2025 Toyota Sienna Review and Test Drive

An updated cabin and new features make Toyota's hybrid minivan more desirable.

Connor Hoffman | 

Jan 6, 2025 | 6 min read

Connor Hoffman

Toyota sells the Sienna in LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland, Limited, and Platinum trim levels, and base prices range from the low $40,000s to the high $50,000s. These prices include the destination charge to ship the minivan from the Princeton, Indiana, factory that builds it to your local dealership.

For this Sienna review, I test-drove a fully loaded Platinum trim in Charlotte, North Carolina. Optional equipment highlights included AWD, the Entertainment package, a digital rearview mirror, and a 1,500-watt inverter with two 120-volt power outlets, bringing the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $60,270, including the $1,415 destination charge.

Toyota provided the vehicle for this Sienna review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.

Connor Hoffman

Is the 2025 Toyota Sienna a Good Minivan?

Only a few minivan models remain available, and the Toyota Sienna is a good pick if you want a hybrid powertrain and AWD. This year's updated interior and technology make the vehicle even more appealing.

However, the Sienna faces worthy rivals. The 2025 Kia Carnival is chief among them, offering an appealing SUV-influenced design paired with an optional hybrid option. Other alternatives include the aging Chrysler Pacifica — available with a plug-in hybrid option — and the Honda Odyssey. There's also an electric van alternative in the retro-styled Volkswagen ID. Buzz.

What's New for the 2025 Toyota Sienna?

For the 2025 Sienna, Toyota makes several changes to keep it competitive. They include updates to the interior to improve the minivan's appearance and sense of quality, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring the latest Toyota Audio Multimedia technology, and a digital gauge cluster in higher trim levels. In addition, all trim levels get an improved rear-seat-reminder system, while the Platinum and Limited offer an integrated vacuum cleaner and center-console cooler.

Connor Hoffman

Sienna's Interior Doesn't Feel as Nice as Other Toyotas

Toyota says it updated the fit and finish in every version of the 2025 Sienna, with new detailing for the seats, consoles, and dashboard. However, at a glance, it looks more like designers took a sharpening tool from a photo editor to the cabin.

Don't get me wrong: The result is a welcome update compared with the previous Sienna. For example, I found the digital gauges and the larger, more responsive touchscreen infotainment system showed significant improvements. However, the Sienna Platinum test vehicle's interior should have looked and felt more upscale, especially since the van stickered for more than $60,000.

While the Platinum trim's leather seats are comfortable in all three rows, the fake wood trim detracts from the premium appearance, especially on the center console. Fingerprints, dust, and cracker crumbs are bound to cover all those surfaces.

While I recognize there is only so much Toyota can do with an existing design, it's disappointing that the Sienna doesn't more closely mimic the look, feel, and sense of quality I've found in other Toyotas, such as the Grand Highlander three-row SUV or either of the Crown models.

Nonetheless, there's plenty of interior storage within the Sienna, including various shelves and cubbies for miscellaneous items when road-tripping across the country. At 6 feet, 8 inches tall, I fit comfortably in the third row for short trips. Anyone of average height could likely ride back there for longer.

Connor Hoffman

The Sienna Platinum has a standard center console with a cooler and a vacuum (also available with Limited trim). A vacuum in the back of a minivan is a great feature, but the hose is another thing to store (and lose), and the system's dustbin is pretty tiny. The cooler kept water bottles cold during my drive, but it works with the climate control system, so the Sienna has to be on for the cooler to work.

There's also an available Entertainment package, which includes an 11.6-inch display and two sets of wireless headphones. A static display screen deploys from the roof, and embedded streaming is unavailable; such features are hardly high tech. Does that matter? Perhaps not, as many kids and teens prefer to use their hand-held devices while traveling.

Parents of kids and pets will appreciate the new Advanced Rear Seat Reminder, which is standard on all trim levels. It uses radar to scan the second and third rows for movement. If you forget about a sleeping child in one of the back seats, the hazard lights will immediately flash when the child wakes up, followed by activation of the horn, and then ultimately a notification to the owner via a smartphone app.

Connor Hoffman

Hybrids Don't Get Much Better

Since 2021, the Toyota Sienna has been hybrid only. It uses a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and a nickel-metal hydride battery powering an electric motor, and Toyota estimates a Sienna will get up to 36 mpg (35 mpg with AWD) in combined driving.

In stop-and-go traffic, crowded parking lots, or the school drop-off line, the Sienna draws power from its battery to operate in an electric mode. It smoothly transitions to the gas engine at higher speeds, assisted by the battery and electric motor.

According to the trip computer, I averaged 31 mpg during my drive around Charlotte, falling short of Toyota's 35 mpg estimate. Still, that's a remarkable result for a sizable seven-passenger vehicle with AWD.

The 2025 Sienna's digital gauge cluster shows information in a crisp and clean manner, and Toyota's latest infotainment system is impressive. During my evaluation, it responded quickly to inputs and voice commands. However, I still prefer the wireless Apple CarPlay (or Android Auto) connectivity, which is standard on all models.

Unfortunately, Toyota did not take an opportunity to upgrade the 2025 Sienna's collection of advanced driver-assistance systems. The minivan still relies on Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, an older package that doesn't include the latest safety features available in other Toyotas. Nevertheless, the hands-on adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist made highway driving effortless.

Connor Hoffman

While new enhancements improve the 2025 Sienna compared with the previous model, the vehicle still suffers from the minivan look and feel some SUV drivers want to avoid. While versatility and space are the Sienna's strengths, you can also find those in the SUV-like Kia Carnival Hybrid.

You won't find an available AWD system in the Kia Carnival, however, making the Sienna an excellent choice for anyone prioritizing interior room, efficiency, and extra traction in a single vehicle. You can even get one in Woodland Edition trim with AWD and increased ground clearance. So although the Carnival might look more like an SUV, the Sienna Woodland Edition provides true crossover characteristics.

Connor Hoffman

Connor has worked in the automotive industry since 2018 both editorially and in public relations. He has tested and written about hundreds of cars and helped lead the media launches of the 2024 Toyota Tacoma and Land Cruiser. Connor started his career at Car and Driver after a summer internship and has also contributed to Edmunds, U.S. News & World Report, and J.D. Power. He lives in Kansas City, Kansas, with his wife and golden retriever and loves four-wheeling and camping in the Ozark mountains.