Honda and Toyota can't stop playing the game of one-upmanship.

First, it was Toyota with its new Camry in 2002, which I proclaimed to be better than Honda's Accord. Then, when Honda introduced a new Accord this year, it was clear to me that Accord had usurped Camry's position of pre-eminence.

Now comes the new 2004 Toyota Sienna minivan.

	Toyota
	2004 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited. Price: as tested $39,136 (base prices start from $22,295) Fuel economy: 19 mpg city, 27 highway. Powertrain: 3.3-liter, 230-horsepower V-6 with 5-speed automatic transmission.

From my perspective, it usurps the much-vaunted, and rightly so, Honda Odyssey, which most reviewers and customers have felt was superior to just about everybody else's minivan. But this redone Sienna feels roomier, is much more fun to drive, is more luxurious and looks better.

I consider it "the Lexus of minivans," a family hauler you'll look forward to piloting every day.

Take a look outside, first. It's a beautiful view. The Sienna is nicely proportioned for a minivan. Its front end, with its jewel-like headlights and grille design, stands out.

Entry and exit is a snap. The opening is plenty wide for most folks. As you sit behind the wheel and look around, you'll swear you're in a luxury car.

There's the same richness of detail, beautiful polished wood and waterfall style console that houses the climate controls and the audio system that you would find on a Lexus. Soft, rich two-toned leather surrounds you on all sides --the dash, the door panels, the seats, everywhere. The gauges are large and legible, and at night, they turn a reassuring, soft shade of sky blue -- good for avoiding the glare that can accompany night driving.

If you've got anything to store, there are several compartments in the doors and dash, and even two glove boxes built into the instrument panel. And cup holders? There are 14 -- two for every passenger.

There are even hooks on the passenger side for trash bags, purses, etc. And this new Sienna has 45 percent more cubic feet of space and 39 percent more cargo room than the old model.

	Toyota
	The 2004 Toyota Sienna XLE Limited is the new minivan king of the hill.

Overhead, you find convenient, easily understood switches for some of the Sienna's best features -- the sliding doors and the electronically operated rear hatch door. Since there's both lettering and symbols, there's no fumbling over what each switch operates.

Sienna builders know that many minivan pilots really like to drive, and want some fun on the road. The car accommodates them with a floor shift style gear lever and a five-speed automatic transmission. No boring "three on the tree" style transmission lever like you get from competitors.

But the niftiest feature of all is a laser cruise control feature that maintains the correct distance between you and the folks ahead of you and brakes when necessary to maintain that distance. When you need to pass, the engine accelerates smartly. Speaking of the 3.3-liter, 230-horsepower V-6, the new Sienna is plenty powerful.

Another terrific feature is the "one-two" folding system for the third seat. Pull a strap here, pull another there and you're done. No sweating, no fuss, no muss.

You get a nice flat floor and easy loading with a huge rear gate opening. And when the third seat is raised, there's a nice sunken area that's perfect for groceries and luggage.

Toyota
The Toyota Sienna features a DVD entertainment system -- and enough leftover room for a sunroof.

Another good feature is the front and center second row seat on CE and LE models, in which the center section is moved forward to bring children closer to parents for nose wiping, soothing and such. However, I have heard from other car writers that this feature is hard to actually operate; for some reason, it's sometimes balky.

There's also a terrific DVD entertainment system that's available on the Sienna, with plenty of room leftover for a sunroof if you want one. That's not true in most cars and SUVs. You have to choose between sun and movies.

Problems? The first was the loud bells and buzzers on the Sienna. The cruise control alone had an ear splitting "tweet" that went off as you turned on the key to inform you that it was ready for use; and if you hit the button to open the rear hatch, yet another loud bell sounds. Then there's the buzzer for the seat belt system.

I also thought the armrests for the driver were awkwardly located for real comfort.

But overall, I found the Toyota Sienna to be a tremendously appealing product, now at the top of the minivan class.