Redesigned Toyota Sienna to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

Suburbanites everywhere will be keeping a close eye on our auto show coverage from Los Angeles this year because that’s where Toyota is taking the wraps off the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan. The family-hauler will be completely redesigned, and you’ll be able to see it here on Dec. 2.

There’s no word on specifics, but we’d hope it will keep the all-wheel-drive option as that seems to be a major selling point for many buyers. The current Sienna (above) is no slouch either; it recently won a Cars.com faceoff against the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Town & Country.

2010 Toyota Sienna Price Holds Steady at $24,540

Toyota’s Sienna minivan has seen little change since getting a powertrain upgrade for 2007, and for 2010 the status-quo remains the same. The 2010 Sienna gets neither updates nor price increases, though we should note that Toyota has a habit of bumping up prices in the middle of the model year.

Prices hold steady at a base MSRP of $24,540, and destination adds another $745.The Sienna tops out at $37,865 for the all-wheel-drive Limited trim.

The Toyota Sienna is more expensive than a Kia Sedona or Dodge Grand Caravan, but starts for less than a Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town & Country or Nissan Quest. The new model will arrive at dealers later this month.

Minivan Deals Can Be Had in Bad Economy

The economy may or may not be in its death throes, but the kids still need to go to soccer practice. (Or various other activities. Perhaps dance lessons?)

News has been focusing on falling SUV and truck sales, but the minivan is also in a slump as of late. For prospective minivan buyers out there, we went through our incentives list and checked out the deals available. Some are significant, like the 2008 Chrysler Town & Country getting $3,500 cash back and the 2008 Kia Sedona’s $5,000 or 0.0% financing for 60 months.

There are cash-back deals on some 2009 models as well: The 2009 Nissan Quest gets $2,500 cash back or 2.9% financing for 72 months, while the 2009 Dodge Grand Caravan has a nice little $1,000 deal. See the list below for the models we found, or check out our full list of regional incentives here. 

Sexy Toyota Sienna Ad a Must-See

There are a lot of ways to advertise incentives, but Toyota ups the ante with its new spot for the 2008 Sienna minivan here. The black-and-white ad satirizes a Calvin Klein Obsession commercial, but with the family-hauler as the object of desire. The actors seductively whisper “Five-star safety rating,” and the finishing line — “Somewhere between luxury and soccer practice lies Sienna” — is plain hilarious. The ad then shows the current local incentives for wherever it’s airing, which here in Chicago is $1,500 cash back. 

This ad follows two great commercials for the new Toyota Sequoia SUV and mildly funny spots for the new Corolla. The Sienna spot tops them all, though, and really stands out. It’s ironic that a company stereotyped as producing boring cars can come up with such innovative spots. Let us know what you think of the ad in the comments below.

Honda Still on Top in U.S., Says Consumer Reports

For the second year in a row, Consumer Reports has named Honda the automaker selling the best vehicles in the U.S., based on factors ranging from reliability to vehicle comfort.

Toyota and Subaru ranked second and third, followed by BMW, Mazda, Nissan and Volkswagen. No domestic nameplate appeared on the list.

Toyota Extends Sienna Minivan Warranty

After 34 complaints regarding liftgates failing to stay in the open position, Toyota has extended the warranty of its Sienna minivan. The warranty is now six years with unlimited miles on 2004-06 Siennas, up from three years or 36,000 miles. The extension is explicitly to fix issues with the liftgate, so if your glove box breaks off, it won’t be covered.

Toyota is making the move because the company says there is no defective part; the problem stems from degradation over time. That means there’s no recall to replace struts that have since been upgraded on new Siennas. Owners will only be able to get their minivans fixed after a problem arises. Toyota says there is no safety hazard with the liftgates.

Owners will receive a letter informing them of the warranty upgrades. Customers with questions can call Toyota at 800-331-4331.

Toyota to Extend Warranty on Minivans (BusinessWeek via Autoblog)

Don't Call it a Recall: Toyota to Fix 600,000 Siennas

We’re not sure how Toyota can send a mailing to owners of Sienna minivans made between 2004 and 2006 to fix faulty front doors and not call it a recall, but that’s what they’re doing. Complaints about the doors malfunctioning — swinging freely instead of stopping at a certain threshold — have circulated on the internet for some time.

Now Toyota is offering to repair any Sienna up to 5 years old that has fewer than 100,000 miles on it. This includes Siennas that were bought used or are past their warranty period. Toyota will also reimburse owners who paid out of pocket to have the doors repaired.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel does a thorough job explaining the problems of real-life owners as well as Toyota’s work to fix the problem. They even interviewed Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder. We’d like to see the problem considered a legitimate recall, and would also stress that Toyota is taking steps to give aid to customers.

Toyota to Cover Defect (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Toyota Sienna Minivans Investigated

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 2004 and 2005 Toyota Sienna minivans for potential problems with their power liftgates. There have been 14 reports of the liftgates unexpectedly closing. A total of 142,418 Siennas are included in the investigation. This doesn’t appear to have anything to do with user error; the investigation is focusing on a faulty seal that could cause the high-pressure struts that raise the liftgate to leak, causing it to close unintentionally.

Toyota is cooperating with NHTSA and says it is performing its own investigation of the problem. Because there is no recall associated with the investigation at this point, Sienna owners who haven’t experienced a problem must wait until the investigation concludes before having their vehicle serviced.

[Toyota Minivans and SUVs Investigated, Detroit Free Press]

2007 Toyota Sienna Pricing Announced

Ford and GM may be getting out of the minivan business, but Toyota is putting a new, more powerful engine into its 2007 Sienna. The new 3.5-liter V-6 gains 51 horsepower over the outgoing engine, for a total of 266 hp. That nice power boost doesn’t add much more to the sticker, with the average MSRP increasing just $281. Click below for full pricing of the 2007 Sienna, which goes on sale later this month.