Toyota Sienna vs Subaru Ascent

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum trims, consistently commanded attention with its distinctive appearance. Although Toyota might have retired the “swagger wagon” commercials, the Sienna’s vibe lived on robustly. Competing closely with the Kia Carnival in style points, the Sienna’s exterior featured sleek front and rear fascias, and was available in appealing colors like deep blue, red, or green.

Standard LED lighting across all trims, with upper trims boasting Bi-LED projector headlamps, enhanced visibility significantly. The XSE trim stood out with a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels, emphasizing its sporty character.

The Woodland Edition of the Sienna, available in exclusive Cement or Midnight Black Metallic, was designed to be slightly more off-road-ready with roof rails, a tow hitch, and an extra half-inch of ground clearance, making it moderately capable for rougher terrains though it still only managed 6.9 inches off the ground.

Inside, the Sienna catered to comfort and convenience. Standard features included cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and seating for eight. The XSE trim with the optional Premium package elevated the experience with second-row captain’s chairs replacing the bench seat, leather-trimmed heated and cooled front seats, and a leather-trimmed power steering wheel with Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) controls. The horizontal design lines gave the interior a more spacious feel, and the fixed center console, with handy satin accents, kept everything within easy reach. Although not luxurious, the kid-friendly interior was practical, with upper trims offering a built-in vacuum cleaner for easy cleanup.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Subaru Ascent’s design journey experienced some missteps. The recent styling update introduced visually offensive tusks and an imposing spear running across the grille, not winning universal praise. The Ascent’s unchanged lineup included Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring trims, priced from $34,395 to $48,695 before the destination charge of $1,345.

The Touring trim in our test vehicle featured a standard panoramic sunroof, premium Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, an advanced navigation system, a robust 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system, a camera-based rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera—essentially all the high-end features Subaru offered for the Ascent.

Although the interior quality on the Touring trim looked good, its design had a more practical than sophisticated feel. Working within a modular approach, the interior functionality was on point but didn’t impress with modern aesthetics.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was a hybrid minivan, combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors powering the front wheels and a small battery pack. All-wheel-drive (AWD) models added an electric motor powering the rear wheels, delivering a total of 245 horsepower. Despite the sport-tuned suspension and an actual Sport mode, the Sienna’s ride remained notably sluggish, especially when accelerating from a stop or merging onto highways, and its continuously variable transmission (CVT) didn’t help matters, often feeling loud and slow. However, driving around town was a smooth if unremarkable experience, with Normal or Eco mode being optimal. An EV mode offered quiet, emissions-free driving in slow-speed areas like parking lots.

Braking could be overly sensitive, with grabby brakes sometimes spilling drinks, while the light and accurate steering, coupled with excellent visibility, made maneuvering easy. Although other minivans like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica offered stronger V6 powerplants, the Sienna’s hybrid system provided decent fuel efficiency, appealing to environmentally conscious buyers.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent, powered by a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, delivered 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. Paired with a CVT and a standard AWD system with active torque vectoring, the Ascent could tow up to 5,000 pounds, depending on the trim. This vehicle excelled in a variety of driving environments, from city streets to rural gravel roads, showcasing versatility.

With its Subaru boxer engine, the Ascent offered strong performance, with the CVT convincingly mimicking a conventional automatic most of the time. However, its performance lagged on twisty mountain roads due to its soft suspension and curb weight, and its fuel economy was less impressive, achieving 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway, with real-world figures somewhat lower.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna impressed with practical interior innovations. The front featured a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items, four cupholders, bonus holders in the doors, and a shelf above the glovebox for smaller items, housing the available wireless charging pad. Power-operated side doors and sliding second-row captain’s chairs created up to 40 inches of legroom for second-row passengers. The third-row seats were relatively easy to access and adjustable for comfort.

The Sienna’s configurable seating allowed for significant cargo versatility. The rear liftgate, operable with a kick, revealed 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 75 cubic feet with the third row folded down and up to 101 cubic feet with the second row folded, although the non-removable second-row seats limited maximum cargo capacity compared to some competitors.

Meanwhile, the 2024 Subaru Ascent placed function at the forefront, with smart features like a dashboard shelf, large cupholders, and second-row backpack pegs. Touring trim offered premium Nappa leather, heated and ventilated front seats, though lacked a height adjuster for the front passenger seat. Wide-opening rear doors facilitated easy loading of children and cargo. The Ascent’s roof rails supported 700 pounds of static load.

Second-row legroom was a bit snug, but the third-row seats, though narrow to access, were supportive enough for adults on short trips. Cargo space was robust, with 17.8 cubic feet behind the third row, growing to 43.5 cubic feet with the third-row seats folded, and a maximum of 75.6 cubic feet, slightly reduced with the panoramic sunroof installed.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna lagged with its older infotainment technology, featuring a nine-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical buttons for common functions were a plus, as was the presence of multiple USB ports and a 1500-watt inverter. However, the backup camera offered a grainy view, and the analog gauges, supplemented by a 7-inch digital display, felt dated. Optional extras included a rear-camera mirror, a 12-speaker JBL system, a rear-seat entertainment system, and a 10-inch head-up display.

Conversely, the 2024 Subaru Ascent featured Subaru’s Starlink infotainment system with an 11.6-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and SiriusXM satellite radio. Upper trims offered connected services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, navigation, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon system. Physical buttons, knobs for essential controls, and features like Cabin Connect for passenger communication were boons. However, the display struggled under direct sunlight, and the voice-recognition system was subpar, with phone pairing recommended for smoother operation.

Safety was paramount for the 2024 Toyota Sienna, equipped with Toyota Safety Sense including lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were standard. However, lane-keeping assist was less reliable, occasionally causing side-to-side movement. The Sienna earned respectable crash-test ratings, with four stars for frontal and rollover protection from NHTSA, and top “Good” scores from IIHS in most areas but an “Average” rating for front crash prevention.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent shared Subaru’s renowned safety ethos, featuring a high-strength steel platform and standard EyeSight driver assistance, including forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Upgrading to Premium trim added blind-spot monitoring and Starlink Safety & Security services. Higher trims offered reverse braking and Driver Focus monitoring. NHTSA awarded the Ascent five stars in most assessments except rollover resistance, and IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick+ rating for the 2023 calendar year. However, lane-centering assist performance was less impressive, sometimes challenging the driver’s inputs.