The 2024 Toyota Sienna Hybrid has attracted its fair share of honors thanks to not only its mild-mannered personality but also its fuel economy with the van continuing to be the benchmark model in the segment when it comes to efficiency with Toyota gambling on making the Sienna entirely hybrid a few years ago.
The Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Pacifica, and the Kia Carnival are all trying to dethrone the Toyota with the Carnival getting a major revamp that infused the van with with more technology, revamped styling, and a hybrid model of its own. With the competition rapidly closing in on it, does the Sienna still have what it takes to stay ahead of the pack? Or is it finally beginning to lose ground to the Carnival and other models?
Sienna XSE Premium continues where the 25th Anniversary left off
The 25th-anniversary model left the roster for 2024 but XSE Premium models like our example are still poised to bring impressive amounts of comfort and poise to buyers. However, Toyota is also keeping updates to a minimum on the Sienna for 2024 with the exterior styling still being the most controversial aspect of the van. The front fascia’s large grille still looks like a bottom-feeding catfish with the massive maw being balanced out by stylish headlights and plenty of sharp creases and curves.
XSE AWD models also get blacked-out wheels that mirror those on the front-wheel drive version with the taillights continuing to be one of the few spots on the Sienna that have a sporty edge to them. The Sienna maintains its dual sliding doors and its square-ish shape which attempt to show that the Sienna can still haul plenty of cargo when asked to do so. When it comes to styling, The Sienna is attempting to walk a very small tightrope in trying to please consumers and while the van segment is not one where design is placed on a high pillar of priority, the Sienna’s aging lines are starting to become a detriment to its long-term success.
Sienna interior continues to focus on practicality
The interior of the Sienna continues to place function over style with Toyota designers attempting to maximize the amount of practicality that the van can achieve. Unlike other vans that have an open floor plan, the Sienna gets a large center console that spans from the dashboard to the center console with a large center console underneath it. High-quality materials are still scattered throughout with XSE models like our tester getting black and white faux leather with red stitching.
Unlike some of its rivals, the second-row seats are not removable, but they attempt to make up for that by having the ability to slide up to 25 inches forward and back. It’s certainly a commendable attempt to make up for that omission but we prefer removable seats since that helps make using the available space easier versus having to work with the seats and the components for the sliding function. Cargo space behind the third-row is 33.5 cubic feet which is short of the 40 cubes wielded by the Kia.
A 9.0-inch infotainment screen is standard on all Sienna models with the system getting Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Amazon Alexa standard. Seven USB ports are scattered all over the interior with our tester pitching the base six-speaker audio system for the optional 12-speaker JBL premium setup. An onboard vacuum cleaner continues to be available but only on the two highest Sienna models.
Fuel efficiency continues to reign supreme
Performance for the Sienna hasn’t changed at all since it was redesigned back in 2021 with all models being powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that’s paired with two electric motors to produce a combined 245 hp. Our tester arrived with the optional all-wheel drive system which adds a third electric motor that exclusively motivates the rear wheels. The Sienna is one of three hybrid minivans on the market and it has to contend with the Pacifica PHEV and the Carnival hybrid which has eroded some of the advantage that the Sienna originally had.
The setup allows the Sienna to get 36 mpg in both city and freeway driving. This impressive fuel economy does come at the cost of performance with our tester preferring to jog its way to 60 mph in just under eight seconds with the engine loudly protesting when tasked with acceleration duties. The CVT also helped make the van feel sluggish with our tester’s handling behavior doing very little to inspire confidence on twistier sections of roadway. The Sienna is all about hauling passengers and as long as it’s not tasked with going beyond its comfort zone, our tester made up for some of its dynamic shortcomings by offering reasonable amounts of quiet at freeway speeds.
Value Quotient
Pricing for the 2024 Toyota Sienna starts at $37,685 for the base LE model with the middle ground XSE starting at $45,245. Our all-wheel drive tester came with a small sprinkling of optional equipment that caused the price to creep up to just over $46,000. The XSE model is also the trim level that we would stick with if shopping for a Sienna for ourselves.
This trim is the most balanced of the bunch and it eliminates some of the sticker shock that you encounter with the range-topping Platinum which starts at just over $53,000 before taxes and fees are factored in.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.