Toyota Sienna minivan is a good one for the road

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen here and in the Cruisin’ News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

Sacramento, California -- It's a shame that, in some circles, minivans get the same kind of disrespect afforded to 8-track tapes.

One forgets how useful minivans are on road trips ... until you take one on a road trip.  Case in point: a recent trek to the California Wine Country in a 2022 Toyota Sienna XSE minivan.

There were four of us and our luggage.  In a small SUV, we might be forced to leave one bag -- or passenger -- at home.  In a sedan, not a chance of making the trip.  But the cavernous back end of the Sienna took everything and more, giving us the option of packing in a large barrel of wine for the return trip, should we so decide.

Then there are the things you take for granted.

There's the low step-in height, making it easy for passengers tall and small to glide into the seats.  No running jump required.

The power sliding side doors make everything easier ... and yeah, they're fun to play with ... Look, I can make the doors open magically with a wave of my hand.

And the second-row seats can slide forward and backward.  This is a huge plus for passengers who crave that's-just-right comfort amid hours-long travel shifts.

The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine with a hybrid battery pack is rated at a combined net of 245 horsepower. That was more than adequate for the challenges of the road on my trip, and the resulting fuel mileage of 36 miles per gallon in both city and highway driving was welcome.

The tester was loaded with on-board audio and visual entertainment perks, something I would have sold my soul for back when the kids were small.

Did I mention that the Sienna looked good?  Well, it did.  Sleek and smooth in profile and wearing eye-catching "Ruby Flare Pearl" paint.

This Sienna also earned a max five-star rating in federal crash tests.

My loaded Sienna had a bottom line of $47,049, a bit hefty but pretty much in line with what one expects to pay these days for a large, loaded sport-utility vehicle.

All in all, this Sienna was a road-trip wonder.  And deserving of respect.