30 ~ Friday, October 17, 1997 — North Shore News north shore news ten < ates 7AYLORMOTIVE BRAKE SPECIALISTS _ B.C.AA. A. R.A. - 1.0.8.6. Approved LIFETIME WARRANTY on brake shoes & pads “Our 39th Year” FREE ESTIMATES & CONSULTATION ALSO COMPLETE MECHANICAL REPAIRS Guaranteed 1 year THE 1997 Sienna’s newly-designed conven- tional fook places it in the mainstream of the Canadian minivan mar- ket — a position that Toyota has never been in before. Though its quality and reliability is yet unproven, the Sienna is based on the Camry, which has won TALKING YELLOW PAGES 299-S000 i7.415 15 Quality Work Trustworthy Service We Are Van based on From page 28 - front airbags, anti-lock brakes (front disc/rear drum), a low tire pressure warning system, child pro- tection rear door locks, * height-adjustable front shoulder beits, three-point seatbelis and height- adjustable head restraints at all outboard positions, rear center lap belr, and emer- gency pretensioners on the ront seatbelts. For a base price of $28,928, Sienna LE models add a premium AM/FM cas- sette player with six speakcrs, front and rear heating /air conditioning, cruise control, tachometer, power door locks with remote keyless entry, power windows with driver’s-side automatic down feature, power rear quarter windows, map lights, upgraded seat cloth, power heated outside mirrors and ' __ body-colored bumpers. -* A fourth, driver’s-side some air bag sliding rear door is available as an option on the CE and LE, and is standard on the uplevel XLE package. XLE models have leather seating, power tilt and slide sunroof, six-way power dri- ver’s sear, and CD player. My initial four-hour test- drive of a Sienna at a special media introduction revealed some basic characteristics of this car-based minivan. The 194 horsepewer V6 engine is the most powerful standard V6 engine in its class, and provides sufficient acceleration with a full load of passengers and cargo on board. The Sienna’s highway ride is comfortable and quiet except for a little wind noise from the mirrors. The V6 engine revs at a relaxed 2300 r.p.m. ar 100 km-h in top gear but has a sporty grow! when pressed. An on/off overdrive button on the column shift lever, enables quick downshifts for Canada Safety Council likens air bag challenge to seat-beiis MILLIONS of vehicles in Canada now have air bags. There is abundant evi- dence that air bags, used in conjunction with seatbelts, save lives. Transport Canada has estimated they saved 100 lives last year. Four people (including two children) were killed. None of them cpappears to have been proper- Aly restrained. Air bags are an evolving technology. Many of the concerns currently being expressed will be addressed -wqgpein the near future as air bag systems become more advanced. “Smart” air bags are being developed, which will inflate according to such factors as seat-belt use, occu- pant size, occupant presence and closeness to ae air bag module. passenger-side air bags dangerous? Some recent reports have led to fears that air bags can kill and ae injure children. These fears have been reinforced by a new message, that children 12-and-under must sit in the back to protect them from possible air bag deployment. The question of whether childrea are safe in the front “Air bags reduced fatalities among right front-seat occu- pants ages 10 to 64 by 23% in frontal crashes.” seat becomes more troubling, with growing consumer demand for pick-up trucks and other utility/specialty vehicles which may have no back seat whatsoever. The Canada Safery Council reports they have not seen any credible, rele- uphill acceleration. Fuel consumption is a lit- tle better than average for a minivan of this size and power: 12.9 1/100 km (22 m.p.g.) in the the city and 8.8 1/100 km (32 m.p-.g.) on the highway. Though the ride is very comfortable, the Sienna is not as much fun to drive as a Caravan or a Chevy Venture. Handling is stable but there is some bady lean dur- ing cornering, and the steer- ing feels vague. The cowl is a little higher than orher minivans and the Sienna feels a little ‘top- heavy’. Other than thar, the Sienna is a well-built, well- designed, well-priced mini- van with a good warranty. Its conventional design places it in the mainstream of the Canadian minivan market — a position that Toyota has never been in before. vant data that air bag deploy- ment poses a serious risk for properly restrained persons. The one exception is that a rear facing infant seat must never be used in the front seat of a vehicle with a pas- senger-side air bag; current rear facing infant seats were not designed for use with passenger side air bags. Recent data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in the U. S. (Status Report, December 7, 1996) show that air bags do not endanger properly restrained children: Air bags reduced fatalities among right front-seat occupants ages 10 to 64 by 23% in frontal crashes. With chil- dren nine and under, fatali- ties were about 33% higher “than expected” in frontal crashes. Consider that, of the 31 children killed by deploy: ing air bags, nine (27%) were infants in rear-facing, restraints —- which almost accounts for those above the “expected” number. These children should never have been seated in the front pas- See Air page 31 four Used Car Pertormance Awards from CAA, 985-7455 \_176 Pemberton, N. 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