2025 Toyota Sienna vs 2024 Buick Envista

The 2024 Buick Envista, while sharing its platform with the Chevy Trax, took a distinct styling path. Its sloping roofline gave it a "crossover coupe" appearance, reminiscent of more upscale models like the BMW X2, X4, and X6. Although a more traditional roofline might have enhanced rear visibility, the design was deemed acceptable. The Envista's front-end styling, inspired by the Buick Wildcat EV concept, featured a split lighting design with thin daytime running lights above and real headlights positioned vertically beside the grille. This sleek design was a first for Buick, setting the Envista apart from models like the Envision and Encore GX, which received similar styling as part of mid-cycle refreshes. The ST grade was marked by black exterior trim and 18-inch wheels, while the top Avenir trim boasted bright exterior trim and standard 19-inch wheels. Inside, the Envista's cabin, though similar to the Trax, offered a smoother, more streamlined look with softer materials, albeit with a somewhat artificial texture. Overall, the Envista's interior was a step up from the Trax, aligning with its entry-level status.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna, despite its attempts at style, retained the quintessential minivan look. Its trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines gave it a distinctive appearance, but it still resembled a minivan. The Sienna's design included hidden sliding door tracks and swollen rear fenders, with narrow taillights that echoed the Camry sedan's family resemblance. The Platinum package introduced new flower-petal wheel designs, replacing the previous split-five-spoke design. Despite these efforts, the Sienna remained a practical choice for those needing seating for up to eight. Our test vehicle, the top-of-the-line Sienna Limited with the Platinum package, featured the new Magnetic Grey paint colour. The Canadian lineup included LE, XLE, and XSE trims, with prices ranging from $51,219 to $73,753. Toyota updated the Sienna's interior for 2025, with the Platinum package offering a new woodgrain finish. While a 17-year-old passenger found the finish unappealing, adult professionals appreciated the interior's improved look.

The 2024 Buick Envista featured a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This powertrain, shared with the Trax, delivered a refined performance, offering smooth power delivery akin to a larger engine. Unlike its predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista did not offer an all-wheel-drive option, distinguishing it from the Encore GX. The base models had a torsion-beam rear suspension, while models with 19-inch wheels, like the Avenir and some ST models, boasted a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension for improved ride quality. The front suspension was a MacPherson strut setup, with Buick-specific bushings and damper tuning. The Envista handled bumps admirably, though it felt nervous on less-than-perfect straightaways. Despite this, the Envista accelerated with urgency and offered a quieter, more laid-back feel compared to the Trax.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna was powered by a hybrid system featuring a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The standard front-wheel drive could be upgraded to an all-wheel-drive system with an additional rear-mounted electric motor. The Sienna's net horsepower was 245, which, while not overwhelming, was sufficient for its seating capacity of up to eight and towing capability of 1,587 kilograms. The electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing the Sienna from feeling sluggish. In city driving, the powertrain was unobtrusive, and on the highway, it was quiet, except during hard acceleration. The Sienna's hybrid powertrain prioritized fuel economy, with an official rating of 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. However, during testing, it averaged 8.9 L/100 km. The Sienna offered predictable handling with little body roll, though it wasn't particularly engaging to drive. The standard suspension provided a smooth, absorbent ride, akin to a marshmallow on wheels, and the vehicle was impressively quiet on the highway.

The 2024 Buick Envista was 36 centimetres longer than the outgoing Buick Encore, with a 14.5-centimetre wheelbase stretch. This increase in size contributed to a more fashion-forward design and improved interior space. Rear-seat legroom grew by 7.6 cm, and shoulder room in both rows increased by about 5 cm, creating a more spacious feel. However, the coupe-like roofline resulted in slightly reduced headroom, particularly for second-row passengers. The seats were comfortable for the price point, and a power moonroof was optional on Sport Touring and standard on Avenir. The Envista's car-like design offered good outward visibility, but cargo space was limited. With the rear seats in place, it provided 586 litres of cargo space, less than a Honda Civic hatchback. Folding the rear seats down increased storage to 1,189 litres, still less than the old Encore. The Trax offered more cargo space in both configurations.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna prioritized form and function, offering unique seating and cargo solutions. The front seats were power adjustable, heated, and ventilated, wrapped in perforated leather. However, after extended driving, the cushions felt hard. The Platinum's second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with teenagers, and the refrigerated compartment on the back of the centre console was a hit. The third-row seat accommodated adults, and the sliding side doors made loading and unloading easy. Storage space was generous, with a wide tray under the centre console, though finding secure places for one-litre water bottles was challenging. Behind the third-row seat, the Sienna held 949 litres of cargo, expandable to 2,129 litres with the third-row seats stowed. Maximum cargo capacity was 2,860 litres, less than rivals due to the non-removable second-row seats. Toyota's research suggested most owners didn't maximize space by removing seats, but for those needing maximum load space, the Sienna might not be ideal.

The 2024 Buick Envista came equipped with an 11-inch touchscreen and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster as standard, skipping the base infotainment system offered in the Trax. It included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The user experience was similar to the Trax, with easy-to-use interfaces and retained buttons and knobs for climate control and audio volume. However, the centre stack's tilt toward the driver made controls a bit of a reach for the front-seat passenger. The Envista didn't offer a head-up display, and wireless phone charging was optional on all but the top Avenir trim. Despite these limitations, the Envista's tech features were impressive for its price range.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna, in higher-spec models, featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen display for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) infotainment system. Our Limited with Platinum package test vehicle included a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display (HUD), and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system offered access to four connected services plans, with varying complimentary subscription periods. The digital assistant, part of the Drive Connect plan, responded accurately to commands. The Sienna Limited paired this infotainment system with a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system, though the sound settings produced excessive bass. The four-zone climate control system was appreciated, and the digital rearview camera offered zoom-in/zoom-out capability. The HUD provided additional convenience, though it lacked blind-spot warnings.

The 2024 Buick Envista's crash-test ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) were unavailable at the time of publication. Standard driver assist tech included automatic emergency braking, a following distance indicator, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. In Canada, adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist were also standard. This equipment list was typical for a vehicle in this price range.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.0, an older technology set compared to TSS 3.0. TSS 2.0 included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centring assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Sienna also had automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The lane-centring assist performed well, though the adaptive cruise control required human intervention during sudden traffic braking events. For 2025, the Sienna added new rear-seat reminder technology, alerting the owner via the Toyota app and phone call if movement was detected in the cabin. The NHTSA gave the Sienna a five-star overall rating, though it scored three stars for driver protection in a frontal impact, the worst result among minivans.