The 2017 Toyota Sienna is a solid minivan. It may not be the sexiest, most exciting minivan out there, but it's dependable. Car and Driver calls it “The Camry of Minivans”. Toyota—presumably looking to punch things up a little—calls it “The Swagger Wagon”. Whatever you call it, it’s a good choice for families looking for roomy transport. We break down the features of each one, to help you decide if there’s a Sienna for you.
L
The Toyota Sienna L starts at $29,750 and has plenty of family-friendly features for a base model vehicle. It has a 3.5-liter V6 engine and gets 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway. That means more money in your wallet and less in the tank.
The interior has enough room for seven passengers, and an Entune Audio system to keep them entertained. This system is a multimedia bundle which includes a 6.1-inch touch-screen display, AM/FM radio, CD player, mp3 playback, four speakers, an auxiliary audio jack, USB ports, and more.
Keeping your family safe is important, so Toyota included the Safety Star System used in most of their vehicles. This package equips the Sienna with Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control, Traction Control, Brake Assist, and Smart Stop Technology.
There are still more highlights with the Toyota Sienna L. You get a 60/40 Split & Stow Third Row that’s great for extra cargo. You also get second-row tip-up or long-slide seats, an integrated backup camera, and three-zone automatic climate control for when your family members have different temperature preferences.
LE
The LE has a price of $32,450, and it’s very similar to the L with the exception of a few crucial features that families may want. One of the best upgrades is the addition of easy-clean fabric that helps keep life’s little messes from taking up chunks of your life fixing. It resists spills, so it’s quicker to clean spilled apple juice.
The LE also upgrades the multimedia system to Entune Audio Plus with Connected Navigation. This system has a 3.5-inch LCD multi-information display has access to more entertainment with SiriusXM Satellite Radio. It also provides HD Radio features so you can hear your favorite songs in the highest quality. Finally, the LE makes it easy to load the kids, their stuff, or whatever you need to haul with power sliding side doors.
SE
The SE can add a bit more luxury to your life for a starting price of $36,110. The SE sees some changes inside and out that may make it worth the upgrade, including the addition of a leather-trimmed steering wheel. The driver will have more grip, and your minivan will have a little more of that swagger Toyota was talking about.
On the exterior, the SE has smoked sport-trimmed headlights with LED DRL. While the lights may be tastefully smoked, they still shine as bright as ever. Packing this minivan is also much easier with the addition of a power liftgate. When your hands are full, you can open your liftgate with the touch of a button.
Even though these upgrades are great, the best part may be the addition of a sport-tuned suspension, which improves the handling and makes the SE a little more fun to drive. You may find yourself searching for reasons to go to the grocery store.
Toyota offers an SE Premium trim for $40,830, which adds some notable features including Driver Easy Speak, perforated leather-trimmed front seats, and a dual-view Blu-ray Disc Entertainment System. Long drives won’t be an issue with the SE Premium.
XLE
The XLE has a slight price increase from the SE to $36,310. That’s only a $200 increase, and it gets you some great features. If you want more leather in your minivan, the XLE includes premium leather on the steering wheel and leather-trimmed heated seating. This is where style meets comfort. Some of the other highlights of the XLE include integrated fog lights and a moonroof, just in case you want to enjoy a sunny day while driving around town.
There’s also an XLE Premium trim that starts at $39,505. At this price, the XLE includes the Dual-View Blu-ray Disc Entertainment Center and Driver Easy Speak, but that isn’t all. Safety is enhanced with the inclusion of a blind spot monitor that makes changing lanes a bit easier.
Limited
The Limited has an MSRP of $42,800 and is a improves safety, comfort, and convenience. The first thing you may notice is the addition of a dual moonroof to let even more fresh air into the cabin. If you’re more of an indoor person, you may enjoy the Entune Premium JBL Audio system with Integrated Navigation and App Suite, which puts ten speakers around the cabin to provide premium sound.
The Limited has power third-row seats that fold down or up at the press of a button. This trim includes Driver Easy Speak, so back-row passengers will easily hear the driver using a built-in mic. Safety is also improved with the addition of a blind spot monitor and parking assist sonar.
If you want the most bang for your buck, the Limited Premium may be what you need. It starts at $46,170 and is the best Sienna that Toyota has to offer. Like the other premium trims, the Limited includes the Dual-View Blu-ray player, but it has a couple of things that aren’t in the other Premiums: Rain-sensing windshield wipers and High-Intensity Discharge headlights help you drive in sub-optimal conditions.
(All facts and figures from Toyota.)