2019 Toyota Sienna

The 2019 Sienna is the third-generation XL30 (MY2011–2020), sold in the US only with the 3.5L 2GR-FKS V6 introduced for MY2018; no hybrid existed until the fourth generation in MY2021. Output is identical across LE, XLE, SE, Limited and AWD.

Peak torque of the only powertrain offered for 2019; it arrives high in the rev range, typical of a naturally aspirated V6.

Two instrumented tests agree on about 7.7–7.8 s. That is competitive with the Odyssey and Pacifica V6 but heavy minivans are scored against a band that starts at quick performance SUVs.

The 2GR-FKS V6 is smooth and quiet with strong midrange; reviewers praise it as among the best engines in the segment. It loses a few points for a soft initial throttle tuned for economy.

The Direct Shift 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly on upshifts. It is criticised for reluctant or delayed kickdowns and busy gear selection on grades, so it scores mid-band.

3,500 lbs is the minivan norm, matching the Odyssey and Pacifica, but well short of what body-on-frame SUVs in the shared band can tow.

In 2019 the Sienna was the only minivan sold in the US with AWD, available on LE, SE, XLE and Limited. It is a basic on-demand system with no terrain modes.

Pavement-oriented minivan with about 6.3–6.9 in of ground clearance, no skid plates and no off-road modes. Available AWD helps on snow and gravel roads only.

There was a single engine and transmission (3.5L V6, 8AT) with only an FWD or AWD choice and no electrified option, so it is take-it-or-leave-it.

The 2019 Sienna is a gas V6 van, because the hybrid came only with the MY2021 redesign. 22 MPG combined is par for gas minivans of the era.

EPA city rating for the volume FWD V6.

The 8-speed automatic helps cruising economy. The FWD highway rating is the strongest of its three EPA figures.

Computed from the 20.0-gallon tank and the EPA combined rating, since EPA publishes no range figure for a gas vehicle.

EPA annual fuel cost at 15,000 mi/yr on regular gasoline, at current EPA price assumptions.

Every trim runs on regular unleaded, with no premium requirement and no plug-in to keep charged.

The 2019 Sienna, a late-cycle third-generation (XL30, 2011–2020) van, earned NHTSA's top overall rating, though frontal and rollover sub-scores are four stars.

No IIHS award for 2019: the aging 2011-era structure rates only Acceptable in driver-side small overlap and Marginal in passenger-side small overlap, with Good in the remaining crash tests.

Toyota Safety Sense P is standard on every grade (AEB with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, auto high beams, radar cruise), but blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert are not standard on the L/LE and come via the LE Preferred package or higher trims.

IIHS rated the vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention Superior with full avoidance at 12 and 25 mph, but pedestrian/nighttime AEB testing did not exist for this model year and the first-gen TSS-P pedestrian detection is daytime-oriented.

Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert is available on most of the lineup but missing from base L/LE, and it is alert-only with no rear cross-traffic braking or safe-exit assist.

First-generation TSS-P offers Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, which only nudges the van back when it is about to cross a line; there is no lane centering, and reviewers describe it as a basic intervention system.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control is standard across the range, a plus for the class in 2019, but the TSS-P implementation in this generation is not full-speed stop-and-go and has no paired lane centering for highway assist.

No hands-free driving system was available on any 2019 Sienna trim.

Every headlight variant, halogen and HID, rates only Acceptable at IIHS; automatic high beams are standard, which earns it a mid score with no Good-rated option.

A tall, boxy greenhouse and large windows give typical good minivan sightlines; a rearview camera is standard, but the bird's-eye 360 camera is limited to top trims.

There are four full LATCH positions, and sliding doors with walk-through space make loading easy, but IIHS rates LATCH ease of use only Acceptable.

The volume LE comes as an 8-passenger with a removable second-row stowable center seat; L, Limited and AWD models seat 7 with captain's chairs.

Generous front headroom, toward the top of the minivan band.

Front legroom is the Sienna's tightest figure, short of the Odyssey (40.9) and Pacifica (41.1).

Tall boxy roof gives excellent second-row headroom.

Second-row legroom is competitive and the seats slide far fore-aft, so real usable room exceeds the published figure.

Third row seats adults on real trips (36.3 in legroom, 38.3 in headroom) and a 60/40 power-fold option on upper trims; access through wide sliding doors is easy.

Behind the second row (third row folded) the Sienna carries 87.1 cu ft, and 39.1 cu ft remain behind the upright third row.

With the second-row seats removed the Sienna offers one of the largest cargo holds in the segment.

Deep third-row well, removable 8th seat that stows in the cargo area, plenty of cupholders and a 120V outlet on upper trims; the front console is less clever than the Pacifica's Stow 'n Go or Odyssey's sliding Magic Slide setup.

Long-slide second-row captain's chairs with ottomans (Limited) are a highlight; front seats are comfortable if a bit flat, and the 8-passenger bench is less supportive.

Soft, compliant ride on non-SE trims absorbs bumps well; the SE's sport suspension is firmer, and body motions are looser than the Odyssey's.

Quiet V6 and decent isolation, but reviewers note more wind and road noise at highway speed than newer rivals.

Tri-zone automatic climate with rear controls is widely available and heated front seats come on XLE/Limited; no ventilated seats or heated wheel offered, and remote start via app arrives only with Remote Connect.

The 2019 L FWD was the entry Sienna, a carry-over of the 2018-refreshed XL30 with the 296-hp V6 and 8-speed automatic. It sat in line with the Odyssey LX and Pacifica L at the bottom of the segment.

The LE was the volume trim, adding power sliding doors, a 7-inch Entune 3.0 touchscreen and three-zone climate over the L. Priced right alongside the Odyssey EX and below a comparably equipped Pacifica.

The conventional 3.5L V6 Sienna is cheaper to maintain than the Pacifica and roughly on par with the Odyssey, though without the hybrid's brake and accessory-drive savings of the later XL40. ToyotaCare covers the first two years of scheduled service.

The Sienna has long been the minivan resale benchmark, losing value meaningfully slower than the ~42% five-year minivan average. The gas V6 generation retains slightly less than the hybrid-only successor but still leads the Odyssey, Pacifica and Grand Caravan.

Toyota's standard new-vehicle limited warranty at the industry floor, matching Honda and FCA and trailing Kia's 5-year Sedona coverage.

Standard 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain coverage; the 2019 Sienna is gas-only, so no hybrid-component extension applies. Kia's Sedona offered 10 yr / 100,000 mi.

ToyotaCare covers factory-scheduled maintenance for 2 years / 25,000 miles with 2 years of unlimited-mileage roadside assistance, ahead of Honda and FCA (no included maintenance) but shorter than Hyundai/Kia-style programs.

$35,180 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (60% retained, or about $21,108) leaves about $14,072 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,500 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $19,572 in total.

J.D. Power gave the 2019 Sienna 4/5 for predicted reliability, near the top of the minivan class, and RepairPal ranks it #3 of 14 minivans. Consumer Reports' owner data is closer to average, with the usual XL30 trouble spots: power sliding doors, climate system and minor oil seepage. The sources disagree, so it lands at the top of the mixed band, level with the 2018 carry-over year.

Around the 2019 model year Toyota sat consistently in the top tier of dependability studies. It was a top-3 brand in both Consumer Reports' brand reliability rankings and J.D. Power's Vehicle Dependability Study, and the highest-ranked mass-market brand.

There are about 7 NHTSA recalls on the 2019. The ones that matter are the Denso low-pressure fuel-pump recall (stall risk, an industry-wide supplier campaign) and a front-passenger-door weld issue that can affect airbag sensing. The XL30's sliding-door hardware complaints and the class action over them persist as well. That is typical activity with one significant safety item, so it scores mid-band, slightly below the 2018.

The 2019 carries over the 3.5L 2GR-FKS V6 and the Aisin 8-speed automatic introduced for 2017. The 2GR family has a long high-mileage record across Toyota and Lexus, and the known issues (water-pump seepage, timing-cover oil leaks, 8-speed shift-quality complaints) are not catastrophic. The fuel-pump recall is a supplier part, not an engine fault.

By 2019 the cabin was nine model years old. It is practical and durable but has plenty of hard plastics on the volume LE trim, and it trails the newer Pacifica and Odyssey for perceived quality.

Assembly at Princeton, Indiana was mature by the ninth year of the generation and panel fit is consistent. Sliding-door hardware wear, rattles and the door-weld recall keep it out of the top band.

Toyota has one of the two densest franchised service networks in the US, roughly 1,200+ dealers, with solid service satisfaction. Service on a conventional V6 van is available almost anywhere.

The 2GR V6 is shared with the Highlander, Camry, Avalon and many Lexus models, so parts are plentiful and independent shops know it well. Annual repair cost runs near the minivan average. Sliding-door motors and cables are minivan-specific, mostly dealer-sourced, and expensive.

Every 2019 Sienna uses a 7-inch Entune 3.0 touchscreen, small against rivals' 8-inch-plus units.

Entune 3.0 keeps physical knobs but is dated-looking and slow, with a small screen; CarPlay's 2019 arrival helps.

Wired Apple CarPlay became standard for 2019 but Android Auto was not offered, and nothing was wireless.

Native navigation with Destination Assist on XLE/Limited and Scout GPS Link app nav elsewhere; voice commands are rigid, Alexa integration adds limited help.

6-speaker base audio is adequate; the 10-speaker JBL system on Limited is decent but not class-leading.

Analog gauges with a 4.2-inch multi-information display; no full-digital cluster available.

No vehicle OTA; Dynamic Navigation updates map data over the air on navigation trims only.

Toyota Remote Connect (remote start/lock, vehicle status) available on Audio Plus/Premium trims with a trial then subscription; no digital key.

Several USB-A ports across rows and a 120V outlet on upper trims; no USB-C and Qi wireless charging only on top Limited Premium.

Smart Key proximity entry and push-button start on SE/XLE/Limited; power sliding doors and liftgate on LE and up, hands-free doors/liftgate on upper trims; remote start through the app.

Backup camera standard, front/rear parking sensors on upper trims, and a Bird's Eye View 360 camera only on Limited Premium.

No head-up display offered on any 2019 Sienna trim.

Power sliding doors, a low floor, 8-passenger seating and long-slide second row make family logistics easy; LATCH rated Acceptable rather than Good.

5-star NHTSA overall and standard TSS-P are strengths, but IIHS passenger small-overlap Marginal (no TSP) and blind-spot monitoring costing extra on L/LE hold it back.

Adult-usable third row, 39.1 cu ft of cargo behind it, tri-zone climate and an available 16.4-in dual-view rear entertainment screen make it a strong road-trip van.

Smooth V6, light controls and good visibility make for an easy commute; size and some transmission hunting are minor annoyances.

22 MPG combined on regular fuel is typical of gas minivans of the era, with no hybrid option in this generation.

A 200-in-long van with a 37.4-ft turning circle; good visibility and available 360 camera help in tight spots.

150 cu ft of cargo with seats removed and a 3,500-lb tow rating make it useful for light hauling, but it is not a work vehicle.

Proven V6 and long-running platform with a strong reliability record, though family-oriented interior materials aren't built for hard use.

Cargo tie-down hooks and a 120V outlet on upper trims, but no meaningful upfit ecosystem; second-row seats must be physically removed.

Comfortable ride and seats with standard radar cruise; ~440-mile range is fine but there is no lane centering and some wind noise.

Available AWD (the only AWD minivan on sale for 2019; Pacifica AWD arrived for 2021), roof rails and 3,500-lb towing handle camping trips and gravel roads; low clearance limits more.

60/40 fold-flat third row, deep well, roof rails and 150 cu ft max make bulky gear easy, though removing the heavy second-row seats is a chore.

Secure but softly sprung with noticeable body roll on non-SE trims; the SE's sport tuning tightens it up but the Odyssey remains more composed.

Light and accurate enough for parking, but numb and slow-witted at speed.

Adequate stopping for a 4,400-lb van with a somewhat soft pedal; instrumented 60-0 stops in the mid-120-ft range.

The 296-hp 2GR-FKS V6 is smooth and strong; the 8-speed automatic occasionally hunts or hesitates on kickdown.

Naturally aspirated V6 is quiet at cruise with a pleasant note when pushed; no stop/start roughness.

Mid-band for minivans; diameter derived from the published 18.7-ft turning radius.

Commanding view and good outward visibility, but the dash-mounted shifter and older center-stack layout feel dated, and front legroom is tight for tall drivers.

Quick for a minivan but otherwise appliance-like; the SE adds a little personality.

Every 2019 Sienna, including the base L, carries Toyota Safety Sense P (AEB with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise, lane departure alert, auto high beams), and Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa became standard this year. Android Auto was still missing, and power sliding doors require the LE.

Competitive pricing with a strong V6, standard active safety and the segment's only AWD option makes it fair value, but dated cabin tech and interior materials keep it behind the Odyssey and Pacifica on content-per-dollar at upper trims.

Eight trims (L, LE, SE, SE Premium, XLE, XLE Premium, Limited, Limited Premium), 7- or 8-passenger seating, and FWD or AWD — the only minivan offering AWD in 2019, now extended to SE/SE Premium.

A steady mid-pack seller in a shrinking segment, behind the Grand Caravan, Odyssey and Pacifica late in the XL30's life as buyers waited for the redesign.

Toyota's reputation for durability and resale underpins the Sienna's appeal and loyal repeat buyers, though the brand carries no aspirational premium in the family-van space.

As an aging generation facing a 2021 redesign, the 2019 Sienna saw regular cash-back and APR offers, though Toyota's discounts were more modest than FCA's on the Grand Caravan and Pacifica.

2019 was the ninth model year of the XL30 generation launched for 2011, with only the 2018 facelift to update it; a fully redesigned hybrid-only Sienna arrived for 2021.

Reviewers praised the strong V6, available AWD and reliability, but consistently ranked it behind the Odyssey and Pacifica for cabin quality, tech and driving refinement; it rarely won comparison tests by 2019.