2021 Toyota Sienna vs 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid | Full comparison test

Searching for a new automobile or SUV can be challenging owing to the sheer range of options. Which manufacturer do you start with, which do you skip and are you lacking anything worthwhile? Fortunately, the minivan phase is significantly less complicated. There are successfully only 4 options, they are all very very good and they are even distinctive adequate to make deciding upon the appropriate just one for you a little bit much easier.

This comparison capabilities the two most a short while ago updated minivans: the all-new 2021 Toyota Sienna compared to the refreshed 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. Moreover their popular newness, they stand out in a different basic way: they are both hybrids. Now, they are pretty distinctive hybrids – the Toyota will come normal with a common gasoline-electric powered procedure like that of a Prius, while the Pacifica is offered with an optional plug-in hybrid procedure that offers an believed 32 miles of all-electric powered variety ahead of successfully turning into a common hybrid – but in both circumstances, gasoline financial state is the precedence.

With the exceptional exception, the minivan phase has exclusively applied V6 engines, which supply ample power to go hefty loads of people today and stuff. The Chrysler Pacifica will come normal with a V6, although a V6 is the sole powertrain choice for the Honda Odyssey and future Kia Carnival. The gasoline financial state change in between those people and our hybrid competition is staggering: The new Sienna receives an EPA-believed 36 mpg put together although the Odyssey and V6 Pacifica get 22 mpg. That equates to conserving an believed $750 every single 12 months on gasoline, according to the EPA. And the Pacifica Hybrid could perhaps help save you even extra as lengthy as you routinely make the most of its electric powered variety.

This frugality alone could send the Sienna and Pacifica Hybrid to the top rated of many searching lists, but as we’ve noticed in preceding tests, they present extra than adequate in other respects to warrant top rated consideration. But which just one would be far better for extra moms and dads? Properly, we understood this was likely to be shut, and we ended up appropriate. After averaging the scores from 16 groups, the change in between very first and second was a mere .06 out of 10. When we included additional bodyweight to vital minivan-acquiring attributes (second-row space/versatility, safety capabilities and operation, infotainment, interior storage, cargo space/versatility, value and gasoline financial state), the gap was only one place out of a achievable 230. We then triple checked and carried out a recount, but the get remained. In the conclusion, there are no losers in this article.

2nd Position: 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

The 2021 Pacifica Hybrid is distinctive adequate from its V6-only sibling that it could arguably be regarded a independent product (extra so even than the stripped-down Chrysler Voyager price range variation). The existence of the hybrid battery pack effects in basic adjustments that not only affect gasoline financial state, but acceleration, handling, comfort and ease and interior operation. They in the long run make for a far better minivan, and it truly is definitely the Pacifica we advocate – and yes, despite coming in second in this article, we unquestionably nonetheless advocate the Pacifica Hybrid.

In terms of effectiveness, you literally cannot do far better than this plug-in hybrid minivan. If you plugged in every single night time and held your daily university dropoffs and errands inside its 32 miles of variety – a distinct risk – outings to the gasoline station would be very exceptional. On the other hand, at the time that variety is gone, the V6 motor and the van’s heftier bodyweight result in that effectiveness to plummet. Even with two complete prices, we managed 33.four mpg about the training course of 119.5 miles, significantly of which was on rural point out highways. That compares to the EPA-believed figures of 30 mpg put together when no electric powered variety is involved, or eighty two mpg-E, which is as significantly an algorithm as it an estimate. That’s also only three.8 mpg far better than what we managed in the Sienna at 29.six mpg, which alone is effectively south of the EPA estimate of 36 mpg.

Possibly we just have lead ft, but possibly way, let’s not drop sight that both vans received sensational gasoline financial state in comparison to the segment’s V6-only norm of around 22 mpg put together. You are likely to help save a ton of revenue with possibly, but just know that the extra you travel on the freeway and the less you recharge, the less successful the Pacifica Hybrid receives.

On the other hand, the Pacifica has a apparent acceleration gain about the Sienna. Despite the fact that a variety of -to-sixty-mph tests by other publications have shown the Chrysler to be more quickly by only a 50 percent second or so, it feels far more quickly around city and when passing on the freeway owing to the superior torque offered by its extra common electric powered motor and V6 motor (the Sienna has a 4-cylinder). While the Sienna felt strained likely up hills, its e-CVT droning as Toyota hybrid methods are apt to do, the muscular Chrysler efficiently and effortlessly moved ahead. Its electric powered propulsion will make it really feel more quickly than other gasoline-only minivans as effectively, including the frequent Pacifica.

The Chrysler’s other apparent gain is its in-automobile infotainment, both for the driver and those people in the back. The 10.one-inch Uconnect touchscreen you see in this article is not only normal for 2021, but it’s an all-new unit (termed Uconnect 5) with beautiful graphics, speedy responses and a revised user interface. It appears to be like far better than the Sienna’s and it truly is much easier to use. It can also be upgraded with the FamCam, which fills the touchscreen with a birds-eye graphic of the two rear seating rows. The Odyssey features anything related, but we drastically favor the Pacifica’s camera placement in between rear rows (as opposed to higher than the second) and take pleasure in the capacity to zoom in on just one seat. A person slight grievance: it would be wonderful if FamCam did not choose about the complete display, as a result getting rid of the menu icons commonly docked at the top rated and bottom. It was aggravating likely back and forth in between FamCam and satellite radio.

FamCam will come in the exact $2,495 Uconnect Theater Loved ones bundle that adds the Pacifica’s special rear seat enjoyment procedure: a flip-up touchscreen, HDMI and USB ports, and a headphone jack on the back of every front seat. This removes the young ones fighting about what to enjoy or play as they will have to with the Sienna’s one, roof-mounted display (its procedure is $one,415). Specified the improved commonality of tablets and other hand-held products, we wonder how appropriate rear-seat enjoyment methods are to present-day minivan potential buyers, but the Pacifica’s is nevertheless far superior.

That cannot be explained of the Pacifica’s second-row seats. Nevertheless they recline extra than the Sienna’s veritable La-Z-Boys, their sliding length is comparatively minuscule, which restrictions sprawl space, 3rd-row accessibility and cargo versatility. And no, the Pacifica Hybrid does not have Chrysler’s Stow ‘N Go seats. The hole those people would commonly fall into is stuffed with batteries. The upside, at least relative to other Pacificas, is that these seats are far extra comfortable and fundamentally indistinguishable from those people up front. They even have popular bolsters that pushed our infant automobile seat foundation a handful of inches ahead from the seat back (only a trouble in terms of clearance to the front seat).

Eventually, there is certainly the matter of value, and it truly is pretty complicated. If we simply just went by our test automobiles, a Pacifica Hybrid Constrained compared to the Sienna Platinum, the Chrysler would be a cut price. It stickers at $49,835 compared to the Sienna’s $53,666, and even though it doesn’t have fairly as significantly products, what’s lacking sure doesn’t incorporate up to virtually $four,000. Plus, and this is Aspect one of the complicated little bit, the Pacifica is qualified for a $7,500 federal tax credit. That would bring its rate tag down to at least $eleven,331 less than the Toyota. Certainly, you can expect to need to wait right until your tax refund demonstrates up (and you can expect to need to pay back at least $7,500 in federal taxes), but occur on, which is big.

Aspect 2, nevertheless, is that the foundation Pacifica Hybrid starts at $41,490 compared to the foundation Sienna at $35,635. Subtract the federal tax credit and which is a change of only $one,645. Looking at that the Toyota has a handful of extra normal capabilities and quite a few rewards you’re about to read about, additionally the point that you’d fundamentally need to wait a 12 months ahead of you saw that $7,500 on your taxes, the equation is changed radically. Once more, it truly is complicated, but even if we granted the Pacifica Hybrid a sizeable value gain, it wasn’t adequate to eke ahead of the Toyota.

First Position: 2021 Toyota Sienna

To set it simply just, the new 2021 Sienna does a far better work of becoming a adaptable parenting instrument although concurrently undertaking a far better work of encouraging you forget about you’re driving a parenting instrument.

That versatility is ideal noticed in two vital places that ended up weighted extra seriously in this comparison’s scoresheet: storage and second-row operation. We went complete James Cameron in our Sienna Inside Storage Deep Dive, filling all 18 cupholders and discovering areas to shop a diaper-altering clutch. We basically did the exact test with the Pacifica, and even though it offers extra storage than your standard major crossover, its capacity to stow modest and major products alike was inferior to the Sienna. In unique, Toyota’s ground breaking two-tier middle console offers a huge space to shop a large purse like minivans constantly applied to do, but keeps it off the ground and keeps it from sliding with a rubber bottom. The console’s enclosed bin is larger than the Pacifica’s as effectively, it has 4 cupholders (additionally two in every doorway) and its top is just one of those people elements that will make the Sienna really feel extra crossover-like when behind the wheel.

The second row, meanwhile, is Toyota’s “Tremendous Extensive-Slide” seats that completely stay up to their title. They can be pressed appropriate up towards the 3rd row to supply Anthony Davis with adequate home to sprawl out, or pushed all the way up towards the front seats (the seat bottoms even fold up) to supply far extra most cargo length than the Pacifica Hybrid can manage. This seat design and style will come normal on all 7-passenger Siennas the 8-passenger model’s outboard seats really don’t slide as significantly, but they will nonetheless go farther than the Chrysler’s. The Constrained and Platinum trims even include things like a pop-out ottoman, which, thanks to the additional-lengthy sliding length, are useable for even a six-foot-tall passenger. There is no question which of these back seats older young ones would favor. The sliding functionality also will make it much easier when working with child seats, be it going them nearer to mother and father up front, or further more way to mitigate the scourge of kicking or to permit you nonetheless enter the van from the exact aspect when a rear-experiencing seat is set up.

The 3rd-row seat bottom is not as deep as the Pacifica’s, and the home windows back there are modest, furnishing a little bit of darkened dungeon vibe. That the Pacifica experienced a light-colored cabin and a skylight about the 3rd-row improved its comparatively airy sensation. On the other hand, the Sienna’s 3rd row is significantly much easier to increase and decrease, with less muscle mass demanded. Both equally vans could have nearly the exact quantity of products in our baggage test, in which they matched the Honda Odyssey.

But now let’s switch our notice to the driver, which in this test involved both myself (West Coastline Editor James Riswick) and my wife (Chief Minivan Tests Advisor Sarah Riswick). She astutely pointed out that although the Pacifica Hybrid felt faster in a straight line since of its better power, the Sienna felt like it could go faster owing to its extra composed handling and sharper steering. The latter even features a Activity manner, which subtly will increase weighting to strengthen things further more. Even with its power disadvantage and droning motor be aware, the Sienna is the ideal minivan to travel no matter if on a winding road to a ski vacation resort or just driving to Safeway. And recall, we ended up tests the Platinum product. There is also the even sharper-driving Sienna XSE trim.

Like its extra engaging driving practical experience, the Sienna’s handsome and bigger-quality cabin did not depend for as significantly on the score sheet as extra sensible concerns, but it truly is an gain nevertheless. Its driver-canted touchscreen, higher console and common shifter in unique are decidedly un-van-like – and which is getting into consideration how very good the Pacifica cabin appears to be like in comparison to the frumpy Honda Odyssey.

Or else, the two vans scored in the same way in terms of experience comfort and ease, front seat comfort and ease and adjustability, and its safety credentials. For the latter, every occur normal with a similar array of driver aid capabilities that operate in an agreeable manner. Both equally vans also get best crash scores from the Insurance plan Institute for Freeway Safety. It is really also value noting that the Sienna’s minimal details are constantly followed by a warranted “yeah but.” It is really gradual for a minivan, but it feels swift adequate around city and its gasoline financial state is nonetheless fantastic. Its infotainment is not as very good as the Pacifica’s, but it truly is nonetheless completely easy to use. Its 3rd row is less comfortable, but it truly is much easier to stow away.

In the conclusion, the Sienna wins this test by literally the narrowest of margins, but both are so shut and so very good that individual desire and circumstance successfully will make it a coin flip. Possibly you like the Sienna’s styling far better. Possibly you really don’t have any place to plug the Pacifica in. Possibly, like our Chief Minivan Tests Advisor, you dislike the Toyota’s firm brake pedal.

We might appreciate to definitively say “buy this just one,” but a declaration of “consider just one of these very first” appears to be like an suitable conclusion.