That's a bit of a bummer, but not a deal-breaker. Adding insult to industry, it's not meant to be removed from the car. Is it physically possible? Of course, but because the seats contain safety equipment and electronics, Toyota recommends against their removal entirely. This brings us to the Sienna's most glaring cargo-hauling weakness: the second row does not fold flat. For starters, robust or not, seat upholstery is not going to hold up to wood splinters or pointy metal stuff, and unfortunately, the Sienna's interior is configured in such a way that it's virtually impossible to avoid using the seats for cargo management some way or another. And since it's a minivan, the interior is meant to be abused. That compares to the outgoing generations 34 cubic-feet, as well as the Honda CR-V at 39.2 cubes and Toyota RAV4. Normally, that number would be 6,170 pounds, but the extra goodies installed on our tester drop the total by 68 pounds. Ford says the new Escape has 33.5 cubic-feet of space behind the raised back seat. It also offers a hefty GVWR of 6,102 pounds, which allows plenty of headroom over its 4,500-pound curb weight for hauling cargo. Consequently, it's long and wide enough to accommodate 4x8 sheets of plywood - something many a modern truck bed can't do without accessories. Remember, a minivan is basically a three-row crossover with sliding doors.

For starters, the cargo area in this thing is massive.

Not convinced? Let me lay it out for you. Instead, I plan to use the Sienna like a truck - duty that may not necessarily come naturally to the hybrid minivan, but one it appears capable of handling. Here, it will enjoy a respite from school drop-offs and cereal spills (OK, no guarantees on the latter). The Autoblog long-term 2023 Toyota Sienna is now in my possession. 2023 Toyota Sienna long-term update: Not-so-family truckster Minivans are for more than hauling soccer squads

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