2025 Chevrolet Equinox vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was available in several trim levels, including LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum, each offering a distinctive look. Despite the absence of the "swagger wagon" commercials, the Sienna maintained its stylish appeal with sleek front and rear fascias and a variety of color options like deep blue, red, or green. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims featuring Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty appearance, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition, designed for off-road readiness, came in exclusive Cement or Midnight Black Metallic colors and featured roof rails with crossbars, a tow hitch, and slightly increased ground clearance.

Inside, the Sienna offered standard cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and seating for eight. The XSE trim with the optional Premium package replaced the second-row bench seat with two captain’s chairs and added heated and cooled leather-trimmed front seats. The interior design featured horizontal lines for a spacious feel, a fixed center console with satin accents, and easily accessible cup holders and shifter. While not luxurious, the interior was practical for families, with upper trims offering a built-in vacuum cleaner for convenience.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox underwent a significant redesign, adopting a modern look with a flat roof, upright grille, and "shark fin" C-pillar, aligning it more closely with larger Chevrolet models like the Traverse and Suburban. Each trim had distinct styling elements, with the base Equinox LT offering chrome or an optional Midnight Edition High Gloss Black treatment. The RS trim featured black mirrors and badges, a larger grille opening, and red RS emblems, while the ACTIV trim showcased dark chrome accents and all-terrain tires. Higher trims included a dark blue Chevy bowtie and two-tone paint options.

Inside, the Equinox's cabin was updated with a new design, featuring a sculptural sub-texture effect around the vents and a more open center console. The RS trim offered a storage area below the climate control buttons and a file-style angled wireless charging pad. The larger infotainment screen was integrated with the driver-information display, enhancing functionality. The cabin avoided a cheap feel, with textures that felt like a deliberate choice rather than a compromise. The ACTIV trim introduced a "Maple Sugar and Black" interior theme, while the RS trim featured red highlights and contrast stitching for a sporty effect.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was equipped with a hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors for front-wheel drive and an additional motor for all-wheel drive models, producing a total of 245 horsepower. Despite the sport-tuned suspension and Sport mode, the Sienna's performance was not particularly thrilling, feeling sluggish off the line with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that contributed to a smooth but slow acceleration. The CVT could become noisy, especially during highway merging or uphill driving. Around town, the Sienna offered a pleasant driving experience with light and accurate steering and excellent visibility, although the brakes could be grabby.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox retained its 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 175 horsepower. Torque varied with powertrain, offering 184 lb-ft in front-wheel-drive models and 203 lb-ft in all-wheel-drive versions. The Equinox introduced a continuously variable transmission (CVT) for FWD models and an eight-speed automatic for AWD models, the latter providing smoother and quieter shifts. The Equinox's accelerator was responsive at low speeds, but highway merging highlighted the engine's limitations. The ride was generally quiet and comfortable, with AWD models capable of towing up to 1,500 pounds. Selectable drive modes, including Normal, Snow, and Off-Road, were available for enhanced driving flexibility.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna offered practical interior features, including a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items and multiple cupholders. The second-row captain’s chairs could slide fore and aft 25 inches, providing up to 40 inches of legroom, although the slide function was complex, and the seats couldn't be removed, limiting cargo space. The third row was accessible for adults and offered 39 inches of legroom when the second row was pushed forward. Tri-zone climate control was standard, with an additional zone for the front passenger in the XSE trim. The rear liftgate revealed 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 101 cubic feet with the third row stowed.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox featured heated front seats and a heated steering wheel as standard on RS and ACTIV trims, with optional front seat ventilation and heated rear seats. The flat roof provided consistent headroom, with 38.2 inches in the front and 37.8 inches in the rear with the moonroof. The moonroof extended into the rear seats, adding light for passengers. The cabin included a well-placed "dead pedal" for driver comfort. Cargo space was slightly reduced, offering 29.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 63.5 cubic feet with them folded, with a hidden storage compartment beneath the load floor.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured an older infotainment system with a nine-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the system included physical buttons for common menus, the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. The Sienna offered a standard Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an optional 12-speaker JBL stereo system. USB ports were plentiful, and a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt outlet was available. Optional features included an 11.6-inch rear-seat entertainment system and a 10-inch color head-up display.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox came standard with Google Built-In, offering wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The native Google Maps integration projected onto the driver information display, allowing for simultaneous infotainment activity. The voice control system had volume issues in some models, but most tech features were standard, including an 11.3-inch infotainment touchscreen, Wi-Fi hotspot capability, and a six-speaker audio system. Wireless charging was standard on RS and ACTIV trims and available on LT.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna included the Toyota Safety Sense suite, featuring lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. The Sienna received four out of five stars from the NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side crash protection. The IIHS rated it "Good" in crashworthiness but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2025 Chevrolet Equinox offered a Safety & Technology package with rear pedestrian alert, HD surround vision, traffic-sign recognition, and a camera rearview mirror. The Chevy Safety Assist suite included rear park assist, lane-change alert, enhanced automatic emergency braking, and lane-keep assist. Teen Driver Technology allowed parents to set speed and volume limits and receive a "report card" on driving behavior.