Overview
The 2023 Toyota Sienna’s brawny-for-a-minivan exterior design is an attempt at SUV cosplay, but even a casual glance in its direction reveals it for the minivan that it is. Fine by us. We like the way this minivan behaves on the road, with a quiet cabin and a refined ride. Besides the obvious practicality benefits that come with any minivan, the Sienna’s interior is spacious and nicely equipped—although its second-row seats aren’t removable or stowable as they are in other vans. This fourth generation of the Sienna is offered solely as a hybrid, with front- and all-wheel drive variants sharing the same 245-hp rating, which has proven to be on the poky side in our testing. The Sienna’s fuel efficiency, at 36 mpg combined, is far better than that of the other minivans on the market but there are a few things we prefer about the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey, or the Kia Carnival.
What’s New for 2023?
The current Sienna is in its third year of this hybrid-only generation. Meanwhile, Toyota is celebrating the 25thanniversary of the nameplate this year with a limited-edition version: only 2525 of the 25th Anniversary Edition Siennas will be built, and all of them will be based on the sporty-looking XSE trim and will wear either Celestial Silver or Wind Chill Pearl exterior paint. Special 20-inch wheels, roof rails, black exterior badging, and exterior mirrors with integrated puddle lights are visual clues to the special model’s identity. The interior is decked out in black leather upholstery with silver stitching, a JBL stereo system, a wireless smartphone charging pad, heated and ventilated front seats, and carpeted floormats bearing the 25th Anniversary logo.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
We’re eyeballing the sporty XSE model, which comes with 20-inch wheels, more-aggressive front and rear bumpers, and sport front seats. The XSE also comes standard with in-dash navigation and second-row captain’s chairs. The XSE, like all Sienna trims, comes standard with front-wheel drive but adding all-wheel drive costs just $760, which seems like a worthy upgrade to us.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Unlike previous versions of Toyota’s family van, the Sienna is offered exclusively as a hybrid. The powertrain consists of a 2.5-liter gasoline-powered four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors that combine to make 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive is available and adds a third electric motor in back that drives the rear wheels. The Sienna’s main rival—the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid—is offered solely with front-wheel drive, but its V-6 engine and electric motors make 260 horsepower. Our all-wheel drive Sienna Platinum failed to excite us during acceleration testing, requiring 7.5 seconds to reach 60 mph and completing the quarter-mile in 15.8 seconds at only 88 mph; these results are similar to what the Pacifica Hybrid managed, but are far slower than non-hybrid examples of the Pacifica we’ve tested as well as the Honda Odyssey and Kia Carnival.
More on the Sienna Minivan
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The EPA estimates that front-wheel drive versions of the Sienna should deliver 36 mpg city as well as 36 mpg highway with all-wheel drive examples carrying ratings 1 mpg lower at 35 mpg. In our mix of city and highway driving, we managed 29 mpg with our all-wheel drive Platinum test vehicle. When we get a chance to put the new Sienna through our 75-mile highway fuel economy test, we’ll update this story with results. For more information about the Sienna’s fuel economy, visit
