2025 Toyota Sienna vs 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan

The 2025 Toyota Sienna retained its minivan essence, despite Toyota's efforts to inject some style into its design. The trapezoidal grille, reminiscent of a hand vacuum, did little to shake off the "Dustbuster" metaphor. The Sienna featured upswept body lines, hidden sliding door tracks, and swollen rear fenders that wrapped into a rear end mimicking the front's cinched look. The narrow taillights with sharp corner spears added a family resemblance to the Camry sedan. The Platinum package introduced new flower-petal wheel designs, replacing the previous split-five-spoke design. Despite these updates, the Sienna still looked like a minivan, prioritizing practicality over fashion. The top-of-the-line Limited model with the Platinum package, showcased in Magnetic Grey, capped a lineup that included LE, XLE, and XSE trims, with prices ranging from $51,219 to $73,753.

In contrast, the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan underwent a complete redesign, marking the start of its third generation. It adopted a sleek modernity inspired by VW's electric vehicles, evident in the narrower headlights and illuminated VW badge and light bar in the top Highline R-Line trim. The grille appeared larger, with smaller actual openings and large air intakes flanking it. The rear sported a tapering hatch illusion, enhanced by a black contrasting roof and dark-tinted windows. The Tiguan's silhouette was sportier, with shortened front and rear overhangs and a sharply creased character line. The rear featured a single bar taillight spanning the liftgate, with an oversized plastic trim piece hinting at the front grille. The interior modernization included a tablet-like infotainment display and a digital instrument panel, with a minimalist dashboard and relocated gear selector for added storage space.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). It offered 245 net horsepower, 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 the Sienna from feeling sluggish. In city driving, the powertrain was unobtrusive, and on the highway, it was quiet unless accelerating hard. The Sienna's hybrid system prioritized fuel economy, with a Natural Resources Canada rating of 6.6 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving. However, during testing, it averaged 8.9 L/100 km. The Sienna's handling was predictable but not particularly engaging, with squishy steering in curves and corners. The standard suspension offered a smooth, absorbent ride, akin to a marshmallow on wheels, and the vehicle was impressively quiet on the highway.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan was powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, producing 201 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. It featured an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard 4Motion all-wheel drive in Canada. The Tiguan's acceleration was expected to reach 100 km/h in about 8.5 seconds, average for its class. The drivetrain delivered power smoothly and linearly, with confident highway acceleration. Braking was smooth and easy to modulate, and the suspension favoured comfort while maintaining composure on winding roads. The Tiguan's cabin was quiet, with well-silenced tire noise and undetectable wind noise at highway speeds. While not sporty, the Tiguan was appropriately tuned for a mix of performance and comfort. A more powerful Turbo version was anticipated for 2026, offering 268 hp and 258 lb-ft, along with a teased hybrid powertrain.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna offered practical seating and cargo solutions. The front seats were power adjustable, heated, and ventilated, but felt hard after long drives. The Platinum package's second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with teenagers, and the third-row seat accommodated adults. The Sienna featured sliding side doors and a hands-free power liftgate for easy loading and unloading. Storage space was generous, with a wide tray under the centre console, but finding secure spots for one-litre water bottles was challenging. The Sienna held 949 litres of cargo behind the third-row seat, expandable to 2,129 litres with the third-row seats stowed. Maximum cargo capacity was 2,860 litres, less than rivals due to the non-removable second-row seats.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan returned without a third row, increasing second-row legroom by nearly 4 centimetres. Headroom remained sufficient for average-sized adults. The elimination of capacitive-touch buttons improved usability, with traditional controls on the steering wheel. Outward visibility was comparable to other small SUVs, with narrow front roof pillars and a sufficiently large rear window. The centre console offered more storage, with cupholders, a smartphone slot, and a deep armrest bin. The Tiguan could hold up to 1,668 litres of cargo behind the first-row seatbacks, though cargo capacity behind the second row was not finalized. The angled liftgate hatch limited loading of bulkier objects, but deep pockets behind the wheel humps provided secure storage for smaller items. Remote seatback releases and a power liftgate added convenience.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen display for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) infotainment system in higher-spec models. The Limited with Platinum package included a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display (HUD), and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system offered four connected services plans, with varying complimentary subscription periods. The digital assistant in the Drive Connect plan responded accurately to commands, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available. The Limited trim included a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system, though sound quality was muddy. The four-zone climate control system and digital rearview camera were appreciated, but the HUD lacked blind-spot warnings.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan came standard with a digital instrument panel and a 12.9-inch infotainment touchscreen, with a 15-inch display on the top trim. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, paired with a wireless phone charger in the centre armrest bin. Capacitive-touch sliders adorned the infotainment screen frame, but a new volume knob on the centre console improved usability. The standard audio system had seven speakers, with a 12-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system available on the top trim. VW's Car-Net system offered remote monitoring and control.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.0, which included forward collision warning with 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, but the adaptive cruise control required vigilance in urban areas. The Sienna added a rear-seat reminder system for 2025, alerting the owner to movement within the cabin. The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Sienna a five-star overall rating, but it scored poorly in frontal crash tests.

The 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan's crash test results were not yet available. Standard safety features included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, safe passenger exit warnings, parking sensors, and automatic high beams. The Emergency Assist system slowed the vehicle to a stop if the driver was incapacitated, and post-collision braking reduced secondary impacts. The Highline R-Line added a head-up display, surround-view camera system, and traffic sign reader. The safety and driver assist features functioned well, with no false alarms or oversensitivity issues.