1. 2012 Toyota Sienna (MSRP Starts Under $26,000)
There are many reasons the Sienna (read review) topped our list, but one of them has to be the fact that it’s the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive. For many drivers in the Rocky Mountains or Northeast, AWD is a must-have item and pushes all other vans out of contention. In reality, the all-wheel drive option is just icing on an already tasty cake since the AWD-equipped Sienna returns 19 mpg in combined driving (22 mpg in the front-wheel drive mode). It’s positively huge inside with 39.1 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the third-row seat alone. In fact, the 164 total cubic-feet of interior space inside the Sienna is nearly 20 cubic-feet larger than the interior space in a Toyota Highlander crossover, a vehicle many potential Sienna minivan drivers buy instead. Add in luxury features, a Top Safety Pick designation by the IIHS and captain’s chairs that recline in the middle row and you have our top minivan pick for 2012.
Second Opinions:
"No self-respecting person spends their youth daydreaming about a future spent cruising around town in a sweet minivan. But there are those of us who have hit a stage in which we do actually daydream about things that would make life with kids easier. As far as family transportation is concerned, look no further than the Toyota Sienna to facilitate family fun. Besides being the only minivan on the market that is offered with all-wheel drive, the Sienna also gets respectable fuel economy and has a great history of reliability, which means you save money and time in the long run. Go ahead. Start daydreaming about this one...we promise not to rat you out."
-- Courtney Messenbaugh, Vehix Contributing Editor
"If I were planning to go out and buy a new minivan tomorrow – which I totally would (it’s my wife who refuses to get one) – I would buy the 2012 Toyota Sienna. It’s not because it’s the only model on the market that comes with all-wheel drive. And it’s not because the Sienna is substantially better in any way than its chief competitor, the Honda Odyssey. Rather, I’d choose the Sienna because it is available in an SE trim level, which brings sportier styling, steering and suspension tuning, and meatier 19-inch wheels and tires. These might be small and subtle changes, but when your life-stage dictates the purchase of a mommy mobile, they go a long way toward making life with a minivan OK."
-- Christian Wardlaw, Vehix Managing Editor
Read: 2012 Toyota Sienna Review
View: 2012 Toyota Sienna Rebates and Incentives
2012 Toyota Sienna SE
