2019 Buick Envision vs 2020 Toyota Sienna

What defines a luxury car? In the past, it was pretty easy to quantify, and just as easy to differentiate one from the economy cars of the world. But now a traditionally inexpensive brand like Mazda can make cars as nice as Lexus does. Automakers can no longer rely on reputation.

So the 2019 Buick Envision faces a conundrum. Buick calls it a compact luxury SUV, positioning it as a viable option for younger luxury shoppers. That pits it against some of the most popular and best-selling upscale SUVs on the market, including the Acura RDX, Lexus NX, BMW X3, and Audi Q5. Yet the Envision’s true competition more likely comes from another GM vehicle, the GMC Acadia. Both are for aspirational shoppers looking to move up-market from a high-volume vehicle like the Chevy Equinox.

If you are in the market for a compact, upscale sport-utility vehicle, should you consider the Envision? Read on to find out and learn which trim CarGurus recommends.

Since the second half of the 20th century, each decade has had a hot-topic family car, and, as we’ve noted in a number of reviews this year, the crossover is our current darling vehicle. Before the crossover, there were big, truck-based SUVs. Before that, there were station wagons.

And for the past 35 years, there's always been the minivan.

The Dodge Caravan has been widely considered the Patient Zero of the minivan segment. From there, seemingly everyone joined the party, including Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Volkswagen, Oldsmobile, Ford, and more. Heck, even Mercury had a “Nautica Edition” version of the Villager.

The minivan was king once, the crossover is king now, and some other type of vehicle will likely dominate in the near future. But in all this, the 7- and 8-passenger minivans will always represent the ultimate in versatility. The crossover is an image-forward fad with a dash of usability, but the minivan continues to prove itself as the pinnacle of practicality.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna is neither the newest nor flashiest minivan out there, but when you absolutely need space for people and gear, there’s nothing better. Additionally, the Sienna is the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive (AWD), which is something specifically desired by many car buyers.