2007 Toyota Sienna LE: Minivan with major appeal

However, get into some hillier terrain and the larger 3.5L V-6's work ethic makes a huge difference. Not only is the response to driver input that much faster, it comes without the mechanical cacophony that is the bane of many minivans.

The new engine's 266 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque is spread over a broad range, thanks to variable valve timing on both the intake and exhaust cams. The nice part is that the cam phasing not only delivers good low-end torque (great when scooting off the line) and high-end horsepower (needed for passing), it does so while maximizing the engine's efficiency. The five-speed automatic transmission helps things enormously. As well as providing a low first gear, it brings quiet highway cruising. In short, the powertrain works very nicely as a team -- so much so that it managed to deliver a week-long average fuel economy of 10.1 litres per 100 kilometres with five or six riders aboard most of the time. (Oh, the joys of March break!) It also made pumping buck-a-litre gasoline less of a heart and wallet breaker.

The second noticeable thing about the Sienna is its size. Riding on a 3,030-millimetre wheelbase, the overall length (5,105 mm) and width (1,965 mm) allow for plenty of interior space. There's enough, in fact, that even when toting around the whole crew of six, there was adequate space left behind the third row to carry the paraphernalia needed by a two-year-old.

When more cargo space is needed (up to 94 cubic feet), the third row folds down into the floor in an easy fashion.

Beyond the usual, its large centre console box can be fitted between the front or second-row seats, there are numerous storage cubbies (including twin glove boxes and plenty of overhead storage) and power sliding doors (that include proper power windows, thank you). Unless you've lived with the latter for some time, you really do not appreciate how much they ease access to the interior.

Niggles are few but worth mentioning. When the third row is stowed, it limits seating to four because of the second-row buckets (there is an eight-seater, but this option makes accessing the third row more difficult).

Second, if you need to use the Sienna for its entire 149 cu. ft. of cargo capacity, the second row must be lifted out and stored in the garage. While it's a simple chore, the seats are quite heavy and rather awkward.

The remainder of the interior is equipped as expected, with one noticeable omission. Along with dual-zone climate controls come controls for the rear-seat occupants, an adequate audio system with an auxiliary input and a fully articulated driver's seat with better-than-average lumbar support.

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