Business

Car Review: 2015 Toyota Sienna

Published

11 years ago

January 12, 2015

By Frank S. Washington
NNPA Columnist

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. – Minivans are a tough sell. They might be the lone vehicle in the market that consumers buy because they have to, not because they want one. And usually, it takes a second child to force the purchase.

With the advent of crossover vehicles, minivan sales have been on the decline for years. They’ve dropped by almost two-thirds since 2000. A number of manufacturers, including Ford and General Motors, have left the segment. Still, it is sizable with sales hovering around 500,000 annually.

Toyota retuned its Sienna minivan for 2015 and the third generation of the van had a little more swagger. They updated the grille, redesigned the headlights and the taillights, and gave it LED daytime running lights.

One of the advantages that the Sienna held was that it was the only minivan that had all-wheel-drive. The feature returns for 2015, but it just wasn’t working correctly on our test vehicle. To be fair, these were pre-production models that we were test driving and there was a whir that sounded like it was coming from the transfer case.

But that is what pre-production vehicles are for, to discover what’s not right, where the problem is, what is causing it, and the fix for the problem.
Still, the Sienna was unimpeded in terms of driving dynamics on the short drive routes here. Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that made 266 horsepower and 245 pound-feet of torque, the 2015 Toyota Sienna got around the streets very well. The six-speed automatic transmission was smooth and gear shifts were almost imperceptible.

The interior had been upgraded. There was a soft touch dash and it had a sweeping vertical flow. It was almost concaved. There was some French stitching. Chrome and satin (read silver plastic) trim have been added to the interior and the instrument layout was new.

Minivans are primarily for children. And two features to improve their riding experience and their behavior have been added to the 2015 Toyota Sienna. It now has a dual view Blu Ray rear seat entertainment system to enhance videos, cartoons, movies etc. And to make sure young riders maintain a reasonable decorum, the Sienna is now equipped with what Toyota called Drive Easy Speak. The automaker described it as “Using the microphone from the Sienna’s voice-command multi-media system, Driver Easy Speak conveys your voice through the audio system’s rear speakers.” In other words, it is an intercom system aimed at the kids.

Toyota employed a number of refinements to enhance the Sienna’s ride. There were 142 more spot welds to increase rigidity. The Sienna now has wide angle fog lamps as well as a standard backup camera. And the automaker retuned the shocks and shock absorbers for a better ride. Our test vehicle felt like it was gliding along the streets of this community.

Toyota said the 2015 Sienna starts at $28,600 for the L grade and tops out at $46,150 for the Limited Premium all-wheel-drive (AWD) trim line.

Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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1 week ago

March 1, 2026

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

2 weeks ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.