1. How did you come to the decision of buying this car?
I couldn't resist the charms of a minivan, especially after the birth of our second child. There's simply no better vehicle for family duties. Despite that, there are only four real family-minded minis sold in the US at this point.
We were concerned about Consumer Reports's reliability assessment of the Odyssey and Pacifica (sorry), and the Sedona wasn't terribly impressive on our test drive. Combine that with the great deals that were being offered on Siennas at the time and my historic affinity for Toyota vans, and it really came down to a choice of trim level and color. I went with the FWD version because I wanted a spare tire and the 8th seat, neither of which is available with AWD.
2. What has your ownership experience been like?
Terrific. We previously had a RAV4 which was just fine, but never quite felt like the right car for us. It didn't ride particularly well, there were some NVH issues, and with two little kids in their space capsule seats and all of their accouterments, it wouldn't easily let us bring anyone else with us on trips.
The Sienna is cavernous, the ride is serene, access to the cabin is terrific and as a bonus, the three-year-old can open the power sliding doors by herself with no risk of dinging another car. The insurance is cheaper than the RAV4's, the fuel economy is about the same, and I can choose between an honest-to-goodness adult-sized third row of seats or a trunk big enough for a small tree.
The adaptive cruise control and auto-dipping high beams work very well, and make a real difference on long drives. 2019 was the first year the infotainment had CarPlay, which negates most complaints about the admittedly somewhat dated system.
The interior lacks a stand-alone clock but has two exterior temperature displays and it's too easy to hit the button to disable to power doors with my knee when I get in and out of the car. It would also be nice to be able to walk from the front row to the middle row without stepping over a center console, which was particularly handy in my old Previa. Otherwise I have no complaints.
3. What is your fondest memory with this car?
Shortly after we bought the car, we took a family trip from Massachusetts to Indiana. 15 hours in a car with two kids provides ample opportunity for the vehicle to ingratiate itself or for quirks to become downright agonizing.
On stretches where everyone else was comfortably snoozing and the van was effortlessly devouring the miles with its typical quiet composure, I was struck by a sense that this van made me feel like the dad I want to be. The van was my tool to provide and protect. A loyal and worry-free partner that makes me forgive those few aforementioned idiosyncrasies.
I don't know if it counts as a single memory, but that drive only made my fondness for it grow, and the prospect of keeping it for 10 years makes me smile rather than groan.
(My father always insisted his cars were to be kept for 10 years or 100k miles. This was a more optimistic goal when he first moved to the US and insisted on buying American in the 80s and 90s, but it's ended up firmly ingrained in my head as well)
4. Why do you love cars?
I've always loved cars because of the potential they represent. A car can be optimized to carry anything to anywhere in relative comfort and speed. They're ubiquitous but unique, each with its own quirks and character.
I was always more fond of ingenuity of design and clever packaging than outright speed, since I've never had a reason for my own car to go over 85 mph, and they can all do that nowadays.
I can't think of another object that can come in so many forms and serve as a canvas for designers, a playground for engineers, a cultural touchstone and from a strictly pragmatic standpoint, a way to get where you're going.
It certainly has its issues like the environmental costs, their primacy in American urban planning, and aggressive/distracted drivers, but I think I'll always love cars for what they can be in whatever form they come to take.
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If you would like to participate, just answer the above four questions and submit one to three photos of your daily driver to milhousevanh at geemail. Thanks and have fun!
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