pbm317

2022 Toyota Sienna XSE Review: Seize Your Cool Dad Summer

The Sienna has a warm place in my heart. When I was in high school, my dad excitedly told me that we were getting a new car. We headed out to the local “dealer row” and I turned toward the Honda dealership, as I’d been priming my dad for months on how much I wanted a Honda Prelude. “Keep going,” he replied. Hmm, okay. Now, what else was down this way… definitely not the BMW dealership… perhaps, the Acura store for an Integra (back when it existed the first time)? “Nope,” he said, “turn here.” Oh, the Toyota dealership. Well, it was the year 2000, so no more Supras, but maybe a Celica? That would surely be a blast in the new screaming 2000 model year GT-S, reverse beeps notwithstanding. “There it is,” he pointed…. **record scratch** a shiny, new, Toyota Sienna. The perfect vehicle for…. helping with deliveries for the family business dry cleaners. I came to love that Sienna, it served the family well for years and many road trips. Comfortable, fairly powerful, decently roomy (Sienna was a hair small for the segment in those days) and way more fuel efficient than my dad’s Lexus LX 450 at that point.


This is exactly what our 2000 Sienna looked like. Photo from Consumer Guide Auto

2022 Sienna XSE, perhaps a little less friendly looking, especially with the massive dark grille up front.


Jumping forward a full college-aged graduate to the 2022 Sienna, many of those beloved traits still ring true. Now hybrid only, the Sienna’s unique selling point in this dwindling segment is its tremendous fuel economy. While Toyota doesn’t offer a plug-in hybrid Sienna with electric driving range, the hybrid can eke out 35-36 miles per gallon, making it one of the most fuel efficient 3-row family haulers on the market, period. A major blessing in today’s market with sky high gas prices. As far as minivans go, the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid (which is a plug-in hybrid) does offer up 32 miles of electric range, but then only manages 30 miles per gallon of hybrid range. Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival lack any sort of electrification and those only return you 22 miles per gallon of the dino juice. Also, where the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid is only available in front wheel drive (it does offer all-wheel drive with the standard gas engine), the Sienna Hybrid system can be had in either front wheel drive or all-wheel drive. So if hybrid, all-wheel drive, family hauler is your target, then the Sienna is the only van game in town.

Gone are the passthroughs of my youth, in its place are center consoles more akin to an SUV than a traditional van.


So we’ve fully covered the fuel efficiency benefit that the Sienna provides, but as they say, there’s no such thing as a free lunch. The hybrid unit Toyota has thrown into the Sienna (and also the Highlander) is a 4-cylinder unit producing just 245 horsepower. No minivan is a racecar (much to the chagrin of my 16-year old and 39-year old self), but the Sienna is decidedly pokier than any of its gas competitors. Also, the continuously variable type of transmission Toyota pairs with most of its hybrids doesn’t do it any favors during those acceleration runs and highway on ramps or passing maneuvers, where it pegs the engine RPMs way up high with a coarse groan reverberating throughout the cabin until you finally reach your requested speed. Around town it’s less of an issue though.


Front doors offer plenty of storage nooks and bottle holder supports.


On the steering front, the move to the new global Toyota architecture last year made possibly the largest difference in Sienna than for Toyota’s other models. Sienna was riding on a 10 year old design (2011-2020) and that on the tail end of a platform that was even older. All that to say, it felt tired. Where the last generation Sienna felt creaky and loose, even when new, the new Sienna finally feels modern and fresh. Structure is solid, aiding both ride quality and dynamics. Our XSE tester, with its sport-tuned suspension and steering, handled admirably for something 17 feet long and 6.5 feet wide and weighing over 4,500 pounds. The XSE can reasonably back up the aggressive, sportier looks. Although about those looks, we noted a flaking finish on the dark 20″ wheels. Toyota uses a clad wheel on many Sienna trims, which is a fancier, semi-permanent hubcap over a simple aluminum alloy wheel, they’ve used this on a number of Toyota models over the years like Highlander, Tacoma, Tundra, etc. Was unfortunate to see the finish peeling off, something we also saw chatter about in the Sienna owner forums online.


The XSE’s dark finish 20″ wheels would look better if the finish wasn’t decidedly less than robust.


Of note, I experienced a number of odd braking issues with the Sienna. As you come close to a stop, the brake pressure seems to change and the vehicle feels like it is no longer braking, almost surging forward again, requiring another much more deliberate jab at the brake pedal to complete the stop. It happened quite a bit in low speed maneuvers like parking lots, where you may not have as much space to make a quick stop. It can be unsettling. I have driven thousands of miles in countless hybrids over the years and Toyota, as one of the world’s leading hybrid manufacturers, should have hybrid braking down by now. Yes, there’s some hand off of the regenerative braking (where the car is using the electric motors to recapture some of that kinetic energy) to the traditional friction brakes, but who would have more experience at this than Toyota? Again, checking on some Sienna forums the issue seems pretty common (lots of complaints) and there are even some Technical Service Bulletins on it for early 2021 model year builds that show Toyota seems at least somewhat aware of an issue and has tried to mitigate it. Our tester was a 2022 model year vehicle though, so not sure where that leaves the Sienna. Something you may want to pay attention to during your test drives.

Lots of sculpting and creasing going on here.


Inside, the Sienna is now fully sized for the segment, available in 7 and 8 passenger configurations. Ours was a 7 passenger build with 2nd row captain’s chairs with a long amount of fore/aft travel available for potentially massive 2nd row leg room if needed. The XSE doesn’t have the flip out leg rest/ottoman of the Limited and Platinum trims, but the added length was nice to keep little ones from kicking the front seat backs. The seats are also quite comfortable, and can even be heated in the Platinum trim. Sienna also has standard 2nd row, outboard position side impact airbags mounted on the seats. This added safety comes at the price of not being able to remove the 2nd row seats in any configuration. While you can tuck the seats against the 1st row, it does limit length of the cargo area quite a bit. No 4×8 drywall/plywood sheets in the cabin for you! Still not sure how that became the standard measurement metric for minivans and/or why it persists with some marketing materials.

Long sliding 2nd row seats can be pushed waaaay back. Try kicking the seat now!

2nd row seats aren’t removable, but there’s still a good amount of storage space behind them.


Moving up front, the Sienna follows many minivans with the deletion of the center pass through in the cabin where the driver or front passenger might be able to scramble to the rear cabin. In its place is a high and wide bridge of sorts that acts both as the fixed arm rest and center console that ramps its way up to the dash. There’s tall storage beneath the bridge as well as a nice tray along the width of the dash cribbed from the Highlander. A fairly traditional shifter is also on the bridge, and one of the most disappointing touch-points within the cabin, with a plasticky and rattley feel to it. Odd to call this out, but it’s also something that a driver touches at least 2 times every trip, so I feel like there should be some emphasis put into making this feel solid and positive.


Two-tone seats with some accented stitching livened up the cabin of our XSE.


All 2022 Siennas come with a 9″ infotainment system that frankly seems tiny in a cabin this large and wide. Seems like a miss when they have plenty of 12.3″ units available from the Highlander and Venza, at least for the upper trims. CarPlay/Android Auto is also a wired connection through the older USB-A style port, at least easily accessible just next to the wireless charging pad. So I guess the passenger can wirelessly charge while driver’s phone is mirrored or vice versa. Sienna also lacks a digital cluster, something that the tech and design forward Kia Carnival offers. SUV sibling Highlander received a host of tech upgrades for 2023, including Toyota’s newest infotainment system and a digital cluster, but the 2023 Sienna, also just announced, did not note any of those changes.

Tech wise Toyota did offer a digital rear view mirror on the Sienna which is terrific for long 3-row vehicles like this, but doesn’t look like it’s currently available, even on the top trims, thanks parts shortages! A 360 parking camera is available, but only on the top Platinum trim, wish they would offer that almost across the board on something this long and large, as it’s a huge help when parking these behemoths (pro tip, it’s usually easier to back into most parking spots than trying to pull in head first). But you do get front and rear parking sensors on XLE and up Siennas with automatic braking. Also, all but the base Sienna LE come with handsfree kick to open and kick to close sliding doors which are ultra convenient. Pacifica offers kick to open, but oddly doesn’t allow for kick to close. Same goes for a 4-zone climate control system, again on all but the LE, which seems a bit excessive over a 3-zone system. No in-cabin camera to help keep an eye on little ones, which is something that Pacifica, Odyssey and Carnival all offer. Pacifica and Carnival also offer some form of multi-row panoramic sunroof, absent from Sienna.


Basic backup camera in the Sienna XSE is pretty grainy, also the backup lines do not adjust with steering.


Sienna DOES come with Toyota’s substantive suite of advanced safety tech, Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. That nets you the pre-collision system, a full-speed dynamic cruise control system that can work in stop and go traffic, lane departure alert with active steering assist and the lane centering lane trace assist, automatic high beams and road sign assist. Be sure to watch our upcoming driving tech overview.


Tiny, but color screen in the XSE cluster. With Lane Trace Assist on, side lines turn blue, while adaptive cruise notes there’s a vehicle ahead and maximum 3-segment follow gap.


The new Sienna is selling extremely well, sales volumes are up significantly and we’re seeing reports of long waitlists at dealers and no shortage of dealers trying to mark up the car due to the high demand. So is the Sienna a certified home run? I’d say it’s a solid triple. If you’re lining up for lots of family road trips this summer, the Sienna would be a hero on the fuel economy front. I think the Pacifica and Carnival offer a bit more in terms of convenience and feature content overall. And I found the Pacifica Hybrid, with its V6 based unit smoother and more powerful overall, with the added benefit of being purely electric capable for the majority of our day-to-day driving needs. But the Sienna is worthy of consideration once again and has just enough key points to make it a winner for many families.

Can you see the similar haunches between the Sienna and the Supra?? Squint more.

Carsplain Full Review - 2022 Toyota Sienna XSE

mmarshall

An excellent review. Is that (Carsplain) Review-site actually yours, pbm, or did you just copy and paste it? I'm going to guess that it IS your site, because of your "pbm" initials (Patrick Min).

pbm317

Thank you! Yes it's my own site, Just a fun side project/outlet to work with.

703

Looks like a great write up. I will have to read it.

UZ214

awesome review, I really like this car. I actually went to the local dealer to test drive one and they were like its 6 month wait and all of the coming ones are already sold out.

situman

The new Sienna is certainly enticing. We are looking for one too but the dealer mark up and wait time is just ridiculous. Plus its prob not a bad idea to wait anyways. The new Sienna seems to have some quality issues based on what you wrote and what I read over at Toyotanation and based on what I saw on my friend's woodland edition where panels were misaligned and his AC not working from the factory. The dealer indicated a 1yr wait. Thats basically a 2024 model, which wont be a bad thing given the issues.

JDR76

I have one scheduled for a rental next weekend and am looking forward to it. I had a Pacifica rental last week, so it will be fun to compare.

timmy0tool

iTrader: (7)

thanks for sharing, nice write up!
interesting to see the flaking finish on the wheels...not very good for an OEM to see especially an established one like toyota!

a good friend has the XSE with some optional (probably dealer only option) 19" enkei wheels since he said he didn't like the 20s. he custom built his model and waited 3-4 months for it to arrive and this was last year (MY 2022).

JDR76

Finally had my Sienna rental. It was fun to compare as I just last month had a Pacifica rental. Next I need to rent a Carnival!

The rental I had was just an LE trim, but I really enjoyed it. Much more so than I thought I would. I would absolutely buy one now. I was worried about the lack of power and the 4 cylinder but it was a complete non-issue for us. I can't believe how easy it was to get exceptional gas mileage. In my Highlander Hybrid you have to work at it to really get up there, but in the Sienna, it took no effort at all.

If we decided to get a van now, it would no doubt be a Sienna, though I think I'd opt for the Platinum trim.

RX469

iTrader: (1)

Wow. Nice to get some Enkei's from the dealer. Do you have any pics of your friend's Sienna with those wheels?

SW17LS

Curious, what was it that you preferred compared to the Pacifica? Was it mainly the gas mileage?

JDR76

Excellent question. I think there were a few things that I liked better.

The gas mileage was an obvious win for the Sienna. I also preferred the dash layout (including center console and gear selector), and found the first and second row seats more comfortable and better padded in the Sienna. I also preferred the steering and general handling of the van. When we looked at the previous gen Sienna, we really didn't like the interior design, but this one was massively better and fixed the concerns that I had.

The wins for the Pacifica were more power, better infotainment (larger screen and wireless CarPlay), smoother powertrain, and better instrumentation. Pacifica also wins with stow and go seating - not so much in the ability to store the seats, but in the cargo area provided by the seat wells.

Weakest point of the Sienna is with the 4 cylinder NVH while accelerating, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I had read. I found it to be completely livable. Yeah, it was more coarse than in a V6, but I didn't personally find it intrusive at all. It wouldn't bother me and for me personally, would be a totally acceptable tradeoff for the phenomenal gas mileage. I had a Thule box on the roof, 6 adults, 6 overnight bags, 6 sleeping bags and pillows, two coolers, and three bags of food, all for a total of around 1200 lbs of cargo, and still averaged 40 mpg without trying. We drove 400 miles on 10 gallons of gas. Van is certainly slower with the full load, but I never had any issue merging with fast traffic, heading up hills, or passing.

When you drive that hybrid powertrain and compare it to that in our Highlander V6 hybrid, you can see just how far they've come. Granted ours is more powerful and smoother with the V6, but in our Highlander you have to work harder to get the good mileage. Also, the brake pedal feel in our Highlander is atrocious and takes a lot of getting used to, as there's a huge difference in pedal feel as it transitions from regenerative braking to traditional brakes. In the Sienna, the pedal was a bit squishy but consistent throughout its travel and transitions. Also, our Highlander's gas engine is always on once you get over 40 mph, even if it's only being propelled by the electric motors. In the Sienna, the engine frequently shut off even at highway speeds.

When we bought our 19 Highlander Hybrid, we bought it knowing the 2020 model was dropping power and moving to a 4 cylinder, so we dismissed it without even driving it. I now think that was a bit of a mistake. It's a far better powertrain than I thought it would be.

If we were going to get a minivan, I would still want to check out the Carnival. I think they're probably all really good and each has its strengths and weaknesses, but whereas I had previously dismissed the new Sienna because of the 4 cylinder, I would no longer consider that to be a determining factor. If you don't like driving hybrids, you won't like the Sienna as it doesn't hide its hybrid-ness, but for us, I have no doubt we'd enjoy it.

JDR76

Here's a pretty positive 40k mile test wrap up from C&D:

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...y-maintenance/

SW17LS

I wouldn’t want the Carnival because it can’t be had with AWD. I also think they’re ugly.

JDR76

I used to want an AWD one, but now I'm not sure I care as we have both the 4WD truck and the AWD GS. I also don't care for the looks of the Carnival, but I'd still want to check one out. I actually do like the looks of the Sienna.