2024 Hyundai Venue vs 2025 Toyota Sienna

In Canada, the 2024 Hyundai Venue was available in Essential, Preferred, and Ultimate trim levels, with prices ranging from $23,581 to $28,081, including the $1,950 destination charge. The Venue Preferred, priced at $25,581, was recommended for its enhanced exterior appearance and added convenience and safety features. The test vehicle, equivalent to the U.S. Ultimate trim, featured Ecotronic Grey paint, bringing the MSRP to $28,331. Despite limited options, the Venue's design was appealing, offering a sense of genuine style. Inside, the Venue's interior, though featuring hard plastic, did not appear cheap. Unexpected style elements included seat stripes and piping, and white trim around the dashboard air vents and transmission shifter. The digital instrumentation and 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display were highlights, with controls exhibiting typical Hyundai quality.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna, with its trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines, maintained the minivan's box-on-wheels design to maximize interior space. The Sienna's Platinum package introduced new flower-petal wheel designs. Despite efforts to enhance its appearance, the Sienna still resembled a minivan. The test vehicle, a top-of-the-line Limited with the Platinum package, featured the new Magnetic Grey paint colour. Prices ranged from $51,219 to $73,753, including the $1,930 destination charge. The Sienna's interior, updated for 2025, included a new woodgrain finish, though opinions on its aesthetics varied. The Sienna's interior was considered an improvement over previous models.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue was equipped with a 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine producing 121 horsepower and 113 pound-feet of torque. Weighing between 1,200 to 1,250 kilograms, the Venue's lightweight design allowed the CVT to maximize available power, making it suitable for city and suburban driving. The Venue's small size, nimble handling, and excellent visibility were advantageous in urban environments. However, the suspension struggled on rough surfaces, resulting in a busy ride quality. On highways, the Venue could maintain traffic pace, but the engine and CVT became noisy under hard acceleration. The Venue lacked all-wheel drive, with power directed to the front wheels, but its 17 centimetres of ground clearance aided in snowy conditions. The Venue's fuel economy was rated at 7.5 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, though it averaged 7.8 L/100 km during testing.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a CVT. The standard front-wheel drive could be upgraded to all-wheel drive with an additional rear-mounted electric motor. The Sienna's net horsepower was 245, which was modest for a vehicle seating up to eight and towing up to 1,587 kilograms. The electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing sluggishness. In city driving, the powertrain was unobtrusive, and highway cruising was quiet. However, hard acceleration resulted in a noisy CVT. The Sienna's hybrid system prioritized fuel economy, with a rating of 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. During testing, it averaged 8.9 L/100 km. The Sienna's handling was predictable but not engaging, with a smooth ride and excellent impact isolation. The XSE trim offered a sportier suspension for a slightly more dynamic drive.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue's increased ground clearance facilitated easier entry and exit. Despite its small size, the Venue offered decent comfort, with a manual height-adjustable driver's seat and tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel. The front seats featured fabric inserts, artificial leather bolsters, and heated cushions. The back seat technically accommodated three passengers, but two would be more comfortable. Taller passengers might find the hard plastic front seatbacks uncomfortable, and rear storage space was limited. The Venue provided 528 litres of cargo space, expandable to 902 litres with the back seat folded.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna excelled in form and function, offering power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats in the Limited with Platinum package. However, the cushions felt hard after extended driving. The second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with teenagers, and the refrigerated compartment was a nice touch. The third-row seat accommodated adults, and the sliding side doors facilitated easy loading and unloading. Storage space was generous, though finding secure spots for large water bottles was challenging. The Sienna offered 949 litres of cargo space behind the third row, expandable to 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 Hyundai Venue featured an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment display with modern graphics and logical menus. Standard features included Bluetooth connectivity, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and a six-speaker sound system. However, the Venue's youthful target audience might have appreciated better stereo speakers.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna's higher-spec models boasted a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) system. The Limited with Platinum package included a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display, and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system offered four connected services plans, with varying complimentary subscription periods. The digital assistant, part of the Drive Connect plan, responded accurately to commands. The Sienna's infotainment system paired with a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system, though sound quality was muddied by excessive bass. The four-zone climate control system and digital rearview camera were appreciated features.

The 2024 Hyundai Venue came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keep assist, and a driver monitoring system. The Venue Preferred added blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert. The lane-keeping assist system occasionally issued inaccurate alerts, and the forward-collision warning gave one incorrect warning. The Venue received Good ratings in three IIHS crash tests and an Acceptable rating for its LED headlights. The NHTSA awarded the Venue a four-star overall rating.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured TSS 2.0, which included forward collision warning, 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 vigilance in urban areas. The Sienna introduced a rear-seat reminder system for 2025. The NHTSA gave the Sienna a five-star overall rating, though it scored three stars for driver protection in a frontal impact.