I was recently given the opportunity to test drive the 2015 Toyota Sienna, and one of my first thoughts about the vehicle was that it would make a fantastic car for not only families but for newlyweds as well. If you’re in the market for your first vehicle as a couple, or you need the perfect family car, I encourage you to read on!
I went into the experience of test-driving the Sienna completely open-minded and unbiased. I have to say, when I was asked to drive a Toyota Sienna for a week, little did I know just how much I’d love this van! The features were amazing!
Family & Couples Friendly
The vehicle is obviously built with family in mind My girls LOVED having a blue ray DVD player with a wide screen TV in the back that they could watch endless hours of Minnie Mouse on. If you’ve ever been on a long road trip with children, you can appreciate these perks!
It’s extremely roomy, with second-row seats that slide forward to provide more space for the third-row if needed. My oldest wanted to ride in the back row, which in my SUV was always a ridiculous request since we can’t recline the middle row seat to climb to the back because we have my youngest daughter’s car seat there. For her to get to the 3rd row in my SUV, she’d have to either climb in through the trunk or climb over the second row to get there. No adults over 4 feet could ever ride comfortably back there. But in the van, she could easily walk to the back without any issues. I could even get back there to help her buckle or to just ride next to her and watch the show while my husband drove us around.
It also had a navigation system, amazingly clear back up camera, leather seats, seat warmers, sun protector screens that you can pull down when you need them, A/C controls for the driver, passenger, and rear of the van! The navigation screen doubled as a touch screen control for so many other features, like an eco button that gives you a graph of how many miles per gallon you’re getting on average.
That may not sound too cool for some of you, but for this numbers girl, I was in love!
Another fun feature was a little button that you could press called “Driver Easy Speak” that allows you to talk in a normal voice and the feature allows your voice to come through the back speakers so the people all the way in the back can hear you without you having to yell.
I loved that I could use my phone though the blue-tooth feature and check emails (but not while in motion of course!) Yes, you heard me right, you can check your emails through the touch screen control panel.
The car greeted me each time I walked up to it, by kindly unlocking the doors without me having to dig for the keys while holding the hand of one kid and carrying the other.
I didn’t even have to pull the keys out to start the car! As long as they were in my purse or in close range, I could just push the button while pushing the brakes and start the van. The safety Sam in me liked that I also had to push the brakes in order for the van to start so that a kiddo couldn’t accidentally turn on the van.
We also enjoyed the beautiful 70 degree winter weather that we have here in Houston by opening the sunroof and letting the air breeze through the van. I love winters in Houston!
We had the van for a week and my favorite day by far was a Saturday spent with my husband, 2 girls (who are both still in car seats), brother in law, mother in law and father in law all cruising together in the van to go shopping for an engagement ring and a suit for my brother in law who was planning to propose to his girlfriend!!!! Having the minivan for this mini-adventure was perfect!
It was so fun to load everyone in one car and just take off on this adventure to find the perfect suit and ring. Of course, the task at hand was not going to be quick and took the entire day, so we knew we wouldn’t have time to head home for naps, but with this van, naps weren’t an issue.
When the kids started to get cranky, I took them to the van and popped in some Minnie Mouse and let them watch till they fell asleep in their car-seats. They both took a great nap and woke up refreshed and excited to continue the adventure.
We talked proposal ideas, rings, suits, dates, and so much more! We then went to dinner together at our dear friends amazing pizzeria and concluded the adventure with some dessert cannoli’s. It was such a fun day and I’m so excited about their wedding!
Safety
If there’s one thing a family looks for in a new vehicle, it’s the safety features. The rear-view camera is one of my favorite safety features the Sienna offers. Too many accidents have taken place simply because a driver isn’t able to completely see what’s behind him or her, especially if an item is low to the ground behind the vehicle. That problem is no longer an issue with this feature, and peace of mind is restored. It also features excellent handling, which helps reduce accidents when drivers are forced to react to other drivers/potentially dangerous situations. It’s self-explanatory how newlyweds would also be attracted to these safety features.
Beauty
Now, I’m not the type of person who has ever had much of a standard for beauty in a mini-van. However, after driving the Toyota Sienna, I now have a much more discerning taste. The interior of the vehicle is absolutely gorgeous – from the beautiful gauges and roomy dash to the high-quality materials. It’s just a very attractive vehicle – even down to the stitching in the upholstery. While this may not be a top priority on everyone’s list, I feel it’s important to assure you that this isn’t the typical, stigma-soaked mini van. The interior and exterior have a young, fresh and stylish vibe.
Eco Friendly
If you’re wondering how this can be helpful for newlyweds. Let me explain.
Today’s couples are more eco-aware than ever; they are recycling, reducing their waste and being conscious of their choices and the impacts of those choices on the environment. The 2015 Toyota Sienna is the perfect carpooling vehicle, and offers up excellent gas mileage that is comparable to other mini vans on the market. It also offers more room that newlyweds can use to transport items (from packed boxes when it’s time to join households to the weekly groceries), so it allows for fewer trips!
The week with the Sienna was a fun filled one with lots of great adventures. I’m convinced that everyone would love this van, I know I did (my husband even loved it)!
Whether you’re a wedding planner, florist, soccer mom, working parent, single person, caterer, business person, or anything else, I challenge you to test out this fun to drive sporty van and see for yourself how fun and roomy it really is! I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did!
All in all, I definitely enjoyed the time I spent test-driving the 2015 Toyota Sienna, and it’s a vehicle I would without a doubt recommend to families, newlyweds and just about anyone else who is looking for a combination of space, safety, beauty, and convenience.
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