Toyota has replaced the original V6 engine

The last time I had driven the Sienna was during the new model introduction in 2003. Since then, Toyota has replaced the original V6 engine with a more powerful block, that delivers fifty more horsepower, and significantly more torque. Translated, it’s not afraid of the passing lane.

The freeways in Ohio are relatively old: built before engineers realized that entrance and exit ramps should all go off the right lanes. Diamond lanes? Forget about it! Drivers who want to speed past traffic should think about buying a helicopter.

The I-70 through Columbus looks like a skein of yarn after my cat’s had at it. In order to stay the course, I found myself weaving from one side of the road to the other, as random exits fed traffic onto other interstates going east and west. The navigation display on the Sienna warned me about the upcoming exits, but I still might have veered off course, had my husband not been there to make sense of the road signs.

I appreciated the beefier V6 engine: I was able to change lanes quickly during very small breaks in the traffic. Elevated ride height is always helpful on today’s roads, since trucks represent over half the vehicles. The Sienna has excellent visibility all the way around: the side mirrors pretty much eliminate blind spots.

While gasoline in Ohio isn’t as expensive as other parts of the country, it still costs more than it did two years ago. I appreciated the exceptional fuel economy that a minivan can offer. Try to find a seven passenger sport-utility vehicle that averages over twenty miles-per-gallon. I won’t say that such an animal doesn’t exist, but those models tend to ride on smaller chassis with less head and legroom for the passengers, and little left over for cargo.

The Sienna made our drive to Cincinnati as stress-free as such a trip can be. Steering is responsive at all speeds, and the brakes are firm and linear. The suspension is comfortably soft, while allowing the car to corner flat at high speeds. All-wheel drive models come standard with 17-inch wheels and run-flat tires, so drivers don’t have to worry about being stranded on the side of the highway with a car full of kids, or in my case, octogenarians.

Vehicle stability and traction control, standard on the test car, allow the driver to maintain directional control in wet weather and on uneven road surfaces. Front, side and side curtain airbags are standard. The side curtains extend to reach all three rows of passengers.

Inside the 2007 Toyota Sienna XLE.

The front seats have excellent lower lumbar support. Eight-way power adjustments on the driver’s seat with a tilt and telescoping steering wheel enables smaller drivers to maintain a safe distance from the front airbag. The passenger seat can fold flat to function as a work surface.

Cupholders in the center console are large enough for bottles. The center bin holds compact discs or small electronic devices. Audio and temperature controls are easy to reach from either front seating position. Redundant audio controls on the steering wheel are standard on the XLE model