The Greatest Change in the 2021 Toyota Sienna Minivan? Amazing Hybrid Fuel Economy in an Even Sportier Package
Kim Croisant
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But with all the great features and sporty new design, you might just forget what great gas mileage you’re getting.
To know me is to know I love driving beautiful red vehicles. I believe my blonde hair goes well with the color red—even in a minivan! With the color of Ruby Flare Pearl, the 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE’s sporty new design, great gas mileage, spacious backseat with the super long slide feature is jam-packed with features to love! And, yes, ladies, there is a perfect place for your handbag—in reach, but not in the way.
And, when your child says, “Mom, you need to buy this car,” you might want to think twice about sporting that idea. After all, when kids are happy on road, so are the parents! Just look at his smile!
Related: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid XSE: The Ultimate Fuel Economy SUV For Long Road Trips
The backend of the 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE. Photo Credit: Kim Croisant
The All-New Sporty Design Might Seem Like It’s an SUV
My mom thought so, anyway. She asked me why I kept calling this vehicle a minivan. I said because “it is a minivan, mom.” She thought it was an SUV because minivans are bigger than that and boxier. With the all-new sporty design, I can see why she thought that. Goodbye boring mom car, hello sporty treat!
Related: Learning to Love Electric Driving in the Toyota RAV4 Prime
Photo Credit: Kim Croisant
Fuel-Efficient Hybrid
Unlike previous Toyota family minivans, the 2021 Sienna is offered exclusively as a hybrid, which means more money in your pocket and less at the gas pump. If you’re looking for an efficient and sporty hybrid minivan for long road trips or those long waits in the pickup lines, the Toyota Sienna is for you.
The 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE Hybrid averages 36 miles per gallon in the city and 36 miles per gallon on the highway. That’s huge! I drove the Sienna from my home in Fort Worth, TX to Beaumont, TX, which is roughly 382 miles there and back for a total of over 800 miles, and I rarely had to stop for gas. I kept watching the fuel lever to see if it had moved…and it hardly ever did. That’s a win-win for any family who’s watching their budgets!
Along with great gas mileage, the Toyota Sienna is equipped with everything you need to keep the family happy. Check out the top features below.
Related: 2020 Toyota Sienna: 8 Reasons Why the Minivan is Still the King of Family Vehicles
Bridge console designed – the perfect spot for your purse or bag or any personal item. Photo Credit: Kim Croisant
Top 10 Features of the 2021 Toyota Sienna XSE
So many awesome features in this all-new sporty design Sienna, but listing the must-know ten.
- No more, “Mom, my battery is dead. Now, what can I do.” With Sienna’s 7 USB ports accessible by passengers in all three rows, you’ll have happy campers.
- A sleek leather-trimmed steering wheel that features power/tilt and telescopic controls, as well as a heated wheel function for cold mornings.
- Never leave a child or a pet in the backseat with a set of chimes to remind you to check the second and third-row for passengers left behind.
- Your backseat passengers will feel like they are having a private concert going on with 12 JBL speaker setup and standard android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM, and Amazon Alexa compatibility.
- Get a panoramic overhead view of your surroundings with the available bird’s eye view camera with a perimeter scan.
- Never again find empty (or not empty) cups, water bottles, drinking glasses on the floor because there is a place for everyone’s beverages with the Sienna’s 16 cupholders.
- Spacious third row with available 1,500-watt inverter with enough power for a vacuum, blender, etc. Now, that’s cool!
- Don’t ever worry about opening doors with full hands, thanks to the easy hands-free kick open and close doors feature.
- Moms and dads, you now have a place for your purse or bag with the innovative bridge console designed for convenient storage of larger personal items.
- I’m an ECO driver, what are you? Now, every driver can have their own driving style with four selectable drive modes: EV, Normal, Eco, and Sport.
Spacious 2nd Row, Captain’s chairs, watch a movie, eat popcorn! Photo Credit: Kim Croisant
A Back Seat That Makes You Feel Like You’re In A Movie Theater
I may just want to be the passenger at all times in this Sienna …and I’m serious!
Grab some popcorn because watching movies just went up a notch. Just think …on long road trips, you can watch a movie while seated in the second-row captain’s chairs, sliding it as far back as you can to give more legroom. How sweet is that? Want to know what’s even sweeter? Optional built-in ottomans are available – now that’s sweet! But, for safety reasons, do not operate ottomans while the vehicle is running. But it’s important to note that the ottomans are not available on the AWD version I had the chance to drive.
Your kids are going to love the backseat outlet, capable of 1500W. I’m beginning to think I can sleep in this vehicle.
And …when mom talks, you better listen. Toyota has made it easier for the kids to hear their mommas with the Driver Easy Speak feature. All you have to do is press the touchscreen display button, and the built-in microphone allows your voice to be heard in the rear speakers so every kid can hear you. Moms: you’ve got this!
2021 Toyota Sienna XSE Spacious Back stow away. Photo Credit: Kim Croisant
Things I Loved About The Sienna XSE
- New Sporty Minivan appeal
- Ruby Flare Pearl color
- The brilliant purse/bag storage area
- Backseat captain’s chairs
- Deep storage in the back—enough for all my plants
- Motion-activated dual-sliding doors for passengers and a motion-activated liftgate. Just kick your foot between the two circular sensors on the bumper or side rails with the key in your pocket, and the doors will open. You’ll know where to kick because it’s labeled with three arcs that almost look like WiFi connectivity bars.
- My favorite is how many miles I could go a tank of gas: I got at least 30.9 MPG!
Yes, you might say, I’m going to miss this spacious sporty Sienna Minivan …a lot!
It’s All Good in the Toyota Sienna XSE Minivan
The total package price of this XSE includes optional equipment and is priced at $47,544.00. The extra cost for this Ruby Flare Pearl/Chateau color is so worth it. Other available colors in the Sienna are Blueprint, Predawn Gray Mica, Super White, Celestial Silver Metallic, and Midnight Black Metallic.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the pricing:
- Base model Toyota Sienna XSE: $43,175
- Ruby Flare Pearl color: add $425
- Entertainment package that adds the 1500W rear charger: add $2,715
- Total price of the model as tested, including delivery fee: $47,544.00
I’ve always been a huge fan of Toyota, but not so much a minivan. The Sienna XSE, though, changed my mind. This brand is all about saving you gas and keeping that money for extra things your family needs.
Disclaimer: Toyota sent me this minivan to drive for the week. All thoughts and opinions are from my own experience.
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