My vehicle is a 2012 Sienna XLE. I'm about to replace the engine air filter. I don't like my local Toyota dealer (just his politics) but I can buy parts from him if need be. But I wonder in general if Toyota OEM filters are the "best" out there or if there is another manufacturer who makes better than OEM parts.
Toyota OEM filters are the "best" out there or if there is another manufacturer who makes better than OEM parts.
Filters are just a piece of paper / fiberglass / cloth in a rubber / cardboard box.
There are some fancy "activated charcoal" filters, but as far as I know they're just snake oil.
Just get Denso parts, it's the Toyota group's OEM parts company that supplies a lot of other automakers.
https://densoautoparts.com/find-my-part.aspx , find the filter you need, and look at the stores where it's available.
You are overthinking this. The air filter is basically a bunch of napkins folded up in a plastic frame. Because it has the Toyota name on it doesn't mean it's worth twice the price of any other air filter you can get at any auto parts store, IMO.
Interesting note: My local Toyota dealer sells the two filters for $29.95 each. The Denso price is $16.42 for the engine filter and $11.41 for the cabin filter. Even with a high-cost shipping option, the Denso price is better. $43.61 Denso (with shipping) vs $59.90 Toyota (ignoring the cost of pickup).
Like I said, double the price.
It's not exactly "a bunch of napkins". It is strengthened and impregnated cellulose, engineered to filter a very high percentage of micron size particles in the air stream. Not all filters are created equal, and yes some even do a better job than OEM.
NAPA, Wix, and Fram are all excellent filters, exceeding OEM performance.
