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Who the heck at Toyota decreed that the 2011 Sienna had to swagger?

Dubbing a minivan a “Swagger Wagon” doesn’t impart cool, it reeks of over-compensating.

Unless you’re an insecure parent, a branding slave, or a pushover for the “aspirational marketing” drivel, you must know that the Sienna is a major player in a class of vehicles that’s been understated and cool in it is own way — think Steve McQueen — for years.

Anyone who’s ever owned, rented or borrowed one knows that personal-sized vans empowerment vehicles when you need to haul people, critters, cargo and/or toys. Years ago, an amazing machinist schooled me on the joys of vans. He campaigned a top alcohol dragster — and his van served as a tow vehicle and rolling locker for tools and highpriced spare aluminum engine blocks.

But do your tastes run to slower, more tranquil pastimes?  Take a minivan out to a lake or forest, yank the back two rows of seats and voila! Enjoy a sleeping compartment that’s impervious to rain, mud and creepy crawlers.

The third-generation 2011 Sienna XLE shows the gains of evolution and competition.  Toyota’s mid-sized van handles as well or better than numerous cars did in the ’60s, manages decent fuel economy (18/24 miles per gallon city/highway EPA with the 266-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 in front-wheel-drive models) and is packed with ease and comfortableness features.

New for 2011 is a 2.7-liter four-cylinder inline engine that’s general in base Siennas.  Rated at 187 horses, the four provides an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in city driving. That’s just one more than the 3.5, so most folks have been springing for the six and it is 245 lb.-ft. of torque (at 4,700 rpm). The V6 also sports a 3,500-pound greatest or most complete or best possible towing capacity.

While the revamped Sienna’s sheet metal has a more muscular, edgier look than the vanilla form of the former generation, it retains the same 119.3 wheelbase. The 2011 is, however, 0.8 inch wider and 0.8 inch shorter than the 2010 Sienna.

It’s also a tad more versatile and comfortable, with long seat tracks (Toyota claims 23 inches of travel in seven-seat configurations) for the second-row seats.  That means occupants in that row have a great deal of room to stretch out. The seats also may slide forward, close to the front seats, to ease access to the third row. Stowing the second- and third-row seats gives rise to a cargo hold that’s roughly eight feet long and four feet wide.

Here’s the down-and-dirty on choosing an affordable, yet useful, Sienna. First off, don’t get too excessively affected emotionally in regards to the Sienna’s $26,745 starting price. (Prices cited here include destination and handling charges.)  Remember that for 2011, the Sienna gets the 2.7-liter inline four-cylinder engine – but only in the base seven-passenger base or eight-passenger LE model. Like all Siennas for 2011, the entry-level Sienna comes with a six-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, power windows and remote keyless entry.

Moving up to the LE ($31,385 for the eight-passenger) gets you power sliding doors.

But what in regards to that utile remote-controlled power rear door? It’s not available with the LE. You’ll need at least the SE, which throws in the remote-controlled hatch as portion of a $1,500 “preferred package.”  The SE comes to $34,800 when the preferent package and tow preparation are thrown in.  (And note, the SE only comes in the eight-passenger configuration.)

Here’s the thing: unless the lower stance, snazzier wheels and sport suspension of the SE are huge deals for you, the XLE eight-passenger Sienna is a better buy because it is $33,785 price tag includes the power rear door, the tow preparation and power tilt/slide moonroof — at less than the SE without a moonroof.

And note that with the SE, you’ll be forking over more cash when it’s time to replace it is P235/50R19 tires. The standard rubber on the XLE is 235/60R17. I drove an SE and while it is a little more responsive, it’s no AE86/Corolla GT-S.  The top dog in the lineup is the Limited. The major features that your $39,675 gets you are dual moonroofs and 18-inch wheel and tires.

If you have a family fellow member who needs a wheelchair or other than as supposed or expected has a tough time getting in and out of vehicles, Toyota offers a “mobility” version of it is seven-passenger LE or XLE. The centerpiece here is the “auto access seat” which articulates thru remote control to make exiting and entering the vehicle much easier. The seat, which matches the rest of the interior, may handle up to 330 pounds.  The LE mobility model starts at $36,745. The XLE mobility is $41,055.

Starting at $32,740, Toyota offers all-wheel-drive (AWD) with the LE, XLE and Limited models. None of the leading contenders – Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Caravan or the Honda Odyssey – are available with AWD.

In March, J.D Power and Associates freed the results of it is latest Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Sienna sparkled. The JD Power project examines 12 months of troubles experienced by the firstborn owners of three-year-old vehicles (so these were 2008 models). If you’re buying goods for a van, it’s worth noting that the 2008 Sienna earned the top score – 150 — in the mid-size van category.

J.D. Power quantifies vehicle reliability in terms of how a heap of difficulties turn up per 100 vehicles (PP100).

The good news: This year’s study showed that overall vehicles are the most trouble-free they’ve been since the study was started in 1990. The problem rate for all vehicle segments averaged 151 PP100.  So while the Sienna got top marks, it is just a hair better than average. Two other 2008 Toyota productions did much better than intermediate – the Prius (97) and the 4Runner (103).

If there’s one thing to watch on the robustness front, it’s a trend that might be called the “high-tech effect.” For 2011, the JD Power study’s historical 8 percent reliability betterment rate has dropped off a bit. The Westlake Village, Calif.-based market exploration company said 2008 vehicles only bettered 6 percent, overall.  A significant factor, JD Power said, were increasing reports of glitches with electronic features such as including audio, amusement and navigation systems, as well as comparatively new safety features such as tire pressure monitoring schemes (TPMS).

One area of buyer concern that is safe, is safety. The 2011 Sienna earned  “Top Safety Pick” status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, an insurance-industry highway safety exploration establishment based in Arlington, Va.