2024 Subaru Ascent vs 2023 Toyota Sienna

In the past, the minivan aesthetic of the 2023 Toyota Sienna had often been a hard sell, invoking memories of childhood road trips with sliding doors and straightforward designs. In an effort to overcome its minivan image, Toyota gave the Sienna a front-end styling that resembled a Japanese bullet train. The Sienna featured a variety of trims including LE, XLE, sporty XSE, Limited, Platinum, and a 25th Anniversary Special Edition. The XLE trim was particularly valued for its standard LED fog lights, power-sliding doors, and power liftgate. Inside, the Sienna impressed with high-quality brown leather upholstery and beautiful wood-grain accents. It offered seating configurations for seven or eight passengers, with the eight-seater supporting three-across car seats in the middle row.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Subaru Ascent appeared to struggle with its styling. The previous year’s refresh had given the Ascent visually offensive tusks and a bold grille design. The Ascent continued with trim levels ranging from Base to Touring, with prices between $34,395 and $48,695. The Touring trim added luxurious touches like a panoramic sunroof, Nappa leather upholstery, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. However, the interior design seemed cobbled together with basic, functional modular components, devoid of sophistication. Despite this, the materials were of good quality.

Toyota’s choice to equip the fourth-generation Sienna with a hybrid powertrain featuring a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors—one for each wheel pair—led to a net power system of 245 horsepower. These specifications were somewhat underwhelming, especially compared to its more powerful rivals. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) added to the lackluster acceleration. Yet, the Sienna excelled in handling, showcasing a nimble chassis and light steering, making it easy to maneuver, especially in urban settings. While equipped with multiple drive modes, none significantly enhanced performance.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent, on the other hand, housed a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine generating 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. Power was distributed through an AWD system equipped with active torque vectoring, facilitating a robust towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds. The Ascent excelled in various driving conditions, from city streets to off-road adventures, thanks to its rally-car-like handling on rugged paths. However, the Ascent’s performance faltered on twisty roads due to its hefty weight and soft suspension. Additionally, its fuel economy was subpar, with city driving returns of just 16.7 mpg.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna provided impressive interior storage solutions, with numerous cubbies and bins, including a large open cubby below the center console and a long dashboard shelf. With a length of over 200 inches and a wheelbase of 120.5 inches, the Sienna offered ample cargo space: 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 75.2 cubic feet with the third row folded down, and up to 101 cubic feet in total. However, its middle-row seats were not removable, a downside compared to competitors like the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica. The second row’s captain’s chairs, equipped with extending ottomans, were functional and provided decent legroom for third-row passengers.

The Subaru Ascent focused on practicality with features like a dashboard shelf, large door cupholders, and backpack pegs on the seatbacks. The Touring trim came with Nappa leather seats, although the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Wide-opening rear doors facilitated easy child loading, and the third-row seats offered decent comfort for adults on short trips. Cargo capacity included 17.8 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 43.5 cubic feet with the third row folded, and up to 75.6 cubic feet total. This was slightly lower for models with a panoramic sunroof.

Toyota equipped the 2023 Sienna with an older infotainment system, featuring basics like SiriusXM, Bluetooth, and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system relied on physical buttons, which some users might find more intuitive than all-touchscreen interfaces. However, it lacked a wireless connection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, requiring wired connections for access. Although the interface was reliable, it felt outdated, somewhat detracting from the otherwise pleasant multimedia experience.

Contrastingly, the 2024 Subaru Ascent featured the latest Starlink infotainment system, boasting an 11.6-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and SiriusXM. Higher trims added connectivity services, a navigation system, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, although the screen tended to wash out in direct sunlight. The system included vital physical controls for climate and audio settings, a convenience some might prefer. Upper trims featured a surround-view camera and a camera-based rearview mirror.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna excelled in safety, coming standard with a comprehensive suite of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. These features contributed to its 5-star crash test rating by the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS for the 2022 model.

Subaru’s 2024 Ascent also emphasized safety, constructed with a high-strength steel platform and standard EyeSight safety features. The 2024 Ascent received a five-star rating in all NHTSA assessments except rollover resistance, where it earned four stars, and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS. However, its EyeSight system, particularly the lane-centering assist, demonstrated uncertainties and could be cumbersome. Higher trims included blind-spot monitoring, automatic reverse braking, and a Driver Focus monitoring system.