Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

Join us for a cruise in the family-dependable Toyota Sienna... Then, we'll coast into a "Your Drive" brake breakdown... We'll haul back on the throttle with some tiny tuners... And keep the electricity flowing in the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT...

So, come drive with us, next!

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whether it's... JOHN: All minivans share the same mission of providing as much space, flexibility, and family-friendly features as possible.

But each brand still tries to make their minivan stand out.

For Toyota's Sienna, it was offering all-wheel-drive in the early 2000s and then going all-hybrid when this 4th gen arrived for 2021.

So, let's see what the Sienna is up to for 2025.

♪ ♪ This 2025 Toyota Sienna may have fewer minivans to compete against these days, but it still has to attract attention away from the ever-increasing number of 3-row sport utility vehicles, which are more and more becoming the family-friendly vehicle of choice.

Still, to us, the minivan remains king when it comes to flexibility and ease of use.

And, for '25, Toyota has added a few updates to keep Sienna a top contender for suburban households.

Safety and technology are obviously the keys here, so the Sienna gets a new Advanced Rear Seat Reminder and upgraded multimedia system.

The next level rear seat reminder has 60GHz band millimeter-wave radar integrated into the headliner to detect if there's any movement in the cabin when parked without the engine running.

The vehicle will then initiate an escalating scale of warning sounds and eventually even attempt to contact you through the Toyota app.

The enhanced Toyota Audio Multimedia system is now standard, with all but base LE trim getting a 12.3 inch version.

Other family-friendly features to work their way into the new Sienna include an available onboard vacuum and FridgeBox.

Both the cooler and the vacuum are integrated into the new front console of Platinum trimmed Sienna's; it's also optional with Limited grade.

Platinum edition sports new 20 inch wheels, along with 2nd row captain's chairs for a 7-passenger configuration.

The 2nd row bench 8-passenger setup is limited to lower trim levels.

There's wide access to the 3rd row, and the space is plentiful for adults.

Those seats stow into the floor easily, with the pull of a single handle.

Rounding out the updates, the 12.3 inch digital gauge cluster is available on more trims than before, and all grades get a tightening up of fit and finish throughout the cabin.

Every Sienna works with the 2.5 liter I4 version of Toyota's Hybrid System with a combined output of 245 horsepower.

Front-wheel-drive with eCVT is standard, like our tester.

Optional all-wheel-drive adds an additional electric motor to power the rear wheels.

There are some unique sounds compared to non-hybrid rivals, as the engine seems to briefly over-rev whenever you squeeze on the throttle, though that's probably electronic CVT related.

Overall, power is more than adequate, but it's not delivered as effortlessly as with a V6.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings with front-wheel-drive are 36 across the board for city, highway, and combined; but we averaged just 30.6 miles per gallon of Regular, still a nice step up from non-hybrid minivan competitors.

And, there' a much better than average Energy Impact Score, using just 8.3 Barrels of Oil Yearly, with 4.1 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

At our Mason Dixon test track, it was a smooth and steady roll off the line, with just a hint of tire spin as we cruised to 60 in 8.0 seconds flat.

The engine did sound like it was working a little overtime, and rpm stayed pegged the whole way down the track; quarter-mile completed in 16.1 seconds at 89 miles per hour.

Few people buy a minivan with handling performance in mind, but safety is certainly a crucial factor.

Here in our handling course, there was quite a lot of body roll to contend with, but the Sienna was well-planted with a low center of gravity feel and relatively minor amounts of understeer.

Panic braking stops were smooth and steady, with very little ABS pulsing through the pedal; averaging a good 116 feet from 60 miles per hour.

Pricing starts with LE trim at $40,635, with all-wheel-drive a $2,000 option; top Platinum comes in at $57,595.

In the grand scheme of things, changes in the 2025 Toyota Sienna are relatively minor.

Still, up to date safety and technology features directly address the desires of family buyers, especially when shopping for a minivan or large SUV.

Add in things like comfort, reliability, superior flexibility, plus, the great fuel economy that the Sienna is already known for, and the Sienna remains a smart choice for families large and small.

♪ ♪ JOHN: Kids don't grow up; their toys just get bigger.

That's especially true of car enthusiasts, including our own Greg Carloss who's always making us jealous when he goes "Over the Edge" with some seriously cool big boy toys.

But this week he's the one that's green with envy after hanging out with a tiny toy racer.

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: Ahhh!

You know, son.

Back in my day, our screens were tiny.

Our Internet was slow and so were our Power Wheels.

And you know what?

We liked it!

TREVOR TETER: Nice story, grandpa.

(motor sound) GREG: Kids these days...

This young whippersnapper is Trevor Teter, a 6-year-old from Oxford, Pennsylvania, with a toy car collection most can only dream of.

Though, it's not just the cars themselves, but what they do when Trevor mashes that little plastic pedal.

ALEX TETER: So, this all started because I was- I drag raced and we would all be at the track, you know, with-- my son would be with us and he loved seeing all the cars there racing.

And he would always ask us, you know, "Dad when... when can I get involved?

When can I race?"

So, we built him a mini Power Wheel that kind of mimicked my car and that's kind of what started it all.

GREG: Rippin' donuts in the driveway is fun, but racing with friends is better.

So, Trevor and his dad started Oxford Power Wheels Racing.

ALEX: So, Oxford Power Wheels Racing is a group, um, aimed for kids drag racing.

So, we do 60-foot drag racing on a full timing system.

So, we have some cars, you know, as slow as 3.0 miles per hour, we have some cars as fast as almost 30 miles per hour in just 60 feet.

GREG: If you've ever driven one of these things as a kid, you know they don't go this fast out of the box.

But an auto mechanic by trade, Alex is able to soup them up for his little speed demon.

ALEX: First thing we do is switch everything over to a thicker gauge wiring.

So, we switch it over to 10-gauge.

We get the 30-amp breaker out of there and put a 100-amp breaker in there.

GREG: Once, the car's wiring is upgraded, it can run more powerful motors with bigger batteries.

TREVOR: He even puts some drill batteries-- two drill batteries or even LiPo.

GREG: What does it sound like?

TREVOR: Loud!

GREG: Loud?

Does it sound like a drill or does it sound like a race car?

TREVOR: Race car!

(motor sound) GREG: This may look like play, but Trevor treats it more like a test and tune ahead of the group's weekend races.

TREVOR: Down's a 3.31 and up's a 3.30.

ALEX: We do a lot of events at Cecil County Dragway, we've done some events at Maple Grove.

So, we'll usually do a little open testing before the event-- and start with first round of the stock class, then we do first round of the modified class and then move on to our outlaw class.

There's a few certain, um, safety requirements like a 100-AMP breaker.

We recommend having long sleeves and pants, gloves, and then helmets are required for all of the classes.

It's a priceless feeling when we go to the track.

It's definitely brought us closer together and I believe it's brought...it's brought a lot of the kids closer.

TREVOR: He's the coolest dad ever.

GREG: Why?

What makes him the coolest dad ever?

TREVOR: Because he builds all my Power Wheels.

ALEX: Two, one... (motor sound) JOHN: We're going to slow down a bit now for some quality advice on choosing quality brake parts.

Taking the lead is our own Dan Maffett on MotorWeek's "Your Drive."

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: Every vehicle owner knows eventually, you're going to have to maintenance your brakes.

We're here with Dieter Lorentz from Bosch and he's going to tell us why quality parts are important for performance.

DIETER LORENTZ: Thank you, Dan.

So, it's very important to have high quality components, and a brake job is going to provide less brake fade, it's going to also reduce, um, better heat dissipation and it's going to also allow that system to work properly as it was designed by the OEM manufacturer.

So, in the example we have here-- so we have a newer rotor here, so if it's new out of the box you can see the finish has a nice uniform unidirectional finish.

The one right here, you can see, is one that's been in service for a long period of time... DAN: A very long time.

DIETER: ...and it's obviously gone way too long before service work was done here.

DAN: Right.

DIETER: So, these components, the rotor, everything here, would need to be replaced in this service, and behind us on the vehicle here we can see that this is what a normal in-service rotor assembly would be.

So, there is some differences on the...the finish of the rotor.

Um, good quality pads will also come with new hardware.

So, many of our complaints for the customer is noise-related... DAN: Right.

DIETER: ...and also receiving or achieving normal pad wear.

So, if the pads hang up on the hardware or on these slides, you know, we're in a, you know, most areas of the country have some rust or...or...uh, adverse conditions, so this always affects the sliding of this caliper assembly and the pads from, uh, wearing evenly.

So... DAN: Right.

So, then as far as performance goes, what are modifications consumers can do to their vehicles for better performance in their braking?

DIETER: So, on some of-- most of the vehicles, a good overall pad would be a ceramic-type pad.

Um, we gain a lot of good things from that.

We get low dusting because that's one of our major complaints; on the rim of the tire you get a lot of dust.

Uh, noise.

Um...our...those are primarily our biggest concerns.

Now, behind that we also need to have good quality parts to ensure a good stopping distance because, at the end of the day, you know, what's most important is the vehicle stops properly.

DAN: That's the goal.

DIETER: Yeah, it's very important.

It's also, you know, people's lives and obviously a lot of cost is involved with vehicles, so it's imperative that the system operates properly to what it was designed to.

We can upgrade to sometimes ceramic-type pads that are going to be better performance for the vehicle.

Some severe-duty materials are we could have semi-metallic pads as well.

They may have a better feel for some people, depending on their driving style... DAN: Right.

DIETER: ...but then there's always a trade-off.

There could be more noise and also more dusting on those... DAN: Right.

DIETER: ...as well.

DAN: There's definitely a trade-off based on those and that's why quality performance parts are important for safety on a vehicle.

DIETER: Yes.

So, all of these are foundation brakes, is what we call this here.

All of our safety systems in the last 50 years have been built on this system working properly.

So, we need a good foundation brake system to allow anti-lock brakes, stability control systems, and all our adaptive cruise control and emergency braking systems to work properly.

DAN: Okay.

Well, thank you for coming out and talking with us.

Guys, as always, if there's any questions or comments, hit us up right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: We're on the road again, flying and driving, to bring you the latest QuickSpins!

♪ ♪ GREG: The scenery along the trip up Pikes Peak may just be a blur for annual Hill Climb competitors, but we had a chance to take it all in during a First Drive of two Rolls-Royces: The 2025 Black Badge Ghost Series II and the Cullinan Series II.

Luxury cruisers they may be, but they're just as capable of obscuring the alpine setting thanks to their twin-turbocharged 6.75 liter V12s.

In the Black Badge Ghost Series II, it puts down 592 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque, delivered to all four corners through an 8-speed automatic.

An improved suspension setup refines the ride, and Pikes Peak proved to be the perfect place to feel it out.

STEPHANIE HART: Most people who buy a $500,000-plus Rolls-Royce probably aren't going to take it up and down Pikes Peak, but it's really nice to know the vehicle can handle it.

It's extremely capable.

GREG: Many of the same adjectives that describe the Ghost Series II apply to the Cullinan Series II.

Here, that V12 is rated at 563 horses and 626 pound-feet.

It's just as capable and refined; and these days, comfort extends beyond the coils and tires propping you up.

STEPHANIE: One tech feature in the Cullinan Series II that I really like is its road scanning camera.

So, the camera scans the road for any imperfections and then adjusts its suspension as needed.

It's perfect for a road like this one with a lot of potholes, the vehicle just glides right over them.

GREG: Both the Ghost and Cullinan have, as expected, uber-luxurious cabins.

This Central Information Display is standard across the lineup; the doors close at the press of a button; and the mix of materials is nothing short of opulent.

"Comfort" is an understatement; though you may be a little hot under the collar the first time you take your near-$400,000 Ghost Series II or Cullinan Series II out on public roads.

JESSICA RAY: With their emphasis on "American made" greater than ever, Ford invited us to their massive Kentucky Truck Plant for a First Drive of the all-new 2025 Ford Expedition.

All '25s appear more muscular with chiseled lines, and more rugged thanks to 9.0 inches of ground clearance.

But those interested in real-deal off-road capability will want to go with the new Tremor grade.

Skid plates, 33 inch all-terrain tires, and a lifted suspension system to fit it all.

The Tremor uses a high-output version of the 3.5 liter EcoBoost V6, rated at 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque.

Standard in other trims is the same 3.5 liter, rated at a still healthy 400 horses and 480 pound-feet.

All use a 10-speed automatic, and max towing is up to 9,300 pounds.

Once, you're done partying out back on the Expedition's new split tailgate, your drive home will be a welcomed wind down.

BlueCruise, Ford's handsfree driving suite, has been updated to better trace the road; and even when you're hands on, the Expedition drive experience has been made that much better.

LOGAN MCCOMBS: This thing, driving it on the road, it's so quiet on the interior, it's insane.

Having conversations is super easy or listening to music really immerses you in the driving experience.

One of the other things I've noticed is the ride quality has increased immensely with all the changes they've made to the suspension and handling to allow for a much more comfortable ride.

JESSICA: Inside, a massive 24 inch panoramic display and 13 inch center screen keep the front row connected.

With plenty of storage solutions and room for your peeps, the Expedition is fit for trips short and long.

Pricing for the 2025 Ford Expedition starts around $62,000, with the Tremor seeing a substantial hike up to $82,000.

That's a big investment, but could be the only investment necessary if you need one fullsize Ute for your fullsize adventures.

We'll have more on the new Expedition, and new QuickSpins, soon!

JOHN: In an era when even mass market EVs have mind-bending acceleration, how do performance-minded brands such as Porsche stand out?

Well, you take things to an even higher level of road-going insanity.

Hold on for this one!

The Porsche Taycan Turbo GT just changed the game again.

♪ ♪ When the original Porsche Taycan arrived for 2020, it did not disappoint.

We blasted the Turbo S version to 60 in 2.8 seconds and hustled that hefty Hoss around Roebling Road Raceway with 911-like proficiency.

None of that was enough for Porsche.

So, for 2025, the Taycan gets more range, more style, more tech, and of course it does it all faster than before too.

And that's before we even get to this Porsche Taycan Turbo GT which is new to the lineup.

For our return trip to Roebling Road, there was a threat of a major winter storm about to impact our track time, so we wasted none of it, hitting the track early and often.

And it's still amazing how this big battery on wheels can feel so Porsche like.

No other brand has been able to accomplish a similar feat.

We laud BMW for even coming close with the i4, but here you get the full capable and confident Porsche experience; even the brakes feel incredibly natural and powerful, ceramic brakes are standard with the Turbo GT.

Having said that, it remains a very heavy vehicle, so while you're hustling it around the track, it does tend to feel more like work than fun.

Many EVs dial back the power as soon as you get up to speed, but here in the Turbo GT, it never seemed to let up, building to the point we reached over 170 miles per hour on Roebling's front straight, and the way it powers out of corners is otherworldly.

Now, while it does absolutely shred on a racetrack, it really feels best just high-speed sweeping your way through life on some scenic roads through the countryside.

This Turbo GT's 760 kilowatt dual-motor setup cranks out 1,019 horsepower and 914 pound-feet of torque with Launch Control, which allows for sprinting to 60 in 2.2 seconds and clearing the quarter-mile in less than 10.

But alas, that winter storm arrived and covered the track in snow before we got a chance to verify that.

All Taycans get a new rear motor for '25, along with updated software and improvements to the cooling system.

And guess what?

It charges faster too, now accepting up to 320 kilowatts, getting it to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes.

There's a 30 percent boost to the energy capture from regen braking as well, now up to 400 kilowatts.

What the Taycan desperately needed was more range, because who wants all this fun to ever stop; and it has been increased by as much as 35 percent throughout the lineup, now delivering as many as 318 miles; 276 for this Turbo GT.

The Turbo GT features a unique front splitter and active rear spoiler, but all Taycans get revised styling for '25 including upgraded lighting and a revised front clip that both improves aerodynamics and accentuates the Taycan's substantial width.

All wheels have been aerodynamically optimized as well.

Things inside look mostly the same, but they have improved the functionality of their multimedia setup, moved some controls around, and provided more standard content.

It's a borderline luxury car experience as far as amenities and tech go, yet it still has a purposeful feel to it; and whether things are covered in Race-Tex or real leather everything looks and feels great.

Gauges are of course, all virtual now, but they can still have a traditional look if you prefer.

You really have to duck down to get into the rear seats, but space is plentiful; and with a pair of trunks, there's abundant luggage space too.

Using 41 kilowatts of electricity for every 100 miles, the Turbo GT earns a fair Efficiency Rating.

There are now more options than ever across the Taycan lineup, and that's even before you even get to Cross Turismos and Sport Turismos.

So, while this Turbo GT may cost $231,995 to start, you can get largely the same experience for as little as $101,395 for a base Taycan.

The 2025 Porsche Taycan Turbo GT is more than just a fantastic EV; it's a great car period, and even a terrific Porsche.

With the recently released Macan Electric SUV and the upcoming Boxster and Cayman EVs, more than any other brand, Porsche is giving us reasons not to fear the electrified future.

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time when we follow the stars to the Polestar 3, then stick to the line in the McLaren 750S.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

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Learn more at AutoValue.Com and BumperToBumper.Com.

We're Tire Rack.

We test tires, then share our results.

We stock over one million tires.

We offer multiple installation options.

We do this because we believe tires matter.

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