2023 Toyota Sienna vs 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

The 2023 Toyota Sienna was a minivan that aimed to shed its traditional image with a design reminiscent of a Japanese bullet train. Despite its minivan roots, the Sienna offered a range of trims from the base LE to the top-shelf Platinum, including a special 25th Anniversary Edition. The XLE trim was popular among value-conscious buyers, featuring standard LED fog lights, power-sliding doors, and a power liftgate. Inside, the Sienna impressed with high-quality materials, such as brown leather upholstery and wood-grain accents in the Platinum trim. It accommodated seven or eight passengers, with the eight-seater option supporting three-across car seats in the middle row.

In contrast, the 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was a larger, more rugged-looking crossover built on the TNGA-K platform. It shared its underpinnings with the regular Highlander and other Toyota models, offering a spacious interior with a length of 201.4 inches and a 116.1-inch wheelbase. The Grand Highlander featured a blockier design, drawing inspiration from off-road vehicles like the 4Runner. It was available in three trims: XLE, Limited, and Platinum, with Softex synthetic leather on the XLE and real leather on higher trims. The interior boasted a 10-way power-adjustable driver seat, heated front seats, and a large center console, making it a comfortable choice for road trips.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna was powered by a hybrid system featuring a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two front-mounted electric motors and an optional third rear-mounted motor for AWD trims. This setup delivered 245 net system horsepower, which felt underwhelming compared to competitors. The Sienna's CVT struggled with acceleration, but its chassis and steering were surprisingly nimble, making it enjoyable to drive in urban settings. The Sienna offered multiple drive modes, but Normal mode was recommended for the best balance of performance and efficiency.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander offered three engine options: a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 265 horsepower, a 2.5-liter hybrid with 245 combined horsepower, and the powerful Hybrid Max with 362 horsepower. The Hybrid Max provided impressive acceleration, achieving 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds. The Grand Highlander was available with FWD and AWD, with additional drive modes for AWD models. While its size made it less maneuverable than the smaller Highlander, the Grand Highlander offered solid brakes and adequate acceleration, especially with the turbocharged engine. The steering, however, felt somewhat disconnected, lacking road feedback.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior storage, offering numerous cubbies, shelves, and bins. It featured a large open cubby below the center console and a long shelf across the dashboard. The Sienna's minivan platform provided ample cargo space, with 33.5 cubic feet behind the third row and a total of 101 cubic feet. However, the middle row couldn't be removed or folded into the floor, limiting maximum cargo capacity. The second-row captain's chairs were highly functional, with extending ottomans and adjustable tracks for added comfort.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander was larger than its rivals, offering 97.5 cubic feet of total cargo capacity. It provided 57.9 cubic feet behind the second row and 20.6 cubic feet with all seats up. The Grand Highlander was spacious and comfortable, with ample headroom, legroom, and shoulder room in all rows. Its design allowed for easy access to the third row, accommodating adults comfortably.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna featured an older infotainment interface with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, and Bluetooth connectivity. It had a 9-inch touchscreen and seven USB ports, but the system felt outdated and required wired connections for smartphone integration. Despite its quirks, the Sienna's technology was reliable, and the 12-speaker JBL audio system delivered good sound quality.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering a significant improvement over previous Toyota interfaces. It included dual-device Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an 11-speaker JBL stereo. An intelligent assistant and cloud-based navigation were available through a subscription. The Grand Highlander's tech package was comprehensive, but buyers needed to consider subscription options carefully.

The 2023 Toyota Sienna impressed with its standard safety features, including automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, and adaptive cruise control. It received a 5-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the IIHS for the 2022 model.

The 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander, though not yet rated by safety organizations, came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. This suite included automatic emergency braking, lane-departure alert, lane-tracing assist, road-sign recognition, and adaptive cruise control with four following-distance settings. The updated lane-departure alert reduced false warnings by recognizing three-dimensional objects.