Chrysler Pacifica Vs. Honda Odyssey: Best Minivans for Family Trips

A minivan is an ideal vehicle for a big family thanks to its spaciousness, comfort, versatility, and safety. Indy Auto Man offers a wide range of used minivans for sale in Indianapolis, with a good variety of the most popular models from local and foreign brands.

If we rank the best minivans, the Chrysler Pacifica and Honda Odyssey will likely lead the competitive race. But how to choose the winner? We prepared an overview of their core features and underlined the advantages that may help you make the final decision. 

The Chrysler Pacifica was intended to eventually replace the suitcase-shaped Chrysler Town & Country (aka Dodge Caravan). The elegant Pacifica minivan has quite respectable dimensions (length (203.6 in), width (79.6 in), and wheelbase (121.6 in) are records in this group) but moderate weight thanks to the stretched platform from the Chrysler 200 sedan and the Jeep Cherokee crossover. Hence, the nine-speed automatic transmission with a selector puck, coupled with the 287-horsepower V6 Pentastar, is the most powerful among its competitors. The Pacifica was the first American minivan available as a plug-in hybrid version.

The initial LX version is equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels with tire pressure sensors, air conditioning, adaptive cruise control, a Uconnect multimedia system with a five-inch display and six speakers, a rearview camera, keyless entry, and active noise reduction systems. The Pacifica minivan can boast a full set of safety assistants, electric drive for all windows and driver's seat. But leather seats and wheels of larger diameter are either options or attributes of more expensive versions. The same is true for LED optics, electric sliding rear doors, three-zone climate control, heated and ventilated seats, as well as navigation with a large monitor and a premium Harman Kardon audio system with twenty speakers. And, of course, a remote door opener.

You can find a used Chrysler Pacifica with all-wheel drive starting from the 2020 model year. Before it, the Toyota Sienna was the only all-wheel drive minivan in the USA.

The AWD Pacifica has a simple transmission with a multi-plate clutch that engages the rear wheels when needed. Moreover, the signal to engage the all-wheel drive mode can be the slipping of the front wheels, a sharp press of the gas pedal, and the activation of the windshield wipers. It also provides an imitation of differential locks using brakes.

The AWD minivan versions have increased ground clearance, retuned suspension, and an anti-roll bar at the rear. The implantation of rear-wheel drive did not affect the possibilities of transforming the interior: such a Pacifica can still have the Stow'n Go system, which allows you to fold the second and third rows of seats into a flat floor. But the AWD version is only available with a gasoline engine: the hybrid is front-wheel drive only.

The Honda Odyssey is a Japanese minivan, although produced in the USA. The model named after the mythical hero appeared in the Honda line in 1994, and the current fifth-generation Honda minivan saw the light of day in 2020. The 2023 Odyssey has a 10-speed automatic transmission, but if you consider older versions, which share the platform with the Accord and Pilot models, you will get only six. And given that it is heavier than the Chrysler, and the output of the 3.5-liter engine is noticeably more modest, we can’t count on much power and agility. But it is not so necessary for a family vehicle. Roominess is crucial here, as well as ease of transformation and the number of cup holders sufficient for all eight passengers the Odyssey can take on board.

The main thing for a minivan is the interior equipment. The Odyssey has a whole scattering of products to make all passengers comfortable. You can move three separate seats not only longitudinally but also transversely. With the middle seat removed, you can locate all the rest in one of five fixed positions, even with child seats installed. True, unlike the Pacifica, the second row cannot be folded into the floor. But you can arrange the passage to the back rows at your discretion.

The CabinWatch and CabinTalk systems facilitate communication inside the seven-seat cabin of the Odyssey minivan. The first displays images from video cameras in the rear of the cabin on the central driver's display, and the second allows you to talk with passengers in all rows using microphones, audio system speakers, and headphones. Moreover, in the latter case, you can choose individual interlocutors.

An entertainment system with a high-speed Internet access point and a 10.2-inch monitor on the ceiling will help rear-row passengers not get bored on a long journey. The system, as well as the climate settings and the navigator, are controlled using a smartphone application. By the way, Honda has borrowed a feature from Chrysler - another application that allows you to track the route. The Chrysler team has staked out the witty title Are We There Yet for such a program, so Honda had to settle for the more prosaic How Much Farther.

The side sliding door guides moved to the window sill line are less susceptible to contamination. And the tailgate comes off with a kick under the bumper. In all trim levels except the base one, the Odyssey is equipped with the Honda Sensing complex - with automatic braking, lane-keeping, and blind spot monitoring systems.

Honda has always been strong in practicality and rationality but, in the Odyssey, it has outdone itself by offering customers even a built-in vacuum cleaner in the trunk - of course, as additional equipment. The standard equipment includes fabric seat upholstery, steel wheels with caps, and an 8-inch display on the dashboard. For an extra charge, like Chrysler, they offer casting and leather, three-zone climate control instead of air conditioning, various servos, and heaters in addition to the usual power accessories, a navigation system, and an advanced stereo system. The latter, however, also gives in to that of a purebred American Pacifica: only twelve speakers, albeit 650 watts of power and the Surround Sound effect.

The Honda Odyssey and the Chrysler Pacifica have the same crash test ratings from NHTSA with an average of 5 out of 5 Stars. When comparing IIHS evaluations, both minivans have the Top Safety Pick+ award.

Whether you choose a used Honda Odyssey or Chrysler Pacifica, you get a reliable and safe family vehicle. If you need more power and capacity, opt for the Pacifica minivan. The Odyssey will be your best bet if you require more comfort and space for your big family. Visit the Indy Auto Man car lot in Indianapolis to compare these models and buy your favorite at the most attractive price.