2018 Toyota Sienna SE Premium 8 Psgr V6
Test Drive
Written by Marco Carvajal
If the music band the Beatles was starting all over today for sure they will buy a minivan Toyota Sienna to go on their first local tours. The Sienna can provide a lot of space for their musical instruments. The 4 musicians with their base crew would perfectly fit inside the 8 seats of the Sienna. Folding and removable seats will be a dream come true to accommodate the guitars, drums, effects, amplifiers and other instruments. Nice audio system and video inside the Sienna can be very entertaining for long rides while touring and traveling from city to city.
Introduction
Toyota is one of the main car manufacturer players in the minivan market in the US. Minivans are an ideal car for groups and large families, as well as for people who need a comfortable, spacious car for more passengers. lMusical groups or any large party can enjoy the great benefits of owning a minivan and the Toyota Sienna is one of the best value available today.
Everybody in the party can enjoy the benefits of a minivan, especially families with children can enjoy more freedom, space and amenities. Long trips and vacations are much more confortable for kids and passengers when riding in a spacious car like the Sienna, but a minivan can be a great car not just for families, from rock groups to corporations can take advantage of such large beautiful car for the price of a sedan. Another alternative for large parties is a 3rd row SUV, but most SUVs only have capacity for 7 seats, while the Minivan Sienna has a capacity for 8 people.
You can’t easily walk or move from one seat to another one on an SUV, but since minivans have more space between seats and rows, you have the flexibility to move into different seats. A minivan is great for traveling with kids, as an adult can move around the middle of back of the van to help children on different rows, when needed.
SUVs and crossovers are indirect competitors for minivans, however all these types of cars have their own specific segments. SUVs are usually more popular and appealing with a more “cool” look than a minivan, but they don’t have so much interior passenger or cargo space like a minivan. The experience of being inside the Toyota Sienna SE minivan is similar to being inside of a limousine, but many people have the wrong idea that minivans are boring, but trust me, they can bu fun, and not boring, that is a false stereotype. Just drive the Sienna during a weekend with your friends or family and you will understand how much fun and practical a minivan can be. However you can’t bring the champagne inside the minivan, but the rest is not too different from the limo ride in Miami.
Minivan lovers can enjoy all the advantages and features created by Toyota in the Sienna, larger interior space, many features and details that make the Sienna minivan look like a private jet in the inside. DVD screens, excellent audio system, electric gates, panoramic roof, air conditioning with independent controls for the different internal areas of the Sienna, reclining seats, many electric chargers for electronic devices, space for glasses, cups, storage areas, and many other features that provide much comfort, especially for the passengers. If the passengers are happy the driver is going to be happier too.
A very nice feature of this great minivan are the rear seats that can be stored completely inside the floor, making the trunk much larger by including the area of the rear seats. The style and design the Sienna minivan is very attractive. It seems that it will continue to improve with the future generations of the Sienna. The Sienna is a great product of Toyota, one of the largest automotive companies in the world.
In my opinion some of the main competitors of the Sienna are Honda and Chrisler. Kia and other brands have also very nice minivans, but still need to work harder to compete with the Sienna.
2018 Toyota Sienna SE Premium8 Seats Minivan FWD Front-Wheel Drive Engine 3.5-Liter V6Transmission
|
The 2018 Toyota Sienna minivan comes in five main trim levels: L, LE, SE, XLE and Limited. The SE, XLE and Limited, have also Premium trim levels. The one that I am test driving is the SE Premium, that is a great model in the middle, with good pricing and great features, still is not the top of the line but it offers much more than the base model.
The SE Premium is similar to the LE but adds a sports suspension, sharper steering, 19-inch alloy wheels, fog lamps, LED daytime running lights and a mesh screen, a reduction windshield Noise and lower body skirting board.The SE also has an electric liftgate, first and second row leather upholstery, heated front seats and a unique driver information display. The premium SE adds a sunroof, and keyless entry, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems, a navigation system, a rear seat entertainment system.
Price
2017 Toyota Sienna SE Premium 8 Passenger V6 $40,830
An advantage of the Toyota Sienna minivan is that its price is relatively low for everything it offers, starting at $29,750. It would be difficult to get another type of car that offers so much space with so many features and amenities within the same price range. The most expensive model, the Limited has a starting price of $42,800.
Approximate MSRP starting for the 2018 Toyota Sienna SE Premium
| Model:
SE Premium 2018 Toyota Sienna SE Premium 8 Passenger V6 |
Base Price:
$42,305 |
The sale price has a similar range to other minivans available in the market. Toyota has been able to offer several models of the Sienna within a wide range to fit any budget, with a purchase price from $30,000 to approximately $50,000.
Engine
The engine it is pretty powerful for a minivan, a 3.5-liter, 6-cylinder powerful engine that will work hard at 296 horsepower, paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Almost 300 hp is a very good engine for a minivan, as long as you drive through normal roads, you will never use the complete horse power of the Sienna.
Interior
Everybody inside the Toyota Sienna will have fun, the driver and passengers can enjoy so much space and several features to enjoy any short or long trip. I enjoy the spacious and luxury interior of this minivan, it is very comfortable and practical, including special features like:
- Removable 40/20/40 second-row seat
- Tip-up and long-slide feature
- Stowable center seat
Exterior
The exterior look of this Sienna is just fantastic, it is very spacious, modern, luxury and original.
Safety
The Safety System of the Sienna includes most features that anyone could wish, from enhanced Vehicle Stability Control with Traction Control, Anti-lock Brake System with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, Brake Assist and Smart Stop Technology . Smart Stop Technology is designed to automatically reduce engine power when both brake and accelerator pedals are pressed at the same time under certain conditions, helping to bring the vehicle to a stop.
Some of the safety features included on the Sienna SE are: driver front dual stage airbags and front passenger Advanced, Airbag System, Driver and front passenger front seat-mounted side airbags, driver’s knee airbag, passenger seat airbag and all-row side curtain airbags. Driver and front passenger active headrests. Seatbelts for all seating positions. Integrated backup camera display. Star safety system. Enhanced vehicle stability control. Traction control. Anti-lock brake system. Electronic, brake-force distribution, brake assistant and smart stop technology. Driver & front passenger active headrests. Advanced airbag system.
Conclusion
Toyota keeps offering value quality products, the Sienna offers the best overall combination of fuel efficiency, reliability, power, comfort and interior space in its class, all for a low price.
The 2018 Toyota Sienna SE Premium is an excellent buy for consumers who want to purchase a minivan at a reasonable price and with lots of extras, controls and features for a low price around $42K.
Corporate groups, music groups, large families, or even families with few members, can enjoy the Sienna SE, having larger storage area, more space for passengers, excellent entertainment for children, and excellent audio system. The Sienna is one of the best minivan’s available in the market, totally worth it to have a test drive.
Especially for travel and long distance rides, this minivan makes the journey much more pleasant and comfortable. For some a minivan is not usually the most striking and fashionable means of transportation, but it is worth trying this great Toyota minivan, many will be surprised by the Sienna.
