2015 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD - 3 year review

[eugenem]

Between a family wedding in Ohio and vacation in Cape Cod, I put 1,800 miles on the family 2015 Toyota Sienna Limited AWD over the past week. I had a chance to drive the van in heavy NYC rush hour traffic, as well as 75 mph stretches over I-80. Weather conditions during the two trips ranged from sunny to torrential downpours.

The van was purchased new in September 2015, has 45,000 miles on it, and is my wife’s kid-hauler.

Pros:
1. Great cargo capacity. Carried beach gear for a family of five, along with two bikes (one of the third-row seats folded down). We've also used it for various trips to Home Depot/Lowes/Agway
2. Interior has held up well given the abuse dished out by the children. Hard plastics are easy to clean. Door sills to the second row are a bit scuffed up, but expected given the heavy usage
3. Decent engine power. Smooth transmission operation. Averaged 24 MPG over the 1,800 miles
4. Comfortable ride, even on NYC potholes (I-95 in NY/CT)
5. Climate control keeps the van cool in 90+ degree humid weather
6. Rear entertainment system keeps bickering to a minimum
7. Xenon headlamps work well on dark roads
8. AWD has worked well in the past three winters
9. Blind spot monitoring works well and is not obtrusive. Radar cruise control and LKAS (lane keep assist) was not available in our model year

Cons:
1. Steering could be a bit more precise. There’s not much feel and a dead-spot in the center, but I’m accustomed to the steering in the MDX (on Sport mode). My wife loves it, however
2. USB ports do not put out enough power to charge an iPhone (I’ve heard this was rectified in the 2017 refresh)
3. Third-row seat fold down mechanism isn’t as simple as the Odyssey or Town and Country. Latch mechanisms are exposed and get all sorts of crud caught in them.
4. Navigation is useless, especially compared to a $100 Garmin unit or Google Maps

The van has been reliable overall. Oil changes, tire rotations, engine air filter, cabin air filter, wipers to date. The Sienna tends to eat tires. I replaced the factory Bridgestone Turanza OEM run-flats with a set of Michelin Defender LTX (235/55/18) at around 18,000 miles. The Michelin’s are wearing well, but I do not expect to get 70,000 miles from them. (Our 2012 Sienna FWD went through four sets of tires during the time we owned it)

There was a service campaign for pulsating brakes – new front brake rotors, pads, and an adjustment to the front air dam were covered by warranty.

The radio/nav unit firmware was refreshed to address a reboot issue.

This is our second Sienna. My wife greatly prefers it to the 2010 Odyssey that we previously owned. I can see why these vehicles are so popular among families.

 

[JC1]

Thanks for the write up. Glad you are enjoying your Sienna. I had a 1998 XLE.

AWD Sienna's are known for eating up tires.

I went with a Caravan, due to pricing and full Stow N go.

 

[Indydriver]

It was 2012 when we bought our FWD Sienna XLE. It has been a great vehicle in all regards. I clearly remember driving the FWD back-to-back with the AWD. The difference was pretty dramatic. Toyota is the only one with an AWD minivan for a reason.....AWD requires elimination of the spare tire in favor of a driveshaft to the rear. Of course, this requires RFTires ,the real drawback to this vehicle.

In addition to much better tire wear, the FWD is MUCH lighter on its feet. In fact, my initial reaction to the steering was that it is well overboosted. But guess what? My 110lb wife loves it! The 200+ lbs saved—much of it critical I sprung weight—makes a big difference in ride compliance and certainly doesn’t hurt acceleration. The engine and 6 speed transmission in this version are well matched, smooth and surprisingly peppy. And finally, the FWD version goes just great in the snow with decent A/S tires.

So, I’m glad the OP has had a good experience with his AWD. In our evaluation, the FWD was superior in many ways and not worth the once or twice per year we may like to have AWD. YMMV.

 

[wdn]

The thing I always heard about Sienna from owners, and I'm not a basher I currently own 3 other Toyota models, was: 1. they are very hard on tires and go through sets of tires quickly, and 2. they are hard on engine oil, and the engines accumulate a lot of sludge at lower mileage. Has that been your experience?

 

[SatinSilver]

FWD would be my choice since I tend to keep vehicles a long time and rack up the miles. Cars/vans are complicated enough and I don't need the added complexity of AWD.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted By: eugenem
The Sienna tends to eat tires. I replaced the factory Bridgestone Turanza OEM run-flats with a set of Michelin Defender LTX (235/55/18) at around 18,000 miles. The Michelin’s are wearing well, but I do not expect to get 70,000 miles from them. (Our 2012 Sienna FWD went through four sets of tires during the time we owned it).

Bump your tire pressures to 42 psi and you will get GREATLY improved tire wear eugenem. My Sienna was eating tires up at about the same rate as yours until I did this. The Sienna is simply too heavy for the 35 lbs listed on the door tag. You still wont get to the 70k miles that Michelin warranties the tire for, but you should be able to get 50k miles or more out of them if you watch the pressure closely, rotate them, and keep an eye on your alignment. 42 psi will also improve the steering response/accuracy and gas mileage. The only down side is that the ride will be slightly stiffer.

 

[MoultrieCreek]

My wife's 2012 XLE FWD has been a great vehicle. At 73,000+ miles it's about to get its first repair outside of routine maintenance - the front HVAC fan has started vibrating and making noise, fortunately it's an easy DIY replacement. I've been told this is a common problem here in FL where they are run on high so much to overcome the heat.

I have run the tires at 40 psi since day one - I agree 35 is too low for these heavy vans. The OEM Firestones made it to just short of 40,000 miles. It looks like the Nitto CUV tires I chose to replace them are wearing better and should make it about 50 or 60,000 (they have a slightly better weight rating than the OEM tires). We make a couple 700 mile trips a year pulling a +/- 2,500 lb boat and trailer combo so that might add a little wear compared to some other minivan owners. It handles the load and the boat ramps very well!

I have had opportunities to rack up some mileage on two other AWD Sienna's (rentals) that were otherwise identical to our FWD, and I must say they drive like completely different vehicles. The AWD really sucks the power out of these vans... I'm glad I don't need to have it.

 

[eugenem]

Originally Posted By: wag123
Bump your tire pressures to 42 psi and you will get GREATLY improved tire wear eugenem. My Sienna was eating tires up at about the same rate as yours until I did this. The Sienna is simply too heavy for the 35 lbs listed on the door tag. You still wont get to the 70k miles that Michelin warranties the tire for, but you should be able to get 50k miles or more out of them if you watch the pressure closely, rotate them, and keep an eye on your alignment. 42 psi will also improve the steering response/accuracy and gas mileage. The only down side is that the ride will be slightly stiffer.

Thanks! -- I should have indicated that I am running 40 PSI on the tires. Learned that tip from the SiennaChat forums.


Originally Posted By: wdn
The thing I always heard about Sienna from owners, and I'm not a basher I currently own 3 other Toyota models, was: 1. they are very hard on tires and go through sets of tires quickly, and 2. they are hard on engine oil, and the engines accumulate a lot of sludge at lower mileage. Has that been your experience?

I'm not aware of the 2GR-FE V6 engine in the 2011-2016 Sienna being particularly hard on oil. Toyota recommends 10,000 mile oil change intervals based on 0W-20 synthetic. I've used Castrol Edge or Magnetec 0W-20 and Toyota OEM filters for all the maintenance to date. I believe the oil sludge engines were the 1MZ-FE used in the 1st generation Siennas.

One other maintenance item I left off my original post - the OEM battery was replaced last December with an AutoCraft Platinum AGM battery from AAP. I noticed a lot of corrosion buildup on the terminals of the factory battery. Between the kids leaving on interior lights several times and a cold snap coming up, I opted to replace the battery before my wife ended up stranded.

Glad to see all the Sienna owners on BITOG!

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted By: eugenem
I should have indicated that I am running 40 PSI on the tires. Learned that tip from the SiennaChat forums.

I ran 40 psi for several years and watched my tire wear closely. Based on long term tire wear, I discovered that 40 psi still wasn't enough, so I went with 42 psi. NOW I'm getting even tread wear all the way across. The old Sienna forum had a very long (over 30 page) thread discussing tire pressures vs tire wear. The consensus opinion at the time was that 42 psi was the optimum tire pressure to achieve even/maximum tire wear on a FWD Sienna, assuming that the tires are rotated frequently because the rear tires will likely wear a little more in the center because of the rear's lower weight. Some members were advocating split tire pressures because of this and recommended 42 psi in the front and 38 psi in the rear on FWD Siennas. Other members recommended against this because it could potentially reduce the stability control's effectiveness. FYI, some members were advocating/recommending 44 psi all the way around on the AWDs because of the additional weight. BTW, safety, emergency handling, and emergency braking considerations were discussed at length in this forum thread with a few members actually doing dynamic testing at various tire pressures.

 

[93cruiser]

Originally Posted By: eugenem
Originally Posted By: wag123
Bump your tire pressures to 42 psi and you will get GREATLY improved tire wear eugenem. My Sienna was eating tires up at about the same rate as yours until I did this. The Sienna is simply too heavy for the 35 lbs listed on the door tag. You still wont get to the 70k miles that Michelin warranties the tire for, but you should be able to get 50k miles or more out of them if you watch the pressure closely, rotate them, and keep an eye on your alignment. 42 psi will also improve the steering response/accuracy and gas mileage. The only down side is that the ride will be slightly stiffer.

Thanks! -- I should have indicated that I am running 40 PSI on the tires. Learned that tip from the SiennaChat forums.


Originally Posted By: wdn
The thing I always heard about Sienna from owners, and I'm not a basher I currently own 3 other Toyota models, was: 1. they are very hard on tires and go through sets of tires quickly, and 2. they are hard on engine oil, and the engines accumulate a lot of sludge at lower mileage. Has that been your experience?

I'm not aware of the 2GR-FE V6 engine in the 2011-2016 Sienna being particularly hard on oil. Toyota recommends 10,000 mile oil change intervals based on 0W-20 synthetic. I've used Castrol Edge or Magnetec 0W-20 and Toyota OEM filters for all the maintenance to date. I believe the oil sludge engines were the 1MZ-FE used in the 1st generation Siennas.

One other maintenance item I left off my original post - the OEM battery was replaced last December with an AutoCraft Platinum AGM battery from AAP. I noticed a lot of corrosion buildup on the terminals of the factory battery. Between the kids leaving on interior lights several times and a cold snap coming up, I opted to replace the battery before my wife ended up stranded.

Glad to see all the Sienna owners on BITOG!


Increase tire psi, watch oil consumption if doing 10K intervals.

I see you are in Morris County. I grew up there(rockaway twsp), and still work there(boonton). Great area. How is your toyota doing with the underside? A lot of rust or no?

 

[eugenem]

Originally Posted By: 93cruiser
I see you are in Morris County. I grew up there(rockaway twsp), and still work there(boonton). Great area. How is your toyota doing with the underside? A lot of rust or no?

Morris County is a great area. I am in Morris Plains, but take the kids hiking in Boonton (Tourne, Pyramid Mountain) regularly. It also helps that Reservoir Pizza is nearby.

I've noticed minimal rust on the Sienna. Actually checked this morning while adjusting tire pressures. By comparison, the 2017 MDX has more rust on the suspension and exhaust fasteners, and brake rotors.

 

[edyvw]

Good tip on that tire pressure, though coming from BMW X5 diesel which is smaller than Sienna but packs 550lbs more, tire wear is as part of life as oil changes. Dealership in Denver put brand new Bridgestone Driveguard's. I am not really fan of Bridgestone RFT tires but that is fine. I will though get spare tire since a. I drive on snow tires in winter and b. I will ditch RFT once I wear these out.

 

[eugenem]

Follow up to our 2015 Sienna Limited

At 39 months, our Sienna has been leaking water into the driver's side cargo area whenever it rains. Took it to the local Toyota dealership who diagnosed it as a failure in the sunroof housing where the drain tube channel meets. Repair cost just under $5,200. Seeing that the van is just out of warranty (with a very large repair bill), I spoke with the Toyota Customer Experience Center yesterday. They just called back and denied any type of goodwill assistance.

Buyer beware.

 

[edyvw]

In two months I put on my Sienna some 5,000 miles, and here is my verdict (disclaimer: practicality of this vehicle is why I got it, and it is big advantage over big SUV's):

Pro's:
1. Super, duper, uber practical (well I got it for that reason). It is big, it has huge cargo space, even with third row up.
2. Engine/transmission combo is not bad at all. Engine is fairly potent, and has adequate power over Rockies which at 10,000ft should lower power around 30%. Still it manages to go up fairly easy. Now, one thing that helps is that transmission can be manually manipulated (also one of the reasons I got Sienna), and as long as one is above 4,000rpm, I70 over the Rockies should be pleasant experience.

Con's:

1. Steering. There is steering wheel, but what tires are doing is up for guessing during driving.
2. Brakes are, well, Toyota.
3. AWD definitely let driver know when rear tires kick in. In my other car it is impossible to spin front tires, in Toyota AWD likes to think a bit.
4. Workmanship. Except Zastava 101 I owned as my first car, this is by far the worst assembled vehicle I owned.
5. Believe it or not, set of filters cost more than for my previous car, BMW X5 35d.
6. Position of oil filter. Whoever thought of that should be electrocuted.
7. Infotainment is afterthought. Compared to Honda at least it has power on/off button, but everything else is touchscreen. Super annoying. Cannot say anything about GPS as I am not using it.
8. Three flashlight blinkers are so unintuitive.
9. Beeping sounds for everything. It literally drives me and wife nuts.
10. A big one: time that takes engine to warm up. It is ridiculous. Thermostat is OK, car is in garage all the time and I always start car with HVAC at cold and keep it there to prevent cooling from secondary radiator first few miles. Yet, it takes forever. We came to the point if it is really cold, we just take Tiguan. That thing warms up in no time.

Overall, I have new appreciation for build quality of European cars. Safe to say, first and last Toyota.

 

[wag123]

Originally Posted by eugenem
Follow up to our 2015 Sienna Limited

At 39 months, our Sienna has been leaking water into the driver's side cargo area whenever it rains. Took it to the local Toyota dealership who diagnosed it as a failure in the sunroof housing where the drain tube channel meets. Repair cost just under $5,200. Seeing that the van is just out of warranty (with a very large repair bill), I spoke with the Toyota Customer Experience Center yesterday. They just called back and denied any type of goodwill assistance.

Buyer beware.

Failure of the sunroof housing? $5200 to repair? I have doubts about this diagnosis and repair estimate. This type of problem is typically a plugged or loose drain tube. You cant just blow the drain tube out with compressed air, it will blow the tube off of the barb. If it is in fact a failure in the sunroof housing like they say, I would take it apart and JB Weld it where it failed, and then never open it again (disconnect the power supply). If I couldn't get to the failed housing to repair it, I would permanently seal the sunroof shut with marine silicone sealant, problem solved (I don't like sunroofs).
Toyota doesn't manufacture the sunroof assemblies, an outside sunroof manufacturer does. The sunroof manufacturer that Toyota uses also supplies sunroofs to most of the other car manufacturers around the world.

 

[Brigadier]

Originally Posted by edyvw
In two months I put on my Sienna some 5,000 miles, and here is my verdict (disclaimer: practicality of this vehicle is why I got it, and it is big advantage over big SUV's):

Pro's:
1. Super, duper, uber practical (well I got it for that reason). It is big, it has huge cargo space, even with third row up.
2. Engine/transmission combo is not bad at all. Engine is fairly potent, and has adequate power over Rockies which at 10,000ft should lower power around 30%. Still it manages to go up fairly easy. Now, one thing that helps is that transmission can be manually manipulated (also one of the reasons I got Sienna), and as long as one is above 4,000rpm, I70 over the Rockies should be pleasant experience.

Con's:

1. Steering. There is steering wheel, but what tires are doing is up for guessing during driving.
2. Brakes are, well, Toyota.
3. AWD definitely let driver know when rear tires kick in. In my other car it is impossible to spin front tires, in Toyota AWD likes to think a bit.
4. Workmanship. Except Zastava 101 I owned as my first car, this is by far the worst assembled vehicle I owned.
5. Believe it or not, set of filters cost more than for my previous car, BMW X5 35d.
6. Position of oil filter. Whoever thought of that should be electrocuted.
7. Infotainment is afterthought. Compared to Honda at least it has power on/off button, but everything else is touchscreen. Super annoying. Cannot say anything about GPS as I am not using it.
8. Three flashlight blinkers are so unintuitive.
9. Beeping sounds for everything. It literally drives me and wife nuts.
10. A big one: time that takes engine to warm up. It is ridiculous. Thermostat is OK, car is in garage all the time and I always start car with HVAC at cold and keep it there to prevent cooling from secondary radiator first few miles. Yet, it takes forever. We came to the point if it is really cold, we just take Tiguan. That thing warms up in no time.

Overall, I have new appreciation for build quality of European cars. Safe to say, first and last Toyota.



Yep, shoulda gone with the SantaFe.....

 

[KrisZ]

Yeah, seal a sunroof and never use it again on a three year old vehicle and blame the supplier not the manufacturer of the vehicle. Can Toyota really do no bad?

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
Yeah, seal a sunroof and never use it again on a three year old vehicle and blame the supplier not the manufacturer of the vehicle. Can Toyota really do no bad?


For those that worship at the altar.... If you recall my Sienna review, it wasn't much different from edyvw's.

 

[KrisZ]

Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by KrisZ
Yeah, seal a sunroof and never use it again on a three year old vehicle and blame the supplier not the manufacturer of the vehicle. Can Toyota really do no bad?


For those that worship at the altar.... If you recall my Sienna review, it wasn't much different from edyvw's.


Yes I remember it quite well because I was genuinely surprised how poorly the interior of that thing was made and held up. It's still an example of one, but many here condemned other brands as inferior on much less than that.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by KrisZ
Originally Posted by OVERKILL
Originally Posted by KrisZ
Yeah, seal a sunroof and never use it again on a three year old vehicle and blame the supplier not the manufacturer of the vehicle. Can Toyota really do no bad?


For those that worship at the altar.... If you recall my Sienna review, it wasn't much different from edyvw's.


Yes I remember it quite well because I was genuinely surprised how poorly the interior of that thing was made and held up. It's still an example of one, but many here condemned other brands as inferior on much less than that.

Yeah, like their base model economy car experienced from 1958