2025 Toyota Sienna Review
2025 toyota Sienna XSE
Base Price: $40,635
245 HP 2.5 Liter 4 cylinder Hybrid
MPG as observed: 30 city / 34 hwy!
—- Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi
You want the ultimate roadtrip machine? You want something that has enough space to let your sub 10 year olds from stabbing each other? You want something that drive hours on in comfort? You’re answer is the 2025 Toyota Sienna.
Let me explain. We took a family vacation from Atlanta down to Orlando. That’s 2 adults, 2 children and a crapton of luggage. The Sienna didn’t just fit the bill, it is designed for this exact scenario in mind. The ergonomics alone is something that your average crossover can only dream of! Acres of storage cubbies, shelving, compartments and nooks can be shoved into most any vehicle BUT having those spaces easily accessible is something else entirely. The Sienna excels in this. Everything is easily within an arms reach and I cannot overstate how valuable that is while barrelling down the road with a screaming family in tow!
What is also valuable is efficiency. The Sienna is the sole vehicle on the planet that can do all of the above WITH all while delivering 34 MPG on the highway! Seriously. Our 840 mile roundtrip averaged out to 31 MPG and with 34 MPG on the entire way down! What does that equate to? Welp, that means we made it to Orlando from Atlanta on one tank of gas WITH 90 miles left to go! Name another vehicle that can deliver this type of space, comfort, practicality with efficiency. You can’t. It doesn’t exist. It’s only the Sienna.
All of that efficiency does have some drawbacks.. First, it is rare to have an new model that makes less horsepower and is slower than it’s last generation. The previous generation had the venerable 3.5 Liter ToMoCo V6 making 296 horsepower, which is enough horsepower to lol at the WRX next to you at the light. It also got to 60 in 6.8 seconds vs 7.5 seconds in this new generation. Which anyway you slice it…is slower. On top of that the previous generation’s V6 sounded excellent especially when it came on cam around 5k RPM. This new generation doesn’t quite match that melodic V6….okay….it sounds like a garbage disposal when giving it the beans. Since it’s bolted to a CVT, that sound will just drone endlessly until you let you foot off the gas.
The prior generation, obviously, was geared to add a bit more performance flair to the Sienna. That comes down to handling as well. The previous generation XSE added a slightly sportier suspension, along with sportier exterior trim and blacked out treatments. It never transformed the Sienna into a Miata but it did add a bit more personality to the handling. This new generation, the XSE is all trim pieces. The suspension is the same as the other trims, so while very comfortable and can turn without falling over, doesn’t lead to any sporting pretenses at all. Which is fine…because this is a minivan at all.
So what do we have here? Well, you have the most fuel sipping, gargantuan interior space laden, ultimate ergonomic and brilliantly designed people mover on the planet. It won’t set your pants on fire but with 540 miles on a tank of gas…the tradeoff is worth it. What more can you ask for?
Welcome to the 2025 Toyota Sienna
Yousef Alvi
