2024 Toyota Sienna vs 2025 Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Toyota Sienna, available in various trims such as LE, XLE, XSE, Woodland Edition, Limited, and Platinum, presented a distinctive and stylish appearance. Despite the absence of the "swagger wagon" commercials, the Sienna maintained its unique vibe with sleek front and rear fascias and a range of cool colors like deep blue, red, or green. LED lighting was standard, with upper trims featuring Bi-LED projector headlamps. The XSE trim, known for its sporty look, included a black metallic mesh front grille, black heated side mirrors, and 20-inch dark wheels. The Woodland Edition, available in exclusive Cement or Midnight Black Metallic colors, was designed for off-road readiness with roof rails, a tow hitch, and slightly increased ground clearance.

Inside, the Sienna offered standard cloth seats, three-zone climate control, and seating for eight. The XSE trim with the optional Premium package replaced the second-row bench with captain’s chairs and added heated and cooled leather-trimmed front seats. The interior featured horizontal design lines for a spacious feel, a fixed center console with satin accents, and easily accessible cup holders and shifter. While not luxurious, the interior was practical for families, with upper trims offering a built-in vacuum cleaner. The Sienna's interior was designed with family-friendly features, making it a practical choice for those with children.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender, with its rugged appeal, offered a range of customization options. The Defender 90 appeared stubby, while the 130 seemed visually heavy over its rear wheels, but the 110 four-door struck a balance in design. Base prices ranged from $58,525 for a 90 to $120,525 for a 130 V8, with the new Defender OCTA priced at $153,625. The Defender 130 X trim, priced at $102,525, included the Extended Black Exterior Pack, upgraded interior materials, and comprehensive off-roading technology. The test vehicle featured 20-inch wheels with Pirelli Scorpion Zero tires and options like the Towing Pack and Climate Pack, bringing the MSRP to $106,092.

The Defender X's interior boasted premium Windsor hides with Kvadrat fabric, illuminated door-sill treadplates, and metal pedal covers. The industrial-themed cabin used quality materials, offering a purposeful look rather than traditional luxury. The Defender's interior was designed for functionality, with features like a panoramic sunroof and a fixed glass panel over the third row, creating an open and airy feel. Despite its rugged exterior, the Defender provided a comfortable and spacious interior, making it suitable for both off-road adventures and urban environments.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna was equipped with a hybrid powertrain, combining a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with two electric motors for front-wheel drive and an additional motor for all-wheel drive models, producing a total of 245 horsepower. While the Sienna offered a sport-tuned suspension and a Sport mode button, its performance was not particularly thrilling. The minivan felt sluggish off the line, and the continuously variable transmission (CVT) contributed to a smooth but slow acceleration, especially noticeable during highway merging or climbing mountain passes. The CVT could also become noisy at times.

Around town, the Sienna provided a mostly pleasant driving experience, with Normal or Eco mode being the most suitable. An EV mode was available for low-speed areas, and while the brakes could be grabby, the steering was light and accurate, offering excellent visibility. However, for those seeking more driving pleasure, alternatives like the Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival, or Chrysler Pacifica with V6 powerplants might be more appealing.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender featured a turbocharged 3.0-liter six-cylinder engine, one of four powertrain options, delivering 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. Coupled with a mild-hybrid system and an eight-speed automatic transmission, the Defender offered robust and smooth acceleration. The standard all-wheel-drive system included a low-range setting for off-roading, with a maximum tow rating of 8,200 pounds. The Defender 130 X accelerated to 60 mph in a claimed 6.3 seconds.

The Defender X came with an adaptive air suspension, hill descent control, and Terrain Response 2 driving modes, enhancing its off-road capabilities. Despite its off-road prowess, the Defender was primarily driven on pavement during testing, where it handled suburban environments comfortably. The 20-inch wheels and Pirelli tires limited its on-road agility, but the Defender excelled in absorbing bumps and maintaining a smooth ride. The Defender's six-cylinder engine provided ample power, though city driving could result in unexpected surges. The adaptive air suspension contributed to a comfortable ride, both on and off-road, while the Defender's weight and steering limited its enthusiasm for twisty roads.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna offered practical interior features, though some seating functions were complex. The front featured a lower storage pass-through for bulkier items, four cupholders, and a shelf above the glovebox with a wireless charging pad. The second-row captain’s chairs could slide 25 inches, providing up to 40 inches of legroom, though the slide function was complicated, and the seats couldn't be removed, limiting cargo space. The third row was accessible for adults and children, with 39 inches of legroom when the second row was pushed forward. The Sienna included tri-zone climate control, with an additional zone for the front passenger in the XSE trim. The rear liftgate revealed 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 101 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender 130 required effort to enter and exit unless the air suspension was lowered. The front seats offered 12-way power adjustments with heating and ventilation, providing excellent forward visibility. The Defender's square side mirrors seemed undersized, but the Clearsight digital rearview mirror and surround-view camera system aided visibility. The panoramic sunroof and fixed glass panel over the third row created an open feel. The second-row captain’s chairs were heated and ventilated, with a four-zone climate control option. The Defender 130 excelled in third-row accessibility and comfort, with heated seats and ample space. The side-hinged cargo door was heavy and awkward, but the load floor could be lowered with the air suspension. Cargo space was limited to 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row, expandable to 89 cubic feet with all rear seats folded.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna featured an older infotainment system with a nine-inch touchscreen, wired Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. While the system included physical buttons for common menus, the backup camera's grainy view was disappointing. The Sienna offered a standard Wi-Fi hotspot, SiriusXM satellite radio, and an optional 12-speaker JBL stereo system. USB ports were plentiful, and a 1500-watt inverter with a 120-volt outlet was available. Optional features included an 11.6-inch rear-seat entertainment system and a 10-inch color head-up display.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender was equipped with the Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring an 11.4-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The system offered connected services, including remote engine start and emergency collision notification. While Pivi Pro had previously been criticized for its slow response and convoluted interface, it performed well during testing, with accurate voice command recognition and an intuitive user experience. The Defender's Meridian premium sound system was impressive, and additional features included a head-up display, ClearSight digital rearview mirror, and surround-view camera system. The optional Towing Pack added a hands-free trailer reverse-steering system.

The 2024 Toyota Sienna came standard 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 also standard. The Sienna received four out of five stars from the NHTSA for frontal crash and rollover protection and five stars for side crash protection. The IIHS rated the Sienna "Good" in crashworthiness but "Average" in front crash prevention.

The 2025 Land Rover Defender included driver aids such as automatic high-beam headlights, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality. The lane-keep assist was decisive, though it occasionally attempted to steer the Defender into a turnout area. Crash-test ratings for the Defender were unavailable at press time, as low-volume models like this one are typically not tested by the NHTSA or IIHS.