2021 Toyota Venza vs 2020 Toyota Sienna

Since the second half of the 20th century, each decade has had a hot-topic family car, and, as we’ve noted in a number of reviews this year, the crossover is our current darling vehicle. Before the crossover, there were big, truck-based SUVs. Before that, there were station wagons.

And for the past 35 years, there's always been the minivan.

The Dodge Caravan has been widely considered the Patient Zero of the minivan segment. From there, seemingly everyone joined the party, including Toyota, Nissan, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Volkswagen, Oldsmobile, and more. Heck, even Mercury had a “Nautica Edition” version of the Villager.

The minivan was king once, the crossover is king now, and some other type of vehicle will likely dominate in the near future. But in all this, the 7- and 8-passenger minivans will always represent the ultimate in versatility. The crossover is an image-forward fad with a dash of usability, but the minivan continues to prove itself as the pinnacle of practicality.

The 2020 Toyota Sienna is neither the newest nor flashiest minivan out there, but when you absolutely need space for people and gear, there’s nothing better. Additionally, as of 2020 the Sienna is the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive (AWD), which is something specifically desired by many car buyers.

At first glance, the 2021 Toyota Venza looks more like a Lexus than a typical Toyota, which is fitting, because the Venza is anything but typical. The new Venza blends a new approach to in-car technology with fresh exterior and interior design.

Like the Nissan Murano, Honda Passport, Ford Edge, and Chevrolet Blazer, the 2021 Venza is a two-row SUV meant to be more sophisticated than the family-friendly Nissan Rogue, Honda CR-V, Chevrolet Equinox, and Toyota RAV4. There is no three-row Venza option.

It also comes only with a hybrid powertrain—for better or worse—something that its competition is lacking. All-wheel drive is also standard.

The Venza’s $38,490 Canadian starting price is slightly higher than the Murano and Blazer, but it comes with the traditionally more expensive hybrid powertrain. Is the hybrid worth shelling out a little more for in a new vehicle?