2009 Toyota Sienna

February 2009. The Toyota Sienna places second behind the Honda Odyssey (*est. $26,355 to $41,005) in reviews, thanks to just a few key flaws. Safety is the big difference: The Sienna lags behind other minivans in both front and rear crash tests.

When the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration simulated a head-on crash between two minivans at 35 mph, the Toyota Sienna was the only 2009 minivan that didn't earn a five-star rating for the driver's safety. The Toyota earned four stars, meaning the driver has an 11 to 20 percent chance of serious injury in such a crash (in other minivans, it's less than 10 percent).

In rear-end crash tests at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the Toyota Sienna is one of only two 2009 minivans rated "poor"; the other is the Nissan Quest (*est. $25,950 to $35,650). In the Sienna's case, the IIHS didn't even bother to test its seats, which don't have adjustable lumbar support, because measurements showed the position of the head restraints could not protect a tall person in a crash. Optional seats with adjustable lumbar support had better-positioned head restraints, so the IIHS tested those, but they still performed poorly.

Reviews also criticize the Sienna for looking and driving too much like a boring minivan, with dull-feeling steering and braking, along with plenty of body roll. Testers say the Honda Odyssey is a little more stylish and a lot more agile, but critics note that the Toyota does a few things better than the Honda. The Sienna costs a bit less, while sporting a more luxurious and comfortable cabin than the Odyssey. The Sienna's cargo bay is also slightly bigger than other minivans'. Its 266-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 makes the Sienna the most powerful minivan you can buy, and it's the only one with available all-wheel drive. All Siennas use a five-speed automatic transmission.

Testers appreciate the Sienna's extra safety features, such as a backup camera that reduces the blind spot behind the back wheels, and auto-reverse doors that stop sliding if something (such as a child's hand) gets in the way. However, the jam-protection doors are not available on the base CE trim, and reviews note that the backup camera is only available as part of a $3,990 option package. If you want the backup camera, you also have to pay for heated, leather-trimmed seats; a power moon roof; an upscale stereo with satellite-radio capability; a navigation system and a DVD entertainment system for the back seat.

The Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna are the only minivans that offer eight-passenger seating. It's an option on the base CE trim (*est. $24,540) and also on the more luxurious LE trim (*est. $26,065). If you opt for the eighth seat, you'll get three removable second-row seats without armrests. On the seven-seat models, the second row includes two removable seats with armrests. All Siennas have a 60/40 split stowable third-row bench seat.

The Toyota Sienna's EPA-estimated gas mileage (17 mpg city, 23 mpg highway, 19 mpg combined) is about the same as other full-size minivans, although adding all-wheel drive cuts the figures to 16 mpg city/21 mpg highway/18 mpg combined -- the worst among minivans.

Of all the excellent reviews we found for the Toyota Sienna, Consumer Reports' is the most comprehensive. The magazine accepts no freebies or advertising, purchases the cars it tests from local dealers, and its tests are exhaustive and scientific. The road test at Edmunds.com is also very thorough and credible, although testers there don't compare minivans head-to-head as Consumer Reports does. Crash tests at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the nonprofit Insurance Institute for Highway Safety are very important resources, as they find safety flaws with the Toyota Sienna that other reviews miss. Lesser reviews fall into the second tier because they are older, or not as thorough or objective as the best reviews. However, they all offer something unique. For example, the reviewer at MotherProof.com pays attention to little touches that make her life as a mom easier (such as the Sienna's one-handed folding seats), which expert testers generally overlook.