Test drive: The 2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland is the monster truck of minivans
Woodland is the first off-road minivan
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}If your grandma’s house is actually over the river and through the woods, Toyota has the minivan for you.
The Toyota Sienna Woodland has more ground clearance than other minivans. (Toyota)
The 2022 Sienna Woodland is the first minivan intentionally with some modicum of off-road capability in mind. You might even call it a monster minivan. Might.
The $46,640 Woodland comes with the Sienna’s hybrid all-wheel-drive system that’s good for 35 mpg combined, a modified suspension system that provides an extra half-inch of ground clearance for a total of 6.9 inches, roof racks and a hitch that can handle the vehicle's 3,500-pound tow rating.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Sienna Woodland comes standard with an all-wheel-drive hybrid powertrain. (Toyota)
You can get it in any color as long as its black or cement (gray) and it’s otherwise equipped as a mid-level Sienna XLE trim with a seven passenger seating configuration. Foot-activated power sliding doors with sunshades, a 12-speaker JBL audio system and a 1500-watt power system with two outlets are included. The only feature on the options list is a $1,415 rear seat entertainment system.
The Sienna Woodland is based on the XLE trim. (Toyota)
The powertrain combines a conventional four-cylinder-based front-wheel-drive hybrid system with an electric motor that only powers the rear wheels. With 245 horsepower on tap and the immedite torque delivered by the electric motors, it’s plenty peppy. Toyota’s Safety Sense suite of electronic driver aids including lane-centering and adaptive cruise control is standard along with a built-in navigation and an infotainment system equipped with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
The Sienna Woodland is available in Black or Cement colors. (Toyota)
As far as the off-roading goes, don’t plan to go too far off-piste. While the ground clearance is more than you get in other minivans, it’s also a couple less than a typical rugged SUV's. The Sienna’s long wheelbase doesn’t exactly create the kind of breakover angle you get in a lifted Tacoma pickup, either.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}That said, long trips down rutted gravel roads are no problem, and it’s just as good on potholed city streets. If you’re more of a rock climbing parent than a soccer parent, the Woodland is definitely superior to other minivans and can hold its own against a lot of street-focused utility vehicles. None of which offer the type of utility it does inside, where there’s over 100 cubic feet of cargo space that can double as a very big and windproof tent.
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More and more crossover SUVs, like the Toyota Rav4 TRD Off Road, have been getting a similar tough trucklet treatment with much sales success in recent years. While it wasn’t inevitable that a minivan would follow suit, it definitely helps the Woodland stand out above the competition with no real downsides compared to its street-smart siblings.
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2022 Toyota Sienna Woodland
Base price: $46,640
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}As tested: $46,640
Type: 4-door, 7-passenger all-wheel-drive minivan
Engine: 2.5-liter four-cylinder with electric assist
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Power: 245 hp, 176 lb-ft
Transmission: CVT automatic
MPG: 35 city/36 hwy