2013 Toyota Sienna

Disclosure:  Toyota let me test drive a 2013 Sienna for a few days!

There is no doubt about it, if you need a vehicle with tons of space and comfortable seating for the entire family- a minivan is the way to go. We have owned a Toyota Sienna for over six years now and it is hands down my very favorite family vehicle. We have space inside our Sienna for all seven of us plus room for extra stuff we need to bring along with us. After test driving the 2013 Sienna Limited- I’m thinking it may be time for an upgrade.

The front dash is both beautiful and functional. The 7 inch touch screen controls pretty much everything and features the integrated panorama back up camera (that makes backing this beast up a breeze!) The three-zone air conditioner allows the driver, front passenger and rear-seat passengers to all achieved a comfortable temperature. I can blast the heat onto me when I’m chilly and the husband can be chill in the seat right next to me with the AC on full tilt.

The back seat has room for everyone. The Sienna I test drove seated seven, but in many models the removable and versatile center seat in the second row folds upright to form an additional seat allowing you to get an 8th passenger in. Even when you’re seated in the third row, you feel like your in the front seat. The second-row seat cushions tip up and the entire row slides forward to make access to the third-row seat a breeze.

Pictured below you will find the Recaro Performance Sport and the Britax Frontier 85.

Car seat configuration is a bit difficult in the Sienna. The large second row captain seats have lower anchors and tethers and allow me to use even my huge car seats with ease however the third row is a bit more difficult. There is only one tether strap on the third row and its in the middle seat. You could easily fit three small car seats back there, but the two on the side would need to be installed with seat belts and there is no tether for them. We placed three boosters back there for our test drive and had no issues at all!

My kids really enjoyed the dual moonroof. They were able to look up at the stars when we drove in the dark and count power poles during the day. The movable rear air vents are the best I have ever seen in the back of a minivan. They allow each child to point the air on them or away from them depending on how they feel. Giving little ones this type of control really makes them feel special and I love knowing, even rear facing my kids have access to a steady stream of air on a hot day.

The large rear entertainment system was a life saver for us during long trips. The system comes with two headphones and there are two headphone jacks on each side of the third row seat that allow two more kids to listen to the movie with out mom and dad having to listen to Beverly Hilly Chihuahua for the eighth time!

Cargo space inside the Sienna is aplenty. Depending on how the seats are configured, you can adjust cargo volume from a generous 39 cubic feet behind the third row to a whopping 150 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. The cargo area behind the third-row seat offers a storage compartment that’s perfect for small items you’d like to keep out of view, such as a purse or camera. The image below is of a huge double stroller (The Britax B-Ready) and as you can see- there is plenty of room left.

If your in the market for a minivan the Sienna is a great choice. It can seat up to 8, keeps the kids quiet and comfortable on long trips oh and did I mention it gets around 19 miles per gallon?

You can find a dealer near you to test drive or purchase a Toyota Sienna by clicking here.

Special thanks to Toyota for letting me test drive the Sienna.