2025 Lexus RX Hybrid vs 2024 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in Canada in LE, XLE, XSE, and Limited trims, presented a distinctive appearance with its sleek front and rear fascias. It offered a range of cool colours, including deep blue, red, and bronze, making it a stylish choice for families. The XSE trim, known for its sporty features, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. Inside, the Sienna provided a spacious and practical interior with cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and room for eight passengers. The XSE trim replaced the second-row bench seat with captain’s chairs and featured leatherette-trimmed sport seats, adding a touch of sophistication. The fixed centre console, trimmed with satin accents, contributed to the feeling of spaciousness, while the horizontal design lines enhanced the overall aesthetic.

In contrast, the 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid, particularly the RX 500h F Sport Black Line, was a $90,000 SUV that aimed to impress with its exclusive Incognito paint job and orange brake calipers. Despite these unique touches, the RX's design remained somewhat unremarkable, with a large front grille and dramatic rear haunches. The RX lineup included three models: the RX 350h, RX 500h, and RX 450h+, each offering different powertrains and features. The RX 500h stood out with its turbocharged engine, producing 366 hp, and sport-tuned adaptive damping suspension. Inside, the RX Hybrid boasted a contemporary interior with quality materials and ambient lighting. However, the ergonomics of the controls varied, with some being intuitive and others less so. The RX avoided the common single curved display approach, maintaining a unique interior design.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with two electric motors, delivering a total of 245 horsepower. While it offered a sport-tuned suspension and a Sport mode button, the Sienna's performance was not particularly thrilling. It felt sluggish off the line, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) contributed to a less engaging driving experience. However, the Sienna excelled in urban environments, offering smooth acceleration and excellent visibility. The brakes were occasionally grabby, but the steering was light and accurate. For those seeking more driving pleasure, alternatives like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica with V6 powerplants were recommended.

In contrast, the 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid offered a range of powertrains. The RX 350h, with 246 hp, prioritized efficiency, while the RX 450h+ PHEV delivered 304 hp and a 0-100 km/h time of 6.5 seconds. The RX 500h, with its turbocharged 2.4-litre engine, produced 366 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque, achieving a 0-100 km/h time of 6.2 seconds. The RX 500h featured a sport-tuned adaptive damping suspension, 21-inch wheels, and Lexus's Direct4 AWD system. While it offered impressive straight-line acceleration, the RX 500h's fuel efficiency was lower than expected, averaging 13.5 L/100 km. The RX 500h excelled in highway comfort but lacked dynamic communication, making it more about sporty appearance than overall driving satisfaction.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna excelled in interior space and practicality. It featured a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items, multiple cupholders, and a shelf above the glovebox for smaller items. The second-row captain’s chairs could slide fore and aft, providing up to 101.5 centimetres of legroom. However, the slide function was complex, and the seats couldn't be removed, limiting cargo space. The third row offered ample legroom, and the rear liftgate revealed 949 litres of cargo space, expandable to 2,860 litres with the second row folded.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid focused on occupant comfort and practical cargo space. The RX 500h's front seats, while heated and ventilated, felt snug due to enhanced bolstering. The rear seats, with optional power-reclining, heating, and ventilation, provided ample room for adults. The RX offered practical interior storage, but the rear centre armrest lacked lining, causing potential noise. The hands-free power liftgate revealed 838 litres of cargo space, expandable to 1,308 litres with the second row folded, though it was limited for a midsize SUV.

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

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid met luxury expectations with high-tech features. The RX 500h F Sport Black Line included digital key functionality, a camera-based digital rearview mirror, and a hands-free power liftgate. The Lexus Interface infotainment system featured a 14-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The RX offered generous connected services, including a three-year Drive Connect plan with a digital voice assistant. However, the steering wheel controls were distracting, and the infotainment system experienced occasional glitches.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came equipped with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, 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 standard. The Sienna received a four-star rating from NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection and a five-star rating for side crash protection. The IIHS rated it "Good" in crashworthiness but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2025 Lexus RX Hybrid featured Safety Connect, offering automatic collision notification and emergency assistance. Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. Proactive Driving Assist monitored forward progress, and a surround-view camera was available. The RX received a five-star safety rating from NHTSA but a "Poor" rating from IIHS in moderate overlap frontal-impact tests.