2008 Toyota Sienna consumer reviews

I had purchased a new 2008 Toyota, after it got totaled out I wanted another. I had to go 300 miles into Iowa, but I got one identical to the one that got wrecked. They are so very dependable, they work.

We are a family of 7 (5 sons age 4 mo to 13) so we needed something ROOMY. Also considered Sprinter, Yukon/Suburban, Town & Country, Caravan, and Odyssy. Sienna won in the end. Traded a beat 2000 LE (180K miles) for a 2008 LE (47K) and wow, what a difference. Interior is the no-nonsense "function over flash" Toyota excels at. No DVD option on this one, but removable units could be mounted on front headrests and seen throughout. We have one power door on this model (passenger side), and wish we had more (empty buttons on the ceiling cluster remind us we don't have them). Stowable 3rd row seats are very easy, and result in increased cargo space in the back. 2000 had full size spare underneath, this does not because of stow feature, but worth tradeoff for the extra space inside. Optional 8th seat, and console between driver/passenger sears are very nice. I am 6' 7, and I can actually fit in any seat, although tilt steering wheel obscures top of the speedometer for me when all the way up. Seats are larger and comfier than stow & go seats of T/C and caravan. Carpeted mats cover almost every exposed inch of floor, so you have a chance of saving the carpets. Ride is so smooth and quiet, you'll have to relearn how fast you are going. During test drive I looked down while on the highway and was going 85!. Sitting in driver's seat, not a single inch of van is in your primary field of vision. It's like sitting 2 feet from a big screen HD TV. If you feel more secure seeing things like your own front end, roof supports, etc when driving, this may not be the best for you. Gearshift in console under the stereo takes getting used to, especially with 4th and 5th gear "overdrive" differentiated with a slight movement of the knob. (2000 had overdrive button on the end of the column shifter) Engine has nice acceleration and does not complain...even at 85. Stereo volume auto adjusts based on speed, and as typical for Toyotas, is heavy on the Bass. Because of my size, some buttons to left of steering were blocked by my knee. I miss having mute button on the wheel, but other controls still there. Cruise controls are a little more out of the way than they used to be, but still a lever on right side of column rather than front, which is OK for me even with my knees in the way. - I imagine the big a** airbag in the wheel took up all the space. Actually, everywhere I look I see an airbag label in this thing. Power windows in the sliding doors are sweet, as is the disable button on the dash when the kids find out there are power windows in the sliding doors. Turning radius in this thing is impressively small. I think I could do circles in my living room. Steering/suspension is indeed "light" as other reviews say. If you want more sporty feel, fork over the dough for an Odyssy. Our 2000 had a LOT of problems, but we beat it to 180K miles, so what do you expect? Extended warranty may be a good idea as there is a long list of expensive to fix/replace things in this van. Overall, this van is one heck of a nice ride.

The AWD is awesome and does super in the snow. Has as many feature as my house. Kids are well entertained which makes enjoyable, long trips. Has an incredible amount of power and a smooth ride. We wanted the Honda Odessy but it didn't have the features that the Sienna does; AWD, navigation, heated leather seats, DVD. Doesn't get any better than this.

This is the first Toyota product we have owned. What an absolute pleasure it is to drive after previously owning a Plymouth Voyager and Chrysler Town and County. This van is a 2008 Sienna XLE which was a lease return. It had almost 23,000 miles on it when we purchased it one month ago. It is equipped with a V-6 and five-speed automatic transmission. It has front air conditioning with dual controls, rear air conditioning, power leather seats, seat warmers, power windows, power doors, power liftgate, cruise control, an Infinity sound system with 4-disc CD player, a moon roof, GPS system, rear-view camera, SONAR system, a DVD player, and a roof rack. We have never owned a vehicle so well equipped. We just returned from a 2-1/2 week vacation in which we covered 4,125 miles. We left Sacramento and traveled first to Southwestern Utah to see Bryce Canyon National Park, then down to Arizona to see the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, then down to Phoenix, then over to Albuquerque, NM to experience the hot air balloon festival, then up to the Denver, CO area for a class reunion, then up to Boise, ID for a wedding, then back home to Sacramento. The van operated flawlessly. Much of the trip was on relatively flat ground and we twice recorded gas mileage readings that exceeded 29 miles per gallon. I was able to set the cruise control and watch the miles go by. Of couse, we twice crossed over the Rocky Mountains, once going and once coming back, and never had a gas mileage reading less than 25 m.p.g. The transmission downshifted smoothly and the engine had plenty of power to handle the changes in altitude. We have several friends and relatives who have owned, and who now own, various Toyota vehicles, including my mother who drove a Toyota pickup when she lived in Montana. All of them have had great service from their Toyotas, and we look forward to enjoying ours for a long, long time. We will probably end up selling it to our son and daughter-in-law, they will use it, and it will still probably be going strong.

I love this car!! I bought the car loaded with accessories. I like everything about the car. The only problem I have had is with the second row seats being hard to disengage and fold over. The car has a wonderful smooth ride with good turning capability.

I purchased a 2008 brand new and I guarantee I will be trading this in a few years down the line for another one. With four kids the comfort and features are the best!!!

This minivan looks good but at 24,500 miles the transmission need it to be replace. This is not a reliable car at all.

The Sienna is awesome! It has so many features, it is so comfortable, quiet and the gas mileage is outstanding. The interior is roomy and the ride is very smooth. Installing car seats and booster seats for the kids was easy and I definitely recommend the power sliding doors. The handling is great...both in town and on the highway and the engine does not feel underpowered like most other vans.

Best Van I've Ever Driven And I'm 85 Years Old!!! I Cannot Believe The Quality And Handling Performance!!! I Would Definetly Recommend This Van Over The Honda Odyssey!!!