Finally Admitting You Need the Space and Comfort of a Minivan is Easy

Deciding which minivan to buy can be a bit of a challenge, but the good news is that there are really only four minivans available on the market now that the Nissan Quest is being discontinued. In our opinion, the new Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica are both at the top of their game. The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Honda Odyssey are actually quite similar in a lot of ways and both are fresh off a total redesign.

However, there are some key areas where they differ. Both minivans are outfitted with comparable V6 engines and clock the same gas mileage, but for maximum efficiency, you'll want to opt for the Pacifica as it is available as a plug-in hybrid, making it the only hybrid minivan on the market. On the other hand, the Odyssey is more responsive and corners well, so in town driving is fun. The Odyssey is also quieter than the Pacifica on the highway.

When it comes to handling, the Pacifica's soft comfortable ride is preferred by many, so be sure to do both types of driving when you test drive for those who crave a little luxury. The Pacifica's interior feels more upscale thanks to more premium looking materials, and features such as a huge sunroof, two-tone leather, and a more substantial steering wheel are available.

One area where the minivans really differ is in their second and third row seats. If you spend most of your time towing little people around, the Odyssey's sliding second row will change your life or at least make it a heck of a lot easier. The seats slide up and back as well as side to side, making it easier to get kids in and out of the car or just handing them a snack. For those needing to quickly shift from hauling lots of people to hauling lots of stuff, you'll be impressed with the Pacifica's power third row and Stow Ando second row.

The seats simply drop flat into the floor for maximum cargo space, no other van does this. As for Parental gadgets, Honda's cabin watch is a favorite among parents, allowing them to keep an eye on the kids even in the dark, as well as cabin ha which provides an integrated PA system that will save your voice and possibly your sanity with noisy kids in the back.

For those who like to bicker over what movie to watch, the Pacifica's dual screen Entertainment System is likely to be a deciding factor. However, be warned that you'll only get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on the Odyssey, while the Pacifica requires an app on your phone for its homegrown system. As for safety, both minivans are outfitted with lots of driver Assist Technology, mostly found on mid to upper trim levels.

Now that you know what you're getting, let's talk price. Both base models start around $33,000, while a fully loaded Odyssey Elite will run you around $5,000 more than a similarly equipped Pacifica Limited. As for new car warranty, both cover the typical 3 years or 36,000 miles but Chrysler offers 5 years of roadside assistance versus Honda's standard warranty.

Ultimately, deciding between these popular minivans comes down to lifestyle tax preferences and possibly budget. While the Odyssey is more fun to drive, the Pacifica has a more upscale vibe that many will prefer. We're going to call it a tie, as both minivans have their own unique strengths and weaknesses.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enfinally admitting you need the space and comfort of a minivan is easy deciding which one to buy can be a bit of a challenge the good news there are really only four minivans now that the Nissan Quest is being discontinued in our opinion the new Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica are both at the top of their game the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Honda Odyssey are actually quite similar in a lot of ways and both are fresh off a total redesign but here's how they differ in some key areas both minivans are outfitted with comparable V6 engines and clock the same gas mileage but for maximum efficiency you'll want the Pacifica a plug-in hybrid the only hybrid minivan available when it comes to handling the Odyssey is more responsive and Corners well so in town driving is fun The Odyssey is also quieter than the Pacifica on the highway we prefer the pacifica's soft comfortable ride so be sure to do both types of driving when you test drive for those craving a little luxury the pacifica's interior feels more upscale thanks to more premium looking materials a huge sunroof available two-tone leather and a more substantial steering wheel where these two minivans really differ comes down to their second and third row seats if you spend most of your time toing little people around the Odyssey sliding second row is going to change your life or at least make it a heck of a lot easier the seats slide up and back as well as side to side so getting kids in and out of the car or just handing them a snack is a lot easier and for those needing to quickly shift from hauling lots of people to hauling lots of stuff you'll be impressed with the pacifica's power third row and Stow Ando second row the seats simply drop flat into the floor for maximum cargo space no other van does this as for Parental gadgets you can't help but like Honda's cabin watch which lets you keep an eye on the kids even in the dark as well as cabin ha an integrated PA system which will save your voice and quite possibly your sanity with noisy kids in the back hey guys inside voices please kids will likely prefer the pacifica's dual screen Entertainment System versus the odyssey's single drop- down screen and this could be a deciding factor if your kids like to bicker over what movie to watch and be warned you'll only get Apple carplay and Android auto on the Odyssey the Chrysler has a homegrown system that does the same thing but it's kind of not the same and requires an app on your phone as for safety both minivans are outfitted with lots of driver Assist Technology that's mostly found on the mid to Upper trim levels now that you know what you're getting let's talk price both base models start around $330,000 a fully loaded Odyssey Elite will run you around $5,000 more than a similarly equipped Pacifica limited as for a new car warranty both cover the typical 3 years or 36,000 Mi but Chrysler offers 5 years of roadside assistance versus Honda 3 bottom line it's a close call deciding between these popular minivans really comes down to Lifestyle tax preferences and quite possibly budget The Odyssey is more fun to drive but the Pacifica has a more upscale Vibe we're going to call this one a tiefinally admitting you need the space and comfort of a minivan is easy deciding which one to buy can be a bit of a challenge the good news there are really only four minivans now that the Nissan Quest is being discontinued in our opinion the new Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Pacifica are both at the top of their game the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Honda Odyssey are actually quite similar in a lot of ways and both are fresh off a total redesign but here's how they differ in some key areas both minivans are outfitted with comparable V6 engines and clock the same gas mileage but for maximum efficiency you'll want the Pacifica a plug-in hybrid the only hybrid minivan available when it comes to handling the Odyssey is more responsive and Corners well so in town driving is fun The Odyssey is also quieter than the Pacifica on the highway we prefer the pacifica's soft comfortable ride so be sure to do both types of driving when you test drive for those craving a little luxury the pacifica's interior feels more upscale thanks to more premium looking materials a huge sunroof available two-tone leather and a more substantial steering wheel where these two minivans really differ comes down to their second and third row seats if you spend most of your time toing little people around the Odyssey sliding second row is going to change your life or at least make it a heck of a lot easier the seats slide up and back as well as side to side so getting kids in and out of the car or just handing them a snack is a lot easier and for those needing to quickly shift from hauling lots of people to hauling lots of stuff you'll be impressed with the pacifica's power third row and Stow Ando second row the seats simply drop flat into the floor for maximum cargo space no other van does this as for Parental gadgets you can't help but like Honda's cabin watch which lets you keep an eye on the kids even in the dark as well as cabin ha an integrated PA system which will save your voice and quite possibly your sanity with noisy kids in the back hey guys inside voices please kids will likely prefer the pacifica's dual screen Entertainment System versus the odyssey's single drop- down screen and this could be a deciding factor if your kids like to bicker over what movie to watch and be warned you'll only get Apple carplay and Android auto on the Odyssey the Chrysler has a homegrown system that does the same thing but it's kind of not the same and requires an app on your phone as for safety both minivans are outfitted with lots of driver Assist Technology that's mostly found on the mid to Upper trim levels now that you know what you're getting let's talk price both base models start around $330,000 a fully loaded Odyssey Elite will run you around $5,000 more than a similarly equipped Pacifica limited as for a new car warranty both cover the typical 3 years or 36,000 Mi but Chrysler offers 5 years of roadside assistance versus Honda 3 bottom line it's a close call deciding between these popular minivans really comes down to Lifestyle tax preferences and quite possibly budget The Odyssey is more fun to drive but the Pacifica has a more upscale Vibe we're going to call this one a tie\n"