Would You Spend Nearly $60,000 on a Toyota Sienna?
The Toyota Sienna is a minivan with a well-earned reputation as an excellent family hauler. For a long time, the Sienna was the only minivan you could get with all-wheel drive, and now it’s the only minivan available exclusively with a hybrid powertrain. Now in its fourth generation, the Sienna has all of the virtues of its predecessors, like roomy three-row seating, family-friendly features like sliding doors, and the safety and reliability that families want.
The 2023 Toyota Sienna has a reasonable starting price of $36,885, but the price tag approaches the $60,000 mark when fully loaded. Let’s look at what you get in a minivan for that price and whether it’s worth it.
What you get in a fully loaded 2023 Toyota Sienna
The top trim of the 2023 Toyota Sienna is the Platinum model. The same hybrid powertrain powers it as the rest of the Sienna lineup and gets an impressive combined fuel economy rating of 36 mpg (35 mpg with AWD). According to the J.D. Power APEAL study, fuel economy is the average Sienna owner’s favorite thing about their van.
Some of the premium features you get in the Sienna Platinum include 20-inch wheels, LED projector headlights, hands-free power sliding doors, leather upholstery with heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row captain’s chairs with available ottomans, a heated steering wheel, a JBL 12-speaker audio system, a head-up display, and a 360-degree camera.
The Toyota Sienna Platinum starts at $52,345. However, if you upgrade to AWD, one of the premium paint options like Ruby Flare Pearl, and a rear entertainment system, the MSRP, including the destination fee, crosses $56,000.
This all adds up to a legitimately luxurious van without sacrificing its family friendly convenience. If you like the idea of a luxury SUV with the practical perks of a minivan, the Toyota Sienna Platinum is hard to beat.
Is the 2023 Sienna worth a purchase?
That might sound expensive for a minivan, but consider what else is available in hybrid family haulers in that price range. A fully-loaded Toyota Highlander Hybrid with AWD is around $55,000, the hybrid Ford Explorer Platinum can go up to about $60,000, and the plug-in hybrid Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle starts at $60,540.
As for three-row family SUVs from luxury brands, the Acura MDX, Infiniti QX60, and Cadillac XT6 all start at about $50,000 and can go well past $60,000.
Since no luxury brands have the guts to sell a minivan in the U.S., the Toyota Sienna Platinum is one of the most luxurious vehicles in its segment. Minivan drivers typically prioritize safety, reliability, and convenience over brand panache. A Toyota badge on a minivan that’s almost $60,000 isn’t a problem to the average Sienna driver.
Whether it’s a good value is a slightly different discussion than whether it’s “worth it.” The Toyota Sienna Platinum is worth it for families who can afford it. If you’re looking for the best bang for the buck, then a mid-range Sienna like the XLE trim is a better value.
