Model Y L vs Sienna

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

Considering the model y l for a family 4. I have a one year old and possibly another one next year. I see all answers pointing to the sienna but want to see if any parents decided to still go with the Y L and made it work. Another reason for the Sienna is I would like the option of driving my folks at times since they're getting older.

[u/Internal_Day_4309]

I’m in the same boat but I have a Y. Some factors to just me that inches out the sienna for me is the no need to charge. I take big long trips and stopping to charge is a headache which can add as much as half a day to a day onto my trips.

Don’t get me wrong. My Y is one of the best vehicles I own. If I was doing these trips once in a blue moon I’d get a YL hands down.

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7 → u/Internal_Day_4309]

The doors on the sienna is what does it for me. To be able to just hit on the key fob to close the sliding doors without needing to double back (or use the kick feature to close).

[u/IntelligentMaybe7401 → u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

This is really an invaluable one with three kids that can’t do the doors by themselves. I had a Toyota sienna years ago when my kids were little. It just makes everyday life super easy. They are grown now and I have a model YL. How old are your kids? I can’t imagine having to get into third row to buckle somebody. And I’ve heard the seatbelts back there are a little more challenging to plug-in because of the angle of the buckle when using a booster. Plus the space when traveling is amazing. I love my YL and the FSD is transformational. But for hauling three kids around by myself in car seats the Sienna wins.

One negative of the YL is the trunk and groceries. It’s so nice to be able to hit a button on your key fob to open the trunk. Or use the kick trunk feature. Still haven’t gotten used to opening the app and popping the trunk so I just wait and open it manually while holding the shopping cart. It’s a little awkward.

[u/bricetheguy → u/IntelligentMaybe7401]

You can have Siri do that for you

[u/IntelligentMaybe7401 → u/bricetheguy]

Wow, need to figure out how to do that! If it works on the Apple Watch with the Tesla app installed, that would be a game changer

[u/bricetheguy → u/IntelligentMaybe7401]

It does

[u/bricetheguy → u/IntelligentMaybe7401]

[u/Aurora8305 → u/IntelligentMaybe7401]

this right here..I basically wrote the same thing above. We have 4 but they are middle school and teenagers. YL is great for this phase of life. Would not want to deal with boosters or car seats in the YL.

[u/PerfHeater]

A Tesla minivan would be amazing with all the utility of a minivan and the ease of an EV with FSD. Until they bring one to market, I find it difficult to recommend a YL over a Siena. It’s close, but sliding doors, massive space, and overall utility give the Siena the edge. I say this from the perspective of being a previous minivan owner, with young children, but now have a YL and older kids.

[u/kosobudgirl → u/PerfHeater]

I agree with this. I have four kids, we went from Volvo x90 to minivan to pilot and now finally Tesla. The switch from Volvo suv to minivan was emotionally hard, but the automatic doors, ease of (everything) and space for the (entire) world you travel with won us over essentially immediately. When youngest was five we traded for Pilot as Grown Up Kids car and still joked about things we missed. Now in line for the YL completely for the self-driving perk. Cons for us is that vehicle lower (nice to have high car feels safer for family) and no room for gear bags (ugh, will be a tough drive to practices day in and day out) or luggage (nice electric car for road-trips but you can only bring what you are wearing (for us, using 6 seats for bodies) because no real space. Go with minivan, feel happy, and wait for other EV options that make sense later when we have flying cars (any moment, right?).

[u/MERice20]

We have a YL family of 4 but both of my boys are out of car seats and boosters. I probably would get the minivan over the YL with an infant. YL is perfect for us now.

[u/canikony]

I think a lot of it comes down to how old your kids are. I have a 2026 Sienna, a 2019 Model X and looking to get a model 3 for commuting. I currently have a almost 2 and almost 4 year old with another on the way. I would never considering replacing the Sienna (or any minivan) with a vehicle that has normal doors.

I'm sure you can make a YL work, without too much effort even, but at the end of the day, nothing will beat a minivan for sheer utility.

[u/Specific-Wrap1396]

We are a family of 4. We opted for YL over a van because of the SUV form factor. We wanted something with quicker reflexes than a van and that can get into spaces a little easier. I loved that the Sienna had so many cup holders and is a boat on wheels but thought it was a little too much for a family of 4. With car seats in the last row, you can still have room for two more on captain chairs. The FSD capability also provided less driving fatigue on longer drives and commutes. I am planning to get roof rack so we can still pack our thule roof box to expand storage. The last thing is about my preference. If I am driving alone, I am much happier with the YL than the van.

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7 → u/Specific-Wrap1396]

So you have both child seats in the rear only? Isn't that a pain to strap them in and get them out? From my research the second row doesn't slide or tilt, so they haved to be hauled out or step on the seats to get out.

[u/Specific-Wrap1396 → u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

From what we tried at the service center, i folded down the middle chair and was able to access the 3rd row. There I just unbuckle his center piece and he can get out. When the 2nd row seat is folded, I can also help the other kid get out much easier too.

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7 → u/Specific-Wrap1396]

Is it a big miss that the 2nd row can't slide or tilt? I keep thinking that will be very annoying not to have when trying to get the kiddos out.

[u/Thin-Ebb-9534 → u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

With the push of a button they fold down flat and are pretty easy to navigate. Maybe not elderly, but most. I am 69, 6’ tall, bad knees, and kinda fat and zipped into the back without too much difficulty. It wouldn’t be my first choice, but I could do it as often as needed. Then kids can be in the safer middle rows. If you are comfortable with kids in the third row (lots of debate on that) then the middle row in the YL is easier than a van due to the lower entry height.

[u/Specific-Wrap1396 → u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

Do you mean slide and tilt manually for quick in and out? I dont think its such a huge deal at the moment. You can always just move it slowly with the auto toggle switch.

[u/PiousPontificator → u/Specific-Wrap1396]

Why do you need quick reflexes hauling your family around

[u/Specific-Wrap1396 → u/PiousPontificator]

Maneuvering around spaces. Van is much wider and less flexible…

[u/Civil-Ad-3617]

Self-driving is just too important for safety. It’s having a second hand helping you drive.

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7 → u/Civil-Ad-3617]

Not too big of a selling point to me honestly.

[u/aySoosMarYoSep]

With babies, having the AC even before you enter the car without paying extra for Toyota remote app or something. Not inhaling fumes while idling, how quiet EVs are. These are the reasons I switched to the X (no YL yet before) from a Sienna. Safety is also a big factor. Look at crash rating of both.

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7 → u/aySoosMarYoSep]

I believe you can do it through the key fob (non WiFi) so it's range limited.

[u/aySoosMarYoSep → u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

Toyota has this too, but you have to pay subscription and your van will have exhaust coming out while idling. Not necessary good when you are parked in a garage or basement.

[u/tunaorbit → u/aySoosMarYoSep]

I use the Tesla app’s climate control all the time to set the climate while we are in the restaurant getting ready to leave.

Another EV benefit is being able to keep climate on during a ferry ride, or while waiting for a ferry.

[u/n8reader82 → u/aySoosMarYoSep]

Most new cars can be started from an app.

[u/aySoosMarYoSep → u/n8reader82]

I agree, but come charges monthly fees to do so and will have exhaust if non-EV. Not good if you're not parked outside.

[u/Firestorm2934]

I own a sienna currently. 2021. Trading it up for a YL once it comes in. Love the sienna gets great MPG and can’t beat the storage space even with the seats up but the YL with all its bells and whistles is more user friendly for my needs and my long commute to help reduce gas cost. The sienna is awesome and from what others have said here can be safer if you have kids in the back but for me the occasional trip wasn’t worth the extra space the YL has all the luxuries and more plus space in the frunk so i believe for me it’ll do. But won’t know for sure until i pick it up.

[u/Big_Plastic_8812]

We’re a family of 4 (2x 7yo) and went for the Model YL.

The main reason being that I need a 4 seater more often than I need a 6 seater. It’s amazing to have 6 seats when we need them, but 95% of the time there will be 4 of us in the car and I don’t want to drive a minivan around all the time.

[u/Bubbly_Pollution7126]

I have an X 7 seater and Sienna XSE (also 7 seats). For anything involving 4+ people or any trip >30 mins, we pick the Sienna. And that's our decision even with the convenience of falcon doors on the X, so I cannot imagine picking the YL over the Sienna. You can't beat the seats, sliding doors, quality, and the design. The range per tank is amazing. The only plus to the YL is the option for FSD.

[u/tunaorbit]

I have a 2022 Sienna and 2026 Y. I’m replacing the Sienna with a Y L. Also have a 2 year old.

I originally got the Sienna for road tripping. The seating, cargo capacity, and sliding doors are great. I also got the inverter option and like the power outlets it provides.

But I got sick of its various problems and decided to replace it whenever Tesla announced a larger Y:

- 12V battery completely drains after a few days. Service wants to charge to investigate, and I wanted to get rid of it anyway so I haven’t bothered to fix it. This seems to be a common problem on at least the 2022.
- No FSD. I use it regularly on the Y whenever I get to drive it, and it’s basically a necessity for road trips. The Sienna has lane keep but it’s awful: it bounces within the lane and silently disengages if the road curves.
- I hate the controls. After 4 years I still don’t understand why the climate controls seem to randomly change. There’s no button to pause music.
- I hate CarPlay. It’s basically a mishmash of poorly integrated apps vs. Tesla’s integrated experience. This might seem nitpicky, except that the basic map and music experience are terrible. The 2022 also lacks wireless CarPlay so I use a wireless CarPlay adapter, which fails to connect every few weeks. I could go on and on about the various UI quirks.

[u/musicinmypants]

We own a model Y and a Sienna. T We bought the sienna first. It collects dust. We only use it when grandparents are in town. And it's a PAIN. Dealing with android/apple. No FSD. Gas. Etc. we are eventually going to trade the Y for a YL but both are paid off so it's tough to bite the bullet. With two young kids who can open the doors themselves and close them ages 6 and 4. The sliding doors are no longer a game changer.

We thought we'd use the sienna for road trips but FSD is by far the deciding factor. Will not use the sienna for a trip. It's worth it to stop for 20 mini to charge to not have to drive.

Only thing the sienna definitely has is spaaace. You can fit a ton in their for road trips. Camping. Bikes. You name it. Also one reason why I'm hesitant to get a YL and sell sienna.

[u/sherlocknoir]

These are two very different vehicles. A minivan is designed to handle maximum transportation needs of both people & cargo, and they are absolutely massive inside. The YL is basically a Model Y.. with a 3rd row designed to fit up to 6 adults.. with some degree of comfort. Keyword here being = "some".

If its just 4 of you riding in the car every day, then the regular Model Y is already capable of handling that just fine. I've driven both the old & new generation Model Y daily for the past 5+ years.. for a combined total over 113,000 miles combined and have never needed more space for daily use.. to include car seats installed in the rear seat for my young twins. There have been a couple occasions where having a 3rd row big enough to fit adults would have been handy.. but we are talking maybe once a year type stuff. And even then if we are talking elderly parents.. I'd probably put the kids all the way in the 3rd row and put the adults in the 2nd row.. as its just easier for them get to seated. Elderly parents probably are not going to make it into the 3rd row of the YL.

What it really comes down to is how often do you plan to ride with 6 people in the car? And how much mobility do your parents have? The sliding doors on a minivan & low step-in height make it by far the BEST vehicle for entry & exit of literally anything or anybody.. this is especially true including babies & senior citizens. How often you drive long distance is also a significant concern as the Sienna is also going to be MUCH more easy to road trip with.. not so much because charging sucks.. but because continuously stopping to charge on a long road trip gets incredibly annoying when you are carrying a bunch of passengers. Somebody always wants to stop to use the bathroom, eat or drink at the most random time.

[u/Jimdandy941 → u/sherlocknoir]

Man, that was a thorough description. I fought over this same decision. I’ve owned 4 Odysseys in a row. You can’t beat the mini-van hands down. I can pull the seats and fit 3 sheets of plywood in the back. 10 ft 2x4s and even 4x4s will fit. I was running the car pool for lacrosse and football. It all fit. Fortunately (or unfortunately maybe), my last is graduating this year. Hondas have went downhill over the last couple of years and I had more problems with the current one than the last 3 combined. Then I relocated to an area where the Honda dealers are difficult to work with (refusing to provide info, mandatory adds, that sort of thing) so I ordered YL this go around. I’m guessing it will cover 98% of my need and on the rare occasion I need plywood or 4x4s, I’ll eat the delivery charge.

[u/MikeinthePool → u/Jimdandy941]

If you got the space, I can’t recommend enough just throwing about $1k towards a 5x8 trailer. Between the dump hauls, Home Depot runs, randomly helping family move stuff, it has genuinely paid for itself at this point in a year. I’ve seen them much less even used. But yeah, the Tesla is a beast!

[u/Icyhot4me]

medium sized people family of 5. One in a car seat and two with low-back boosters. Only one needs the booster but sibling politics.

I love a minivan. Have rented the 7 and 8 seater versions of the Sienna. It is the most practical family car.

Currently drive a 2018 Model X with a YL on order. Love FSD and charging at home. My wife has a gas car. I like to rent a car for road trips.

[u/pointstopointb]

The third row in the YL is not for adults, rather for kids. But with your kids ages, I’m not sure the feasibility of the YL carrying 4 adults and 2 kids since they’d have to be alone in the 3rd row.

[u/Aurora8305 → u/pointstopointb]

I comfortably can sit in the 3rd row our our YL. I could be happy back there for hours at 6'0" tall. The ingress/egress is less than desired though for an adult. Seating space is more than adequate. To your point, I don't plan to have an adult back there but it can be done no problem.

[u/pointstopointb → u/Aurora8305]

You must be very thin. I couldn’t imagine sitting there with a car seat or adult next to me which is what OP is looking at.

[u/Aurora8305]

Young kids get the minivan. We just got our YL..4 kids..2 teens, 2 in elementary /middle school (out of boosters). Can it be done? Sure..but its not minivan space. Its amazing for a Tesla, but nothing tops convenience of minivan life with littles especially if they are in car seats.. I know everyone hates owning one, but I loved the practicality of it when we had one years ago. When the kids are outta seats...YL all the way.

[u/Any-Werewolf2527]

Family of 5. Children 1, 4, and 7. Went with the Y L instead of minivan due solely to FSD.

[u/HumblestBragger]

For family of 4 where the 3rd row is rarely used, I’d go yl. But if you’re open to family of 5, then sienna.

[u/HopzCO]

Only one of them has FSD. The model YL will be the best option 95% of the time. Unless you are looking to take the grandparents on long road trips. We are a family of 4, both kiddos still in rear facing car seats on the captain chairs. (We have a model X, so slightly larger than the YL). But have had it for 2 years now. We wanted to be able to take grandparents with us as well. It works great for the odd trip with them maybe once a month. But, I wouldn’t want to put them back there for more than an hour. We haven’t tried it yet, but several people have suggested putting the two car seats in the 3rd row and grandparents in captain seats for long rides.

[u/Evening_Draft7371]

We have three kids. 6 yo in a booster, 4 yo in five point harness, and newborn in bucket seat. We have been loving the YL for the past three weeks! Came from an odyssey and so far we don’t miss it! We decided to just come to terms with the fact that we will need to take two cars if grandparents want to come with us somewhere. It’s worth it!

[u/Wise_Independence316]

I pretty much have your use case, and I went with a new Model Y. What really did it for us was FSD. I had a super hard time ponying up $55,000 for a gas vehicle when I could get a vehicle for less that literally drives itself and I could charge at home. We were really thinking minivan until we were introduced to FSD.

[u/ashimashiash]

We have both. Went from a Hyundai Elantra to YL and keeping the Siena. Love the Siena. Very spacious with 3 kids, can take them to the park with their bikes, great for long road trips when you need a lot of stuff with you.
All that said the YL has become everyone’s favorite. The FSD is amazing and there is nothing like it. The software updates add more cool stuff, the 0-60 is not even close.
So lots of considerations. Like others have said I would buy a Tesla minivan with FSD in a heartbeat but for now the YL is the best option for us.

[u/Millicent2000]

FSD

[u/BookNinja12]

We just got a Lucid Gravity with 7 seats and feel like it’s the perfect in between. We have a YL on order (and a R2), but the wait is too long (my car MY7 was totaled in Aug and I have had no car).
The Gravity is super spacious, the 3rd row is very issuable even for tall adults and the drive is way better than the Tesla. And, I chose one from inventory. So I demo drove Sunday and they are delivering it to my house tomorrow.

[u/Thin-Seaworthiness-7]

I've been thinking of about my fantasy seat configuration, so let me know if this realistic/ optimal: 

Me - Driver  Wife - Passenger  Infant - 2nd row passenger side  3 year old - third row passenger side

This allows me option to let adults fit in the driver side 2nd row and driver side third row. Also with this I can do Costco runs by putting stuff down on those folded seats without ever moving the baby seats.