10 Things You Need To Know About The 2015 Toyota Sienna

Despite their popularity as family-friendly people movers, whenever a minivan receives a refresh it usually flies under the radar of most car buyers. The 2015 Toyota Sienna is the latest edition of the Japanese automaker's well-received minivan, and it's been given a number of tweaks, upgrades, and subtle improvements to help it stay competitive against rivals like the Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town & Country, and the newly-resurgent Kia Sedona. The Sienna also offers a secret weapon that sets it apart from every other minivan on the market, making it that much more appealing to a very specific subset of family shoppers.

Let's take a look at 10 things you need to know about the 2015 Toyota Sienna.

1. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Is An Eight-Passenger Hauler

There are two seating arrangements available with the 2015 Toyota Sienna. The first is standard seven-passenger setup that incorporates a captain's chair setup in the second row that comes with fold-out ottoman-style foot rests. A second row bench (that slides forward for easier third-row access) is also offered for those who want to haul as many as eight people inside the Sienna - however, there are only three models of the Toyota that can be ordered with the eight-passenger setup, which means you might have to make a few equipment sacrifices to maximize passenger capacity.

2. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Features A Ton Of Cargo Space

Regardless of how many seats are stuffed inside the 2015 Toyota Sienna, the minivan still delivers an exceptional amount of cargo space. With a full load of people riding along, the Toyota Sienna is capable of carrying 39.1 cubic feet of gear, which is about double the space typically found in a full-size sedan's trunk. With the third row of seats out of the picture that number jumps to 87.1 cubic feet, and with the second row of seating (storable inside the van) removed too you'll enjoy a hefty 150 cubes of storage at your disposal.

3. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Offers A Tighter Ride

The 2015 Toyota Sienna isn't going to be able to stand alongside sport sedans when it comes to handling, but for the current model year the company's engineers have made an effort to improve the van's road-holding capabilities. This has been accomplished by spot-welding over 140 areas on the van's chassis in an effort to improve stiffness and reduce flex. On the suspension front, the Toyota Sienna now comes with springs and shocks that have been re-tuned in order to reduce body roll and better process the not-insubstantial curb weight of the minivan.

4. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Benefits From A Mild Facelift

It's not easy to see, but the 2015 Toyota Sienna has been given a gentle cosmetic scrub to help keep it current. The most obvious changes made to the Toyota Sienna are up front, where LED running lamps are now available on certain models, along with a reconfigured grille. All versions of the minivan also receive new headlights and taillights, and inside the vehicle Toyota has made a touchscreen infotainment system standard across the line-up. The Sienna's dashboard has additionally been tweaked to bring commonly-used controls closer to the driver's reach, and in general, you'll find nicer materials used inside the minivan when it comes to plastic and fabric trim.

5. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Can Be Had In Seven Trim Levels

There exists an almost bewildering array of Toyota Sienna models for 2015. The entry-level Toyota Sienna L comes with three zones of automatic climate control, 17-inch wheels, Bluetooth connectivity, and a rearview camera, while the LE installs power sliding side doors, nicer cloth seats, an upgraded infotainment system, satellite radio, and power adjustments for the driver's seat. The Sienna SE provides 19-inch rims to go with its sportier body kit, stiffer suspension, heated leather seats, navigation system and power liftgate, and the XLE drops the athletic aspects of the SE (and the navigation system and 19-inch wheels) but keeps the rest of the gear (and the XLE Premium adds a power driver's seat and rear windows). Selecting the SE Premium adds a navigation system, a sunroof, keyless ignition, and an intercom to keep in touch with those riding in the third row.

The Limited builds on the XLE Premium trim by installing 18-inch wheels, a second sunroof, parking assistance, a heated steering wheel, a navigation system, nicer leather seats, and a surround sound audio system, while the Limited Premium stands at the top of the pack with a rear-seat entertainment system and automatic windshield wipers added to all of the Limited's gear.

6. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Features Several Options Packages

The 2015 Toyota Sienna's many models can be configured by way of options packages if you're seeking specific features on a particular trim level, but don't necessarily want to step up to a much higher price. The SE model offers a moonroof a la carte, while the XLE can be had with an optional navigation system. Finally, the Limited can be ordered with the Advanced Technology package, which includes adaptive cruise control as well as additional safety features associated with this particular tech (as well as a hill start assist function).

7. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Boasts V-6 Power

There is but a single engine available with the 2015 Toyota Sienna: a 3.5-liter V-6 that is rated at 266 horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque. The motor is carried over from the year before, as is the Toyota Sienna's six-speed automatic transmission, and with the pedal to the floor the minivan will hit 60-mph in 7.5 seconds. Although not as frugal as a similarly-sized sedan, the Sienna's fuel mileage rating of 18-mpg in city driving and 25-mpg on the highway keeps it competitive with seven and eight-passenger crossovers at its price point.

8. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Is The Only Minivan With All-Wheel Drive

The 2015 Toyota Sienna's 'killer app' is its optional all-wheel drive system. No other minivan offered in the United States can be had with this feature, which has endeared the Toyota Sienna to families living in northern states where snow and slippery roads are a daily fact of life during the winter months. The all-wheel drive system has a definite impact on fuel economy - which drops by two miles per gallon for each respective measure (16-mpg city / 23-mpg highway) - but it adds a degree of surefootedness not typically found outside of the crossover segment.

9. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Is Loaded With Active Safety Equipment

In addition to its complement of standard airbags (dual forward units, side curtain airbags, driver's knee airbags, seat-mounted side impact airbags, and a front passenger seat cushion airbag), the 2015 Toyota Sienna also comes with electronic traction control, stability control, and a number of available active safety features. These include a blind spot monitoring system (that also features rear cross-traffic alert capability), as well as a forward collision warning system when the Sienna is equipped with the option of adaptive cruise control. Forward collision warning can only be had on Limited-and-up editions of the minivan.

10. The 2015 Toyota Sienna Asks You To Pay A Premium

If there's one downside to the 2015 Toyota Sienna, it's that it's not shy about commanding a premium price for its strong feature set. The base Toyota Sienna L starts at an MSRP of $28,700, which is $2,300 more than the Kia Sedona (MSRP $26,400) and a whopping $6,905 more than the Dodge Grand Caravan (MSRP $21,795). A fully-equipped, all-wheel drive edition of the Sienna Limited Premium pushes the window sticker to over $47,000, which can be a bit of a tough sell considering the stylish and comfortable - albeit not as capacious - SUVs and crossovers that hover around that price point.