5 great cars for different family needs

Minivan: Toyota Sienna

For families with young children, a minivan is the ideal car thanks to its kid-friendly sliding doors, easy step-in height and wide range of convenience features. The new 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan offers all of these things and has the capability of carrying three kids in car seats -- still leaving room for older kids in the third row or extra cargo with the third row folded.

Starting at $24,460, the Toyota Sienna is currently selling at about 7 percent off MSRP on average, according to TrueCar.com. Redesigned for 2011, the Sienna is equipped with either a 187-horsepower, 2.7-liter, four-cylinder engine with 19 city/24 highway mpg or a 266-horsepower, 3.5-liter, V-6 with 16 city/22 highway mpg. It seats seven or eight, depending on the configuration. The second-row seats slide independently forward and backward to allow the driver to further separate the seats of bickering children. All Toyota models currently have free maintenance and roadside assistance plans that last for two years or 25,000 miles. There are lease promotions currently offered on Sienna models that vary depending on your location.