2008 Toyota Sienna Review

What the reviewers like:
The Toyota Sienna gets better gas mileage than the base-model Honda Odyssey, and the Sienna's engine slightly outpowers that of the competing Odyssey. Another advantage is that the Toyota Sienna is still the only minivan available with all-wheel-drive, an advantage in harsh winter climates. Experts also say the Sienna is refined, with quality materials and construction, and a roomy interior. Predicted reliability is better than average.

What the reviewers don't like:
The Toyota Sienna doesn’t have the sporty driving dynamics of the Honda Odyssey, reviewers say. Some experts describe both braking and the driving experience as "vague." Another area in which the Sienna falls behind several other minivans is IIHS crash-test ratings; the Sienna receives a score of “poor” for rear impacts.

2008 Toyota Sienna review highlights

The Toyota Sienna remains the second-place pick to the Honda Odyssey (*est. $25,860 to $40,610) in many reviews, although it’s getting some newfound pressure this year from the redesigned Chrysler minivans (the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country). Still, the Sienna receives almost unanimous praise from critics for its smooth ride, quality fit and finish, and above-average fuel economy for its class. If you live in an area with harsher winters, you might consider the Toyota Sienna over the Honda Odyssey since the Sienna can be optioned with all-wheel drive (a feature Honda has never offered). Critics note the Toyota Sienna minivan comes loaded with the features families want: seats that split and fold into the floor, rolldown side windows, and lots of interior storage.

We found some good, balanced reviews for the Toyota Sienna minivan, and the evaluation at Consumer Reports is probably the most thorough and credible. Editors there rank the Sienna according to its position in the 2008 minivan market, and include historical reliability data for the Toyota Sienna. We also found a useful review of the Sienna minivan at Edmunds.com. ConsumerGuide.com has ample information on features and specifications for the Sienna, and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) provides current crash-test ratings in an easy-to-understand format, Canadian Driver has a review of the 2007 Toyota Sienna that, though dated, is applicable in many ways to the newest model.

Also see full report: Minivans

*In order of credibility (see our Ratings Criteria).

1. Consumer Reports
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2008 Toyota Sienna Review
Editors of Consumer Reports

Consumer Reports includes the 2008 Toyota Sienna in its ratings of minivans, and uses a rating system to rank the Sienna within the minivan segment. Editors evaluate this model in terms of predicted reliability, based on past-model-year reader-survey data. The analysis here focuses mainly on reliability, ride quality, handling and safety, but the Sienna was last road-tested in 2007.

2. Edmunds.com
2008 Toyota Sienna Review
Editors of Edmunds.com

Edmunds.com doesn't test the Toyota Sienna head-to-head against other minivans, but its editors do well at comparing it to its leading competitors. They note that the Sienna's 3.5-liter V6 is more powerful, and gets better fuel economy, than the engine it replaced in 2007.

3. Consumer Guide.com
2008 Toyota Sienna Review
Editors of ConsumerGuide.com

Consumer Guide editors select a number of cars each year to award either "Best Buy" or "Recommended" status, but the reviews themselves can be a bit hard to read. Instead of a narrative review, editors provide a chart of numerical ratings with one or two comments. The site is a good place to find detailed specification information on the Toyota Sienna, however, and it was chosen by editors as a "Recommended" minivan.

4. Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
Toyota Sienna Review
Editors of IIHS

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety evaluates vehicles for performance in front-, side-, and rear-impact crashes. Editors have compiled reports covering the last several model years of the Toyota Sienna minivan’s crash-test ratings, including an evaluation of the 2008 model year.

5. Canadian Driver
Day-by-Day Review: 2007 Toyota Sienna XLE AWD
James Bergeron
Feb. 26, 2007

Reviewer James Bergeron test-drove the 2007 Sienna and compliments this minivan on its comfortable ride and long list of features. This review actually reports on four days of testing, which results in a nice balance. Bergeron didn't compare the Toyota Sienna minivan to others, however, nor is his review as current as some others.

Also see full report: Minivans

2008 Toyota Sienna Review