2004 Toyota Sienna LE

Summary:

A super comfortable minivan

Faults:

Nothing.

General Comments:

I love this minivan. It is very comfortable and has an elegant looking console. I was unhappy about giving up the cargo space of my Astro, but the smooth ride of the Sienna makes up for it. It was a real pain actually getting the car, because of limited availability. We found one in the color and package I wanted on the computer sheet coming into a dealership three hours away. We put a deposit on it and waited for over a month to take possession. I got the 7 passenger LE package #1 in Blue Mirage. The color was not as blue as I had thought it would be (looks like light gray). The only improvements I would make would be a more comfortable third row seat and an easier to close rear hatch. I wish we had the power hatch because that door is quite heavy. I also wish it had the side curtain airbags like the Nissan Quest.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th October, 2003

19th Apr 2004, 14:20

I bought the 8 passenger LE with package #10. It has the side airbags, but more importantly it has the rear disk brakes. The brakes more more sense to me than side airbags as a preventative safety device. A loaded minivan gets pretty heavy and the extra stopping power is more than worth the extra cost.

27th Dec 2006, 14:05

We traded our 2002 Saturn Vue AWD V6 in for a used 2004 Toyota Sienna Le. We've owned the van for 5 months now and could not be happier! The van works like a dream and I was pleasantly surprised that it actually uses less gas than our Vue, BONUS! The Sienna has been a great family vehicle and I couldn't imagine life without it!

2004 Toyota Sienna CE

Summary:

Great comfort ride, smooth as silk

Faults:

There is a gas tank recall however it doesn't effect my VIN number.

The van didn't come with dark tinted back windows as seems to heat up in the Southern sun. The vehicle is hot and the AC so far seems not sufficient. By the time the cold air reaches me in the passenger seat it is warm. The material of the seat seems warm as well since my shirt sticks to my back from the sweat. I'm still investigating this issue.

I have detected a hesitation in the transmission or computer. From the time I hit the gas to the time the vehicle starts to move seems longer than it should.

General Comments:

My wife talked me out of a Dodge during this period of massive rebates to buy this Toyota. I'm hoping the engine sludge issues and transmission issues of the past are resolved. I was told this vehicle has the same engine as the Lexus. Both the transmission and engine are new for this year.

The vehicle is very quiet and has the most gentle ride of any car I've driven in. We plan to have after market DVD player installed and save $1000+ over what the dealer wanted. Its loaded with nice convenience features like the fold down back seats.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th August, 2003

3rd Sep 2003, 08:46

The Sienna and two Lexus models share the same engine. The Lexus models are covered under the same sludge policy as the Sienna and had the same failures due to sludge. The engine in the 2004 is new and should not be subject to sludging. It is larger, but runs cooler. The late 2002 engines and 2003 had minor modifications that were supposed to make them less susceptible to sludging - changes to PCV system and some cooling passages in the engine head. I recommend to change your oil no less frequently than the severe service interval in your manual (5000 miles on US models) no matter what your driving conditions are, to be safe. Keep all of your receipts. It is a good idea to have the servicing done at a dealership so they can't tell you later that Jiffy Lube didn't really change the oil, et cetera.

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