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Subaru Forester Generations: Through the Years2020 Toyota Sienna Review
The Toyota Sienna is a safe space for the entire family. It supremely protects, coddles, and entertains while AWD and driver assists tame the nasties.
2020 Toyota Sienna – pressroom.toyota.com | Shop 2020 Toyota Sienna on Carsforsale.com
What’s New for the 2020 Toyota Sienna
Permit us to be transparent – we enjoy minivans like the Toyota Sienna. And we may be in the golden age of minivan development over the next decade, especially with a push towards electrification. Just drive a Tesla Model X if you need a preview.
As much as we enjoy the X, and with a pocketbook closer to reality, we would buy the 2020 Toyota Sienna. Although it’s been around in this current design since 2017, it’s aged very well. Recently, there have been a few tech updates and all-wheel-drive, so things look good compared to the 2020 competition.
For updates, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are the best new additions to the 2020 Sienna. It’s surprising how long it took for Toyota to integrate this – even the Mitsubishi Mirage has had Apple CarPlay for a while. Regardless of the time, all is well now, and the sound is excellent when played through Bose’s ten-speaker system.
New for 2020 is a Nightshade edition that makes the Sienna look less like a grocery getter and more like a blacked-out and stealthy but hefty sport van. So you know, it’s our favorite look. Also, it seems like the Toyota appeared on Oprah and gave Premium editions to every Sienna trim. A premium for you and you and you! The good thing is that Toyota feels you should have choices, and we can’t hate on that.
Let’s take a deeper look all over the 2020 Sienna minivan and see what’s in store for you and this extraordinarily comfortable and competent rolling family comforter.
The Breakdown
We like the styling
We like the standard features
We like the seats
We like the technology
We like the extensive driver-assist features
We don’t like the front cabin wind noise
2021 Grand Cherokee Specs
- 296 horsepower from base engine
- 263 lb-ft of torque from base engine
- 8 available trims
- 39.1 cu-ft. of cargo capacity behind 3rd row
- 87.1 cu-ft. of cargo capacity behind 2nd row
- 150 cu-ft. of cargo capacity with 2nd and 3rd row down
- Towing capacity of 3500 lbs
2020 Toyota Sienna Powertrain
The Sienna isn’t lightweight at 4590 lbs, so it’s good that a powerful 3.5-liter V6 pulls it. With that much horsepower, the Sienna will run up to 60 in around 7 seconds. You won’t be giving up much performance ground to an SUV any time soon. Get the Midnight Edition, add all-wheel-drive, and it will give you a sports van attitude.
The 8-speed transmission will silently do its part in regular outings, and outside noises will be less noticeable due to the upper trim’s laminated front windows. It’s no surprise that the Sienna has a car-like demeanor on the road, but we were happy that it handled itself well in corners. The AWD drivetrain kept the rear from wagging its tail too much in more spirited driving, so we recommend that option even if you live where it never snows.
The Sienna realizes that it isn’t a sports sedan, but for that matter, neither is the Camry. However, Toyota has worked hard to make the Sienna a fun transportation device to drive and maybe even more fun than its Camry family member. Minivan is no longer a dirty word when it comes to handling.
Towing & Payload
Minivans aren’t often pulling a trailer of any kind, but you can pull up to 3,500 pounds of something if you desire. For those who enjoy weekends at Home Depot, you can easily throw 4×8 sheets of plywood in the back, So it will be no problem taking the family and luggage on your weekend adventures.
2020 Toyota Sienna Fuel Economy & MPG
One Achilles heel on the Sienna is its fuel economy. The EPA estimates 19 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 22 mpg combined for non-AWD models. Add all-wheel-drive, and you get 18 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 20 mpg overall. It doesn’t take too much imagination to realize the mpg will be lower if you get deep into the acceleration. The introduction of a Hybrid engine in the 2021 model year will help the gas mileage, but the truth is that, just like an SUV, it’s a heavy and physically oversized vehicle. If you want MPG, get a Prius.
Interior, Comfort, & Cargo Space
We always love how easy it is to get into a minivan. You don’t drop down or climb up, but it’s an easy slide-in. You couldn’t ask for a more accessible automobile for parents with young children to put their little ones in car seats. The dual sliding doors make placing kids in the seats so easy. And every trim for the SE and up has power doors and tailgate. How did parents ever survive parenthood without these?
And, for the entire family, there’s so much space once inside. The rear seats fold down into the floor, and the second-row seats can be easily removed when you need a vast 150 cu-ft of space. When the third-row seats are up, it leaves open the deep cubbies with enough room for a good shopping day at COSTCO.
When on the road, you have some of the most comfortable driver and passenger seats ever, and the view of traffic around you is excellent. Kudos to Toyota for continuing the real shifter and staying away from the button craze. We also appreciate the manual pull-up sunshades for the second and third-row windows available on all but the LE trims. If you want to spend the money, the panoramic dual moonroof is a fantastic sight and is a functional necessity for lightening up the cavernous interior. Oh, and those lounge-style Captain’s chairs are worth the cost.
Entertainment & Technology
We found the 7-inch touchscreen to be pretty small and think Toyota should consider a dash redesign. Thankfully, it seemed relatively easy to figure out and wasn’t slow in getting its job done. While not the highest of resolutions, the maps and menus were clear. Although there were knobs for volume and tone control, the rest of the buttons looked and felt the same, so you’ll need to make the adjustments when you’re stopped. Airplay works on the 2020 Sienna for the first time, but Android Auto has to wait until 2021.
For sound, the base and “plus” Entune system with six speakers on the Sienna isn’t the worst thing we’ve ever listened to, but the JBL ten-speaker system is worth the upgrade. And the family will want the 16.4-inch wide-screen Blu-Ray entertainment system, so you may as well spring for it. The side benefit of the wide-screen system is that you can stream from your mobile devices.
Safety Features
Like Toyota’s SUVs, the Sienna comes standard with dynamic cruise control, lane departure warning and steering assist, automatic high beams, automatic emergency braking, and a backup camera. Options on higher-end models are blind-spot and rear cross-traffic monitoring and a 360-degree bird’s eye view camera. That system is only on the Limited Premium trim and, like Nissan’s Around View Monitor, lets you have an out-of-body experience when viewing what’s around you. You won’t have an excuse if you accidentally hit something.
2020 Toyota Sienna Trims & Pricing
L – $31,415
The Toyota Sienna seats up to eight passengers protected and provides all of them with 3-zone climate controls. There’s a rear control panel where the kids can set the temperature, and parents can adjust it from the front panel. Rear passengers also get the joy of manual sunshades. Parents can also set the second-row temperature from the front seat.
Toyota Safety Sense keeps everyone safe with driver assists features you need. As mentioned, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa compatibility are included for the first time with a 7-inch touchscreen.
LE – $34,235
Moving to the LE gets more tech and convenience. The LE gives you color-keyed door handles, mirrors with blind-spot monitoring, a rear cross-traffic alert system, and LED fog lights. For convenience, you have leather seats, power sliding doors, and WIFI. The Entune audio system adds Sirius XM and HD radio with a three-year trial subscription to Safety Connect. Also included is the leather-wrapped steering wheel and a height-adjustable power liftgate with jam protection.
SE- $37,565
The SE’s top family feature includes an option for Easy Speak, which lets parents use a microphone to speak to kids in the back row so you can threaten to turn the van around if they don’t calm down. Genius! Also included are the power tilt/slide moonroof with sunshade, upgraded Entune 10-speaker JBL sound system, and a 3-year Dynamic Navigation trial.
SE Premium – $43,660
The Sienna SE includes Easy Speak as standard and a Dual-View Blu-Ray entertainment system that includes a 16.4-inch display. This Dual-View system also allows streaming from mobile devices. For connectivity, you’ll find multiple 120V AC outlets, HDMI inputs, and wireless headphones. The eight-passenger version includes a storage area in the second-row bench seat. AWD versions get Captain chairs.
XLE – $37,565
Here it starts to get a little confusing. The XLE does not include Easy Speak or the rear entertainment system like the SE Premium. It does have the standard heated leather seats, and the center console has woodgrain accents. AWD versions will get Captain chairs.
XLE Premium – $41,255
The XLE Premium includes Easy Speak and the dual-view entertainment system. It also has Entune 3.0 Premium Audio with a three-year trial of dynamic navigation.
Limited – $41,310
The Sienna Limited upgrades the seats with better quality leather, a power passenger seat, and adds sound deadening laminated front-row side windows. Overhead is a panoramic moonroof the second-row passengers can see out of while sleeping in their lounge seats with unique leg and foot supports. Other convenience items include power-folding and heated outside mirrors with puddle lights.
Limited Premium – $47,830
The Limited Premium comes with every convenience and driver safety assist you’ll need. The Premium trim adds the dual-view entertainment system, Easy Speak, and standard Bird’s Eye View Camera. Toyota’s top camera has a perimeter scan, curb view and gives you a 360-degree view in park, reverse and drive.
Warranties
Toyota has very similar warranties as its competition, such as a 36,000-mile limited warranty and a 60,000-mile powertrain warranty. But a standout is the two-years complimentary scheduled maintenance, which helps offset some of the initial cost of purchase.
What we think
2020 Toyota Sienna – pressroom.toyota.com | Shop 2020 Toyota Sienna on Carsforsale.com
We loved the Sienna, especially in the SE Premium trim. The combination of utility, comfort, luxury, and sport-tuned suspension in that trim is a winner. Although the interior is looking a bit dated, this is still an amazingly comfortable family SUV fighter.
