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A Parentmobile Gets Better
2004 Toyota Sienna XLE

Some people want minivans.

They want something to carry children and all of the things that travel with children. They want a vehicle for long-drive family vacations, weekend shopping trips and, yes, for hauling soccer players to and from defeat and victory.

For them, there is the 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE, a minivan slavishly devoted to the transportation needs of families and cleverly designed to fulfill those needs with a blend of power, joy, surprise.

As such, the new Sienna — the second generation of a vehicle line introduced in 1998 — is a refreshing entry into a North American automotive market beset by chronic Product Identity Crisis (PIC). While other car companies have crossed over into fantasy with “crossover” models — all-in-one sedans, sports cars, minivans, sport-utility vehicles — Toyota, at least in this case, has returned to reality.

The new Sienna offers substantially more seating space and cargo room — an overall increase of 45 cubic feet in interior volume — than its predecessor.

The new Sienna’s wheelbase, the centerline distance between the front and rear wheels, is longer by 5.1 inches. Track width has increased by four inches. The wheels are larger. It all means a minivan that rides and handles better, that doesn’t bump passengers senseless over rough roads or toss them from side to side on roads that wind and curve.

A longer, wider body requires a bigger, stronger engine, and Toyota has delivered one here. It is a 3.3-liter, computer-controlled V6 in which the 24 valves — the things that admit air and fuel and emit burned fumes — are precisely timed to their work.

Precision yields efficiency, which, in matters of horsepower and fuel economy means this: The Sienna’s V6 develops a maximum 230 horsepower at 5,600 revolutions per minute and 242 foot-pounds of torque at 3,600 rpm. Yet it produces that power at minimum fuel costs. The tested front-wheel-drive Sienna XLE averaged 26 miles per gallon in highway driving. Toyota’s engineers say that the all-wheel-drive version of the minivan can get 24 mpg in highway travel.

The power, handling and fuel economy of the Sienna XLE are pleasantly surprising. But the joy of the vehicle is in its interior. The seats are as maneuverable as they are comfortable in both the seven-passenger (second-row captain’s chairs) and eight-passenger (second-row bench seats) configurations.

Second-row passengers get roll-down windows, which children appreciate. In the eight-passenger setup, the middle portion of the bench seating can be moved nearly 13 inches closer to the front seat. That’s close enough to ease the work of putting a milk bottle into a baby’s mouth, but far away enough to protect an infant or toddler from a rapidly expanding air bag in a frontal collision.

The Sienna XLE is load ed with storage bins, cup holders and bottle holders — 10 cup holders and four bottle holders to be exact. There also are 10 baggage hooks and one hook for a handbag or soft-bodied briefcase

The tested Sienna XLE came with an optional, ceiling-mounted DVD screen for rear-passenger movies. That might not facilitate family conversation on road trips, but it does replicate life in many American homes, where the boob tube offers a good excuse to avoid family conversations of any sort. Perhaps there is comfort in this, too, especially on road trips where family conversations can lead to shouting matches and lots of driver distraction.

You can’t send raucous children to their bedrooms in the new Sienna. But with its flexible seating arrangements and array of electronic entertainment options, you can create virtual demilitarized zones.

Nuts & Bolts

Complaints: I found nothing to complain about in this one.

Praise: The Sienna XLE s developed, designed and built for families. It makes no apologies for that. It is what it is — one of the best minivans available in North America, if not the absolute best.

Ride, acceleration and handling: Excellent in all three categories in the context of a minivan’s overall mission, which is to get families and their stuff from one point to another with minimum hassle and maximum comfort and safety. This is a genuine road-tripper.

Head-turning quotient: It’s a minivan. A good-looking minivan, but a minivan nonetheless. People look at minivans and don’t see them. It is an act of automatic visual dismissal, which is why minivans are for families, not egos.

Body style/layout: Front engine, available in front-wheel or automatic all-wheel drive. Dual power sliding doors and power back door on the tested XLE.

Trim levels: The 2004 Sienna is available as a base CE, popularly equipped LE, upscale XLE and super-upscale XLE Limited.

Engine/transmission: The 3.3-liter, 230-horsepower V-6 is linked to a five-speed automatic transmission. The transmission lever is a dashboard-mounted, gated shifter.

Fuel capacity and type: The Sienna XLE holds 20 gallons of gasoline. Premium unleaded is required.

Safety: Multi-stage front air bags, optional front-side and curtain air bags, standard four-wheel antilock brake system with brake assist and electronic brake distribution, child-safety-seat anchors.

Price: Base price is $28,260. Dealer’s invoice on base model is $25,150. Price as tested is $28,260, including a $510 destination charge. Price can go $10,000 higher depending on equipment chosen.

Purse-strings note: Control lust for options. Compare with 2004 Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Town & Country minivan.