Comparing 4 minivans like the Honda Odyssey

Honda

Comparing 4 minivans like the Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey is one of the best-selling minivans in North America, but it faces stiff competition from the likes of the Toyota Sienna, Chrysler Pacifica, and Kia Carnival. Is the Odyssey the best minivan you can buy? Or can a competitor knock it from its perch? CarMax highlights four alternatives to the Honda Odyssey.

Honda Odyssey

First year of current generation: 2018
EPA-estimated combined fuel economy: 22 mpg
Pick because: Great cargo space
Pass because: Fuel economy is poor and no hybrid option is disappointing

The Honda Odyssey comes with just one engine and transmission combination. The good news? That engine is powerful when compared to the competition, making the Odyssey enjoyable to drive, even up big hills with the whole family and their gear in tow. Unfortunately the engine isn’t as efficient as its competitors, and Honda doesn’t offer a hybrid version of the Odyssey, unlike the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica.

The Odyssey’s second row reclines and slides to the side, one of the only minivans with this feature, making it easy to get into the third row. The third row folds down, but it must be done manually. This isn’t very difficult, but some competitors offer a power third row, which is very convenient. Overall capacity is excellent—the Odyssey beats both the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica in this area. And there are plenty of spots to store smaller items.

Toyota Sienna

First year of current generation: 2021
EPA-estimated combined fuel economy: 35-36 mpg
Pick because: Great fuel economy, roomy interior
Pass because: Sluggish engine

Toyota made the Sienna a hybrid when it was redesigned for the 2021 model year. Not surprisingly, that dramatically improved the Sienna’s fuel economy. It gets at least 35 mpg in combined driving, according to the EPA, even if you get the Sienna with all-wheel drive. But that fuel economy comes at a price. The engine is very sluggish and the Sienna isn’t very quick. Plus you’ll hear the engine screaming for relief when getting up to freeway speeds or tackling large hills.

But there’s more to like about the Sienna than its gas mileage. Its roomy interior makes getting in and out a snap, and its large windows provide excellent visibility. The second-row seats are not removable, making this minivan’s cargo area less customizable than the Chrysler Pacifica’s. Otherwise, storage is excellent, even if its total cargo space lags behind the Honda Odyssey’s.

Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

First year of current generation: 2017
EPA-estimated combined fuel economy: 30 mpg
EPA-estimated efficiency: 41 kWh/100 miles
Pick because: Fuel efficiency
Pass because: Missing the regular Pacifica’s clever storage

The Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) gives you the opportunity to save even more on fuel than with a Toyota Sienna. A fully charged battery can take the Pacifica 32 miles before switching to the gas engine. The catch? You need to charge up that battery on a regular basis to get the most out of its potential efficiency. Here’s everything you need to know about charging an electric vehicle.

The good news? Even without a fully charged battery, the Pacifica gets great gas mileage, an impressive EPA-estimated 30 mpg in combined driving. The bad news? That big battery needs to go somewhere. And in this case, it’s under the center of the minivan, nixing the impressive second-row storage system and Stow ’n Go fold-down second-row seats you’ll find on the non-hybrid Pacifica. You’ll need to decide between maximum storage and maximum fuel efficiency on this minivan.

Chrysler Pacifica

First year of current generation: 2017
EPA-estimated combined fuel economy: 20-22 mpg
Pick because: Clever storage system
Pass because: So-so comfort and fuel economy

The non-hybrid Chrysler Pacifica is a great minivan if you’re primarily interested in storage. The Pacifica’s clever Stow ’n Go second row allows you to store the second row in the floor, something you don’t get on its hybrid counterpart. The trade-off is fuel economy. The two-wheel-drive Pacifica gets an EPA-estimated 22 mpg in combined driving, which is OK and on par with the Honda Odyssey. But it can’t compete with the hybrid Pacifica or the Toyota Sienna, which is only available as a hybrid.

Kia Carnival

First year of current generation: 2022
EPA-estimated combined fuel economy: 22 mpg
Pick because: Lots of standard features
Pass because: Fuel economy—for now

Edmunds ranks the Kia Carnival fourth out of five minivans, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. The Carnival is a good minivan that comes with a lot of standard features on the base LX trim, including driver aids like forward collision mitigation and blind-spot awareness. Stepping up one trim level, to the EX, adds a bigger touchscreen display, heated seats, and an interior camera and intercom system. Its fuel economy is competitive with other nonhybrid minivans but lags behind the Toyota Sienna and Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid. The good news is Kia is debuting a hybrid version of the Carnival for the 2025 model year.

Conclusion

The Honda Odyssey is a great choice if you’re in the market for a minivan, but it’s not the only strong contender out there. Whether you’re looking for great fuel economy with the Toyota Sienna, a plug-in hybrid like the Chrysler Pacifica, or something more affordable like the Kia Carnival, there’s a minivan out there to suit your needs.

This story was produced by CarMax and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.