Has anybody had any issues or thoughts on the 4-cylinder hybrid being underpowered?
Hybrid 4-cylinder Power?
kamaldiprai
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This is exactly the situation i face everytime i go in and out of LA.
Full load with 5 adults and 2 kid- plus luggage.
245 HP is combined. Independently, the A25A-FXS outputs 176 HP, this means the Hybrid system is adding 69 HP on top of that. However, the Hybrid system isn’t always on, especially climbing when it’s being recharged.
In most cases, there is some reserve in the battery that can be used resulting in the 245 hp pretty much is available most of the time. It is unlikely that 245 hp is needed continuously. The electric motor actually is rated at 179 hp I believe. However, you cannot simply add the two hp ratings because the hp varies with respect to rpm. Both power sources do not have the same power curve, resulting in a bit lower hp rating.
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I am almost certain that the A25A-FXS version in the Sienna and the Highlanders is rated for 186 hp rather than 176.
In the e-AWD version - quoting from memory - the combined output of the front and rear motors is well over 200 hp, but the relatively small battery can only push out 45 kW = approx. 60 hp, so that's how much we can get w/o the engine running. Hence, 186 + 60 = 246 hp, with rounding errors = advertised 245 hp.
Wikipedia gives it a range of 174–186 hp. Nothing from Toyota.com. 245 is Net-hp, peak.
From a dealership.
![Image]()
From a dealership.
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We had a similar experience with our Mazda 5.
You're right but I think there are caveats, nuance, to it.
I mentioned this earlier already but here it is anyways.
Only time I had run out of battery so far was going up Vail pass fully loaded. That too was not continuous. Battery was down to last bar, RPMs maxed out around 5500. I felt the electric motors cutting in and out every few seconds. It didn't have any impact on the speed. I was still the fastest going 65 on 55 speed limit at that point in time. This was during our 1M0/10K miles coast to coast trip within DC, Seattle and Las Vegas Triangle visiting various national parks. We drove thru a lot of elevations with about 10+ speed limit without any issues.
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I am guessing you were climbing the western slope of Vail pass? It's supposed to be steeper than the east slope.
Nearer home, to get from Appalachia to the Piedmont on Route 7 you need to climb 2.5 miles @ average 5% gradient, peaking at 8%, speed limit is 55 of course
. I have calculated that the normally loaded Sienna (5,200 lbs.) needs less than 120 hp to do just that, but I don't quite recall what the top rpm is .... I might be going that way today, so should remember to put the dongle on and check the rpm's.That explains why the engine RPM is very high when climbing a hill. Even though you might not be flooring it, you might be running the engine at 100% power. If you do floor it, then you only have 245 horsepower available for a short amount of time until your battery power is drained.
Going up hill my battery charge stays at 3 bars. If I floored it, I imagine it would not take more than 1 or 2 minutes to deplete the battery. I never do this however. I want my car to last so I try to go easy on it. If I am towing up hill, I go a little slower than the cars not towing. I do have power left over, but I see no need to wring the vans neck to save a couple of minutes.
Yeah, we were going east towards Denver from Moab.
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You pull your boat with a sienna 4 cylinder ?? Hybrid
I don’t know if you’re asking me (I responded awhile ago to this thread), but yeah. It’s a 19.5’ Yamaha jet boat, just shy of 3K# on the trailer (trailer has brakes). It does fine, even going up central PA mountains. I do pay attention to GCWR, so I don’t have a lot of people or too much weight in the van when doing it.
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I still can't get over the fact that a 4-cyl hybrid Sienna can lug around a 5,000+ lb. of 4-cyl hybrid Sienna
2021 Toyota Sienna XLE 26,000 Miles, 2023 Toyota Corolla, 2010 Hyundai Sonata
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I constantly drive my 2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid at speeds well over 100 MPH, not just on one-off occasions but regularly on dozens of different trips and even during normal everyday driving. Honestly, I don’t get the complaints about it being “underpowered”.
On my most recent trip, I drove from NYC to West Virginia to New Orleans, keeping speeds of 100 MPH or more for most of the way. The best part was driving down the whole state of Mississippi, it legitimately felt like driving on the German Autobahn most of the time. I was cruising at 115 MPH for long stretches, but there were also times when I had to slow down and then speed back up to 115. Even with a fully loaded car (im estimating 1,300 lbs of passengers and luggage, just shy of the 1,420 lb max payload), the Sienna handled it perfectly. Also worth noting that I got around 25 MPG for this whole trip.
The car does seem to have a governor that cuts power around 117 MPH. I maxed out at 118 MPH (116 MPH GPS-indicated).
In my experience, this hybrid 4-cylinder has plenty of power. Maybe not as much as the previous year Sienna’s V6, but still more than adequate. Again this is my opinion.
On my most recent trip, I drove from NYC to West Virginia to New Orleans, keeping speeds of 100 MPH or more for most of the way. The best part was driving down the whole state of Mississippi, it legitimately felt like driving on the German Autobahn most of the time. I was cruising at 115 MPH for long stretches, but there were also times when I had to slow down and then speed back up to 115. Even with a fully loaded car (im estimating 1,300 lbs of passengers and luggage, just shy of the 1,420 lb max payload), the Sienna handled it perfectly. Also worth noting that I got around 25 MPG for this whole trip.
The car does seem to have a governor that cuts power around 117 MPH. I maxed out at 118 MPH (116 MPH GPS-indicated).
In my experience, this hybrid 4-cylinder has plenty of power. Maybe not as much as the previous year Sienna’s V6, but still more than adequate. Again this is my opinion.
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I am thinking the dudes that say power sucks are the dudes not used to using 100% of the pedal. These eCVT’s are kinda weird. To get moving, your foot has to be on the floor, and if in sport mode, the van does a decent job moving right then and there.
Whereas not in sport mode, there is a feeling of hesitancy for the van to go into full throttle mode and start moving. It isn’t much, but it’s noticeable to me. Not a thing in sport mode imo, it feels fine but mpg’s do take a hit (as expected).
Whereas not in sport mode, there is a feeling of hesitancy for the van to go into full throttle mode and start moving. It isn’t much, but it’s noticeable to me. Not a thing in sport mode imo, it feels fine but mpg’s do take a hit (as expected).
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I don't drive fast myself, but I do often notice other Gen4 Siennas barrel past me @ 95 mph+, so it feels like I am standing still
. The top speed does appear to be 117 Toyota Sienna specs, 0-60, quarter mile, lap times - FastestLaps.com .The best thing is, IMO, how well composed and sure-footed the Sienna feels, despite its relatively soft suspension and (in my case) nothing-special Falken tires. The e-AWD certainly contributes to the sensation of stability, though, when cornering or changing lanes for merging and overtaking.
The droning engine sound and the rubbery, shift-less acceleration may produce the sensation of the engine struggling with the load, but, as well all know, the van has absolutely no problems picking up speed. With the exception perhaps of driving up a steep grade for a couple of dozen miles when the battery doesn't have the chance to recoup some energy from regen deceleration.
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Okay I must admit this vehicle drives very well and has ample power
A word to the post about using 100% of the pedal - yes. You use 100% of the pedal travel in this car. Most vehicles you never need to press it more than 75% because once your engine is producing max torque it doesn't really matter anyway, you can cram it to the floor but it's not going to do much more. Not so with the Sienna. You get a linear and noticeable change in response through the entirety of the pedal travel.
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You guys can continue to drink koolaid on current sienna powertrain.
In reality, Toyota product planning most like doesn’t think power is enough.
Both Alphard and Vellifire is getting the PHEV version with 306HP in Japan next month.
global.toyota
the curb weight additional is at most 500lb. It will never cross to next class at 8500 GVWR. Sienna is already class 2 in the platinum trim. So another 500 wouldn’t matter.
Alphard isn’t a light weight either.
most likely we will see new power train available at next model year
In reality, Toyota product planning most like doesn’t think power is enough.
Both Alphard and Vellifire is getting the PHEV version with 306HP in Japan next month.
Toyota Launches Alphard and Vellfire PHEV Models in Japan | Toyota | Global Newsroom | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website
Toyota Motor Corporation (Toyota) announced today that it will commence sales of its all-new Alphard and Vellfire Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV; six-seater) models in Japan on January 31, 2025. Gasoline and Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) models of the Alphard and Vellfire have also been...
the curb weight additional is at most 500lb. It will never cross to next class at 8500 GVWR. Sienna is already class 2 in the platinum trim. So another 500 wouldn’t matter.
Alphard isn’t a light weight either.
most likely we will see new power train available at next model year
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Some time I really have to laugh about post in this forum.
1. Sienna E-CVT isn’t like conventional belt and pulley system. It’s a planetary gear ecvt.
2. Because of point 1, it rarely maintain high engine RPM. Hence the drone noise doesn’t really exist.
3. In addition because of the electric motors are providing max torque as soon it’s spinning. There really isn’t a need to push pedal 100% either.
the gasoline engine is simply unrefined mess.
Linear response is most due to gasoline engine powering the wheels to compensate electric motors torque drop at higher rpm.
The reverse is actually true
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