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Talking about Toyota Sienna towing capacity I want firstly mention that Toyota, the world’s biggest automobile company, has been dominating the market in pretty much every segment. With award-winning fuel-efficient hybrids (I’m not talking about the Prius only – count in the hybrid versions of all the sedans and SUVs as well) and amazingly sturdy, reliable and mighty mid-size and full-size trucks.
Not a lot of drivers know, but the Japanese have been number one in the minivan segment as well, grossing the highest numbers for the last 5 to 10 years. And don’t let the “affordable family car” tag fool you – the minivan market is a very profitable one, and all the major manufacturers tried their best to take Toyota’s place… but nobody could.
The Golden Age Of Minivans
You know, back in the day, in 2000+, when notebooks were just out, cable was the next big thing, and folks were hooked up on American Pie, school and mall parking lots were filled with all kinds of minivans. And even though many drivers nowadays prefer crossover SUVs over minivans, there is still no better offer on the market if you want a smooth, safe, and, above all, capacious vehicle for your family and that huge cargo you may be carrying. True, SUVs these days have evolved into something amazing, but minivans still got some trump cards up their sleeves.
Furthermore, despite the fact that SUVs are usually more powerful than minivans, the 2015 Toyota Sienna is a champ when it comes to towing. It can easily pull a middle-weight trailer without any struggle. So, let’s talk about the Toyota Sienna towing capacity – I’m sure a lot of families and couple are eager to find out, because towing might, along with MPG, safety and spaciousness (meaning passenger capacity and a big cargo space) is one of the most important aspects of a minivan (and of an SUV as well, by the way).
See this cool short video “Understanding Towing Capacities”:
Toyota Sienna Towing Capacity In Pounds
Hey, if you’re a busy man/woman, and don’t like to get into many details, then here’s the shortest possible answer for you: the 2015 Toyota Sienna towing capacity is 3.5K pounds. If you’re not sure what that means (or whether it’s good or not), that towing might earns the Sienna minivan a rightful place among the best modern-day light-duty crossover SUVs from various manufacturers, Toyota included. 3.5K pounds is the average capacity for this class. And I gotta say that this impressive result of the 2015 Toyota Sienna is not achieved easily.
In order to be able to readily tow that much weight (try pulling 3.5K pounds by yourself!) the minivan had to go through a lot of tries and errors before achieving this amazing might. It’s not just about attaching the ball hitch to the rear bumper and towing. Toyota’s technicians and engineers developed a special Towing Prep Package which the company installed on every trim level of the 2015 Sienna – that means you’ll get that same towing capacity even if you go with the basic trim. This package includes accessories like a heavy-duty radiator, an engine oil cooler, and also a fan and hitch receiver.
The Powertrain Specifications
Now, I don’t want to get too much into Toyota Sienna specifications, because this is not a Toyota Sienna review, but let me just tell you a bit about the powertrain, so you know what’s towing that cargo for you.
Every version of the 2015 Toyota Sienna (meaning every trim level) comes packed with a 3.5-lit V6 engine that’s good for 266 Horsepower and 245 lb-ft of torque.
The engine is paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission and a front-wheel drive. The higher trim levels – LE, XLE and Limited – are also available in 4WD. The front-drive models can go from 0 to 60 in 7.5 seconds (not bad, huh?) The fuel-efficiency is pretty impressive as well – 25 miles per gallon in highway and 18 in the city, with a combined MPG number of 21. If you decide to go with the 4-wheel drive configurations, then the estimated efficiency will drop to 19 combined (23 hwy/16 city). This kind of powertrain is a rare thing among minivans, and Toyota is still keeping the price tag in the “affordable” zone.
Toyota Sienna Towing Capacity In Details
As for the towing capacity, I’ll say it again – 3,5K pounds is like the golden top of cargo weight. This means that the 2015 Toyota Sienna has about 1.5 tons of towing capacity, so, that basically means there’s not a lot of cargo out there that this mighty minivan can’t tow. With that said, I gotta point out, that this is a family vehicle that we’re dealing with, and not a monster truck packed with testosterone, like Toyota’s own Tundra and Tacoma. The Sienna’s main purpose is not to be the best at towing (also it’s pretty great at it), so, there are a few things that you need to know about.
First of all, the overall amount of weight that this minivan can tow depends on how much “weight” you’re planning on carrying in the interior/trunk of the vehicle. If you’ve got your whole family in the passenger seats with their luggage and stuff, that’s going to affect your overall towing possibilities. Nevertheless, even with all that “extra weight” the 2015 Sienna will probably still be able to tow a small trailer or boat. Just be reasonable and don’t make it tow something that’s obviously too hard of a nut to crack. Second, don’t push it too hard and try not to make it always perfrom with teeth and nails.
A Great Experience With The Sienna
Me, I’ve had an amazing trailer-happy experience with the Sienna myself. It was a while ago, so, I can tell you first-hand that you don’t have to worry about the minivan’s towing capabilities as long as you’re taking good care of it and regularly visit the nearby service centers.
Once me and my friends (6 of us, all grown-up people) were taking a trip to wild nature with our heavy luggage and a pretty massive trailer behind the Sienna, and it was all good. We never had any complains or anything like that. The return trip was also amazing, and we even packed the trailer with all kinds of stuff we bought in the local store to further test the Toyota Sienna towing capacity! And who can say now that minivans are not suited for camping trips and that they’re not cool enough?
So, that’s Toyota Sienna Towing Capacity 2015 for y’all.
Have you ever had an experience like that with your family/buddies? Did you have any troubles with it? Got some tips? Share in the comments and spread the word!
Watch video about Toyota Sienna – Seating and Cargo: