Why Buy? A Lifted Toyota Sienna AWD Minivan! 

Thanks for this! I purchased a 2022 AWD Toyota Sienna back in April of 2022 and got the Journey's Offroad lift plus Sumo Springs installed soon afterward. The guys at Allen Tire looked at me like I was crazy and admitted that they had never seen a lifted mini van before, LOL. I'm a landscape photographer and I've already put almost 60,000 miles on it up logging roads, snow, etc and it's handled like a champ. I have held on to my Toyota FJ for drives that involve more clearance and traction, but the Sienna has gotten me almost everywhere I need to get to so far. I did a van build and installed a bed, sink, refrigerator and a microwave. I put the spare tire on top and a cargo carrier behind. (The Sumo Springs help with the load on the cargo carrier.) I got the optional 1500w inverter and also have a 1500 w Jackery to run the fridge, etc overnight. I hope to have a van build video up sometime later this Summer. Good to see so many other Sienna lifts in the comments here. :)

I am lifting my 1st gen Toyota Sienna. Bought mine at $900, 150,000 miles and turned it into a little camping van. Can hardly wait for my lift.

Went through the same thought process a few years ago. Said farewell to my Vanagon (the 2nd VW van after having a Westy for years) and hello to a 2009 fwd Sienna LE for $9K. Bought a foldout bed that is awesome and did a Traxda 2” lift and beefier tires last year. LOVE this thing! The comfort, safety, versatility, convenience, capability, reliability, serviceability, everything you mentioned and more. It’s all excellent. Loved my VW vans & have great memories of those years but I have zero regrets about making the switch. One of the smarter moves I’ve made. Once I find someone to put a pop top on this baby, I’ll have it made!

Just bought 08 sienna. LXE Awd. 150m on it. Paid 6500. Has rear camera, LED headlights installed Google radio. All maintenanced. Brand new good year tires. Everything works. Mint condition interior. Adding slotted rotors n ceramic brakes. For steep hills mountain riding. Happy with the purchase. Now converting it to Rv Vinyl flooring, counter top, storage, power bank, refrigerator freezer, solar, etc,

I had air shocks added with 2 inch journey lift kit and upgraded tires. Drivers like a dream. 2010 t&c and still good on gas

I love this! I was a Westie kid and loved that, but a couple decades later, this is such a great, reliable, comfortable, cost-effective solution! Thanks for sharing.

My mom has had a 2004 Toyota sienna XLE Limited since 2012 it has 219k miles and its been a great van and its a great van for vacations and really nice, reliable, and comfortable van highly recommend.

Great idea! I have had 2 Sienna vans over last 12 years 05 and now 06 and I'm just finally doing my first timing belt/water pump. Other than brakes batteries and tires and wheel bearings... sick reliability. Oh yeah 1 radiator lol! Combined about 500,000 miles. Granted they were just front wheel drive but just add in 4wheel repairs and known issues this is way more practical and entry level then even popular Toyota/Lexus overland vehicles.

I really like the lift in View. I INTEND to have my 2013 Sienna LIFTED!!! My 1st hour out in my new/used van...I hit a high curb...Ouch! Seems the Biggest Bitch from the last owner...was that it was Too Low. I KNOW !!! I am ready for new tires come Fall 2023, and this is Good Timing ! THANKS!!!

Planning to do this with my RX300. Good stuff

When I did the vanlife thing for a year, about half the vw vans that I saw were broken down along side the road. I am not joking.

I love it!! It looks bad ass! I'm going to look for one and do the same...

Awesome, Man!!!

I want to do this to the new hybrid for the gas mileage... and yes I know about the hassle of getting the middle seats out but the gas and Toyota reliability is too good to overlook. Will be turning in my work truck Tundra and will be using it as a work truck as well (sheet goods/hauling). Plan on getting full roof rack.

I just love it! Bad ass'd. Makes a hell of alot raised being AWD. 👍🇺🇸

i just lifted my rx400h awd and it does great, i love lifting cars that arent typically lifted. my rx will never be as good offroad as a 4runner but itll be infinetaly better onroad and still be pretty dang good offroad. most of the time is spent on road so its much better for camping imo.

I like this fella. I am going to subscribe. Even though he is very melodramatic.

:) NICE Ride indeed! THANKS MUCH for sharing and I would or am considering an AWD Sienna now, after getting rid of my Dodge Caravan ) ALL the BEST and Congrats on sale! Cheers! :)

Great review

The post-covid car shortage has tripled the used car market here in Canada. The absolute cheapest AWD Sienna within 500kms is $17,200.

This is an awesome car!!!!

I have an 07 sienna and was thinking about doing this. Would it perform as well as the early models?

Thinking about something like this with rooftent to make a camper. Maybe even take out the second row get some versatility out of the interior.

I love this 😊

Great video

I'm curious if you lost a little gas mileage after the lift and tire change? Great idea! Love it!

I think, after having spent time driving in a VW van, you are 100% right about drivability and modern perks. I've been in a synchro that struggled with hills and highway driving. Most who really want to take a VW off road or do much with it do an engine swap for something like a Subaru. That being said, they do come with the kitchen and bed pop top ect.

By any chance do you know what is the old vs new approach angle, break over and departure angle? Also what tire size are you running ?

Grew up in the back of a Vanagon, I always loved the idea of a van for daily/off road use. That van was horrifically unreliable, but my dad loved it, it just took so much money to keep it alive. Not to mention the 90 horsepower engine. All the syncros, and jdm stuff is super rad, but for the cost and reliability. I think the Sienna is my next stop.

Im curious how has adding the lift affected the ride on the ground? Do you notice any difference in performance or gas mileage? Also how do the all terrain tires ride on the road compared to road tires? Are they noiser or do they ride rougher? Im asking because I have gone from an suv to a minivan and I actuslly love the more sporty low rude of the minivan on the road. I like the idea of being able to aventure off road but ot sure how much I would do so and if its worth giving up any on road performance?

Hello. I have the same Sienna AWD and looking for a tutorial to change rear coil springs (mine springs are broken). According to some video on the internet, FWD is quite simple. Just jack up, remove wheels, disconnect rear shocks at the top mounting points and that is it, a little bit of pressure to the subframe and old coils out and new in. For AWD, it looks like not that simple, but I don't understand, how to do it the easiest way. Basically, existanse of rear diff prevents subframe to drop low enough, right? What exactly? I suspect the differential itself is not a problem. Do I need to disconnect cv joints? Both (suspect that only muffler side is the obstacle). Can you give my any tips?

Have you had any issues with the CV axle?

Can be possibly done with my sienna 2008 FWD? Lifted + all terrain tired?

Did you lift this vehicle yourself? I am getting ready to buy an 06 Sienna AWD and want to lift it. It looks complicated. Who did your lift?

There is a company, in Colorado I think, that makes pop-tops for minivans and big vans.

Great vid, but having a hard time finding any decent ones (2006-2010) even around $12k, with less than around 130k miles on it.

How about availability the Siennas are everywhere good luck finding a VW syncro for sale?!

Great video presentation, btw.

I think you have to include the biggest issues with lifting a sienna and that’s the cv axles failing. Plan on replacing them 2-3 times over and only the Toyota ones last so it’s fairly expensive.

I'm sold buying an 05 le AWD tomorrow little higher mileage but cheap . thanks for the video now I'm a mini van guy 😂😂

Does it decrease mileage?

How much is it to lift a 2006 Toyota sienna 3.3lt

Awesome

We have an 04 and have for a very long time, xlt limited awd, only once did I need to have it pulled out of the snow, we slid off an on ramp and into ice encrusted snow, any waynto disable the traction control? There is just a plate where the traction button is supposed to be at.

How much did it cost you yo fo the lift

You can put a pop-top in a Toyota Sienna, but it is not cheep - at least twice the cost of your rig. LOL. There may be more companies that do it now, but I have looked into GTRV in the past. They do weekender type conversions too, but you can just get a pop-top. I would love to know if anyone has one because I am sensitive to smells/chemicals, and would like to know if anyone has had issues with that in a GTRV pop-top. Take care, great video. God bless!!

Wonderful video. Thank you. Do you ever tow anything with this rig? I have read that AWD Siennas limit tow capacity to 1,000 pounds, as compared to their non-AWD siblings, which can tow 3,500 pounds.

Tire size??

Very interesting info about the different AWD systems over the different years. Do we know exactly when they switched from the "near 50/50" set-up? I know the 3.3l 3mz was used from 2004 thru 2006, with the 3.5l 2gr taking over 2007 until whenever. Was that when they switched? I also know that the Sienna got a "facelift" in 2006, so the 3mx carried over in 2006 with the new bumpers and lights and whatnot. Did they switch the AWD system at the facelift? Some sources online suggest that the entire second generation, 2004-2010, had the 50/50 system. I'm looking to buy one of these turds, but i am far more concerned about the AWD system than I am about the 3.3 vs the 3.5....

No pictures or videos under the vehicle of how this was lifted. is the lift kit a kit from a company or something custom made?

great vid! damn i wish i saw the FS ad sooner.. i was wondering did the lift and tires affect MPG much?, what kind of real world MPG were you getting on this set up?. liked and subbed

The 2nd gen was 2003-2009 I think, but in your video you mention the AWD system was a 50/50 split (desireable) in 2004-2006 specifically. For my own education while shopping, did they change the way the AWD system worked mid-generation? Like, do I need to hunt specifically for a 2004-2006 to get that 50/50 split? Congrats on the sale!

How's the MPG? I may try out this setup. I've got a Chevy Express 3500. I was turning it into my home, but it's got some issues and over 200k miles. I get at best 12 mpg 😢

The only thing that makes the vanagon better is that you can lift it higher.

Does it feel top heavy? Also does the kit include everything to keep everything relatively OEM like brake line extensions? Lasty do they offer 2 inch lifts?

what kind of scissor jack do you use to change a flat tire?

Where are you overlanding around NorCal?

So do you have the tires size by chance please thank you.

Lucky for you, you haven’t experienced transfer case failure yet. It’s the only Achilles heel of these, the Highlander and RX330

Two bad things are the front brakes very under sized, and you are changing cvt axles far more frequently.

Body lift or suspension lift?

Better mpg as well

What about a lifted Honda Odyssey?

If it was the hybrid version, I’d be interested. (Btw, 6 YEARS & only 34K miles?)

No year mentioned.

16:58 next video: “Can my Lifted Toyota Sienna Win the Baja 1000?”

Any Nigeria mechanic here, for my exact upgrade.

.... This an overland rig bro...

NOTE: An AWD is NOT a 4WD. AWD propels 1 tire per axle, while the 4WD is actually 4 wheels geared together. You can lift a Sienna with Air Bags.

Narrator of this video, please bear with my potential slowness, and answer why are you selling the lifted sienna featured in the video you are glorifying after putting about 60000 miles on it?

😃👍🏾👍🏾💯💯💯💯💯

No doubt man like your video u just talk to much