Toyota Sienna vs MINI Countryman

For the 2024 MINI Countryman, the designers carried forward all the classic Mini styling cues that fans adore. The car featured a distinct wraparound windshield design, a floating roof resembling a bimini top, and Union Jack tail lights loud with British pride. Buyers were spoiled with choices for paint, roof, and mirror cap treatments, as well as various wheel designs. Oddly, dark tinted rear privacy glass was optional and not standard. The Countryman lineup included multiple models: Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper SE, and John Cooper Works, each differentiated by drivetrain specifics.

The test model was a Cooper S in the high-end Iconic trim package. Its MSRP was $41,945, covering dark-tinted privacy glass, an adaptive damping suspension, 19-inch summer performance tires, and more. The Iconic trim added top-tier features like premium leather seats, head-up display, wireless smartphone charging, semi-autonomous parking, and a power tailgate. It included a dual-panel moonroof that bathed the cabin in natural light and offered a truly unique and unmissable driving atmosphere.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna no longer had the “swagger wagon” commercials, but it didn't lose its striking presence. Arriving in trims like LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum, the Sienna presented sleek front and rear fascias and classy color choices like deep blue, red, or green. LED lights were standard, with Bi-LED projector headlamps on upper trims.

Our XSE tester was the sporty trim, showcasing a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition added Roof rails with crossbars, a tow hitch, and a half-inch more ground clearance, hitting a total of 6.9 inches. The Sienna was handsomely practical with power sliding side doors, three-zone climate control, and seats for up to eight. The internals of the XSE trim were bolstered with leather-trimmed heated and cooled front seats, captain’s chairs in the second row, and a leather-trimmed power steering wheel with ADAS controls.

The most compelling drivers would steer away from the underpowered Cooper versions of the MINI Countryman. The Cooper SE's moderate electric range made it less exciting, and thus the Cooper S and John Cooper Works stood out. The John Cooper Works came equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine delivering 301 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed sport automatic transmission directing power to all four wheels. MINI claimed a 0-60 mph time of 4.9 seconds for the JCW.

For the bulk of consumers, the Cooper S was a solid pick, offering 189 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque from its turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. This model could clock 60 mph in 7.2 seconds with front-wheel drive and 7.1 seconds with the ALL4 all-wheel drive option. Fuel economy was rated at 28 mpg combined, though our testing loop in Southern California yielded 25.4 mpg.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna’s hybrid powertrain paired a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors powering the front wheels and an additional motor on AWD models for a total of 245 horsepower. While this setup didn't dazzle in terms of raw speed, it rendered a smooth driving experience. The sluggish CVT was more of a bane during highway merges or mountainous ascents but worked well for daily duties.

Normal, Eco, and EV modes tailored the driving experience to various conditions, but the brakes felt grabby. The steering was light and precise, and visibility remained excellent. Despite having a sport-tuned suspension and a Sport mode, the Sienna’s ride didn’t match the excitement offered by models like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica.

Inside the MINI Countryman, four adults comfortably fit, with just enough trunk space for a week-long trip's worth of luggage. The Iconic trim offered dual-zone automatic climate control, premium leather upholstery, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. Despite seatbelts for five, the rear legroom and foot space were limited, making it ideal for not more than four adults.

The cargo space behind the rear seat was 17.6 cubic feet, enough to fit two full-size suitcases if laid flat. Removing the cargo cover allowed for some extra vertical space. The 40/20/40-split folding back seat boosted the cargo capacity to 47.6 cubic feet, though the plug-in hybrid model had slightly reduced dimensions.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in practicality, featuring a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items, front cupholders, door-mounted holders, and a shelf above the glovebox housing the wireless charging pad. The second-row captain's chairs could slide 25 inches, providing ample legroom of up to 40 inches, with an additional ottoman for top trims.

The third-row seats were comfortably accessible, offering 39 inches of legroom when the second row was pushed forward, the best in the class. Every Sienna model came with tri-zone climate control, expanded to four zones in our XSE tester. The cargo space measured 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row, 75 cubic feet with the third-row stowed, and up to 101 cubic feet with the second row folded.

Technology in the 2024 MINI Countryman was practical if not cutting-edge. The test vehicle featured a small digital instrumentation display, a HUD, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system ensconced in a retro-modern design. Leveraging BMW’s iDrive, the system allowed interactions via touchscreen, physical buttons, steering wheel controls, a console-mounted knob, and voice recognition. Predictably, the system offered Apple CarPlay but not Android Auto. The Iconic trim included a robust 12-speaker Harman Kardon audio system which sounded exceptional.

Conversely, the Toyota Sienna utilized an older infotainment system. The nine-inch touchscreen provided wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, surrounded by physical buttons for core functions. Despite the outdated backup camera, mid-cluster analog gauges housed a 7-inch digital display for essential information.

Nonetheless, the Sienna excelled in connectivity, flaunting a Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM, and an optional JBL 12-speaker system. USB-A and USB-C ports speckled the interior, paired with a 1500-watt inverter. Optionally, rear-seat entertainment and a 10-inch color head-up display were available.

The MINI Countryman had minimal ADAS features with its Active Driving Assistant, including forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and automatic high-beams. Optional adaptive cruise control was available, but features like blind-spot monitoring or lane-keeping assist were absent. The IIHS rated it highly in crashworthiness but not exhaustively.

Toyota’s Safety Sense suite was standard in the Sienna, featuring lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, road sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Its systems were generally reliable, although lane-keeping assist occasionally wavered. Comprehensive airbag protection and reminders for backseat checks were standard. The NHTSA awarded it four out of five stars for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side-crash protection. IIHS ratings were excellent except for a moderate score in front crash prevention.