Anyone have the 8 passenger Sienna? Do you like it?

burnetta

New member
So, a couple of months ago I was super obsessed with eliminating all debt & all car payments - so, I got rid of my minivan. I did exhaustive research to try to find an older vehicle that we could afford, was safe & very reliable. (and could fit 3 car seats across) After countless hours, the Ford Taurus Station Wagon seemed like the one to go with (the minivans in our "debt free" price range all had potential repair issues - Hondas - transmission problems, Toyotas - Oil Sludge problems...Grand Caravans - multiple problems.).... So basically I totally over researched & may have put too much weight on past history of trouble spots for some of these vehicles.

Well, I've had the Taurus for about 2 months now & I do love it (it does have those side curtain airbags). There are 2 things about the vehicle that I'm having trouble with though:

1. less storage space (3 kids under 5 with strollers & diaper bags in tow - we fill up fast)

2. When I see the kids all buckled up - I get nervous about a side impact with an SUV - it would be coming at them @ the level of their heads! I know all the percentages about the different types of crashes, but this just makes me nervous. I didn't realize when I bought this vehicle how much this would worry me. Winter is fast approaching & we live in a "Snowbelt" area. It's common to see vehicles skidding this way & that during the winter.

So, now I'm thinking of adjusting the budget a little & going with the Toyota Sienna. A dealer near me has a used 2007 with the 8 passenger seating. I really like that I could have all 3 across the middle of the vehicle.

Sorry for writing the novel, just curious if anyone had one & liked it :)
 
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skiersnowboarder3

Senior Community Member
Two families that I babysit for each have one and I have driven the one family's and ridden in the other family's numerous times and I would definately recommend it. The one family has three kids, they seat one in the middle row middle seat and the other two are in the third row. They fold the two outboard middle row seats down for easier access to the third row. Then when someone rides with them, they fold the seat back up. I have heard that you can install a seat with latch in the middle row and then pull the seat forward with the carseat still installed but I have never tried it. The only bad thing I have noticed (and this would not be a deal breaker for me, just something to think about) is that I don't think you could fit three seats much wider than radians across the third row. Right now they have a marathon and a regent back there and you wouldn't even be able to fit a small child beside them let alone an adult or a carseat. Even when they had two marathons, you still would not have been able to fit a third person back there. But overall, I would buy this van just because there is the potential for seating eight people.
 

Jeanum

Admin - CPS Technician Emeritus
Staff member
I have had one for almost 3 years and love it. Ours is an '05 model, and I only have two kids but drive their grandparents around with us at times. We usually leave the second row passenger side seat stored outside the van to improve access to the third row instead of tumbling it back and forth. My only quibble is the brakes don't seem as strong as you would expect for such a big vehicle. I've heard the newer versions (2007 and newer) have improved brakes, and 2007 and newer models also have a more powerful engine, extra perks of getting an '07 model. :)

Other posters with more kids than me who own the same van seem pretty happy with theirs, too. They have posted about fitting three carseats across the third row, including combinations involving more than one Regent/Husky. The third row is narrower than the second, but some seating combos are possible back there depending on the carseats. My thin MIL or my petite mom, or ahem, wider me ;), can sit in the third row passenger side next to a Regent installed in the third row center. I would be hard pressed to fit anything in the third row driver's side next to the Regent. The FP Safe Voyage belt positioning booster at its narrowest setting can be crammed into the third row driver's side next to the Regent, but it would be very hard to buckle up the booster.

There are mixed reports about the Radian's compatibility in the Sienna. Some techs reported no luck installing it in the third row, others reported the opposite, and the same seems to be the case for second row installations. LATCH seems to be friendlier than seatbelt installs, but your mileage may vary. I've honestly never tried out the Radian in our Sienna because of the reports of incompatibility and because I bought the Radian mainly to use in DH's car, never intending to use it in the Sienna. :)
 

sirrahn

Active member
I have an '04 and have been extremely pleased. No problems at all other than the rear hatch support broke....thankfully just before my warranty ended though so it was fixed for free.

I have 4 kids now, but when we first bought it only had 3 and they usually rode all in the middle row. It's a very versatile van...I've had 5 car seats in it a couple of times and the 6 of us take grandparents or friends and everyone can ride comfortably.

I understand the debt free thing though. My Sienna is the last thing we have to pay off and we've been paying extra so that we're *almost* there. I can't wait to see how good that feels!
 

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