The ideal other Toyota for a family of five?

Our family has had the following for family vehicles:

2005 GX470
2011 GX460
2015 Sienna SE (current)

As much as we miss the GXs, I have to admit the Sienna is the best fit for us right now. We have two young boys who play sports and need to be shuttled to school. The Sienna has way more room for people and cargo. The dogs can ride comfortably in the back with the third row down. Mpg is better, it’s been really reliable, maintenance is cheap. Besides admitting that I’m a middle aged dad driving a minivan, there are no down sides. One interesting insight from my wife - she loved her GX460 with light Tanner leather interior, but hated the idea of thrashing it doing family duty.

 

We sold our 6.2 Denali after it spring an oil leak and the HVAC buttons peeled off and revealed the green plastic beneath. No thanks from a life long Toyota owner.

 

Then see my second response, the minivan sir (cringe). We all know that they are the perfect purpose built vehicle for what we need (like station wagons) but we all want the 4Runner instead, however impractical, 'cause it's sexier. Bite the bullet. Get the Van.

 

It'd be nice if there was actually some inventory anywhere then you could actually take your wife to go see a Sienna hybrid in person. She may be swayed by the look and function once she actually is hands on.

 

Dealer inventory? That's so 2020! sad.

 

I noticed that you have not considered a Armada . Although I generally prefer Toyota, the Sequoia seems to be rated below the Armada in many critical areas.
My son (with his family totaling 6) recently bought one and is very pleased

 

Our van has more usable storage than our Sequoia did and doesnt take up two parking spaces. It gets double the MPG, the side doors slide so my 6' 13 year old can get out without smashing our door into the car next to him. Same when the 5 year old comes busting out, dont have to worry about him flinging the door into the car parked next to us. They all have friends we are hauling around at all times it seems. Drink holders galore, storage for everything. It really is a family room on wheels. Thats exactly what i have needed for the past few years, and what we will need for a few more years to come.

You know what would fit your family the best OP, but i can tell you that my wife drives ~35k miles a year getting our family of 5 everywhere we need to be, and nothing has worked as well as a van for us. Plus the damn thing has like 400 airbags and all the safety gadgets Toyota can throw at it, which is also important to me when i know we will be stuffing my most important people in it day in and day out.

We are on our 3rd van in a row Sienna-Odyssey-Sienna and they have all served us well. If im being honest we probably stared at the first one and just blinked for a while wondering if a van really was where we were in life. But we gave it a fair shot and haven't looked back. I cant speak to the coolness though as i havent given a s*** about that for a long time.

 

80’s rwd or awd corolla wagon. Everyone else is at least an order of magnitude wrong.

 

I loved Datsun (Nissan) Had them back to my '76 B210 hatchback, that thing survived teenage me & then my Brother. I have had 240, 280, 280ZX 300ZX, and a 350Z, the 350 ended my love affair with Nissan when they replaced it's known defective engine with the same engine that they knew would last about 18,000 miles before the poorly implemented oil control rings failed. Hence I had a 36k car that I bought new that needed it's 2nd major engine repair but as crafty Nissan gave it a 12k, 12 month warranty and I drove it less, the issue occurred again at 18k & 20 months. They offered oil changes.

Call me a never Nissaner.

 

I've run this mental exercise through and through as well. Same requirements with the exception of we only need fwd where we live, which only makes the sienna hybrid fwd even more appealing.

Now the real issue. I can order a new 22 Sienna at MSRP just about anywhere - but 6-8 months delivery time, and who knows what my currently relatively valuable trade in might be worth then? Try looking up used (since the desired hybrid is only model year 21+) and there's some available but at a $10k+ premium over new MSRP. So the only option is to order new and potentially back out if the trade value dumps by the time the 22 arrives, at which point I doubt I would be able to back my wife back out of the idea and I'd end up having to chip in the extra difference.

 

Curious to see what you end up with.

Similar situation here. We'll likely have a 3rd kid which will make us trade in her 2016 4Runner. Vehicle/mechanically speaking - great car. Ergonomically - I hate that fuggin car with a passion and won't be in it for anything longer than in-town trips. I'm 6'1" and 195lbs, FYI. Saying that because it may influence your SUV options.

Since my wife is a turd and won't drive a minivan, we're holding out for the new Sequoia. Not that I'm excited about it being a V6TT hybrid, but at this point, not many options while remaining a Toyota fan boy. Good luck.

 

This right here is what sold me on our minivan. After multiple door dings from our past vehicles due to the kiddos swinging the door open or busting out to escape, the sliding doors are a godsend in parking lots. The doors on our Sequoia swing out pretty wide and with kids using them as leverage to jump in, you gotta pay attention to what’s next to you.

I am happy with the interior space of the Sequoia. With 2 kids in car seats in the third row, they can’t kick and punch each other like they can in the Odyssey. I’m sure that’ll change in the future.

 

LFA

 

Have had a 4runner with third row, wife had a sienna. I now drive a tundra and she drives a rav4. The sienna by far makes the most practical sense to me given the parameters. And (this is 48 year old me talking), they have some trim packages that have the blacked out badges and rims and look sharp!

 

Our Highlander has treated us well, though I won't say I love it. It's just very utilitarian and without much personality or passion. But it's been completely reliable and efficient. Keep in mind that mine is the previous gen.

I'd say the two weak points are the third row room, and the cargo room behind the third row. I can sit in the third row for a few hours, but it isn't great. Best for kids not adults, but doable. Tons of cargo room with the third row folded, but very little room with the third row up. If you can use just 1 section of the third row to seat one person, and leave the other portion (it's 60/40 split) down, then it has plenty of cargo room.

 

I know two people who used to have Armadas. Very small sample size, I know, but they both had repeated issues by 150k miles. One now drives his family of 6 around in a 2G Sequoia, the other traded his in on a ‘20 Tundra. I also watched a brand new Titan XD flat-out die pulling a parade float up Broadway Ave in downtown Nashville a few years ago. A PD Suburban 2500 had to pull the Titan XD and the float the rest of the way up, which it did without breaking a sweat. The parade was all Nissans because they’re made in the area. Just haven’t ever thought that I could trust them. They seem like the Dodge of Japan to me.

Does the Armada have the full time AWD of the 2G Sequoia? That and the large crossover with the LC200 drivetrain are big pluses for the Sequoia. But I really don’t need two big v8 vehicles.

AWD hybrid Sienna still makes the most sense to me. Just gotta convince the wife!

Yeah, I hear that criticism of the Highlander often. It’s the Camry of 3-row crossovers, which makes total sense. Boringly dependable and not exactly a thrill to drive. I think I could get her into a Highlander much more easily than a Sienna, but within a few years, all our kids will probably be too big for that Highlander 3rd row.

 

Love my tundra and all the other Toyota vehicles. It’s been my experience Kids come with a lot of ‘stuff.’ I’ve had numerous Suburbans and have hauled many of the kids’ teams to various events (softball, baseball, basketball, soccer, 4-H camps, bible camps, etc). In my opinion Suburbans are the only way to go when it comes to being comfortable when traveling with extra passengers.

 

My wife was 100% anti-minivan, citing how "cool" she was and she was never going to be a mini-van mom. Fast forward into a couple years of lugging around kids in car seats and twisting into partially opened doors, leaning over wheel wells to attempt to fasten them in as the wriggle around while trying not to ding up anyones vehicle. Now she's all for large sliding doors, low floors, and ability to move between rows with ease!

Definitely looking at the XSE package. It looks sweet! (for a minivan) and while not as luxurious as the higher trims that we've been spoiled with in the past, lets face it, we're going to cover the seats with something easily washable and the kids will trash it anyway. Plus a base model 22 will have better tech than our newest 17 vehicle inherently.

 

Dang, all our kids are out of car seats (well, our youngest is in a booster), and my wife is still stuck on giant truck-based SUVs, lol.

I watched some reviews on the hybrid Sienna. It turns out to have a few of the same kinds of compromises that were made with the upcoming hybrid Sequoia. The cargo area isn’t totally flat when the 3rd row seats are folded into the floor. Cabin height in general is reduced. It’s a heavy van, and payload can be pretty slim on the higher trims.

Also, Toyota puts out a Woodland edition that has like 1” more ground clearance, but they removed a major part of minivan functionality for people who like to take theirs into the woods: you can’t remove the 2nd row seats and camp out of the van on the ‘21+. Forget hauling with a totally flat floor, too.

No such thing as a free lunch.

 

We are five. We put a deposit for 2022 Sequoia TRD PRO back in December. Hopefully, will get it this summer.

Cargo space is always a problem for big family on a long trip. We really enjoyed our 19 Tundra DC in that respect, however the kids grow, plus we've got a third one, so need more cabin space, more comfort and more cargo. With our aspiration to trips far up north, we've decided to compromise the cargo and buy reliability and sturdiness. Our Tundra proved to be absolutely bullet-proof, even doing some offroading, where a unibody AWD car wouldn't make it because of structural damage.

MPG is not a big concern. Lifted Tundra with AT tires still gets 16-17 MPG in summer, and this is about how much I get in my 05 Volvo XC70 with only half the stuff loaded. Not to mention that gas is easy to top up and even carry a couple of jerrycans with your for extra range, but buying extra reliability when you need it the most is impossible.

One of the kids plays soccer as well and I can tell nobody turns his head to Sienna rolling by, but much yes for the big evil red truck. I admit, two boys in that truck, old and young, seem to enjoy that kind of attention

 

For my family of 5, a crew cab pickup and a minivan hit the mark perfectly for utility in our garage. I can’t imagine it any other way….

 

Think you could hold out until Grand Highlander or 23 4Runner?

 

We have a Tundra and a Sequoia now and love them both. We considered a 4runner and Lexus GX, LX. But the Sequoia has the best use of space to fit our needs. Now we're thinking maybe getting a Sienna, let's face it...it's the most practical for family use.

 

Our friends own a prev-gen Sienna for a decade or so. Recently they got a Kia Telluride for long family trips, because "it is more comfortable and the cargo space is comparable" (smaller, but not drastically).

Coming from Volvo world, I memorized a Sienna being awfully, unbearable loud in back seats and stayed away from it.

 

we have a '19 AWD Sienna, XLE Premium package. Handles great, has good power with the V6, and great for road trips. the second row bucket seats are nice and comfortably fits our family of 6, plus one more if my mom is traveling with. I have one more year of a kid in a booster seat but previosuly had two full back boosters up in the 2nd row without issue. It's got full leather, entertainment system, and all the other bells and whistles that come with the premium package, plus its a little more sportier looking with the front air dam. The only feature I wished it had were the LED DRL and headlights, those only came with the sport package but didn't have the other features the wife wanted. One drawback is no spare with the runflats, and the tire life isn't as great as an all season tire, but they perform well on the ice and the snow; I don't have any concerns with my wife out driving in the typical winter weather of northern MN. The van has done everything we have expected from it. Anything more and we take the tundra if we need to haul bikes, the camper, etc.

 

I hear you. My perspective is, I don't want my kids' decisions in life to be driven by garnering attention or enjoying envious looks from others.

Totally agree with your comment that you generally can't carry extra reliability and sturdiness the way you can extra fuel.

Possibly, although I don't see as much utility pairing one of those with my truck as I see pairing an AWD hybrid Sienna with it.

 

One more tidbit, Having gone through a knee surgery (my wife as well), an elderly mother, and a couple of young kids, the entry height to get into the cab and seat of a sienna is a lot easier than my tundra. my mom still struggles getting into my truck at times, as well as the kids if I'm not parked on a level surface. One of my buddies has the same setup as we do, sienna for the family rig and a trd pro for the boys. Even the same colors for both vehicles LOL. I think you'd be more than happy with the Tundra/Sienna combo as well. Good luck on your quest!

 

Yes. It hurts me every time my kid almost rejects boarding into my old Volvo, which I took apart and back many times, engine and transmission including

His older brother does not care about the look. He values orthopedic seats and better sound system much more

 

We have an AWD Sienna 3.5 V6
After looking at SUVs too then Sienna & Odyssey, a van was a no brainer.

I used to be one of those "too cool for a minivan" people.

Now I see SUVs as vehicles for those people I used to be and I think how less efficient they are in so many ways - mpg, space, utility, comfort (especially the 3rd row) etc

 

I’ve had them all over the years…Suburban, Lexus Rx350, 4Runner, Sienna. My two kids are grown and out of house but hands down for a family vehicle the Sienna is your best choice. I was able to get 4x8 sheets of plywood and 10’ boards in the Sienna AND close the gate. Can’t do that even with a Tundra!

I had a Great Dane with my 4Runner and it was hard for the dog to get in and out of. Sienna was a breeze for the dogs to get in an out of.
I understand the “minivan stigma” but they are great vehicles, decent MPGs and you can pretty much do anything with them.