2026 Toyota Sienna Review + Video

I’m tired of anti-minivan propaganda.

For decades, the humble minivan has been showing up for busy families to make their lives easier, grow with them, and create core memories, all while being accused of being uncool. Unglamorous? Maybe. Utilitarian? Definitely. But uncool? Please. As an elder Millennial, I’ve embraced not subscribing to what the mainstream says is cool, and I’m standing firm in my weirdness. I can tell you confidently that there’s nothing more freeing than being unbothered by how others judge you. That’s their problem, not yours.

So if you have a busy family and feel overwhelmed by your current vehicle that’s bursting at the seams trying to accommodate your lives, I beg you to consider a minivan. It will change your life, and the 2026 Toyota Sienna is among the best ones out there.

Practicality 10 / 10

The most compelling reason to get a minivan over a three-row SUV is that these breadloaf-shaped peoplemovers are inherently more practical.

Let’s start with the sliding doors, a brilliant life hack and genius feat of engineering. Power sliding doors let your kids open and close them on their own, without risking dinging the car parked next to you and awkwardly hoping no one noticed. The Sienna’s available hands-free opening ones have clearly marked kick sensors, too — helpful when your hands are full. The wide openings with huge grab handles make it easier for passengers to enter and exit.                        

One major issue with most three-row SUVs is that when the third row is occupied, there’s little room left in the trunk for cargo. The Sienna doesn’t have this problem. Even with the third row in use, the deep trunk well offers 949 L of usable storage.

The third row tumbles into that deep well smoothly with a one-handed manoeuvre, opening up 2,129 L of square-shaped space. With the second row leaning forward and pushed against the first row, there’s a gargantuan 2,860 L available. I helped a good friend move his apartment with the Sienna, and was stunned that a queen-size mattress fit with a mountain bike on top, and with plenty of room to spare.

The huge trunk opening and low floor make the Sienna even easier to load and unload. There’s no need to play cargo Tetris — everything fits easily, and even when it’s loaded up with enough people and stuff to block the rear window, there’s an available camera-based rearview mirror that shows a live look behind the van.

As if that wasn’t enough, Toyota went ham with cupholders — there are 18 of them, to be exact — and plenty of useful cubbies and functional storage spaces that help bring order to messy family life. The way the interior uses all the space provided is clever and thoughtful, with the sole purpose of making the cabin as practical as possible.

Comfort 8 / 10

Another bonus of a minivan is that the third row is actually usable by an adult-sized person, and it’s reasonably comfortable. The second row gets standard sunshades, there are USB-C charging ports for every seat, and most trims have four-zone automatic climate control, ensuring everyone is comfortable and not left out. Heated front seats are standard across the board, and a heated steering wheel is standard in the XLE trim and up. Ventilated front seats, a heated second row, and extendable legrests for the long-slide second-row seats are included in the top Limited trim.

Power 9 / 10

Toyota’s proven hybrid powertrain is a perfect pairing for this peoplemover, with its combination of a 2.5L four-cylinder and a couple electric motors making a combined 245 hp. More important, however, is the available on-demand all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that uses a separate electric motor to power the rear wheels, providing extra traction and a quicker launch without much impact on fuel economy. The system predominantly drives the front wheels, but driven during a week of exceptionally snowy weather with some good winter tires, the Sienna felt as sure-footed and confident as any SUV out there.

The clever hybrid system switches between gas or electric power, or a combination of both, with no input needed from the driver. It will also run in full electric mode in situations like parking, idling, and coasting. Power recouped via the regenerative braking helps charge the battery. This system has proven itself to be reliable and efficient, and I love not having to choose between extra traction or better fuel economy.

Fuel Economy 8 / 10

The all-wheel-drive Toyota Sienna’s fuel economy is officially rated at a combined 6.8 L/100 km; but after 870 km of testing, the indicated average was 8.2 L/100 km. While no vehicle can be expected to perform at optimal efficiency during a combination polar vortex and record snowfall, I assumed the hybrid would do better, especially since I drove it in eco mode the whole time and with a light foot. Its tested average can still be considered very good for a vehicle of this size with AWD that can hold this many people, however, and efficiency is one of Toyota’s calling cards. (The front-wheel-drive Sienna is rated for 6.6 L/100 km combined.)

Driving Feel 8 / 10

The Sienna doesn’t feel like a bus to drive and is easy to park and manoeuvre, even through tight parking garages. The excellent visibility is a highlight, with huge windows and a tall, SUV-like seating position giving the driver a commanding view of the road ahead.

The XSE trim tested here comes with bigger wheels and a sport-tuned suspension, which feels totally unnecessary because it makes the ride harsher and less comfortable than the conventional setup. The highway exposes some wind noise, and heavy acceleration can also be loud, but neither are dealbreakers.

Styling 8 / 10

No one gets a minivan because they prioritize style, but Toyota did the most to make the Sienna more interesting to look at. Instead of trying to fake people out by looking like an SUV, the Sienna leaned into being a minivan, but one that perhaps has aspirations to race one day. It looks more aggressive than a minivan has any right to, which makes a lot of sense since its design draws heavily from the Supra sports car.

Features 9 / 10

Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charger, and power sliding doors are the highlights of the stuff that comes standard, but the features get more interesting starting from the XLE trim and up. That’s where useful extras like a power sunroof, larger infotainment screen, four-zone climate control (up from three), a heated steering wheel, and kick sensors for the doors and trunk become standard. Other highlights available in higher trims include an onboard vacuum cleaner, a small onboard fridge, head-up display, rear-camera washer, rear-seat entertainment system with wireless headphones, 120-volt electrical outlet, ambient lighting, and more.

Safety 9 / 10

Every Sienna comes standard with an excellent rear occupant reminder that’s better than most because it uses radar to detect if a child or pet has been left behind. It deploys increasingly serious notifications to ensure you’re aware, starting with chimes and horn honks, which escalate to phone notifications and, if no action is taken within a certain amount of time, notifying the police. It might seem like overkill, but this is the kind of technology that can actually save lives, and it’s great to see it offered as standard.

Other standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, automatic high-beam control, a pre-collision system with cyclist and pedestrian detection, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning and keeping assist, and lane tracing assist. Extras on higher trims are parking sensors with reverse automatic emergency braking, a panoramic rear camera, and a rear camera washer.

User-Friendliness 9 / 10

The Sienna is as straightforward as it gets, with clearly labelled physical buttons and toggles, an old-school gear selector, and a simple infotainment setup making it very user-friendly. While home and back buttons would help even more, shortcuts on the left side of the touchscreen make the system easier to navigate. Navigation instructions from Google Maps via a connected smartphone can be seen in the instrument display, which helps eliminate the need to toggle through screens on the infotainment display.

Value 8 / 10

The base 2026 Toyota Sienna starts at a reasonable $49,370 plus a $1,930 destination fee. Adding AWD adds $1,840 to the price. The XSE AWD trim tested here starts at $56,560, but with its optional Technology package and upgraded paint, the total was $63,711 before tax. The top Limited AWD trim with its Platinum package goes for $73,198 before taxes. At the base and mid-trim levels, the Sienna represents great value, but I can’t help but feel that a minivan that costs over $70,000 is out of reach for a lot of families. Adding in the reported long waitlists of between six months and two years in parts of Canada means Sienna shoppers will have to exercise a certain degree of patience.

The Verdict

If I haven’t convinced you yet that a minivan can be cool if you have the right attitude, Sung Kang, best known for playing Han Lue in the Fast and Furious franchise, has a Toyota Sienna and loves it.

“You know a lot about a man when he loves his Sienna,” Kang told AutoTrader during an interview at the Toronto auto show. “First of all, that man has family values — family is first. Number two, he does not care what people think about him. And number three, he knows the value of a dollar.”

He then mentioned that he’s also enamoured by the 18 cupholders. So, beyond the freedom of not giving a hoot what people think, even an iconic celebrity automotive enthusiast with an incredible car collection can’t deny what the Sienna brings to the table.

If you need a practical family hauler that makes life easier, gives you a frictionless experience every day, and is efficient with almost no compromises, the 2026 Toyota Sienna is tough to beat. And once you discover the joys of not caring what people think about you, you’ll wonder why you didn’t do it sooner.