I liked the gated shifter on the Sienna. Subaru also uses it, or they did back in 2000. The location of the shifter on the Sienna was also more to our preference.Boodad said:If you buy the Limited, you don't have to worry about the options...
The Sienna shift pattern is not an issue when you drive it daily and get used to it. I prefer this pattern now because it eliminates any possibility of shifting in neutral or reverse by accident (especially for no-look shifting). In fact, this shift pattern must be good enough for Mercedes to use it in their cars. Just another perspective....
Actually, MB is moving away from this shift pattern (4 or 5-sp auto) to manualmatic -/+ pattern. I guess a 7-speed/10-quadrant selector will require a very long throw.Boodad said:
The Sienna shift pattern is not an issue when you drive it daily and get used to it. I prefer this pattern now because it eliminates any possibility of shifting in neutral or reverse by accident (especially for no-look shifting). In fact, this shift pattern must be good enough for Mercedes to use it in their cars. Just another perspective....
(about 10")Torsion beam rear suspension can be consider independent or semi-independent. It's not like solid axle or live axle (non-independent).caviller said:
I also do the same thing, always set the parking brake before shifting from D to P. I have never done that on as regular of a basis as I do on the Odyssey....egads said:
Funny how opinions vary so much. I thought the Sienna LE trim was nicer than the Odyssey EX in regard to fabric, dash layout, radio, climate control, etc. The fit on the Siennas I drove was perfect, compared to the major gap with my Odyssesy glove box, for example. I still dislike the hard plastic dash trim in the Odyssey that is covered with smudges, not unlike the black plastic you saw in the Sienna. I will note the glossy black trim was changed to silver for the 2006 Sienna.yatesd said:I happen to be travelling this week, and the only rental cars available were minivans and SUV's. So I decided to grab the Toyota Sienna LE.
Here are a few thoughts:
- The Sienna does seem to handle the harsh bumps a little nicer, but it also seems floaty on the highway.
- This trim level seems too cheap (and the CE is the lowest grade!). The seat fabrics are cheap, the radio seems generic, and it didn't even have cruise control! I still hate that black gloss trim. Anyway, this rental reinforces what I discovered when I was shopping vans. That the Sienna is nice in the XLE trim level and above, but all the other trim levels were created to improve Toyota's profit (they are just awful).
- This is an 05' manufactured in May with about 19K on the odometer. I was surprised at the poor fit and finish of the interior. Many of the seams in the dash and by the glove box do not match.
- They also had an 05' Buick Terraza available (I am in the program where you just pick what you want), and in retrospect, this would have been a much better choice.
- So far I have been driving almost all highway, and according to the display the van is averaging about 21MPG. About the same as my SUV.
In summary, I would still cross shop the XLE or above trim levels (if that was the price range I was buying), but I would skip over the Sienna for the CE or the LE. As configured, my Touring blows this away.
Yeah- the Sienna copied the 1999-2004 Odyssey by putting the rubber tabs inside the folding tray on the CE/LE trims. This helps stabilize taller cups quite a bit. For some reason, Honda got rid of them for 2005 and the tray cuphoders are almost worthless for many containers. At least Honda improved the dash cupholders for 2006 and those work pretty well.yatesd said:
One of my wife's friends brought her Sienna LE to one of my parties and since I had just bought the Odyssey, I decided to check it out. I did think that the Sienna's interior quality was very poor for a Toyota. Maybe because it was the first model year? I don't know. Either way I am glad that I bought the odyssey over the Sienna. Just the look of the Black plastic and "fake plastic wood" in the Sienna made me dislike the interior of the van no matter how soft the interior plastic was as compared to my Odyssey.yatesd said:I happen to be travelling this week, and the only rental cars available were minivans and SUV's. So I decided to grab the Toyota Sienna LE.
Here are a few thoughts:
- The Sienna does seem to handle the harsh bumps a little nicer, but it also seems floaty on the highway.
- This trim level seems too cheap (and the CE is the lowest grade!). The seat fabrics are cheap, the radio seems generic, and it didn't even have cruise control! I still hate that black gloss trim. Anyway, this rental reinforces what I discovered when I was shopping vans. That the Sienna is nice in the XLE trim level and above, but all the other trim levels were created to improve Toyota's profit (they are just awful).
- This is an 05' manufactured in May with about 19K on the odometer. I was surprised at the poor fit and finish of the interior. Many of the seams in the dash and by the glove box do not match.
- They also had an 05' Buick Terraza available (I am in the program where you just pick what you want), and in retrospect, this would have been a much better choice.
- So far I have been driving almost all highway, and according to the display the van is averaging about 21MPG. About the same as my SUV.
In summary, I would still cross shop the XLE or above trim levels (if that was the price range I was buying), but I would skip over the Sienna for the CE or the LE. As configured, my Touring blows this away.
