Toyota Sienna vs Subaru Ascent

The 2024 Subaru Ascent continued to struggle with its styling, as Subaru's design team seemed to have a knack for creating appealing vehicles only to alter them unfavorably during refreshes. The latest Ascent, unchanged from the previous year, retained its visually offensive tusks and a boldly obnoxious spear running across the grille into the headlights. Despite these design choices, the Ascent lineup remained consistent, offering Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring trim levels, with prices ranging from $34,395 to $48,695, excluding the $1,345 destination charge. The Touring trim, which we tested, included a panoramic sunroof, premium Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a navigation system, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, a camera-based rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera, bringing the MSRP to $50,181, including destination.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Sienna attempted to break away from the typical minivan design with its trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines, but it still resembled a minivan. The Sienna's Platinum trim level introduced new flower-petal wheel designs, replacing the previous split-five-spoke design. Despite Toyota's efforts, the Sienna maintained its box-on-wheels design, prioritizing practicality over style. Our test vehicle, the top-of-the-line Sienna Platinum model, featured the new-for-2025 Magnetic Gray paint color and included an extended connected services subscription, all-weather floor mats, a digital rearview mirror, and other accessories, bringing the MSRP to $58,634, including the $1,495 destination charge. The interior updates for 2025 included a new woodgrain finish, which received mixed reviews, with some passengers finding it unappealing.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent was equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. It featured a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and a standard all-wheel-drive (AWD) system with active torque vectoring. The Ascent could tow up to 5,000 pounds, although the Base trim had a towing capacity of 2,000 pounds. The Ascent excelled in various driving conditions, from city streets to off-road trails, and handled speed humps and rutted terrain with ease. Its turbocharged engine provided good power, and the CVT mimicked a conventional automatic transmission effectively most of the time. However, the Ascent struggled on twisty mountain roads due to its weight, suspension tuning, and all-season tires. Fuel economy was another weak point, with EPA ratings of 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, but our test drive returned lower figures of 16.7 mpg in the city and 18.6 mpg overall.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a CVT, offering a net horsepower rating of 245. Front-wheel drive (FWD) was standard, with an available all-wheel-drive (AWD) system that included a rear-mounted electric motor. While the Sienna's horsepower seemed modest for a vehicle seating up to eight and towing 3,500 pounds, the electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing the minivan from feeling sluggish. The Sienna delivered a quiet ride in the city and on the highway, but the CVT emitted a moaning sound during hard acceleration. The hybrid powertrain prioritized fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 36 mpg combined for the FWD model. However, our evaluation loop yielded an average of 26.3 mpg. The Sienna's handling was predictable but not particularly engaging, with squishy steering and brakes that struggled during hard-braking events. The Sienna XSE offered a sport-tuned suspension for a slightly more dynamic driving experience, but overall, the Sienna prioritized a smooth, absorbent ride.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent prioritized function over form, offering practical features such as a dashboard shelf, large cupholders, backpack pegs, and cargo hooks. The Touring trim featured comfortable front seats with premium Nappa leather, heating, and ventilation, although the front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster. The rear doors opened to nearly a 90-degree angle, facilitating easy loading of children and cargo. The Ascent's second-row captain's chairs were comfortable, but legroom felt a bit snug compared to competitors. The third-row seat provided acceptable comfort for adults on short trips, with air conditioning vents and ample storage space. Cargo space behind the third-row seat measured 17.8 cubic feet, expandable to 43.5 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and up to 75.6 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna offered unique seating and cargo solutions, with power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front chairs wrapped in perforated leather. However, the cushions felt hard after extended driving. The Platinum trim's second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with teenagers, and the third-row seat accommodated adults comfortably. The Sienna's sliding side doors and second-row seats made loading and unloading easy, even in tight parking spaces. Storage space was generous, with a wide tray under the center console, although finding secure places for large water bottles was challenging. Behind the third-row seat, the Sienna offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 75.2 cubic feet with the third-row seats stowed. Maximum cargo capacity was 101 cubic feet, less than rivals, as the Sienna's second-row seats couldn't be removed or stowed in floor wells.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent featured the Starlink infotainment system with an 11.6-inch touchscreen display, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and text-messaging capability. Higher trim levels offered Starlink connected services, including a Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation system, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system. The Safety & Security connected services plan included automatic collision notification, SOS emergency assistance, and remote engine starting. The Ascent's display struggled in direct sunlight, and the native voice-recognition system was subpar. However, physical buttons and knobs controlled commonly used functions, and Cabin Connect projected the driver's voice through the stereo speakers. The Touring trim included a surround-view camera and a camera-based rearview mirror.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna's higher-spec models featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen display for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) infotainment system. The Platinum trim included a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display (HUD), and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. An Entertainment Package added an 11.6-inch display, HDMI input, remote, and wireless headphones. The TAM system offered five connected services plans, with varying complimentary subscription periods. The digital assistant in the Drive Connect plan responded accurately to commands, but features like native music streaming required active subscriptions. The Sienna Platinum's 12-speaker JBL premium audio system produced excessive bass, and the four-zone climate control system was appreciated. The digital rearview camera offered zoom capabilities, and the HUD provided useful information.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent was synonymous with safety, featuring a high-strength steel platform and the standard EyeSight collection of safety features and driver assistance systems. The Ascent received five-star ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in all assessments except rollover resistance, where it earned four stars. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded the 2024 Ascent a Top Safety Pick+ rating for 2023. The EyeSight package included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, adaptive cruise control, and evasive steering assist. However, the lane-centering assist technology was criticized for its performance, particularly on freeway ramps and winding roads.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.0, an older technology set compared to TSS 3.0, but preferred by some for its less intrusive approach. TSS 2.0 included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Sienna also had automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The lane-centering assist performed well overall, but the adaptive cruise control required human intervention during sudden traffic braking events. The 2025 Sienna introduced a rear-seat reminder system, alerting the driver to movement within the cabin. The NHTSA gave the Sienna a five-star overall rating, but it scored lower in frontal crash tests, with three stars for driver protection.