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economist sunstouffville tribune wheels thursday june 21 2007 11 minivan a capable family hauler there are 17 ways to config ure the siennas interior allow ing you to carry up to 422 cubic metres of cargo eiiitfsfe in terms of passenger comfort cargo capacity and power the 2007 toyota sienna minivan makes an ideal family hauler even at the base trim level by neil moore sometimes this job can mess with your head i was just recently piloting the 120kplus lexus flagship sedan feeling every bit the successful young executive a ris ing star the next donald people even looked at me different ly strangers anyway next week im in a toyota sienna minivan certainly not a captain of industry barely even a lancecorporal theres a lesson to be learned here two really 1 never identify too closely with your ride 2 demographically speak ing i am a minivan guy and number one still applies still if youre a couple with kids and the boatload of gear that goes with them make weekly trips to the grocery store costco and home depot admit it or not you probably need a minivan sure there are cooler alternatives such as suvs and crossovers but for true sevenpassenger comfort ease in and out and sheer cargo capacity typically 4 cubic metres compared with half that for suvs and cuvs theres little that measures up to these family haulers and before you begin wagging your finger and recounting the good old days when everybody made do with five kids and a dog crammed into the country squire station wagon an airbagless steel box with kids rolling around in back think again back then long car trips truly sucked as automobiles have evolved so has the minivan and so has the sienna for 2007 power is up as toyota has replaced its competent 33litre v6 215 hp 222 lbft with a 35 that delivers a respectable 266 hp at 6200 rpm and 245 lbft of torque at 4700 rpm combined with siennas smooth shifting 5speed electron ically controlled autobox which manages shift decisions based on engine speed and load this driverrain gets you up to speed as fast as many v6powered sedans ive driven but power is only the icing on the cake when it comes to minivans the true substance of these vehicles can be meas ured in terms of cargo capacity interior flexibility seating comfort and amenities starting from the back open the rear hatch and youll find a deep well behind the thirdrow seats which is ideal for sports bags groceries and all that small stuff you dont want rolling around here you get 124 cubic metres 43 cu ft of cargo space when thats not enough the 6040 split thirdrow seat- backs can be folded flat individually without removing the headrests or each side can be stowed level with the cargo floor to create 268 cubic metres 94 cu ft behind the second row captains chairs this is the position i favoured as we could seat both kids comfortably in the centre row and then slide in the stroller uncollapsed with room to spare if youre moving furniture or other bulky items the sec ondrow captains chair seatbacks can be folded flat or tum bled forward separately they can also be removed for a max imum cargo capacity of 422 cubic metres 149 cu ft there are a surprising number of ways to configure the seating to accommodate passengers and cargo 17 to be exact look around and youll find plenty of storage compart ments to keep the interior free of clutter theres a front door armrestcovered storage compartment door pockets seat- back pockets overhead sunglass holder and an integrated garage door opener not to mention several front and rear cup and bottle holders and shopping bag hooks in the cargo and passenger areas even the glovebox has two levels helping you separate small items from your maps and manuals my tester was the allwheeldrive sevenpassenger le and getting in and out was easy with its keyless entry and dual power sliding doors at this trim level you also get power six- way adjustable drivers seat multi- information display with compass clean air filter homelink programma ble garage door opener rear audio con trols removable centre console and 16- inch alloys not bad for 41270 but even at the base trim level 31200 for 7passenger ce fwd 32440 for 8passenger you get such standard features as front and rear climate controls power windows in the sliding doors jam protection on the drivers window pinch protection on the side and rear hatch windows and amfmcdmp3 player with six speak ers and steering wheel audio controls minivans like the sienna are now sporting standard features that were once the domain of upmarket sedans these include reflectorstyle halogen headlamps power remote heated exte rior mirrors and a heated area at the base of the front windshield that frees frozen wipers quickly when the car is started other more utilitarian yet use ful features include an intermittent wiperwasher and electric defroster with timer for the rear window side window defoggers and a conversation mirror located in the overhead console that allows you to keep an eye on the kids without turning your head the gauge cluster with its blue illu mination offers an attractive con trast to the mono chrome light gray that dominates the interior the sporty gated shifter can be found on the cen tre console if you want all the available niceties and are willing to part with 51375 the xle awd limited 7 passenger adds threezone climate control for driver front passenger and rear passengers large power moonroof laser cruise con trol clearance and backup sensors and more this may sound like a lot of money and it is but keep in mind that you get the awd utility and amenities of a typi cal 50kplus suv with more passenger room and about twice the cargo capacity yet despite the siennas bulk it is rel atively fuel efficient using 117 litres 100 km city and 81 litres 100 km highway for fwd models and 133 litres 100 km city and 95 litres 100 km highway for awd models minivans are all about family and accordingly safety is a key considera tion to help stop you safely sienna includes abs with electronic brake- force distribution and brake assist as standard equipment ce fwd models are equipped with ven tilated front discs and rear drums while other trim levels use solid rear discs allwheeldrive models are outfitted with vehicle stability control vsc and traction control trac both vsc and trac are available as options on the le fwd sevenpassenger model as part of the value package dualstage front airbags front seat- mounted side airbags and side curtain airbags that protect passengers in all three rows are standard equipment safe comfortable and a bit boring admittedly the humble minivan lacks the panache and supposed ruggedness of todays suvs and crossovers but if you spend more time driving your vehi cle than staring at it you may find that passenger comfort and utility will trump style every day factory authorized summer clean up sale save up to 80 off ii on a fantastic collection of coveted designer clothing accessoriesfrom dkny liz mexx puma club 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