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As a child of the minivan era, I've always respected these vehicles for their excellent versatility. To wit, I used the Sienna to pick up a new dining table and six chairs, still boxed, and the Toyota swallowed all contents fairly easily and without having to fold the middle-row seats (which can't fold down into the floor anyway). Once I unloaded the furniture, I marveled at how far the middle seats can slide back and forth. Minivans are ideal for families with children, but if four dads wanted to get away for a long road trip, the Sienna would excel in that application, too. The guys in the middle row can slide their seats all the way back for truly limousine-like legroom, still leaving plenty o room in the way back for luggage. Even better, the middle captain's chairs have La-Z-Boy-style footrests, so the guys in back (especially if they're five-foot-six or shorter) can get some solid business-class-style sleep while the other pair drives and navigates. The Sienna's occupants might not feel very cool, but they'd certainly be comfortable.

The Honda Crosstour's styling appears unconventional today, but, what with vehicles such as the Toyota Venza and the BMW 5-series GT becoming more common on our roads, it looks as if convention might be changing.