Minivans Compared: Chrysler Pacifica vs. Honda Odyssey vs. Kia Carnival vs. Toyota Sienna

https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews...ienna-compared

good read.

 

I read this today as well. I had a Pacifica rental one week then a Sienna rental the next and greatly preferred the Sienna. I’ve driven the Honda but still need to check out the Kia, though I don’t love its looks.

I had a Sienna rental, loaded up with six adults, two coolers, my Thule box, plus overnight bags and groceries, and there was room for it all. Add in that it was a relative pleasure to drive and I got 40 mpg, and it’s a winner for me. It’s what we will get if we choose to part with the Highlander.

 

Interesting. I can see the argument for the Carnival and Sienna over the Pacifica, but not the ancient Odyssey. I haven’t driven the new Carnival but I have sat in it and it’s great, issue is upper trims get the massive reclining second row which really hurts utility and access, also no AWD availability. The Sienna my only problem with it is the hybrid powertrain and CVT, otherwise they are great. If it could be had with even a turbo 4 and a normal transmission…

If this wasn’t a really expensive PHEV Pacifica I wonder if it would be different.

As I have said my only issue with my Pacifica is reliability. Otherwise it’s really an incredible vehicle.

 

Sienna with the high MPG and awd on all trims is hard to beat for a family vehicle. I didn’t open the article, who won?

 

Sienna. For me, the powertrain just takes a vehicle that I dislike owning and driving anyways and makes it something that is just completely undesirable.

 

Get the Honda or KIA V6 then. But for most the MPG is paramount for a family vehicle

 

Personally I like the Odyssey the best due to the engine and more "engaging" chassis. The Pacifica is the best one overall and feels the most high end IMO, the sienna just feels cheap and the engine is a joke.

Then again MPG is irrelevant to me plus I would never, ever spend more than $7500 on a breadbox type car like a minivan. I don't see any point in paying new car prices for something as droll as that.

 

Interesting that Car and Driver pointed at the Pacifica's hybrid bits as being the reason it finished last.

 

A neighbor of mine just got a new Sienna Hybrid.

Siennas score points for their Hybrid and/or AWD options, Toyota reliability, and an apparently long list of satisfied customers, but IMO the styling (like with most Toyota products) is butt-ugly, Toyota apparantly cost-cuts a lot on their interiors, and much of the Sienna's interior plastic and hardware is insultingly cheap-looking/feeling.

I agree with some other posters here that, if not for the reliability issue, the Pacifica is probably the best all-around winner. I don't agree with C&D ranking it last.....but they often pan products that don't have enough sport-oriented characteristics for them.

 

Our Ody elite has served us well over the last 5ish years, but I can't wait to replace it. Infotainment screen is tiny and laggy, rear seat entertainment screen is tiny, and the vents in the 2nd/3rd rows are poorly placed. If I have the front set to 68 in the summer, I have to have the rear set at 63 to keep the kids from sweating in their boosters. The center console up front sucks too. Because it's so much lower than the arm rest, you're stuck with the arm rest, and it isn't padded enough to be comfortable for anything over an hour or so.

Magic slide seats are still great though. If I still needed a minivan, I'd choose the Ody again just for the seats.

 

That's what I'm thinking too but I haven't seen the Odessey yet.

SW17's Pacific impressed me when he posted pics of the interior as I wasn't expecting it to look so nice, I really liked it.
Drastic improvement over the older ones from gens of the past.

The Sienna's are the winner according to my old neighbor and he loved his but when I checked out the styling inside and outside, it was not for me but that's ok.

I often think about getting a mini van or a larger suv.
Mini van screams married with children and is weak on sporty but it does what it does well, hold a lot of stuff! lol

 

The Odyssey really isn’t any more reliable than the Pacifica. If you look at the ratings and the forums, they can have some serious issues too. They are also nowhere near as well equipped as the Pacifica nor as nice inside, so that’s why I didn’t take the downgrade in interior and technology…I didn’t see a clear improvement in reliability. That improvement would be there in the Sienna.

 

The best minivan IMO is the '16 Toyota Sienna. It was a great looking van. Reserved but very clean and classy. The styling fitted the minivan class. It wasn't trying to be a statement of style. It was very comfortable to drive and the headlights were very good even though it was equipped with halogens. Minivans today look weird.

 

I agree. Had awd too

 

Weird-looking minivans are not limited to today by any means. Do you remember the 80s/90s Toyota Previa? Or the famous '90s GM plastic-bodied "Dustbusters"? Or the late-80s Mitsubishi?