Thought I would post some thoughts on the 2015 Sienna as we are now on our third Sienna in 10 years: First Sienna was a 2005 XLE, Second was a 2011 Limited FWD with DVD Player and current Sienna is a 2015 Limited FWD. I must say that I am impressed with the 2015 over the 2011. The 2015 is definitely a step closer to Lexus quality compared to any other Toyota we have ever owned. The fit and finish of the interior is excellent: no misaligned panels, higher quality plastics on the newly configured dash, higher quality leather seating, etc. We opted for the Limited this round as we really didn't need the overhead LCD screen with the Blu-Ray player (although the fact Toyota upgraded to Blu-Ray is fantastic), and I didn't see the need to spend an additional $3k on HID headlights and rain sensing wipers.
It took about 5 weeks for our local dealer to finally locate a Blizzard Pearl exterior with Chestnut interior Limited Sienna, but he finally did (we had been working with 3 different dealers in 2 states to find our preferred combo). We attempted to custom order what we wanted, but was told by 2 dealers that Toyota was not manufacturing FWD limited's until late summer. Based on that information, we negotiated the final price to $39,950 for a Limited via dealer trade (over 300 miles away) with the options of carpet floor mats, door sill protectors, mud guards, lower door molding and paint protection film: MSRP was right at $44k. We had an option for a similar outfitted Limited Sienna (fewer add ons and black in color) for $39k, but I can't stand black vehicles in winter as they are a pain to keep looking nice with salt spray constantly on the body of the car.
As a disclaimer.... I hate minivans. This is my wife's car and she isn't ready to give up the space and convenience of filling a van with kids to get from A to B. My current ride is an Infiniti QX60 and before that was a Lexus GX460. (I need a decent sized vehicle for work purposes) The first thing that stood out when I first drove the 2015 Sienna was how quiet the interior was driving down the highway. That had always been one of my biggest pet peaves with our past Siennas: They were obnoxiously loud with road noise. I had spent thousands on different tires trying to minimize cabin noise to no avail. I'm told that Toyota had many complaints about cabin noise and added significant amounts of insulation to try to calm the cabin. I can attest, at least in the Limited, that the cabin is just as quiet as my QX, which is the quietest vehicle I've owned, even quieter then my previous 2 Lexus GX's. The other thing that struck me in driving the 2015 Sienna was the significant improvement in handling. Toyota supposedly added over 100 welds to the body of the Sienna to improve handling and minimize body roll. I can tell you that whatever they did, it's noticeable from the 2011 we had. Even with quick steering wheel imputs, the Sienna tracks much better with much less body lean, and the steering has also stiffened up a bit. For the first time ever in a Sienna, I actually felt like I wasn't driving a minivan.
Not everything is perfect, however. I've always had an issue with front seat comfort dating back to our first Sienna. Nothing has really changed in 2015. I find the front seats lacking in comfort, especially the lower back and seat bottom. My current QX has excellent seats that you just sink into. Not too soft and not too firm, the Lexus GX also had excellent front seats. Additionally, while Toyota has improved the iPod interface on the current Entune system, it's not nearly as user friendly as the Infiniti system, which is excellent. One major shortcoming; the LCD display is lacking in several respects. For example, with HD screen's and cameras easily available and affordable, the back-up camera resolution is a joke. Easily the worst I have ever seen on a modern vehicle. The screen size is also rather small compared to competitors. I do, however, like the fact that the information screen has moved from the top of the dash to the center of the instrument cluster.
The JBL stereo is significantly improved over the 2011. The system has more clarity and far more bass response, almost too much bass at times. That being said, I really don't think a subwoofer is needed with this system as the bass response is rather full. One change that I did make which greatly improved clarity of the mid's and high's was to change out the 2 front dash speakers with these: http://cdtaudio.com/sep_components/midwoofers/es02bl.htm CDT Audio makes excellent speakers that match well with factory head units. I have these same mid-drivers in my QX and paired with a JL audio Subwoofer. With these simple changes, my QX has the best sound system I've ever heard in any car. (and I've spent THOUSANDS of $$$ on car audio). They really take the Sienna's audio up to a different level without breaking the bank.
Another upgrade I made was installing these: http://smile.amazon.com/New-Brights...qid=1430440684&sr=8-1&keywords=LED+headlights Again, without breaking the bank, these LED headlights are very close in color temperature and brightness to our previous 2011 which had the HID headlights.
One upgrade I plan on doing, is lining the front side and rear doors with acoustic matting. There are several different kinds, with Dynamat probably being the best known. However, I picked up the same stuff at Home Depot called USeal for $16. This should further improve the cabin noise.
Overall, I'm impressed with the 2015 Sienna. It's definitely a great improvement over the 2011, and I no longer cringe when I have to ride in it. We'll see how it stands up to the test of time......
It took about 5 weeks for our local dealer to finally locate a Blizzard Pearl exterior with Chestnut interior Limited Sienna, but he finally did (we had been working with 3 different dealers in 2 states to find our preferred combo). We attempted to custom order what we wanted, but was told by 2 dealers that Toyota was not manufacturing FWD limited's until late summer. Based on that information, we negotiated the final price to $39,950 for a Limited via dealer trade (over 300 miles away) with the options of carpet floor mats, door sill protectors, mud guards, lower door molding and paint protection film: MSRP was right at $44k. We had an option for a similar outfitted Limited Sienna (fewer add ons and black in color) for $39k, but I can't stand black vehicles in winter as they are a pain to keep looking nice with salt spray constantly on the body of the car.
As a disclaimer.... I hate minivans. This is my wife's car and she isn't ready to give up the space and convenience of filling a van with kids to get from A to B. My current ride is an Infiniti QX60 and before that was a Lexus GX460. (I need a decent sized vehicle for work purposes) The first thing that stood out when I first drove the 2015 Sienna was how quiet the interior was driving down the highway. That had always been one of my biggest pet peaves with our past Siennas: They were obnoxiously loud with road noise. I had spent thousands on different tires trying to minimize cabin noise to no avail. I'm told that Toyota had many complaints about cabin noise and added significant amounts of insulation to try to calm the cabin. I can attest, at least in the Limited, that the cabin is just as quiet as my QX, which is the quietest vehicle I've owned, even quieter then my previous 2 Lexus GX's. The other thing that struck me in driving the 2015 Sienna was the significant improvement in handling. Toyota supposedly added over 100 welds to the body of the Sienna to improve handling and minimize body roll. I can tell you that whatever they did, it's noticeable from the 2011 we had. Even with quick steering wheel imputs, the Sienna tracks much better with much less body lean, and the steering has also stiffened up a bit. For the first time ever in a Sienna, I actually felt like I wasn't driving a minivan.
Not everything is perfect, however. I've always had an issue with front seat comfort dating back to our first Sienna. Nothing has really changed in 2015. I find the front seats lacking in comfort, especially the lower back and seat bottom. My current QX has excellent seats that you just sink into. Not too soft and not too firm, the Lexus GX also had excellent front seats. Additionally, while Toyota has improved the iPod interface on the current Entune system, it's not nearly as user friendly as the Infiniti system, which is excellent. One major shortcoming; the LCD display is lacking in several respects. For example, with HD screen's and cameras easily available and affordable, the back-up camera resolution is a joke. Easily the worst I have ever seen on a modern vehicle. The screen size is also rather small compared to competitors. I do, however, like the fact that the information screen has moved from the top of the dash to the center of the instrument cluster.
The JBL stereo is significantly improved over the 2011. The system has more clarity and far more bass response, almost too much bass at times. That being said, I really don't think a subwoofer is needed with this system as the bass response is rather full. One change that I did make which greatly improved clarity of the mid's and high's was to change out the 2 front dash speakers with these: http://cdtaudio.com/sep_components/midwoofers/es02bl.htm CDT Audio makes excellent speakers that match well with factory head units. I have these same mid-drivers in my QX and paired with a JL audio Subwoofer. With these simple changes, my QX has the best sound system I've ever heard in any car. (and I've spent THOUSANDS of $$$ on car audio). They really take the Sienna's audio up to a different level without breaking the bank.
Another upgrade I made was installing these: http://smile.amazon.com/New-Brights...qid=1430440684&sr=8-1&keywords=LED+headlights Again, without breaking the bank, these LED headlights are very close in color temperature and brightness to our previous 2011 which had the HID headlights.
One upgrade I plan on doing, is lining the front side and rear doors with acoustic matting. There are several different kinds, with Dynamat probably being the best known. However, I picked up the same stuff at Home Depot called USeal for $16. This should further improve the cabin noise.
Overall, I'm impressed with the 2015 Sienna. It's definitely a great improvement over the 2011, and I no longer cringe when I have to ride in it. We'll see how it stands up to the test of time......
