2024 Toyota Sienna vs 2024 Subaru Outback

The 2024 Subaru Outback maintained its rugged yet refined appearance, with the Wilderness trim receiving a slight update featuring a new front fascia and LED fog lights. The dark gray cladding contrasted beautifully with the Autumn Green Metallic color of the Touring XT model, offering a unique and appealing aesthetic. The Outback's various trims showcased different levels of black and chrome exterior fittings, with the Touring trim displaying the most chrome, which was tastefully executed. Wheel designs varied across trims, with standard black 17-inch alloy wheels and a matte black version for the Wilderness trim, while the Onyx Edition and higher trims featured larger 18-inch wheels with a machine finish. Inside, the top-trim Touring XT impressed with its luxurious Java Brown Nappa leather upholstery, a step above the standard leather in the Limited trim and the StarTex synthetic leather in the Onyx Edition and Wilderness trims.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna offered a distinctive look across its LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum trims. Despite the absence of the "swagger wagon" commercials, the Sienna retained its stylish vibe, competing with the Kia Carnival for style points. The Sienna's sleek front and rear fascias were complemented by a range of cool colors, including deep blue, red, and green. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims featuring Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty appeal, boasted a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition, available in exclusive Cement or Midnight Black Metallic colors, was designed for off-road readiness, featuring roof rails with crossbars, a tow hitch, and slightly increased ground clearance.

The 2024 Subaru Outback was powered by a "Boxer" horizontally opposed engine, with the standard 2.5-liter flat-four producing 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. The XT trims, including the Wilderness, were equipped with a more powerful 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer four-cylinder engine, delivering 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, and increasing the towing capacity to 3,500 lbs. Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive (AWD) and a Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) were standard across the lineup. The Touring XT test car, with its turbo engine, provided a well-balanced driving experience, with the CVT effectively simulating eight distinct gears. The Outback's suspension and reasonably sized wheels contributed to a comfortable ride, while the Wilderness trim offered enhanced off-road capabilities with 9.2 inches of ground clearance and all-terrain tires.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, a hybrid minivan, combined a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models featured an additional electric motor for the rear wheels. While the Sienna's performance was not particularly thrilling, the sport-tuned suspension and Sport mode button aimed to enhance acceleration. However, the minivan felt sluggish off the line, and the CVT contributed to a less engaging driving experience. The Sienna excelled in urban environments, with smooth acceleration and light, accurate steering. The brakes, though slightly grabby, and excellent visibility made for a mostly pleasant driving experience. For those seeking more power, alternatives like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica offered stronger V6 engines.

The 2024 Subaru Outback, despite its sleek design, offered ample interior space. With a moonroof-equipped model, the Outback provided more front headroom than the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, and nearly matched the RAV4 in rear-seat headroom. It also offered superior front-row legroom and more rear-seat legroom than the RAV4. The cargo area measured 32.6 cubic feet with all seats in place and expanded to 75.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The Outback's feature availability was impressive, with dual-zone climate control standard on all but the base trim, and heated front seats and a power-adjustable driver's seat starting with the Premium trim. The Limited trim added a powered front passenger seat and heated rear seats, while the Touring trim offered ventilated front seats. The hands-free power liftgate was optional on the Premium trim and standard on higher trims, and the Onyx Edition included a power moonroof by default.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior functionality, with a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items and multiple cupholders throughout the cabin. The second-row captain's chairs could slide fore and aft 25 inches, providing up to 40 inches of legroom, and upper trims featured an ottoman for added comfort. However, the slide function was somewhat complicated, and the seats couldn't be removed, limiting maximum cargo space. The third row offered ample legroom, with 39 inches available when the second row was pushed forward. The Sienna's tri-zone climate control, with an additional zone for the front passenger in the XSE trim, ensured comfort for all occupants. The rear liftgate, activated with a kick motion, revealed 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 101 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2024 Subaru Outback Touring trim featured a CD player, appealing to those who appreciated old-school features. The infotainment system included both USB-C and USB-A ports on all but the base trim, which had USB-A only. The top-trim model boasted an 11.6-inch portrait-oriented infotainment screen, while the base trim retained a dual-7-inch-screen system. The Subaru Starlink multimedia platform, though dated, offered standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, with wireless capability starting with the Premium trim. The climate controls were integrated into the touchscreen, with hard buttons for defoggers and temperature adjustments. Wi-Fi capability was available on all but the base trim, and most trims featured a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna's infotainment system, though older, included a nine-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical buttons for common menus were a welcome feature. The backup camera, however, was grainy and outdated. The Sienna's analog gauges were complemented by a 7-inch digital display in the cluster. Standard features included a Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an optional 12-speaker JBL stereo system. The Sienna also offered a rear-camera mirror and in-dash navigation, though most users would likely rely on Google Maps. USB ports were plentiful, and a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt outlet was available for the second row and rear cargo area.

The 2024 Subaru Outback earned a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA. The EyeSight suite of advanced driver-assistance technologies was standard, including adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, automatic pre-collision braking, lane-keep assist, and automatic emergency steering. Blind-spot monitoring with lane-change assist and rear cross-traffic alert became standard on the Onyx Edition. The Touring trim added a wide-angle camera, digital rearview mirror, and driver-attention monitor. Reverse automatic braking was standard starting with the Onyx trim.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured the Toyota Safety Sense suite of driver aids, including lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, full-speed adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. The Sienna's adaptive cruise control was effective in stop-and-go traffic, though the lane-keeping assist exhibited some side-to-side movement. The Sienna was equipped with numerous airbags, including side curtain airbags for all three rows. The NHTSA rated the Sienna with four stars for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side crash protection. The IIHS awarded the Sienna a "Good" rating in crashworthiness and seat belt and child restraint systems, with an "Average" rating in front crash prevention.