Toyota calls its minivan the swagger wagon, but it came in last place in Cars.com's Ultimate Minivan Challenge 2016. The 2017 model gets a new engine and transmission but still has lackluster styling, loud road manners and so-so fuel economy.
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(car starting) Toyota calls it's minivan, the swagger wagon. And while it just missed winning the top spot in cars.com's Ultimate Minivan Challenge, we had to ding it for its loud road manners, so-so fuel economy and lackluster styling.
For 2017, the Sienna gets a new transmission and an updated engine that should improve fuel economy, but did engineers do anything about that road noise? While overall engine noise is down this year, the Sienna is still louder than competitors. It also feels slower than many other vans too. The Sienna is the only minivan with all-wheel drive and the added weight of the system really bogs it down. It feels lethargic from a stop and it's rough shifting new eight speed automatic took its time delivering more power when passing. There's good news for fuel economy though. The Sienna's combined city highway EPA rating climbs a point to 22 miles per gallon this year, matching the Chrysler Pacifica and beating the Kia Sedona by two miles per gallon. What hasn't changed is the Sienna's cavernous well-appointed cabin and best-in-class cargo room. In the second row, there's ample room for two car seats, though these buried latch anchors make them a bit difficult to install. In the third row, the Sienna has two additional sets of latch anchors, and these are easy to use. What's still not easy is folding the third row down to increase cargo space. It's a multi-step awkward maneuver that requires more muscle than it should. 2017 Sienna remains the only minivan with available all-wheel drive. That plus its improved fuel economy and amazing cargo carrying abilities make it a strong contender, but other vans do it quicker, quieter and with more style or should I say swagger?
