2023 Toyota Sienna vs 2022 Cadillac Escalade

The 2022 Cadillac Escalade was known for making a bold first impression. Its massive presence stood distinct among large SUVs, with few vehicles rivaling its unapologetic demonstration of size. The expansive grille, oversized LED daytime running lights, and taillights scaled to match its imposing bulk, echoing the sky-high tailfins of classic Cadillacs. The front-end design, featuring a tall hood with vertically aligned running lights and horizontal headlights, bore a resemblance to a diesel locomotive, emphasizing aggression and dominance.

Cadillac offered the Escalade in various trims, allowing buyers to choose between sporty and luxurious aesthetics. The Luxury and Premium Luxury trims were adorned with bright external accents and stylish wheels, while the Sport trim showcased darker, more aggressive design elements, including a distinctive mesh grille. Despite sharing its body-on-frame architecture with other GM full-size SUVs and trucks, the Escalade managed to carve out a distinct identity, separate from its Chevrolet and GMC siblings.

Inside, the Escalade’s interior was a blend of luxury components like leather upholstery, wood trim, and a panoramic sunroof. Despite these premium materials, the overall design lacked the cohesive, distinctive thematic styling seen in the Lincoln Navigator. Furthermore, some elements, such as the abundant plastic bits, detracted from its luxury feel.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna also aimed to shake off the traditional minivan aesthetic, working to look sleek and modern. Toyota took cues from Japanese bullet train design for the Sienna’s front-end, attempting to transform the minivan’s typical "slab-sided" profile into something more aerodynamic and stylish. With trims varying from the base LE to the top-tier Platinum, and including a 25th Anniversary Special Edition, there were plenty of choices for buyers seeking different looks and features.

Inside, the Sienna was both functional and attractive. The Platinum trim featured high-quality brown leather upholstery and beautiful wood-grain accents. Families benefited from its seating versatility, offering configurations for seven or eight passengers, with the middle seats providing LATCH anchors for three-across car seats. The interior’s clever storage solutions included a large under-console compartment, a long dash shelf, and plentiful cupholders, emphasizing its family-friendly design.

The 2022 Cadillac Escalade was known for making a bold first impression. Its massive presence stood distinct among large SUVs, with few vehicles rivaling its unapologetic demonstration of size. The expansive grille, oversized LED daytime running lights, and taillights scaled to match its imposing bulk, echoing the sky-high tailfins of classic Cadillacs. The front-end design, featuring a tall hood with vertically aligned running lights and horizontal headlights, bore a resemblance to a diesel locomotive, emphasizing aggression and dominance.

Cadillac offered the Escalade in various trims, allowing buyers to choose between sporty and luxurious aesthetics. The Luxury and Premium Luxury trims were adorned with bright external accents and stylish wheels, while the Sport trim showcased darker, more aggressive design elements, including a distinctive mesh grille. Despite sharing its body-on-frame architecture with other GM full-size SUVs and trucks, the Escalade managed to carve out a distinct identity, separate from its Chevrolet and GMC siblings.

Inside, the Escalade’s interior was a blend of luxury components like leather upholstery, wood trim, and a panoramic sunroof. Despite these premium materials, the overall design lacked the cohesive, distinctive thematic styling seen in the Lincoln Navigator. Furthermore, some elements, such as the abundant plastic bits, detracted from its luxury feel.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna also aimed to shake off the traditional minivan aesthetic, working to look sleek and modern. Toyota took cues from Japanese bullet train design for the Sienna’s front-end, attempting to transform the minivan’s typical "slab-sided" profile into something more aerodynamic and stylish. With trims varying from the base LE to the top-tier Platinum, and including a 25th Anniversary Special Edition, there were plenty of choices for buyers seeking different looks and features.

Inside, the Sienna was both functional and attractive. The Platinum trim featured high-quality brown leather upholstery and beautiful wood-grain accents. Families benefited from its seating versatility, offering configurations for seven or eight passengers, with the middle seats providing LATCH anchors for three-across car seats. The interior’s clever storage solutions included a large under-console compartment, a long dash shelf, and plentiful cupholders, emphasizing its family-friendly design.

The 2022 Cadillac Escalade came with two powertrain options familiar to GM truck enthusiasts: a standard 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and a $100 optional Duramax 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six diesel engine generating 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) and optional four-wheel drive (4WD). The Escalade-V, a performance variant, featured a 682-hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8.

Testing the diesel variant, we found the engine to be pleasant despite its horsepower deficit compared to the V8. The diesel's low torque peak at 1,500 rpm provided smooth and robust acceleration from stops. However, the hard brake pedal created some discomfort in stop situations. The gasoline engine boasted a slight towing advantage, with a capacity of 8,200 pounds compared to 8,100 pounds for the diesel variant. Despite independent rear suspension, the Escalade’s ride felt unsettled, making it less comfortable than both its GM cousins and luxury competitors like the Lincoln Navigator.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna, meanwhile, opted for a hybrid-only powertrain across all models. The combination of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motors (with an additional rear-mounted motor for AWD trims) provided a total system output of 245 horsepower. While adequate, this setup felt underpowered for the Sienna’s size and weight, and its continuously variable transmission (CVT) often noisily climbed the rev band, impacting the driving experience.

The 2022 Cadillac Escalade came with two powertrain options familiar to GM truck enthusiasts: a standard 6.2-liter V8 engine producing 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, and a $100 optional Duramax 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six diesel engine generating 277 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque. Both engines were mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD) and optional four-wheel drive (4WD). The Escalade-V, a performance variant, featured a 682-hp 6.2-liter supercharged V8.

Testing the diesel variant, we found the engine to be pleasant despite its horsepower deficit compared to the V8. The diesel's low torque peak at 1,500 rpm provided smooth and robust acceleration from stops. However, the hard brake pedal created some discomfort in stop situations. The gasoline engine boasted a slight towing advantage, with a capacity of 8,200 pounds compared to 8,100 pounds for the diesel variant. Despite independent rear suspension, the Escalade’s ride felt unsettled, making it less comfortable than both its GM cousins and luxury competitors like the Lincoln Navigator.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna, meanwhile, opted for a hybrid-only powertrain across all models. The combination of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric motors (with an additional rear-mounted motor for AWD trims) provided a total system output of 245 horsepower. While adequate, this setup felt underpowered for the Sienna’s size and weight, and its continuously variable transmission (CVT) often noisily climbed the rev band, impacting the driving experience.

Despite the power shortfall, the Sienna impressed with its agile handling. Its light steering made urban maneuverability almost effortless, and its highway cruising was smooth and comfortable. Multiple drive modes including EV (electric-only) mode, Eco, Normal, and Sport allowed for customizable driving experiences, though Normal mode was typically the most balanced and practical choice.

The 2022 Cadillac Escalade, measuring 211.9 inches in length (227 inches for the ESV model), shared its platform with the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, allowing for an expansive cabin. It boasted the most first-row and third-row legroom in its class. Second-row captain’s chairs came standard, with an optional power-folding bench. The Escalade excelled in cargo space, offering 25.5 cubic feet with all seats up, 63.0 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 109.1 cubic feet with both rear rows down—outdoing even the Lincoln Navigator.

However, the Escalade had some drawbacks, such as a raised center console that limited storage options and front seats that, despite being power adjustable and equipped with massage features, felt imported from lower-tier GM vehicles. The inclusion of dedicated buttons for seat heating and cooling and large sun visors were appreciated details.

Conversely, the 2023 Toyota Sienna featured a design saturated with clever storage solutions, including a vast center console cubby and a long dashboard shelf. Despite its considerable length of over 200 inches and a 120.5-inch wheelbase, the Sienna felt compact inside due to creative space utilization. The deep cargo floor offered 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row, expandable to 75.2 cubic feet with the third-row stowed. Total cargo space reached up to 101 cubic feet, less than the Escalade but still competitive within the minivan class.

The Sienna’s middle row couldn’t fold into the floor or be removed, unlike some of its rivals. Still, adjustable captain’s chairs with extendable ottomans ensured comfort for passengers of various heights. Sliding the seats forward allowed genuine legroom for adults in the third row, a rarity among three-row vehicles.

Cadillac's 2022 Escalade came with one of the industry's most impressive infotainment setups: a 38-inch curved OLED screen comprising three sub-displays (a 14.2-inch instrument cluster, a 16.9-inch central touchscreen, and a 7.2-inch touchscreen for trip computer functions). Standard features included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity, and user-friendly physical toggles for climate control.

Although the intuitive layout and high-resolution cameras impressed, some features, like the carousel for changing radio stations and the somewhat redundant rotary controller, lacked elegance in function. The OLED's crisp quality made the 360-degree camera system indispensable, providing clear views for such a large vehicle. Advanced options like night vision and augmented-reality navigation set the Escalade apart, but the sound system’s tunability issues detracted slightly from its high-tech aura.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna, however, stayed modest with Toyota's older infotainment interface. Core functionalities like SiriusXM, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto were available, though the latter two required wired connections, which could be cumbersome. While the 9-inch touchscreen was functional, it appeared less cutting-edge, and navigating the menus to access features like Android Auto was unnecessarily complex.

Notably, the Sienna retained physical buttons for essential controls, which many find beneficial. The 12-speaker JBL audio system offered decent sound quality but lacked the pizzazz found in other premium setups.

Safety features were robust in the 2022 Cadillac Escalade, with standard adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and more. It also featured a Safety Alert Seat, vibrating to warn the driver of imminent dangers. Additional safety tech was available on higher trims, including blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and trailer blind-spot monitoring. Super Cruise, Cadillac’s semi-autonomous driving system, added hands-free highway driving capability but had limitations and occasional disengagements. Unfortunately, safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA were not published for this model year.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna shone in safety, offering a plethora of standard ADAS features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with steering assist, and adaptive cruise control. The minivan scored 5 stars in NHTSA crash tests and its 2022 counterpart earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick+ designation. While lacking competitor Honda’s CabinTalk or Chrysler’s FamCam, the Sienna still stood tall with solid safety credentials.