Compare the2022 Toyota SiennaVS 2022 Chevrolet Traverse

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Sienna are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Traverse doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Toyota Sienna has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Traverse doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Sienna has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Traverse doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Sienna XLE/XSE/Woodland/Limited/Platinum has a standard Parking Support Brake that use rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Traverse doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

The Sienna has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Traverse’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Sienna has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Cross-path warning costs extra on the Traverse.

The Sienna’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Traverse doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Sienna and the Traverse have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Sienna its highest rating: “Top Pick Plus” for 2021, a rating granted to only 68 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Traverse is only a standard “Top Pick” for 2021.

The Sienna’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Traverse’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sienna for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Traverse.

The battery on the Sienna is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Sienna’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Traverse’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Sienna’s reliability 18 points higher than the Traverse.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 17 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Chevrolet is ranked 17th.

On the EPA test cycle the Sienna gets better mileage than the Traverse:

Regenerative brakes improve the Sienna’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Traverse doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Sienna higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Traverse (6). This means the Sienna produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Traverse every 15,000 miles.

The Sienna has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Traverse doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Sienna’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Traverse:

The Sienna’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Traverse are solid, not vented.

The Sienna stops much shorter than the Traverse:

The Sienna FWD XSE/FWD Platinum’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Traverse’s optional 55 series tires.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Sienna is .4 inches wider in the front and 1.5 inches wider in the rear than on the Traverse.

The Sienna’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (53% to 47%) than the Traverse’s (56.6% to 43.4%). This gives the Sienna more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Sienna’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Traverse’s (38.3 feet vs. 39 feet).

The Sienna has 1.5 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, 1.5 inches more rear legroom, 9.3 inches more rear hip room, .5 inches more rear shoulder room, 5.2 inches more third row legroom, .3 inches more third row hip room and 1 inch more third row shoulder room than the Traverse.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Sienna’s middle and third row seats recline. The Traverse’s third row seats don’t recline.

The Sienna’s cargo area provides more volume than the Traverse.

The Sienna has a standard Split & Stow third row seat, which folds flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Traverse doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Sienna. The Traverse doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Sienna’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Traverse’s (3500 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Sienna uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Traverse doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Sienna Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Traverse doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Sienna’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Traverse’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Sienna the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Traverse can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Sienna has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Traverse doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

The Sienna Platinum’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Traverse’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sienna’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Traverse’s headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

The Sienna has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Traverse doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Toyota Sienna, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Traverse isn't recommended.