2025 Toyota Sienna: The Go-To Family Hauler Gets Better But Isn’t Cheap

Who said that minivans were dead or agonizing? The hybrid-only Toyota Sienna is certainly proof to the contrary with a spectacular increase in Canadian sales of 164.2 percent in 2024, for a total of 11,843 units. Not only is this more than double the sales of its closest competitor, the Chrysler Pacifica, it's also a success that surpasses popular Toyota models such as the Camry, Highlander and Tacoma, two of which are fresh off a full redesign.

How can you explain that? Well, we can give you many reasons, but just to be sure, we recently put the Sienna to the test in top-line Platinum trim, which is a new addition for the 2025 model year. Essentially, Toyota's minivan is a go-to family hauler that keeps getting better and better.

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What’s New for 2025?

The Sienna has won The Car Guide’s Best Buy award in the minivan segment every year since the latest generation made its debut in 2021, and that’s not going to change for 2025. In fact, Toyota has made a pleasant series of upgrades while offering new wheels, body colours and interior finishes.

For example, the latest Toyota Multimedia system is now standard across the line. Ditto for a new wireless charging pad that charges devices more quickly. All Siennas also get dual microphones for increased call clarity and USB-C charging throughout the cabin, which no one will complain about.

Toyota has also enhanced safety, most notably with an Advanced Rear Seat Reminder—a global first for the automaker. Let’s just say it’s next to impossible to forget a child inside the vehicle thanks to multiple visual and sound alerts, smartphone notifications, text messages and even automated phone calls. The millimeter-wave radar with higher-resolution movement sensing can detect movement underneath objects such as a blanket or in low-light scenarios. Wonderful.

The Whole Shebang

As mentioned earlier, our tester was a 2025 Sienna Limited equipped with the new Platinum package, which bumps the price to a dizzying $73,269 including freight, PDI and other fees. Remember, we’re taking about a Toyota, not a Lexus. Sure, that’s $2,500 cheaper than the most expensive Pacifica (Pinnacle Hybrid), but you could save nearly $14,000 by opting for a fully loaded Kia Carnival SX+ Hybrid. Definitely something to think long and hard about.

The Sienna has changed very little in four years, and this new Magnetic Grey Metallic body colour won’t get potential buyers too excited (although it does help mitigate its somewhat polarizing design). On the other hand, the two-tone leather interior and the new woodgrain finish on the console suit it perfectly.

Speaking of the console, two practical new features are available for 2025, though exclusive to this high-price model. The first is a small FridgeBox that may not replace a real, normal-sized cooler but keeps a few drinks and snacks cool and easily accessible when heading to a soccer game or on a family vacation. The second is a vacuum cleaner that helps keep the cabin neat and clean when traveling. Its motor is powerful enough and the extendable hose (which you have to plug in every time) gets into every nook and cranny. Too bad you can’t have it in more affordable Siennas. By the way, the Pacifica’s own vacuum cleaner is better integrated, while the Honda Odyssey no longer offers one.

How Does the Sienna Hybrid Fare in Winter?

While there are other hybrid minivans out there, the Toyota Sienna remains the only one to combine this technology with optional all-wheel drive (standard on Limited and Platinum models), making it the best of both worlds. Granted, we've seen better AWD systems in the snow and on slippery roads, but for typical daily use, the Sienna does just fine.

Steering lacks weight, precision and feedback, calling for extra vigilance behind the wheel. The XSE model is somewhat more pleasant to drive as it benefits from a stiffer suspension that contributes to a more stable ride.

With 245 hp on tap, the Sienna may seem a bit under-powered, especially when carrying several passengers and their luggage, but the torque from the electric motors effectively supports acceleration. Combined fuel consumption—in ideal conditions—is officially listed at 6.7 L/100 km, but realistically, don't expect less than 7 L/100 km. At the end of our winter test, with temperatures ranging from -25 to -10 degrees Celsius and the EV mode activating probably less than 5 percent of the time, the result was more like 9.2 L/100 km. On top of that, we used the Sienna to move some boxes and furniture on a particularly cold day. Just so you know, the Carnival Hybrid doesn't do any better, and neither does the Pacifica Hybrid once it runs out of EV range.

For those wondering, 2023 and newer Siennas—and other Toyota hybrids—feature an improved version of the high-voltage cable that connects to the rear electric motor, with an opening that prevents the accumulation of dirt and moisture, and hence corrosion. No extension of the cable warranty therefore applies. Cable routing is unchanged.

Our Verdict

The Toyota Sienna's appeal and value also come from its overall reliability—especially compared to the Pacifica—and slow depreciation. These two attributes, combined with better fuel economy, make for lower ownership costs and further explain why the Sienna is The Car Guide’s Best Buy award winner in the minivan segment for 2025.

Criticisms include a noisy engine under hard acceleration and well-below-average maximum cargo capacity (2,860 litres) due to second-row seats that cannot be removed, not to mention a good but not great multimedia system even with the available 12.3-inch touchscreen that’s slightly oriented towards the driver.

As for prices, the cheapest model (8-seat LE FWD) is decently equipped and comes in at a reasonable $51,051 before tax. The 7-seat XSE AWD, which costs $58,026, gives you the most bang for your buck in our opinion—that is, if you don't need a vacuum cleaner, second-row seats with leg rests, a rear-seat entertainment system with a folding monitor and other such extras. That being said, you should really take time to compare equipment levels with those of the new, more budget-friendly Carnival Hybrid.