2023 Nissan Pathfinder vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder, redesigned in 2022, maintained its modern aesthetic with minimal changes. Its futuristic headlights and angular C-pillar combined traditional elements with forward-thinking design, ensuring its relevance for years. Inside, the cabin featured clean lines and a sensible layout, making it both visually appealing and practical. The Pathfinder offered various trims, including the S, SV, SL, Rock Creek, and Platinum, each with distinct features. The Rock Creek trim stood out with its rugged design, off-road suspension, and water-repellent interior, making it ideal for both trails and winter conditions. The Platinum trim, at the top end, boasted upgraded leather upholstery and advanced features like a fully digital instrument panel.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum trims, presented a distinctive look with sleek front and rear fascias. Despite the absence of "swagger wagon" commercials, the Sienna maintained its stylish vibe, offering colors like deep blue, red, and green. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims featuring Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, with its sporty design, included a black metallic mesh front grille and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition catered to off-road enthusiasts with roof rails, a tow hitch, and increased ground clearance. Inside, the Sienna offered a spacious cabin with features like sliding second-row captain’s chairs and a built-in vacuum cleaner in upper trims.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder was powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, producing 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. The Rock Creek trim offered a slight power boost, delivering 295 hp and 270 lb-ft. Power was transmitted through a 9-speed automatic transmission to either front-wheel drive or available all-wheel drive. The Rock Creek trim enhanced off-road capability with a taller suspension and off-road shocks. Despite the rougher ride on roads due to off-road tires, the Pathfinder excelled on trails. The vehicle featured a rotary drive mode dial with options like Eco, Sport, and All-Terrain, and the Rock Creek trim could tow up to 6,000 pounds.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, a hybrid minivan, combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models included an additional electric motor for the rear wheels. While the Sienna offered a sport-tuned suspension and a Sport mode, it felt sluggish off the line, with the CVT contributing to a less engaging driving experience. However, the minivan provided a smooth ride around town, with modes like Normal, Eco, and EV for different driving conditions. The brakes were slightly grabby, but the steering was light and accurate, with excellent visibility.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder offered up to 80.5 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows folded flat. With the second row in use, it provided 45 cubic feet, and with all seats upright, 16.6 cubic feet. The first two rows offered ample headroom and legroom, while the third row accommodated adults for shorter trips. The optional second-row captain’s chairs facilitated access to the third row. The Pathfinder featured 12 cupholders and four bottle holders, along with numerous cubbies and compartments. The Rock Creek trim included a robust roof rack capable of holding up to 220 pounds.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior space, with a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items and multiple cupholders. The second-row captain’s chairs could slide fore and aft 25 inches, offering up to 40 inches of legroom. However, the slide function was complex, and the seats couldn’t be removed, limiting cargo space. The third row provided ample legroom, with seats that tilted for comfort. The Sienna featured tri-zone climate control, with an additional zone for the front passenger in the XSE trim. The rear liftgate revealed 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expanding to 101 cubes with the second row folded.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, supporting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims featured a 9-inch system, with logical menu layouts and real buttons and dials. Despite dated graphics, the system was user-friendly. The Pathfinder included four USB ports, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, and voice recognition. The SV trim added a Wi-Fi hotspot, while the SL trim offered wireless Apple CarPlay and a third-row USB port. The Platinum trim included an additional USB port.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured a nine-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the system was older, it included physical buttons for common menus. The backup camera was grainy, and the gauges were analog, with a 7-inch digital display in the cluster. The Sienna offered a standard Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an optional 12-speaker JBL stereo system. USB ports were scattered throughout the cabin, with a 1500-watt inverter and 120-volt outlets for the second row and rear cargo area.

The 2023 Nissan Pathfinder included standard driver assistance features like forward and reverse automatic emergency braking, collision warning, pedestrian detection, and blind-spot monitoring. The SV trim added ProPilot Assist with lane centering and adaptive cruise control. The SL trim featured front parking sensors, a 360-degree parking monitor, and traffic-sign recognition. The Platinum trim included rain-sensing wipers and a head-up display.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, offering lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were standard. The Sienna had numerous airbags, including side curtain airbags for all rows. The NHTSA rated it four out of five stars for frontal crash and rollover protection, and five stars for side crash protection. The IIHS gave it top scores in crashworthiness and seat belt systems, but rated front crash prevention as "Average."