Everything works well except the tires.

Run-flats combined with no spare is a fatal design flaw.

Do not buy a Sienna all-wheel-drive (AWD). Toyota dealers are telling customers not to repair the Dunlop run-flat tires that come as standard equipment. This is a problem because the Sienna AWD does not have a spare tire. The two dealers I consulted said they thought the "no repairs" policy is based on safety concerns. However, they will still sell you a Dunlop run-flat replacement for $280. In my case it took two days to deliver the tire and I was stranded without a drivable car for two days. If you elect to carry a spare tire the only place to put it is the rear well and you must sacrifice the ability to fold down the rear seat. This is not an acceptable solution. Toyota refuses to acknowledge the serious design failure in the AWD Sienna and is so far unwilling to do anything but pass the buck to Dunlop. The local Dunlop distributer said there are not problems with the tires and they can be repaired but only at a tire shop that has purchased the equipment necessary to work on run-flats. He estimated the cost of the equipment at over $10,000; so you will have to go to a specialized shop for repirs. I would not have purchased the AWD Sienna if any of the difficulties with run-flats had been disclosed to me. My advice is to stay away from the AWD Sienna until Toyota comes up with a workable solution.

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I put over 200,000 miles on my Previa with no problems

Great ride, comfort

Unreliable, terible customer service

We loved the car until the check engine light started coming on. 6 trips, 30 days in the shop and 2 gas tanks, 2 charcoal filter systems nad a new computer later, it's back on. Toyota says we need to file under lemon law or just keep coming back. So much for the vaunted Toyota quality.

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Ford Windstar

Stability, smooth ride, peppy, luxury interior, fit and finish, handling.

1. Rear breaks often make grinding noise. 2. If you lean on the sides of the van they bend in...have to be careful when gassing up! 3. Trailer hitch problem (see review summary). 4. Neither the dealer nor Toyota appear to care about the hitch problem. 5. Lack of customer service from dealer or Toyota.

We picked up our 2004 Sienna on July 4th, after having ordered it and waiting for a few weeks. The van was everything we wanted. It has lots of space...it is like a stadium in there with the seats down! It rides like a luxury sedan, has a peppy engine, fit and finish is perfect, and the price is reasonable for what you get. All and all a great van. We got the XLE version. Our car had a few problems, all of which are still unresolved. In March 2004 (it is now Sept 2004) we brought it in to a dealer (in Charleston, SC) to have the gas tank replaced under a Toyota recall. We made an appointment and when we arrived they told us they had no tank in stock. We are still waiting on a tank after 6 months. The second row captain chair was stitched wrong and has to be replaced. We have been waiting for a new cover since March 2004. We are missing one of the car mats, but the dealer questions us, thinking maybe we "lost it". This is getting old. Our battery has died 3 times over the past year, and no, the interior lights were off. Even if they were on, they are supposed to turn off after 20 minutes by themselves, which they also don't do. I am sure they can fix this as soon as they fix the other problems. But, the worst problem is the Toyota DPS Trailer Hitch. We needed a vehicle to pull our boat (2000 lbs), and the Sienna (we were told) would do the job. We purchased the Toyota hitch so that we could have confidence it would be done right. However, the hitch began rusting badly on the welds within a few months. They ordered a new one for us in March, but it has never arrived. But the rust just looked bad, the real problem was the hitch scrapped the road if you hit any bump. Potholes, curbs, speed bumps / humps, pulling in / out of driveways. And that was without a trailer attached! When we tried to attach the trailer (tongue weight way under 200 pounds), the hitch lowered to just a few inches from the ground (with the van empty). We decided it was not safe. So the dealer looked at it and said he could maybe install air shocks, but that we would have to pay for them. I told them it was Toyota's problem and so they should fix it. He referred me to the Toyota help line, and they told me that it was a "design consideration". I asked what that meant, and they said it meant it was a design flaw, and that the van probably should not have a hitch installed. I asked what they could do, and they said probably nothing. They referred me back to the dealer "Customer Liaison", who I have called but have not heard back from yet. So I have a $400 hitch and about $550 worth of Toyota accessories for the hitch, but can't make use of it. And Toyota will not stand behind it. I am filing a NHTSA complaint as the hitch is unsafe over bumps when no trailer is attached, and unsafe period when a trailer is attached. Other than those problems, we love the van. But if you plan to tow something, buy ANY OTHER BRAND VAN or SUV! Our Mazda MPV pulled our 3000 lb boat without a problem. This thing can't even hold our bike rack due to the weight of the bikes weighing down the back end!

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1992 Mazda MPV

Best made minivan. The best gas mileage and sprint times of any minivan - try getting 26 mpg in a large SUV! Build quality that easily beats Honda. Tons of gadgets. Probably high resale value.

Pricey compared to Dodge and Chrysler vans which feel a little better from a driving and ride perspective.

The luxury appearance of the interior reminds one that Lexus is also a Toyota brand. The XLE Limited comes with a huge number of features and gadgets, some of which are very useful (wiper defrosters, pioneered by Dodge but no longer available from them), and others which are not. The rear video screen can literally be a lifesaver if it means not backing up over a child. It's a very convenient van and is seems they studied the prior class leader, Dodge/Chrysler, very carefully and then filled in the gaps - albeit without Chrysler's fold-flat middle-row seats or low end torque. Full details on my experience are at http://www.corolland.com/car-reviews/sienna.html Overall, I'd say that if you are looking at a minivan, the Sienna and Caravan are the ones to beat. If driving dynamics are most important to you, go with Dodge; ride, Chrysler; statistical likelihood of fewer repairs and nicer-looking dashboard, not to mention features, Toyota. I would not bother with Honda, whose Odyssey has been having transmission problems, or Nissan or Ford, who have also reportedly been having trouble keeping up reliability on their minivans.

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Dodge Grand Caravan

Comfortable. Responsible engine.

The short-lived, expensive runflat tires. Gas mileage Rear visibility Everybody and his cousins owns one

Echoing many have said: The Dunlop runflat tires are horrible! It chips. You can actually see small pieces of rubber flaking off the tire. At 18000 miles driven by a soccer mom, it needs a set of new tires. The gas mileage is poor. I got 20 MPG on highway, 18 mixed. The rear visibility is limited. I am always very worried when backing out of parking lot. Our experience of reliability is less than Toyota's reputation. The car computer needed to be replaced.

Good power, braking.

Middle seats require an engineering degree to remove and replace.

RUN FLAT TIRES needed to be replaced at 20,000 miles at a cost of $200 each. This would need to be done once or twice a year due to high mileage. Switched to conventional tires and discovered there was no jack or spare on this model. Kit comes at $120, but must be stowed in 3rd seat compartment. This means you can no longer carry any cargo as a third seat is always up. A TERRIBLE MISTAKE.

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Chrysler Town and Country AWD.

handling, skid prevention technology, spacious inside

radiator defect, Run Flat Tech tires

I bought this car in Aug 2003 for styling, capacity, handling, features. For 8 months it was great and then....AUGHH! 1) Radiator blew in May. Turns out this is a model defect. Car sat at dealer service, along with 7 other 2004 Siennas for 2 1/2 weeks waiting for a new part 2) Run Flat Tech tires are a MISTAKE. Backlog of a month+ to get a replacement, and car is NOT stocked with any type of spare. If you have to drive on tire flat it CANNOT be repaired so you are out of luck.

nice interior and ride well. get excellent milage

tow hitch

We like the car and bought it to tow a small trailer and put a bike rack in the tow hitch. BUT we can NOT find a tow hitch place that will install a hitch. The installers say Toyota has made a problem in that the hitch rides to low and scrapes a lot and may cause problems if it hits something sticking up. we will try to get air shocks. Dealer was of NO help. Everyone appeared to be very tight lipped about this. I was polite but they just didn't answer. Oh when we bought the car we asked specifically if we could tow a trailer and they showed us the specs for towing But they didn't say you can get a hitch for it or no one except the dealer will install the hitch.

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Mazda van

Appearance, interior convenience

"Run Flat" tire system

Run Flat tire feature has caused inconvenience and unwarranted cost. Twice I have had "flat" tires caused by a road hazard. In neither case could a replacement tire be found in stock at Nashville or Atlanta. My last event occurred Sat., 6/5/04 at Nashville. Today (6/14/04) I am still waiting for a replacement "run flat" tire. The dealer placed a non-run flat tire on the rim. This defeats the run flat feature and defeats the tire pressure sensor. There may be other unknown risks. Obviously I'm very dissatisfied with this car.

Nice looking van, though my first choice was the Honda Odyssey. Has taken alot of abuse from my 4 kids and their friends, but has stood the test of time and mileage admirably.

Very little cargo room. Original battery didn't last very long. One of my indicator lights has been lit since the 1st year of me having the car. Nobody can seem to make it go away, but it doesn't affect the drive in any way that I can tell. The rear seats are a PAIN to take out and put back in when I need the extra space. Not easy at all.

Overall, I've been very happy with this car. I had to replace the battery twice early on and have also replaced the brakes once. Otherwise, no major problems, and I have put over 133K miles on this car. It was originally a lease, but with that many miles, I can't afford to do anything but keep it. I try to at least get my oil changed periodically, but generally, I am horrible at routine maintenance, so I am very pleased that this car is serving me so well. Especially, since I can't afford to turn it back into Toyota.

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Ford Aerostar, no other vans