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Vans & Minivans 2008 Minivans 
1261 messages, Last post on Feb 27, 2008 at 7:47 AM
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Replying to: hansienna (Jun 21, 2007 1:41 pm) Seat comfort is so subjective, plus we are all shaped differently. The funny thing is that seat comfort was one of the reasons we chose the Sienna. Let's just say it's important to try them out and bring the family along to get their opinions, too.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Jun 22, 2007 7:13 am) While I was considering trading off my 2006 Sienna LE on either an 07 GC SXT or T&C Touring, I took our daughter and her 2 children to check the seat comfort. Our 12 year old grandson told me he does NOT like the 3rd row seat of the GC and T&C because there is no toe room under the 2nd row seats. We got the 06 Sienna because the GC and T&C have cheap looking, cheap feeling door panels and we do not like the 3rd row seats. The Sienna also has a MUCH more comfortable driver's seat than the GC and T&C. Sadly, I did NOT notice the glare caused by the shiny surfaces surrounding the tachometer, speedometer, gas gauge, and engine temperature gauge nor did I notice that glare can be caused by the shiny, sloping surface on both sides of the center part of the dash. I keep a dark towel on the dash to cover these items during the time of day that the sun angle causes the glare.  BTW, our 2006 Sienna got an overall average 28.0 MPG on our most recent long round trip when cruise was set 73 - 74 MPH most of the time using 87 octane gasoline. 
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Replying to: hansienna (Jun 30, 2007 7:38 pm) Mine is shiny silver, I guess they try to imitate aluminum. My friend has an older one that is flat black, and that's probably best to avoid glare. His dash is also different, not luminescent but also lacking that silver circle that you find bothersome. It hasn't bothered me, though, and even my friend said he liked the new dash look better. We got 27.6 mpg going to Six Flags yesterday. 
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I recently moved to PA from CA so driving in the snow is still unfamiliar to me. My question is do you really need AWD with a minivan? I would think the weight of the minivan would be enough even without AWD or is there a noticable difference? Appreciate any thoughts.... Thanks, JK
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Replying to: jeffkahn (Jul 15, 2007 4:50 pm) I can think of one other time I'd want it - pulling a boat up a wet ramp. At that angle, the weight all shifts to the rear axle, so an unloaded front axle combined with wet tires is going to create lots of wheelspin. If you've ever seen a FWD vehicle do this, it ain't pretty. I saw a Prelude pull a twin jet ski trailer and it was plain ugly. |
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Replying to: jeffkahn (Jul 15, 2007 4:50 pm) And there is PA and then there is PA.... Suburban areas, FARM country, will be worse. I don't know of any minivan with a truly functional AWD system when it comes to icy and packed snow roadbed conditions. And were I you I would avoid any supposed AWD derived initially from a FWD base vehicle. I would suggest a minivan with VSC/TC/etc, and spend some time learning to drive well/cautously, on the slippery stuff. Whatever you do don't go out in that stuff unprepared.
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Replying to: wwest (Jul 16, 2007 7:46 am) For the RAV4 they moved to a cheaper part-time system, and that may be the fate of a future Sienna, but for now it actually uses a pretty decent system. This is why both city and highway mileage suffer a bit, it's always engaged, so that's the trade-off.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 16, 2007 7:48 am) Now, try to drive out of that mud hole or up that slippery ice covered slope... NOT...!!
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Replying to: wwest (Jul 16, 2007 4:53 pm) I think it has a viscous coupling that acts as a center diff, but that's not the same as having a wide open center diff. So by default, at least 2 wheels are sent power, one from each axle. And that's assuming the pavement is slippery. Info is scarce but here's a discussion on the subject: http://www.siennaclub.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=16047&hl=AWD+System Sounds like the AWD works but people wish they could turn off VSC (you can with FWD models). Now, try to drive out of that mud hole or up that slippery ice covered slope... Ummm, it's a minivan, not a rock crawler. You need to adjust your expectations. For the mud, you'd need some serious clearance, and it's not fair to expect that from a van. Driving in to a mud pit is driver error, period. For the ice, it would all come down to the tires. I think I'd want studded snow tires for that. Remember the Audi that climbed a ski ramp? You guessed it, they used studs.
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Replying to: ateixeira (Jul 17, 2007 6:57 am) Some '08 models have the ability to turn off VSC. TC must be turned off first and only then can VSC be switched off. You don't have to be "mudding" to encounter a slippery, muddy, roadbed. Some of us rely on AWD because our suburban environment involves traveling on gravel or even dirt roadbeds. Personally I run on nice quiet and comfortably riding SUMMER bridgestone Turanzas ALL YEAR 'ROUND and use tirechains (rear FIRST, then..) on the rare (Seattle eastside) occassions of need. *** My best guess is that once TC was adopted to control, alleviate, wheelspin/slip there was not enough level of F/R disparate rotational rate to "stiffen" the VC, making it virtually useless.
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