2022 Toyota Sienna

The Toyota Sienna has long been the best-selling minivan on the market, though not necessarily the best. What drives its big sales numbers? Excellent fuel economy from its standard four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, optional all-wheel drive (AWD), a bevy of safety features and Toyota’s reputation for reliability. But despite those very positive attributes, the Sienna lags its competitors on some key points.

After a major redesign last year, the 2022 Toyota Sienna continues with only modest changes, mostly consisting of the new Woodland Edition. This special trim adds 0.6 inches of ground clearance, standard AWD and a variety of utilitarian extras for outdoorsy minivan folks. There are six trims counting the Woodland, and prices range from $35,295 to $51,365 (both including a $1,215 destination fee). Model for model, it’s a hair pricier than the Kia Carnival, about even with the Honda Odyssey and cheaper than Chrysler’s Pacifica.

Where the Sienna excels is in quiet operation and economy. The smooth-riding Sienna is pleasant on the highway and eats up miles on long trips without complaint. Its huge array of active-safety features, including adaptive cruise control, are also good for peace of mind. Amazingly it gets up to 36 mpg in city, highway and combined driving, besting all competitors except for the plug-in version of the Pacifica. That vehicle has a limited all-electric range, but the Toyota still does better once the juice is spent.

Those efficiencies mean a tradeoff in performance. The Sienna is close to the pokiest vehicle in the class and not very involving to drive. It feels slower than older V6 Siennas, too. On the plus side, the Sienna is the only minivan besides the Pacifica to offer AWD. It uses a third electric motor out back to do the job when so equipped, with no space-robbing driveshaft in the middle. That’s helpful to those who live in snowy or icy climes as is the Woodland Edition.

Minivans are not necessarily intended to be fun to drive, but they are meant for hauling people and things, and the Sienna has a cargo weakness no other minivan has: its second-row seats can’t be removed. This results in the Sienna having the smallest cargo volume in the set and the least versatile interior, even though the second row is comfy for passengers and the optional captain’s chairs slide back and forth for added room. Some trims even include pop-up ottomans.

For buyers who don’t actually need to remove the second row very often and who want maximum mpg in a minivan, the Sienna is a must-shop. Its long standard feature list and approachable price also make the lower-spec versions and the AWD option a compelling value proposition, but minivans are a competitive class. All three of the other minivans offer more power, cargo space and interior versatility.

Performance: 10/15

The Sienna is motivated by a combined 245 horsepower and 176 pound-feet of torque from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors. They deliver their power through a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). When equipped with AWD, a 40-kilowatt third motor is added to the rear axle and the two power units work in computer-controlled concert. The Sienna takes about 8 seconds to get to 60 mph, which isn’t terrible for its size, but is a little slower than its V6 competitors. Its 3,500-pound tow rating is identical to those of the Carnival and Odyssey, but 100 pounds shy of the Pacifica.

Road and wind noise are nicely controlled, the ride quality is comfortable without being mushy or ponderous, and the brakes have a responsive feel, but the Sienna isn’t as involving to drive as the Odyssey. Most drivers will be fine with front-drive Siennas and winter tires in snow regions. All-wheel drive adds $2,000 on lower trims and $760 on higher ones but is standard on the new Woodland Edition. That model also gets 0.6 inches of additional ground clearance, raising the total to 6.9 inches.

Fuel Economy: 15/15

Among minivans, the Sienna is the king of fuel economy. Rated at 35 mpg combined city-highway driving with AWD and 36 mpg with front-wheel drive, total driving range is up to 648 miles. That’s excellent for a vehicle with a big frontal area that weighs as much as 4,725 pounds, and is certainly better than any large SUV. 

Only one other minivan, the plug-in hybrid version of the Chrysler Pacifica, even comes close. It offers up to 32 miles of fully electric range, but when the juice is spent it returns 30 mpg combined in normal operation. The non-hybrid Pacifica returns about 20 to 22 mpg combined, which is similar to the Carnival and Odyssey.

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 14/15

The 2022 Sienna offers a vast array of safety equipment and driver-assist gear. Every trim line incorporates forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking for cars, pedestrians and cyclists; stop-and-go adaptive cruise control; lane departure warning and lane tracing assist (lane centering), automatic high beams, blind spot warnings, rear cross-traffic alerts and traffic sign recognition. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gives the Sienna a four-star overall rating while the Insurance Institute for High Safety (IIHS) rates the 2022 Sienna a Top Safety Pick+. The LATCH child seat attachment points are easy to use, especially in the second row. A surround-view camera is offered on higher trims.

Comfort & Room: 13/15

Every seat in the Sienna is spacious and comfortable. The Sienna’s legroom in the first row is 40.3 inches. The second row gets 39.9 inches, and the third 36.3. That’s 0.9 inches better than Pacifica’s second row and 0.7 inches better than Carnival’s third row, though Honda’s Odyssey has the roomiest third row. All are superior to all but the largest SUVs and full-sized vans.

The entry-level LE and XLE offer middle benches and can be configured for eight- or seven-passenger (2-2-3) seating. The higher trims get captain’s chairs in the middle row, which are both comfortable and flexible. Those seats slide fore and aft to a considerable degree, giving users significant choice in where and how they use them—a key reason people buy minivans in the first place.

Infotainment: 9/15

The Sienna’s standard 9-inch infotainment screen looks dated because of poor resolution and aging graphics, and pales in comparison to Kia and Chrysler’s bright screens and recently updated systems. It does offer plenty of niceties though, including eight speakers, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, satellite radio, telematics and Wi-Fi. Upper trims offer JBL audio with 12 speakers, up to seven USB connectors and a PA system, called Driver Easy Speak by Toyota, to address the back rows.

Toyota offers an entertainment package on Woodland, Limited and Platinum with two 11.6-inch rear displays, HDMI inputs and two wireless headphones. Wireless phone charging and a 1,500-watt AC power supply are optional or standard on upper trims.

Cargo Space & Storage: 11/15

Built for practicality, the Sienna scores well on small-item storage. There are 18 cupholders including four in the center console. The console is big and tall with a bridge design allowing a large open storage space below. The dash incorporates horizontal trays for coins, combs, pens or phones. But the Sienna comes up short on cargo volume because the second-row seats are not removable. 

It measures 101.0 cubic-feet of space behind the first row while the others are in the 140s. With all rows up, it’s more equal for storage: 33.5 cubic-feet for Toyota, a bit less for Pacifica and Odyssey and 40.1 cubic-feet for Carnival. Compared to a full-size SUV a little longer, such as the Toyota Sequoia, the Sienna has twice the luggage capacity behind row three, twice the mpg rating and half the towing capacity. 

Style & Design: 6/10

Current minivan designers seem to be intent on making these vehicles look more like SUVs. The Sienna’s lines don’t quite achieve that, but it does have presence and clearly telegraphs a family resemblance to other Toyotas, with its big grille and swooping side lines. You wouldn’t know it to look at the Sienna and all its glass area, but rear visibility isn’t all that great despite it being a big tall box.

There’s some hard plastic in the cabin that may scuff and may age poorly, especially when faced with children. Seat materials range from cloth to Softex (faux leather) to leather. It’s not flashy even at high trim levels, but it’s functional and user-friendly.

Is the 2022 Toyota Sienna Worth It? Which Sienna is the Best Value? 

While the minivans from Chrysler, Honda and Kia score higher under Forbes Wheels’ testing, safety and fuel economy still make the 2022 Sienna worth a look. The van’s fuel economy advantage means savings at the pump for years to come and the comprehensive safety suite also helps boost resale value and peace of mind.

The $41,215 Sienna XLE, one level up from the entry-grade LE, is the best value overall despite being nearly $6,000 more than the base model. It brings many nice extras including fog lights, hands-free sliding doors, a power liftgate, a moonroof, leatherette upholstery, four-zone HVAC, an eight-way power driver’s seat and a four-way power front passenger seat—both heated. 

The XLE  opens up a variety of option packages. Many of the items on the Woodland Edition, though not the extra ground clearance, can be ordered in various packages on the XLE, so if you only want a couple of those items, it might still be possible to get by for less.

How Much Does It Cost to Insure the 2022 Toyota Sienna?

The Toyota Sienna is slightly more expensive to insure than its competitors. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with clean record can expect an annual premium of $1,901, though this averages all 50 states. In comparison, the premium on a Chrysler Pacifica would be $1,857. On a Honda Odyssey, it would be $1,822. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.