exhausting your leg in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The advanced driver aids, of which there are many, were not overly intrusive, but do require navigating via the steering wheel buttons and small central instrument panel screen, which takes some getting used to.
Final Thoughts
We have 3 kids and an active lifestyle, so as far as I’m concerned, a minivan is a family vehicle homerun. The only question becomes which one? These days, there are only a few to choose from, like the Honda Odyssey, but only the Sienna comes standard with a hybrid powertrain – making it a good place to start. Though I drove the range-topping Platinum, and would very happily recommend it, you can spend thousands less on some of the more budget-friendly models.
Usually, I would lean towards those cheaper variants, if only to avoid the inevitably of a child making a huge mess inside your $60,000 ride. But, in this particular case, I’d go for the Platinum simply for the vacuum cleaner and fridge. The latter to keep the kids reasonably happy on long drives and the former to make light work of the post-drive cleanup. Gimmicks these features are not, and when combined with the spacious, fuel-friendly ways of every 2026 Sienna, it’s hard to beat.
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