2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid vs 2025 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid, with its base price of $48,909, including destination and other fees, offered an affordable entry into the electrified SUV market. Its sporty exterior, featuring black 18-inch wheels and blacked-out trim, contrasted with a relatively basic interior. The Touring Hybrid, priced at $50,909, showcased a Canyon River Blue paint job and no optional accessories. The CR-V's conservative styling, with a technical face resembling an angry robot, was expected to age well, though it carried too much visual weight over its front wheels. The rear quarter view, with Volvo-adjacent taillights and a tidy design, gave the CR-V an upscale appearance. Inside, the Touring featured leather seats with orange contrast stitching and numerous quality details, such as a soft-touch dashboard and metal mesh air vent covers, contributing to a sophisticated cabin feel.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Sienna, with its trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines, attempted to bring style to the minivan segment. Despite these efforts, it still resembled a traditional minivan, albeit with a family resemblance to the Camry sedan. The Platinum package introduced new flower-petal wheel designs, replacing the previous split-five-spoke design. Our test vehicle, the top-of-the-line Sienna Limited with the Platinum package, was finished in the new Magnetic Grey paint. Prices ranged 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 interior's aesthetics, adult professionals found it improved over previous models.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid featured a fourth-generation Honda two-motor hybrid drive system, combining a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors. This setup delivered 204 horsepower to all four wheels, providing a relatively quiet and compliant ride with predictable handling traits. However, the CR-V Hybrid fell short of its fuel economy expectations, achieving 8.7 L/100 km on a mountainous testing loop compared to the official rating of 6.4 L/100 km. Despite its complexity, the hybrid system worked transparently, with only minor quirks like low-speed electric vehicle noise and engine droning on hills. The CR-V was easy to drive, though not particularly exciting for off-road adventures or spirited driving.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna, powered by a hybrid system with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a CVT, offered 245 horsepower. While not particularly powerful, the electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing the Sienna from feeling sluggish. The minivan achieved 8.9 L/100 km on a test loop, falling short of its official rating of 6.6 L/100 km. The Sienna's handling was predictable and secure, though not particularly engaging. The standard suspension provided a smooth, absorbent ride, akin to a marshmallow on wheels. The Sienna was impressively quiet on the highway, except when the CVT droned during hard acceleration.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid excelled in form and function, offering quality materials, intuitive controls, and comfortable seating. The 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat provided excellent support, while heated front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel enhanced comfort. The CR-V's wide-opening rear doors and roomy back seat made it ideal for families, with generous legroom and adjustable backrest angles. The cargo area offered 1,028 litres of space, expandable to 2,030 litres with the rear seats folded, making it one of the most commodious in its class.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna prioritized form and function with power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats. However, the cushions felt hard after extended driving. The Platinum's second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with teenagers, while the third-row seat accommodated adults comfortably. The Sienna's sliding side doors and second-row seats facilitated easy loading and unloading. Cargo space was generous, with 949 litres behind the third row and 2,129 litres with the third row stowed. Maximum cargo capacity was 2,860 litres, less than rivals due to the non-removable second-row seats.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid came equipped with a 9-inch infotainment display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless smartphone charging. The Touring trim added navigation and a 12-speaker Bose audio system. While the voice recognition system was basic, the walk-away automatic locking feature provided peace of mind.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the Toyota Audio Multimedia system. The Limited with Platinum package included a four-zone climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display, and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system offered connected services with varying subscription periods, and the digital assistant responded well to conversational commands. The 12-speaker JBL audio system, however, produced excessive bass. The four-zone climate control and digital rearview camera were appreciated, though the HUD lacked blind-spot warnings.

The 2024 Honda CR-V Hybrid included Honda Sensing, a suite of advanced driving assistance systems. It featured forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and more. The CR-V earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS, though it did not achieve the top award due to a poor rating in the updated moderate overlap front test.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna used TSS 2.0, an older version of Toyota Safety Sense, which some drivers preferred for its less intrusive technology. It included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Sienna added a new rear-seat reminder system for 2025. The NHTSA gave the Sienna a five-star overall rating, though it scored lower in frontal crash tests.