2025 Cadillac Escalade vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in Canada in LE, XLE, XSE, and Limited trim levels, presented a distinctive look that was hard to ignore. Competing with the Kia Carnival for style points, the Sienna featured sleek front and rear fascias and came in striking colours like deep blue, red, or bronze. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims boasting Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty appeal, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. Inside, the Sienna offered cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and room for eight, with the XSE trim replacing the second-row bench with captain’s chairs and leatherette-trimmed sport seats. The interior, while not luxurious, was practical for families, with horizontal design lines enhancing the sense of space and a fixed centre console with satin accents.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade, the largest and most expensive Cadillac, embodied old-school luxury with its updated design. The new front end brought the gasoline Escalade closer in style to Cadillac's EVs, featuring large vertical headlights and smaller horizontal daytime running lights. The rear maintained tall, vertical taillights reminiscent of classic Cadillacs, and 24-inch wheels were available for the first time. Cadillac offered standard and long-wheelbase Escalade ESV body styles, with various trim levels including the performance-focused Escalade-V. Inside, Cadillac worked to differentiate the Escalade from its GM siblings, introducing a 55-inch display spanning the dashboard. The interior featured real leather upholstery in higher trims, with curated motifs like Renaissance Red leather and open-pore wood trim. The Premium Luxury Platinum model impressed with Whisper Beige upholstery and wood trim, showcasing Cadillac's attention to detail.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was powered by a hybrid system combining a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, producing a total of 245 horsepower. All-wheel drive models added an electric motor for the rear wheels. Despite a sport-tuned suspension and a Sport mode, the Sienna's performance was not particularly thrilling, feeling sluggish off the line with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that was smooth but slow. Around town, the Sienna offered a pleasant driving experience, with Normal or Eco mode being the most suitable. The brakes were a bit grabby, but the steering was light and accurate, and visibility was excellent. For those seeking more driving pleasure, alternatives like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica with V6 engines were recommended.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade dropped the Duramax turbodiesel option, leaving the naturally aspirated 6.2-litre V8 engine with 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. The Escalade-V featured a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 producing 682 hp and 653 lb-ft of torque. All models had a 10-speed automatic transmission, providing a balance of low and high ratios for efficient cruising. In Canada, four-wheel drive was standard, with the Escalade-V offering a performance-oriented all-wheel drive system. Magnetic Ride Control damping was standard on most trims, but even with optional air suspension, the Escalade's handling couldn't match that of a Range Rover or BMW X7. The V8 engine allowed for quick acceleration, but the brakes lacked confidence, with an optional Performance Upgrade Package available for better braking performance.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior space, though some seating features were tricky. The front offered a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items, four cupholders, and a shelf with a wireless charging pad. The second-row captain’s chairs could slide fore and aft 63.5 centimetres, providing up to 101.5 centimetres of legroom. However, the slide function was complicated, and the seats couldn't be removed, limiting cargo space. The third row was accessible for adults, with 99 centimetres of legroom when the second row was pushed forward. The Sienna offered tri-zone climate control, with an additional zone in the XSE trim. The rear liftgate revealed 949 litres of cargo space, expanding to 2,860 litres with the second row folded.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade offered short and long-wheelbase configurations, with the ESV providing more cargo space and third-row legroom. The Escalade had the most first-row headroom among full-size SUVs, though second and third-row headroom lagged behind competitors. The standard-length model offered 722 litres of cargo space behind the rear seats, expanding to 3,412 litres behind the front seats. ESV models further increased cargo capacity. The Escalade's towing capacity was competitive, though it lacked some of the towing features offered by Lincoln.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured older infotainment technology with a nine-inch touchscreen and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the system included physical buttons for common menus, the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. The Sienna offered SiriusXM satellite radio, a 12-speaker JBL stereo system, and an available rear-camera mirror. USB ports were plentiful, and a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt outlet was available, though it required activation via a button near the driver’s seat.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade combined traditional engineering with a high-tech interface, featuring a 55-inch display incorporating a digital instrument cluster, infotainment touchscreen, and front-passenger touchscreen. A 19-speaker AKG audio system was standard, with a 36-speaker version available. The Escalade retained wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with a hard button for vehicle operation. The optional Executive Second Row Package added 12.6-inch screens, dual wireless device chargers, and upgraded seats with massage and headrest speakers.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came standard with Toyota Safety Sense, including lane departure alert, automatic emergency braking, road sign recognition, adaptive cruise control, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard. The Sienna received four out of five stars from the NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection, and five stars for side crash protection. The IIHS rated it "Good" in crashworthiness but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2025 Cadillac Escalade included adaptive cruise control, blind-zone steering assist, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and a 360-degree camera system. GM's Safety Alert Seat provided warnings through vibrations. Super Cruise, GM's hands-free driving system, was available, though it required driver attention. Current crash test ratings were unavailable at the time of writing.