2024 Genesis GV70 vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Genesis GV70 created a visual standout both within the Genesis brand and its competitive segment. It emphasized luxury with a sleek design highlighted by signature split headlights and a large, shield-like grille. Its streamline surpassed its larger sibling, the GV80, and avoided the overly quirky look of the smaller GV60. Notable details included an almost hatchback-like rear window profile, large round exhaust outlets on the gasoline-powered Sport Prestige trim, and distinct designs for the available 21-inch wheels. It struck a harmony between SUV size and luxury car style, setting it apart from competitors like the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Porsche Macan, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class.

The Electrified GV70 maintained the elegance, with a shiny grille doubling as a housing for the charge port, facilitating easier access at charge stations. The interior stood out with its unique design elements, such as quilted Nappa leather upholstery, panoramic sunroof, an elliptical pod housing the climate control, a rotary-controlled infotainment system, and a dashboard inspired by an airplane wing. These touches provided a fresh take on luxury without straying into the mundane.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum trims, struck a distinctive look that continued the "swagger wagon" vibe from previous models. With sleek front and rear fascias and colors like deep blue, red, or green, it offered an appealing aesthetic, even rivaling the stylish Kia Carnival. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims featuring advanced Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, considered sporty, boasted a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels.

The Woodland Edition was designed for mild off-road with roof rails, crossbars, a tow hitch, and additional ground clearance. Interior features included standard cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and space for eight. Higher trims like the XSE offered captain's chairs, leather-trimmed heated and cooled front seats, and numerous luxury touches that, while not overly luxurious, were practical and family-friendly. The addition of a built-in vacuum cleaner was a notable upper-trim feature, adding to its kid-friendly practicality.

The powertrain for the 2024 Genesis GV70 remained unchanged, offering a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, or a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 with 375 hp and 391 lb-ft. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive.

The Electrified GV70 delivered AWD via front and rear electric motors, providing 429 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, with a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack. Its Boost Mode gave a temporary bump to 483 hp for 10 seconds. Despite the enhanced straight-line acceleration in sport modes, its chassis tuning lagged behind sporty rivals like the Acura RDX, BMW X3, and Porsche Macan. Comfort was adequate, though its suspension felt clunky over bumps and road imperfections. The larger battery in the Electrified model didn't overly impact the driving dynamics.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, a hybrid minivan, combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors (and a third for AWD models) to deliver a combined output of 245 horsepower. Performance enthusiasts would find it lacking, as the CVT made the drive feel slow and occasionally loud. While city driving in Normal or Eco mode was unremarkable but fine, the minivan excelled in providing smooth if uninspiring daily commutes. Its brakes could be overly grabby, and while not sporty, it did offer a pleasant driving experience with excellent visibility.

The GV70's interior space was on par with rivals. Although slightly behind in headroom compared to the Audi Q5, BMW X3, and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, it offered more front-seat legroom than the BMW and Mercedes, and a tad less than the Audi. Second-row legroom was comparable, being slightly better than the X3 but slightly less than the Q5 and GLC. It provided 28.9 cubic feet of cargo space with seats up, better than the Mercedes, slightly above the BMW, but less than the Audi. With seats down, it offered 56.9 cubic feet, less than its German rivals.

The Electrified GV70's battery pack had minimal impact on interior space. First-row legroom remained unchanged, second-row legroom decreased by 0.6 inches, and headroom dropped by 1 inch and 0.8 inches for the first and second rows, respectively. The cargo space difference between the gasoline and electric models was less than a cubic foot.

The interior's orb-like infotainment controller, rotary shifter, and curved dashboard sacrificed some small-item storage but provided a dedicated phone storage nook and rear-seat climate controls. The automatic side bolsters in the front seats for the Electrified GV70 in Sport mode were an unusual but welcome feature in this price range.

The Toyota Sienna excelled in interior functionality with smart storage solutions, like a lower storage pass-through, multiple cupholders, a shelf above the glovebox housing the wireless charging pad, and second-row features like easy-slide captain's chairs with 25 inches of movement and optional ottomans. However, the slide function was tricky and non-removable seats reduced max cargo capacity.

Adults and kids could easily access the spacious third row, offering 39 inches of legroom with the second-row pushed forward—the best in its class. The third row's tilting seats and abundant cupholders and window shades added to passenger comfort. Tri-zone climate control was standard, and higher trims added a fourth zone. The rear liftgate opened to reveal 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, 75 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 101 cubes with the second row folded.

The Genesis GV70 used Hyundai-sourced infotainment, preferring simplicity over the fancier systems in the BMW X3 or Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class. It featured a 14.5-inch touchscreen, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a digital instrument cluster in 8-inch (lower trims) or 12.3-inch 3D (higher trims) variants. A 12-inch head-up display and 16-speaker Lexicon audio system were available. The system was user-friendly, with an intuitive layout and high-quality rotary controller. Other tech highlights included a fingerprint scanner for driver profiles and digital key functionality for phone-based car access.

The 2024 Sienna still used Toyota’s older nine-inch touchscreen system, offering wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While lacking in advanced graphics and speed, it included physical buttons for easy access to common functions. The back-up camera's resolution was disappointingly low for a modern car. Analog gauges flanked a 7-inch digital display for basic info. Despite these dated elements, the Sienna offered a standard Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM radio, an optional 12-speaker JBL stereo, and a rear-camera mirror with wide-angle feed available on higher trims, though our tester didn’t include it. Numerous USB ports and a 1500-watt inverter with 120-volt outlets provided ample device charging options.

In terms of safety, the gasoline Genesis GV70 earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, a distinction also bestowed on the Electrified GV70 in 2023. NHTSA ratings included four stars for frontal and rollover tests for gasoline models, but 2024 comprehensive ratings were pending. Standard safety systems encompassed lane-keep assist, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, driver-attention monitoring, parking assist sensors, and Highway Driving Assist. Available Highway Driving Assist 2 added lane-change capabilities and blind-spot monitoring. Unique high-tech features included safe exit assist and a radar-based rear occupant alert system.

Toyota Safety Sense was standard in the Sienna, featuring lane departure alert, pedestrian and cyclist detection through automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also included. The adaptive cruise control facilitated stress-free commuting, though lane-keeping assist showed some inconsistency. The safety suite included airbags, seat belt reminders for rear passengers, and a rear seat reminder system. The Sienna garnered four out of five stars from NHTSA for frontal crashes and the top score of “Good” from IIHS in crashworthiness. However, it was rated “Average” in front crash prevention.