I was dreading driving a minivan. I find them bulky and difficult to navigate in parking garages. I also don’t have children, so I felt all the extra space would be wasted on me. However, the 2026 Toyota Sienna Platinum minivan shattered all my expectations.
Which Trim Level
Toyota gives Sienna shoppers plenty of choices. There are six trims to choose from, but as far as I’m concerned, the Platinum trim is the best option. At around $60,000, the Sienna comes in above the national average transaction price for a new vehicle of $50,000 — but it’s money well spent. First, you get the quality Toyota is renowned for, plus every Sienna is a hybrid so you’re also saving big on gas. The Sienna Platinum comes with all-wheel drive (AWD), gets 35 mpg combined, and enjoys a near-luxury interior, buyers are getting real value, even with the big price tag. It’s no wonder the Sienna is a perennial winner in our KBB Best Buy Awards.
Favorite Features
The Sienna comes with many fabulous features that I didn’t know I needed until I drove it — including a couple of household appliances. Toyota’s FridgeBox can keep up to six cans and several other treats cold, allowing passengers to enjoy a nice beverage and a snack while on the go. It’s a true lifesaver in the summer months. Plus, if one of your passengers drops a few crumbs on the floor, no worries! Toyota offers a convenient vacuum with three attachments. It is a powerful little cleaning machine that helped me keep the floors of the Sienna looking pristine.
There are other high-end options that lend a luxury feel for a less-than-luxury price, including a heated steering wheel plus heated and ventilated seats — always a selling point for me. Again, if you live somewhere with extreme temperatures, these small comforts make a big difference when you have to drive in the heat or snow.
I loved all these sophisticated features, but my favorite is a simple one: the available storage up front. A minivan is meant to transport others, but it’s nice when the driver has room too. Six cupholders, a phone charging pad, a center compartment, plus space below the center console provide ample places to house a purse, sunglasses, keys, card holder, and large beverages. Finally, I don’t have to throw an expensive purse in the backseat or ask my passenger to hold it for me. Thank you, Toyota.
What It’s Like to Drive
My passengers raved about the luxurious seating, and I was also quite comfortable in the driver’s seat. I completely forgot I was driving a minivan, as the Sienna is smooth, boasts ample power, and it even helped me park with Parking Assist. The Sienna also isn’t super tall, resulting in confident, not claustrophobic driving in a parking garage.
Interior Comfort and Technology
I feel like I discovered new technical capabilities on the Sienna daily. The digital rearview mirror and all the exterior cameras offer a virtual panoramic view that helps you park and gauge your surroundings. Both side doors and the liftgate can be opened by just waggling or kicking your foot under the doors, so there’s no fumbling for keys or looking for buttons. The second-row seats recline, and passengers can even enjoy a movie or stream a show with the fold-down screen and headphones. It doesn’t get more comfortable than that.
When it comes to style, I appreciated the Macadamia leather 2-tone trim on the Sienna’s interior. The perforation and stitching details make the look unique. The wood-grain finish on the center console is what really elevated the space, giving the interior a true living-room feel.
Limitations
The only thing I didn’t love about the Sienna is its exterior styling. But with a minivan, it’s what’s on the inside that counts. It may not look like a luxury vehicle, but to me and my passengers it felt like one. Still, it would be cool to see the exterior reflect a more refined or interesting take on a minivan since the inside has so much to offer.
Key Considerations
If you enjoy driving others around, it doesn’t get much better than the Toyota Sienna. I liked impressing my family and neighbors with all the goodies inside. While the Toyota Sienna is an absolute joy to drive, if you aren’t road tripping or don’t have kids, this may not be the vehicle for you. The Sienna does a good job of making you feel like you’re not driving a huge vehicle around, but the reality is that at 203.7 inches in length, it wouldn’t fit in my garage. That didn’t stop me from enjoying a cold sparkling water and an episode of Project Runway while reclining in the second-row seat parked in my driveway though. The Sienna is that good.
