2024 Chevrolet Trax vs 2025 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax underwent a significant transformation, shedding its previous image to embrace a more modern and stylish design. The new Trax was longer, lower, and wider, drawing inspiration from the midsize Chevy Blazer with its bold grille and distinctive body lines. This redesign gave the Trax a commanding presence, setting it apart from competitors like the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks. The base Trax LS featured 17-inch steel wheels, while higher trims offered 18-inch and 19-inch aluminum options. The Trax Activ and RS trims added rugged and sporty styling cues, respectively, with the RS trim boasting blacked-out elements for a more aggressive look.

Inside, the Trax LS came with standard cloth upholstery and a practical, albeit plastic-heavy, interior. The design featured a freestanding touchscreen and prominent air vents, maintaining functionality while adding visual interest. Higher trims offered Evotex upholstery, with the Activ model featuring yellow contrast stitching and the RS model incorporating piano-black plastic accents. Despite some material choices that could be prone to smudging or heat, the Trax's interior design was a step up from its predecessor, offering a more engaging and contemporary cabin experience.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna, while maintaining its minivan roots, attempted to infuse style into its practical design. The trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines gave it a distinctive look, though it still resembled a traditional minivan. The Sienna's rear design mirrored the front's cinched appearance, with narrow taillights adding a touch of elegance. The Platinum package introduced new flower-petal wheel designs, enhancing its visual appeal. Despite these efforts, the Sienna remained unmistakably a minivan, prioritizing practicality over style.

Our test vehicle, the top-tier Sienna Limited with the Platinum package, showcased the new Magnetic Grey paint colour. The Canadian lineup included LE, XLE, and XSE trims, with prices ranging from $51,219 to $73,753, including destination charges. Toyota updated the Sienna's interior for 2025, with the Platinum package featuring a new woodgrain finish. While a 17-year-old passenger criticized the material, adult professionals found the interior improved. The Sienna's design aimed to balance practicality with a touch of sophistication, catering to families seeking a reliable and functional minivan.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax featured a new 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, replacing the previous 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. This change resulted in a slight decrease in power, with the new engine producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, compared to the old engine's 155 hp and 177 lb-ft. Despite the reduction in power, Chevy estimated that the 2024 Trax could accelerate to 100 km/h about a second faster than its predecessor. The three-cylinder engine delivered strong response and minimal turbo lag, making highway overtakes and city driving smooth and worry-free.

The Trax retained its six-speed automatic transmission and was available only with front-wheel drive, differentiating it from the all-wheel-drive Trailblazer. The Trax's handling was tuned to be more car-like, with a wider track providing a planted feel. While it wasn't a hot hatch, the Trax offered predictable and nimble handling, exceeding expectations for a subcompact crossover. Active noise cancellation helped reduce unwanted sounds, though tire noise was noticeable in the 2RS test vehicle. Ride quality was slightly rough, but the Trax's handling and refinement made it a compelling choice in its segment.

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 hybrid powertrain delivered a net horsepower rating of 245, which, while not particularly high, was sufficient for a minivan seating up to eight and towing up to 1,587 kilograms. The electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing the Sienna from feeling sluggish, especially in city driving.

The Sienna's hybrid system prioritized fuel economy, with an official rating of 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving for the front-wheel-drive model. However, during testing, the Sienna averaged 8.9 L/100 km with two occupants. While the Sienna offered predictable handling and a smooth ride, it wasn't particularly engaging to drive. The steering lacked precision, and the brakes showed signs of fade during demanding conditions. The Sienna XSE trim offered a sport-tuned suspension for a slightly more dynamic experience, but overall, the Sienna prioritized comfort and practicality over driving excitement.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax, despite its larger exterior dimensions, did not uniformly translate to increased interior space. The new model offered 7.6 cm more rear-seat legroom and a slight increase in front-seat legroom, but first-row headroom remained unchanged, and second-row headroom decreased by 1.7 cm. Shoulder room in both rows also decreased, resulting in a snugger seating arrangement. The Trax's passenger space was comparable to rivals like the Nissan Kicks and Hyundai Venue, with the Trax offering the most rear legroom among the three. The Trax's car-like driving position and low window sills provided excellent outward visibility, though SUV enthusiasts might miss the elevated seating position.

Cargo space in the Trax increased by about 12%, offering 725 litres with the rear seats in place and 1,532 litres with the rear seats folded. This was slightly better than the Kicks but significantly more than the Venue, making the Trax a practical choice for those needing ample cargo capacity.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna excelled in form and function, offering unique seating and cargo solutions. The front seats were power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated, though the cushions felt hard after extended driving. The Platinum package'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 comfortably, and the sliding side doors and second-row seats made loading and unloading easy, even in tight spaces. Most trims featured a hands-free power liftgate for added convenience.

Storage space in the Sienna was generous, with a wide tray under the centre console. However, finding secure places for one-litre water bottles proved challenging. The Sienna offered 949 litres of cargo space behind the third-row seat, expanding to 2,129 litres with the third-row seats stowed. Maximum cargo capacity was 2,860 litres, less than rivals due to the Sienna's fixed second-row seats. While this design choice simplified seat management, it limited maximum load space, making the Sienna less suitable for those needing maximum cargo capacity.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax saw significant upgrades in infotainment technology. An 8-inch touchscreen was standard on LS and 1RS trims, while LT, 2RS, and Activ models featured an 11-inch touchscreen and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with wireless phone charging, were available for the first time. The Trax's infotainment system was user-friendly, with crisp graphics and a logical menu layout. However, the screen's tilt towards the driver made it less accessible for front-seat passengers. The optional digital instrument cluster provided a modern design and allowed information transfer from the main touchscreen.

The Trax included two front USB ports and additional rear-seat USB ports on higher trims. Wireless phone charging was optional on LT, 2RS, and Activ grades, though the charging pad's shape and angle might not suit all phones.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna offered advanced technology features, particularly in higher-spec models. The Limited with Platinum package included a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) system. The vehicle also featured a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display (HUD), and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system provided access to various connected services plans, with Service Connect and Safety Connect available for up to 10 years. The Drive Connect plan included a digital assistant that responded accurately to voice commands.

The Sienna's infotainment system supported wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the Limited trim featured a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system. While the audio system produced excessive bass, the four-zone climate control system was appreciated by all occupants. The digital rearview camera and see-through surround-view camera added convenience, while the HUD provided useful information. However, the HUD could benefit from communicating blind-spot warnings.

The 2024 Chevrolet Trax'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. However, the Trax offered a decent array of driver-assist features. Standard safety features included automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, and a following distance indicator. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist. The Trax also featured the Teen Driver system, which activated certain safety features, monitored driving behaviour, and provided a "report card" to parents.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.0, an older technology set compared to TSS 3.0 found in other Toyota models. 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. While the lane-centring assist performed well, the adaptive cruise control required vigilance in urban areas. The Sienna introduced new rear-seat reminder technology, alerting drivers to movement within the cabin after exiting the vehicle. The NHTSA awarded the Sienna a five-star overall rating, though it received lower scores in frontal crash tests.