When Toyota replaced the oddball Previa with the front-drive Sienna for 1998, it staked a firmer foothold in the minivan market. The redesigned 2004 Sienna added all-wheel-drive as an option, making it a true alternative to popular SUVs. Now, for 2011, the Sienna is all-new again, and it’s crossover utilities that dominate the family scene. So, let’s see if the new Sienna can stand its ground.

The 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan starts off by standing its ground on size. Its 119.3-inch wheelbase is the same as its predecessor. But it is a few fractions of an inch wider and shorter overall, much of which can be attributed to its all-new styling, penned entirely at Toyota’s Calty studio in Newport Beach, California. And, Calty has given Sienna a fairly aggressive version of the corporate notched hood, above a sharply tapered trapezoidal grille. Narrow, dramatically swept-back headlights are set high in a pair of bulging front fenders.

From there, the Sienna’s greenhouse follows the slight curvature of character lines drawn high on its flanks. Unmistakable Venza-like taillights wrap around under the D-pillars.

Styling cues vary by trim. The sporty-looking SE’s mesh grille, deep splitter, rocker panels, and smoked taillights set it apart from the rest of the clean but much more pedestrian Sienna lineup. A selection of standard alloy wheels range from 17 to 19 inches in diameter.

But while a dose of exterior excitement is fine, the focal point of every minivan is the interior. To that end, the 2011 Sienna fills slightly bigger shoes than last year, with two inches added to interior length. It’s also wider inside, and the now flowing dash has a less pronounced, more integrated center stack to make it feel even roomier.

The front seat passengers are treated to a funky asymmetrical trim swoosh separating two glove boxes, and the driver will find a more upscale instrument cluster with standard ECO driving indicator in the multifunction liquid crystal screen. A full complement of airbags includes one for the driver’s knee.

Standards include tri-zone climate, CD stereo with aux input, up to a dozen cup holders, and dual sliding doors with power windows. Ascend the trim levels, and amenities like wood trim, voice command navigation, and a novel sliding center console are available.

Unlike Chrysler’s minivans, the Sienna’s second row seats don’t fold into the floor. They’re heavy, but are removable. Seven-passenger models have twin captain’s chairs. In Limited trim they recline. The eight-seater features a split bench with a stowable center section. The captain’s chairs have 23 inches of fore/aft travel and seat cushions that tip up, allowing easy access to the third row. There, the 60/40 split bench is placed two inches further back than before for adult-size legroom.

The optional rear entertainment system has a 16.4-inch screen that can display two inputs—like a movie and a game—at the same time. Unlike Chrysler vans, however, satellite TV is not available.

Cargo volume behind the upright third seat is good at 39.1 cubic feet. Drop the third row and cargo volume goes to 87.1 cubic feet. With the second row removed, cargo volume grows to 150 cubic feet, or more than all rivals.

Sienna continues as the only minivan available with all-wheel-drive. For 2011, it returns as an option on V6-powered LE, XLE, and Limited models.

Base power comes from the Sienna's first four cylinder. The 2.7-liter, shared with Highlander and Venza, rates 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque. The carryover 3.5-liter V6 rates 266 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque. A new six-speed transmission with sequential shift handles gear changes for both motors. With the V6, Sienna can tow 3,500 pounds.

Suspension hardware is traditional minivan, strut front and a beam axle rear. But careful retuning, stability control, and new electric power steering provide Sienna an unusually tactile driving experience, especially the SE, which gets treated to an even sportier setup. All-disc ABS brakes are standard.

While the four-cylinder does strain a little under heavy loads, its Government Fuel Economy ratings of 19 city/26 highway are the best in its class. The front drive V6 rates 18 city/24 highway, dropping to 16 city/22 highway with all-wheel-drive. All Siennas run on regular gas.

When it goes on sale later this spring, Sienna prices will start slightly lower than last year at $25,010. The V6 starts at $26,250, and can climb to an eye-popping $40,520 for an all-wheel drive Limited.

That said, the 2011 Toyota Sienna has something for every minivan taste— a more economical four-cylinder, class-exclusive all-wheel drive, and the nicely sporty SE model. So, not only can this highly versatile vehicle stand its ground, it's likely to make a few more suburbanites think twice about buying a big CUV.

Comfort and room to roam used to be core elements for attracting buyers to midsize family sedans. But thanks to SUVs, that’s not enough these days. Now, luxury, tech integration, performance, fuel economy, and even all-wheel drive have become must have sedan ingredients. And one more, value. So, let’s see if the latest Hyundai Sonata gives us all a lesson in chemistry.

The seventh-generation Hyundai Sonata midsize sedan has been on the road since 2020, and as usually happens when vehicles approach the end of their lifecycle, this 2024 Sonata gets a makeover to keep the looks fresh and electronics current until an all-new one arrives.

Standard tech includes a crystal-clear 12.3-inch digital gauge display and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment. Both are now combined into one wide curved housing similar to what we’ve seen from BMW and other luxury brands. This required a complete dash overhaul; a big interior change you can’t miss. Top Limited trim ups the game with navigation, leather seating, 12-speaker Bose premium sound, head-up display, and sunroof. It’s quite roomy inside, though maybe not quite as spacious or as comfy as some rivals with newer designs. On the other hand, rear seat legroom is very generous with long distance comfort.

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There are three powertrain choices. The base front-wheel-drive SEL works with a 191-horsepower, naturally aspirated 2.5-liter I4. And for 2024, you can now add all-wheel drive to it for $1,500. The sporty N Line puts a turbocharger onto that 2.5 which boosts output to 290 horsepower, but it remains front-wheel-drive only, as does this Hybrid. The Hybrid is 2.0-liter I4 based with a 39-kW electric motor that combine for an output of 192 horsepower.

The real draw with the Hybrid is fuel economy of course, and the Government Ratings are 44 City, 51 Highway, and 47 Combined. We manage just 42.7 mpg of Regular in our driving loop, but that’s still slightly better than in our recent tests of both the Toyota Camry Hybrid and Honda Accord Hybrid. And it earns a much better than average Energy Impact Score, using 6.3 barrels of oil yearly, with 3.1 tons of CO2 emissions.

The price for that great fuel economy was paid at our test track with a slow roll to 60 of 8.0-seconds. There was no sense of urgency off the line, and while the engine sounded like it was really working hard, numbers on the speedometer were slow to climb. That meter was reading only 89 mph after 16.0 seconds as we crossed the quarter-mile. On a much more positive note, the Sonata Hybrid’s true six-speed automatic transmission provides a much more enjoyable experience than competitor’s CVTs.

And the experience in our handling course was positive too; minimal body roll and light steering had us whipping in and out of the cones with a surprising amount of speed. We didn’t experience much in the way of oversteer or understeer, and stability systems stayed out of the way. In our panic braking runs, the pedal was soft, and we could really hear the ABS working overtime, but stops were straight and fade free, averaging a fine 114 feet from 60 mph.

The Sonata has always attempted to set itself apart when it comes to exterior design. That meant an awkwardly shaped “Digital Pulse Cascading” grille when this gen debuted; we much prefer the more traditional and sportier take of this update. The rear fascia also gets revised, looking both sportier and more upscale at the same time, with wide H-themed lighting to accentuate the Sonata’s width.

Pricing starts with the SEL at $28,650; adding the hybrid powertrain boosts it to $31,950, Limited comes exclusively with the hybrid engine and tops the lineup at $38,350.

Hyundai’s long-time formula for success, delivering more for less and tacking on a longer warranty than rivals, has done a great job of getting them where they are today. The 2024 Hyundai Sonata’s high value, impressive powertrain options, which now include all-wheel drive, and better than average driving dynamics, will ensure they stay a major player in the midsize sedan segment for years to come.