All new 2011 Toyota Sienna...

lovinwaves · Feb 19, 2010

Sorry for the confusion everyone, I was speaking of the Honday Odyssey's "8th seat" not the new Sienna. I have not sat in the new Sienna, nor seen it.

Kat_Momof3 said:
as well as the sitting lower part of it... I thought it just looked uncomfortable.

LOL, well you might have a valid concern there. Never though about that sunken in part. Might hurt the tush

codex57 said:
You mean the new 8th seat? Well "fit" is a matter of opinion. I think I "fit" in it in a pinch. I mean, my butt gets in there just fine. However, the captain chairs pinch into my upper back right around or just below my armpits. I'm certainly not totally comfortable, altho with a slight hunching, it's not that bad.

However, I'm 5'7" and about 135 lbs. I'm definitely on the skinny side. That seat really is more for children. Skinny children.

Now are you talking about the Ody or new Sienna?

Have you had the chance to sit in both "8th seats?" If so, can you tell us how they differ as far as feeling when sitting in it? I know you guys have been minivan shopping...

NannyMom · Feb 19, 2010

My local dealership has at least 1 (green) 8 passenger 2011 Sienna. I plan to go see it tomorrow. I can compare it to my 2008 Sienna. I will have my camera and tape measure and plan to take pics unless they stop me.

I have access to a Radian I coyld try, but only with the old boot

I also want to try a GN in the 8th seat.

SavsMom · Feb 19, 2010

I looked under the Child Safety section in the owners manual and there is nothing specific in regards to not being able to use the middle seat in the 2nd row.

It does state that there are only latch connectors for the outboard positons, but it says nothing about the middle position what-so-ever.

I have seen a few comments about the lack of leg room in the third row - keep in mind that the long slide second row seats can be moved forward to allow for adequate leg room for both 2nd and 3rd row passengers.

Here are a few pics.....

Owners manual pics -

The middle seat isn't as bad as you might think....keep in mind the outboard seats adjust front to back and can be reclined to "match" up to the middle seat as well...

Long slide seats...easy access to third row.....

lovinwaves said:
Can you clarify what the Sienna owner's manual said about this? Did it specifically say you cannot install any car seat there?

In the Odyssey with the 8th seat, you can install any car seat there forward-facing or rear-facing assuming it installs properly and it doesn't require a forward-facing tether. Boosters can also fit there as well, although wide boosters probably not.

Guest · Feb 19, 2010

lovinwaves said:
Now are you talking about the Ody or new Sienna? Have you had the chance to sit in both "8th seats?" If so, can you tell us how they differ as far as feeling when sitting in it? I know you guys have been minivan shopping...

Sorry, I was talking about the new 2011 Sienna's 8th seat. I have sat in the 8th seat in an Ody, but it was so long ago I can't remember enough about the fit to "compare" it to the new Sienna's.

To be honest, unless that friend comes to visit us in their minivan instead of their regular car (unlikely), I'm prolly not gonna sit in an Ody 8th seat for a while. I hate going to the dealer. We only went to the Toyota one cuz BIL is the shop foreman and he got the keys to the cars in the back lot so we could bypass all the sales people (except one, but he was cool cuz he knew he didn't have to sell anything to us).

I prolly won't check out an Odyssey until the new one comes out.

Guest · Feb 19, 2010

I didn't notice a lack of leg room in the 3rd row. Like SavsMom said, you just push up the 2nd row to get some more room. There's a LOT of room for the 2nd row to slide back and forth. I really don't anticipate a problem with legroom in the 3rd row even if you have a tall driver and a RF convertible seat. I didn't specifically try it, but I did sit in the 3rd row, got the 2nd comfortably far for someone @ 6 ft, then sat in the 2nd row and got a feel for the space.

We tried a Sequoia right after. Holy smokes does the Sienna feel a LOT roomier inside. Especially headroom and legroom. As for the trunk; night and day difference. Crazy cuz the Sequoia is so much bigger physically.

SavsMom · Feb 19, 2010

I am waiting for a customer to get here - as soon as he is on the road I am going to install my Symphony 65 - forward and rear facing in the middle seat. Beings it is a pretty wide seat it should give a good comparison of how a few others might fit. I will also take a take measure with me.

Momtobeof3 · Feb 19, 2010

SavsMom said:
I looked under the Child Safety section in the owners manual and there is nothing specific in regards to not being able to use the middle seat in the 2nd row.

I completely agree that it does not say you cannot do it, but my car seat (KF22) manual says....Refer to your Vehicle Owner’s Manual for detailed information about vehicle belts, LATCH, and preferred Restraint installation positions.

Am I wrong to interpret this to mean that I cannot install the seat in a position that is not "preferred" or in this case specifically indicated by the vehicle manual?

Maedze · Feb 19, 2010

Momtobeof3 said:
I completely agree that it does not say you cannot do it, but my car seat (KF22) manual says....Refer to your Vehicle Owner’s Manual for detailed information about vehicle belts, LATCH, and preferred Restraint installation positions.

Am I wrong to interpret this to mean that I cannot install the seat in a position that is not "preferred" or in this case specifically indicated by the vehicle manual?

You are misunderstanding the quotation. It doesn't mean you can't install in the center position of the Sienna or any other vehicle. It's simply telling you to read the vehicle manual to find out vehicle-specific information.

SavsMom · Feb 19, 2010

Exactly - for example my 2010 Subaru - in the owners manual it cleary states that they do not recommend the middle seat be used with a child restraint - but it can be.

Maedze said:
You are misunderstanding the quotation. It doesn't mean you can't install in the center position of the Sienna or any other vehicle. It's simply telling you to read the vehicle manual to find out vehicle-specific information.

Momtobeof3 · Feb 19, 2010

Thanks for the help...I admitted that I was not clear on that in some of my other posts where I was asking a Tech or someone who understands to explain - can you install in a "non-designated" location. Regardless, in my situation I'm trying to fit 3 across, 2KF and a FF MA, so I still do not "think" it will work just due to the size of my particular seats. We are planning to go to the dealer to try it, just to be sure.

Maedze · Feb 19, 2010

Reasons that you would not be able to use a vehicle seating position

1. The vehicle seating position has a seatbelt style that is forbidden for use with a child restraint (for example, a door mounted shoulder belt).

2. There is a basic incompatibility between the vehicle seat and the child restraint. For example, the Graco Nautilus, which requires 100% of the child restraint to be on the vehicle bench, is not a good fit with shallow-depthed vehicle seats such as you might find in an extended-cab pick up.

SavsMom · Feb 20, 2010

I think the key to installing a seat in the middle position will be to ensure you have the outboard seats "lined up" with the middle seat nicely. When you adjust the outboard buckets by sliding them forward or back you can get them to line up relatively "flush" with the middle seat.

I have a sales meeting this morning and no appointments lined up for today...my Symph65 is sitting next to me and waiting to be installed - I am thinking that since the Symph65 isn't a small seat by any means it should give everyone a general idea on how others may or may not install...I'll post pics soon :thumbsup:

Kat_Momof3 · Feb 20, 2010

I'm dying for pics... I know the seats in previous models weren't as big as the captain's chairs in say, my caravan, but they were individual chairs... all of equal size... and all able to fit a pretty decent sized adult... so that's what I meant by 3 captain's chairs.

I'm still going back and forth on whether or not the new 8th seat in the Sienna is really something that will be comfortable for people not in a harnessed or booster seat.

SavsMom · Feb 20, 2010

PLEASE NOTE, I AM NOT TECH - THIS IS NOT A PROF INSTALL - JUST DONE QUICKLY TO GIVE YA'LL AN IDEA OF HOW A SEAT INSTALLS

Alright here are the pics.....
I had to do this quickly as I am at work so pardon the hasty install - I simply wanted to see if the seat would fit rear and forward facing. I just used the seat belt to see if it would go in easily and tightly - it did with no problems. If I had a little more time (not on the clock) I would have done a proper install, but from what I can tell so far its not bad. This is just to give a general idea of how the seat installs using the seat belt and I would never put a child in it unless I had the time to install the seat properly and not so quickly.

The Symph65 has a pretty big base (in my experience) and I did get a little overhang on the rear facing install Here are some notes on rear facing:

*I have the Symph65 in the 2nd recline position - this is the position that my daughter uses it in rear facing. *The base on the Symph65 is pretty big and I did get some overhang, I would need to reference the owners manual for my seat to see if its allowed (I don't have that issue in my car)
*I did recline the van seat (outboard driver side reclines, in turn recling the middle seat as the two are connected) 2 clicks to get more of the base on the seat - techs - is this allowed?

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Forward facing install - the seat belt wasn't twisted - just done quickly and again I just wanted to see if the seat would actually fit on the seat. The seat fit pretty well - and considering how large the base is on the Symph65 I thought it fit pretty well. I am thinking the Radian will fit nicely since it is so narrow. But keep in mind there is no top tether for this seat either...

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Maedze · Feb 20, 2010

thank you :thumbsup:

The vehicle manual should address whether or not the seat can be 'clicked' back for an install.

It looks like it accommodates even a larger convertible forward facing. What a ridiculous pity they pulled the top tether

SavsMom · Feb 20, 2010

I am very sad about the top tether - as the seat did fit very nicely forward facing.

The one thing I was very impressed with is that even with a larger convertible in the middle - there is still tons of room in the outboard seats. The Symph65 didn't overlap the buckles or the latch - it just fit nice and snug on the 8th seat - now if they would put a (pardon my french) damn tether in that position and at least 1 more in the third row I would LOVE this van.

Maedze said:
thank you :thumbsup:

The vehicle manual should address whether or not the seat can be 'clicked' back for an install.

It looks like it accommodates even a larger convertible forward facing. What a ridiculous pity they pulled the top tether

Jennifer mom to my 7 · Feb 20, 2010

If you can find the time, would you please double check the manual in the child restraint section and see if it addresses installing a seat there? I know my 05 8 passenger manual addresses installing seats with seatbelt in all positions, and makes the exceptions for using the middle of the third row, and how the spit seat in the rear needs to be lined up (at the same recline) to use the middle position with a child restraint.

crunchierthanthou · Feb 20, 2010

Maedze said:
It looks like it accommodates even a larger convertible forward facing. What a ridiculous pity they pulled the top tether

:yeahthat:

thanks for taking the time do install and post pictures.

SavsMom · Feb 20, 2010

I looked through the manual again (for reference its pages 178-198) and there is no reference to NOT using the middle seat. There is no illustration or instruction on using the middle seat though...but again there is no wording saying its not allowed either.

There are thre pages (196-198) with !CAUTION! statements on them. In this section they do address having the third row seats lined up at the same angle just as they do in your '05 manual along with other common info (well common to us car seat nuts - lol). But again, nothing in regards to the middle seat.

Jennifer mom to my 7 said:
If you can find the time, would you please double check the manual in the child restraint section and see if it addresses installing a seat there? I know my 05 8 passenger manual addresses installing seats with seatbelt in all positions, and makes the exceptions for using the middle of the third row, and how the spit seat in the rear needs to be lined up (at the same recline) to use the middle position with a child restraint.

SavsMom · Feb 20, 2010

I did find this in regards to the seatback recline:

"When using LATCH anchors for a child restraint system, move the seat as far back as possible (second seat only), with the seatback close to the child restraint system."

To me, this statement seems to address more of a forward facing install - don't ya think?

Maedze said:
thank you :thumbsup:

The vehicle manual should address whether or not the seat can be 'clicked' back for an install.

It looks like it accommodates even a larger convertible forward facing. What a ridiculous pity they pulled the top tether

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