I once had a previous executive editor at this very publication that told me I had the green light to review any car, truck or motorcycles on these pages – except for a minivan. They were off limits because they were boring and not of interest to our male-centric readers
This joint wasn’t alone in that evaluation as the minivan is not a class of vehicle that draws much love from the automotive press – especially the more gearhead-centric outlets (like this one). It’s viewed as transport for soccer moms, which is fine because moms and kick need to go places.
Unfortunately, minivans have also been identified with men who have given up their “man card.” They’ve become bloodless turnips who drive big, slow vehicles are in no hurry to get anywhere because there’s nowhere they really want to go. It’s a cruel stereotype, and it’s not the audience this site is in a hurry to draw.
So, it was a long shot that I’d attend the media event Toyota threw in Las Vegas for their latest minivan Sienna. Calling the weekend the Sienna AdVANtures (…See what they did there?…), it was Toyota’s mission to prove that a minivan could be more fun to drive – that sitting in the driver’s seat of one did not dictate your life as a proper guy was finished.
To get the testosterone flowing, the automaker invited the writers to jump into new Siennas and head from the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel and Casino to the massive local edition of Bass Pro Shops. With the latest minivans baking in the Vegas midsummer sun, the men who were asked to love a Sienna went kayaking, fishing and shooting. They loaded sports equipment and took a shot at archery.
None of that has anything to do with driving, but Toyota’s mission was clear. They wanted to send the message that a man could enjoy all of those tough guy, outdoorsy activities and drive home in a Sienna without sacrificing any of that fun or ego fuel.
To make that possible, Toyota needed to pick up its game on the Sienna. A quick inspection reveals that it’s been lowered – hunkered down for better aerodynamics and a more aggressive grill – including vague cues taken from Toyota’s posh sister company, Lexus.
If I can snag a few second to venture into the realm of made-up terminology, Toyota went a long way to make the Sienna more “car-ish.” It still seats seven comfortably – with mini-seats for kids just emerging from car seats, footrests and more cup-holders than you’ve had hot dinners. It’s still appropriate for trips to Little League and big family vacations.
But, it’s no longer boring and it’s less boxy. It no longer falls victim to “Ugly Minivan Syndrome.” Will your average single guy look to pick up dates in this new minivan? No. Will he go out of his way to pick up a Sienna for any other reason? I doubt it. But, that’s OK. Toyota knows this. They’re not expecting to grab that market. They want to make it less painful for a man to give up his two-seater sports car or his businessman’s sedan for the good of his kids – less embarrassing to surrender to Minivan-dom.
It took a strange trip to Las Vegas to declare mission accomplished for Toyota and its Sienna.
