2024 Toyota Sienna vs 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in various trims such as LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum, presented a distinctive look that continued the "swagger wagon" vibe. Despite competition from the Kia Carnival, the Sienna stood out with sleek front and rear fascias and a range of cool colors 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 appeal, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition, available in exclusive colors like Cement or Midnight Black Metallic, was designed for a bit more off-road readiness, featuring roof rails with crossbars, a tow hitch, and slightly increased ground clearance.

Inside, the Sienna offered standard cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and room for eight passengers. 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.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan underwent a complete redesign, marking the start of its third generation. It adopted a sleek, modern look inspired by VW's electric vehicles, particularly evident in the front with narrower headlights and a plastic trim element reminiscent of the ID.4 EV. The top SEL R-Line trim featured an illuminated VW badge and light bar. The grille appeared larger, with smaller actual openings and prominent air intakes. The side profile showcased a sportier tapering hatch, a longer hood, and shorter overhangs, creating a sportier silhouette. The rear featured a single bar taillight spanning the liftgate, with illuminated logo and bar on the top trim.

Inside, the Tiguan embraced modernization with a tablet-like infotainment display and a digital instrument panel standard across all trims. The dashboard adopted a minimalist design, with physical climate controls moved to the bottom of the central touchscreen. The gear selector was relocated to the steering column, allowing for more storage space. Materials quality was average for the class, with soft-touch materials in contact areas and durable plastics in the rear. The interior offered ample storage options, including a long armrest bin and large door pockets.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was powered by a hybrid system combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models added an electric motor for the rear wheels. Despite a 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 mostly pleasant driving experience, with light and accurate steering and excellent visibility. However, the brakes were a bit grabby, and the minivan's performance paled in comparison to competitors like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica, which offered stronger V6 engines.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan was equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 201 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission was standard, with front-wheel drive, while Volkswagen's 4Motion all-wheel drive was available on all models and standard on the top SEL R-Line trim. The Tiguan's acceleration was expected to be similar to its predecessor, reaching 60 mph in approximately 8.5 seconds, which was average for its class. The drivetrain delivered power smoothly and linearly, with confident highway acceleration. Braking was reliable, with a well-weighted pedal for smooth stops. The suspension favored comfort, effectively smoothing over road imperfections while maintaining composure on winding roads. The Tiguan's cabin was quiet, with minimal tire and wind noise. While not sporty, the Tiguan was appropriately tuned for a balance of performance and comfort. A more powerful Turbo version was anticipated for 2026, offering increased output for more spirited driving.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior space, though some seating features were tricky to master. The front offered a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items, four cupholders, and a shelf above the glovebox with a wireless charging pad. The second-row captain’s chairs could slide 25 inches, providing up to 40 inches of legroom, but the slide function was complicated, 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 and the second row folded.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan returned without a third row, increasing second-row legroom by 1.5 inches. The interior featured traditional buttons instead of capacitive-touch controls, improving usability. Visibility was comparable to other small SUVs, with narrow front roof pillars and a sufficiently large rear window. The center console offered more storage, with two cupholders, a smartphone slot, and a deep armrest bin. Cargo capacity was not finalized, but the new area appeared smaller than the previous model's 37.6 cubic feet. The angled liftgate limited loading of bulkier items, but deep pockets behind the wheel humps provided secure storage for smaller items. The Tiguan featured remote seatback releases and a power liftgate on all but the base trim.

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 for a 2024 model. 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 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard with a digital instrument panel and a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, with a 15-inch display available on the top trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, along with a wireless phone charger in the center armrest bin. The infotainment screen featured capacitive-touch sliders, but a new volume knob on the center console improved usability. The Tiguan introduced Atmospheres, a system combining ambient lighting and audio settings to enhance mood. The standard audio system had seven speakers, with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium system available on the top trim. VW's Car-Net system included remote monitoring and control, plus a Wi-Fi hotspot.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including 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 and seat belt and child restraint systems, but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan's crash test results were not yet available. Standard safety features included frontal collision warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, lane-keep assist, safe passenger exit warnings, parking sensors, automatic high beams, and a driver condition monitor. The Emergency Assist system could slow the vehicle to a stop if the driver was incapacitated. The SE R-Line added a head-up display, while the top SEL R-Line included a surround-view camera system, traffic sign reader, and semi-automated parking system. All safety features functioned as expected, with no false alarms or oversensitivity issues.