2021 Toyota Sienna vs. Chrysler Pacifica: One Of These Is The ULTIMATE AWD People Mover! 

I’ll keep my Pacifica, it has never failed me in 276,000 miles with scheduled maintenance. It’s going on three years old. I drive about 120k a year and need reliability.

I rented both of these minivans for long family trips. I loved the Pacifica. The sienna did offer way better gas milage and more cup holders, but that was it. My kids were very comfortable in the Pacifica as well. If I have to choose between the two, the Pacifica wins hands down.

Yes in some vans you can put a 4x8 sheet of plywood and close the hatch. Most pickup beds are 5.5 feet and tailgate has to stay open.

Sienna all day long. One word when it comes to minivans : Reliability. You don't buy these for racing. Have one since 2005 with almost 300k and still solid as rock. Capable to double it's milage.

The floor mats can stay in place for the Stow n Go. There's also a button on the B pillar to automatically move the front seat forward. When not in use, the storage wells make for great storage.

"Space for a short reviewer from Chicago" LMAO... how Savage...

Got the Sienna last month. Chrysler wasn't even a consideration due to not only the overall reliability of their products, but also my doubts that this new Stellantis Corp will even last long enough to provide warranty support.

I haven’t gassed up our Pacifica Hybrid since June. 1,900 miles ago. I’m currently getting 62mpg.

I had a Pacifica for 4 years. Yes, the stow n go was nice, but I didn't need to fold the seats into the floor that often. I mentioned to my wife that being 6" 2", I could have done with the driver's seat moving back a few more inches. I couldn't stretch my left leg. The seats don't go back far enough because the second row seats are fixed and don't slide like they did in our old Town and Country. This is because of the new design for folding them into the floor. If the driver's seat went back further, there would be no leg room for second row passengers. We test drove a Sienna and there was so much legroom in that car. I had the driver's seat way back, and the second row can slide way back too. The Toyota beats the Chrysler hands down for comfort, for me. I don't know what the reliability of the Toyota will be like, the the Pacifica was awful. Full of electrical faults that - surprise surprise! - the dealer couldn't replicate.

For those considering a Pacifica PHEV - it loses Stow 'n Go on the second row and has 0 towing capacity. The only advantage to it over the Sienna is plug-in capability.

Was at a car show earlier and able to compare both side by side. I was surprise how well design and made the Pacifica is, and the Sienna feel like a generation behind in term of the design of the seats mechanism and location of switches. It look like it has a lot to offer on paper, but most are like half done, not to mention the 3rd rows in the Sienna is not comfortable at all. It feel like Toyota know people will buy their stuff no matter what, they just don't care to make things better. 4 cylinders and CVT is a big no no for me, they maybe very good on a smaller call but I won't trust it on a big heavy van. The heavy weight will put a lot of stress on the engine and CVT, nothing is bulletproof, specially when it come to CVT. Toyota is good but not good enough to defy the law of physics.

Elephant in the room, one of them is completely reliable, and the other will be a consistent break down.

Truth is out there on the road. You see Previa, Sienna, and Odyssey all the time no matter how old(20+ yrs) they are. Look around you when you drive. You don’t see leftover Chrysler Caravan old or new. They change name to Pacifica hoping people will forget Carandvan. If you do see Pacifica, it’s probably a rental.

Dear Nathem, you used to be my fatTFL person because you are straight to the point practical. (Well you are still better than the others). Like Albert Einstein, you screwed up in one critical area: simplicity. With the older mini vans you did have to remove the floor Matt for the sto-n-go. With the newer vans, there are notches in the curves floor mats. All you have to do is lift the lever in the notch. And the floor opens up. Thanks.

For sheer versatility, I'd say it's the Pacifica. Carry 7 or 8 people (depending on how you option the van) and then stow the 2nd and 3rd row seats in the floor and haul a lot of stuff. Heck, even my prehistoric design Dodge Grand Caravan Crew Plus does that. And TFL truck guy, please tell me which pick up truck has a bed that can take a 4x8 sheet of plywood, or wall board or anything 8 ft long and NOT have to leave the tailgate open? One more thing. Good gas economy is great to have, but when you have a van full of people and you have to merge on the highway, the Pacifica will automatically engage AWD and you'll get a significant amount of power going to the back wheels to have you get merged into traffic. How much HP is the electric motor in the Toyota giving to the back wheels, and will it do that at highway speeds?

Toyota vs Chrysler reliability, no competition there

Can Tommy do slip test on both?

You guys should do a towing test with the Sienna. If you tow far enough up a steep incline, the Toyota’s small propulsion battery will eventually run out of juice, won’t it, and you will be left with only the 189 hp gasoline engine to finish the job?

the plug-in-hybrid version of Pacifica with 30+ pure EV range is NICE! also the cargo space is way more versatile especially if you plan to keep it for a long time.

Four-cylinder and V6 I’m pretty sure we all know which ones quicker than which one wins😂

Toyota has a drop down single screen. Chrysler two individual mounted on each seat.

I've had a Dodge Caravan for years and it won't die. I work as a painter, so the stowing seats are major for me. A few times a year, I do need full sheets of drywall for work. Another big plus, is the roof rack and the way it stows on the roof. I can easily put a couple of extension ladders up there and not have any worries. I'm looking forward to my minivan dying so I can buy a new Pacifica.

Just rented the Pacifica to go pickup the Sienna. 7 hours one way.. The Sienna 4 cylinder is loud, and I love the MPG... Tons more storage in the Pacifica, I use the 2nd row stow-and-go for storage... Overall I choose the Sienna for MPG and Toyotas reputation for reliability

Toyota

At the end if the day, Toyota will always be better cause it's reliable and has quality unlike Crystler that'll never last and always have loads of issues

Don’t have to remove floor covering to stow and go seat. Also don’t forget the annoying 4 cylinder scream and much slower in the sienna. The only thing that made me second guess getting Pacifica was that mpg of sienna. Pacifica in every other way unless you need 16 cup holders for the front seat

I am glad that the Chrysler Pacifica fits plywood and I thought that it wasn't able to coming from the Town and Country. Thanks

Them damn cup holders matters! Haha

If they’re about the same then Sienna will be better in the long term due to Toyota reliability right?

Im expecting the Pacifica hybrid to drop down in value by a lot when Semiconductor chips come back in full swing and also its ongoing problems with vehicle shutdowns while driving and continuing software errors further ruining a good thing the pacifica hybrid had going. When the price with all the discount gets me in a happy place like $28k-$32k ill bite and accept all the risk only if the $7500 fed tax credit is still in effect.

The sienna has a few things uncommon for most minivans 1. Power tilt telescope wheel with memory 2. 4 zone climate control 3. Head up display 4. Digital rearview mirror

I've owned 2 Toyota Siennas, both over 200K, I work cycling events as a mechanic and the last 3 years I've rented new Pacifica vans...Great vehicle. Absolutely love it. The interiors tend to be different for different people I can find that personally on many personally a Mini Van and all the compartments don't work for me and my cycling gear as I'm traveling they just don't fit the things I need and need to store stuff regardless of what I'm storing... Made me think about customizing the interior a little bit more same with the Sienna. It's nice to have lots of compartments and little holders the fact is a lot of those things are useless.

I like the outside look of the Pacifica better than the sienna. But would definitely settle for the sienna as my go to.

And we know which one is going to be at the repair shop a lot more often. The Toyota hybrid systems are extremely reliable. And while it is a CVT it's an e CVT mechanically it isn't similar at all to a belt and pulley style like you would find in a nissan. You can guarantee that you're never going to have a transmission problem in that sienna. Pretty simple internally and the maintenance on it is a dump and fill just like a manual transmission. Stow and go seating on the Chrysler is certainly cool though.

The new Kia Carnival would be an interesting review.

I like the Pacifica a lot better but the terrible gas mileage is a deal breaker. Really like to see how the KIA Carnival and Honda Odyssey compare with these two.

One will go 400,000 miles and still be reliable. The other with self-destruct at 150,000.

I hate to be at shop every 2 mounts . I take siena 2.5 is really good

I don't know Nathan. I have a 2015 Sienna SE and the interior of the 2021 Sienna looks cheap and poorly designed by comparison. In general, the new Sienna doesn't look as well-built as the outgoing model. If I were to buy another Sienna, I would rather have the 2020 Sienna SE AWD. It's a more solidly built vehicle, you can remove the second row seats, it has V6 and real AWD.

I wish the Sienna Hybrid was available in Australia. Thank you TFL for good comparison.

Why not compare the $51k MSRP Pacifica Hybrid with all the features/packages to the Sienna? If the deciding factor is better gas mileage, the pacifica hybrid would win with a landslide. And you'd potentially qualify for $7,500 credit, making it WAY less than the Sienna.

Curious, how many people regularly use their van to transport 4x8 plywood or OSB? And it has to be whole sheets? If you don't have a truck, rent one for 50 bucks. How often do you redo your roof or build a tool shack anyway? Now, more comfortable second row seats? That gets used every single day.

Morning TFL!!! Morning Jeff!! Enjoy the day guys 😃!!

Good job Nathan! For me, it would be the Sienna. The MPG difference is just too big, and the perceived Toyota reliability would be worth the trade-off made for the stow-and-go, and slight performance. The resale value would also be higher with the Toyota.

I would get the Pacifica if Chrysler didn't make unreliable money pits

No second row able to flip down or remove no minivans Toyota shot themselves in the foot killing the second row removability, now it’s just an SUV. Winner of the REAL minivan, Chrysler Pacifica.

You know it's an American car, when they add 4 cup holders at the front.

Toyotas are backed up 8 months and the dealers are getting $5,000 and up above MSRP. On the other hand, my 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid has been at the dealer, dead, waiting for a part... for 3 months and counting! Kia Carnivals are hard to find and also being marked up $5,000. Honda Odyssey? - I have not checked.

You really do not have to remove the mat to use stowe and go. They snap into place so you can open the compartment.

In New York the dealers charge thousands over msrp for sienna and there is low stock . So any gas savings, just forget it

I drove a Pacifica for 8 hours best drive ever built for the. Road

Simple answer, it's a Toyota

Jesus Chrysler that thing is junk...

Sienna all day no questions asked

Toyota, should give you a option for a hybrid or a 6 cylinder engine. I know hybrid iui s the future but, still wary about this. Seems more maintenance, more cost etc so how can reliability be as good?

and its about what will work in 5 years.

Toyota fan 4ever🙏🏿

1)Chrysler..2)Toyota..3)Honda they are all grate 👍

So what I'm hearing from this video is that the Sienna has better gas mileage and more cup holders. Other than that, the Pacifica is better in all areas. How then did the guy end up saying the Sienna was the better overall van?

but I don't need the seats I cannot take them out from seina

Could a pacifica tow a 16' travel trailer that weights 3000lbs dry? And if you put the hitch, wiring and trailer break control on after do you still get 3600lbs towing capacity?

Was seriously looking at Sienna but for 𝗡𝗼𝗻-Stow And Go, even 𝗡𝗼𝗻-Removable 2nd row Seats 💺 is Big mistake, as well as the 𝗔𝗯𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 of a Panoramic Roof. That's why I choose less expensive -$7,500 FEDERAL TAX CREDIT, Chrysler Pacifica 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝗴-𝗜𝗻 Hybrid.

You sold me on the cup holders alone

One question: which company's engineering do you trust over the other's?

Nice comparison, but you forgot to mention that the Pacifica has horrible transmission issues and the eCVT in the Sienna has been bulletproof, let alone the reliability of the Sienna overall destroys that of the Pacifica. The middle seats are also a lot more comfortable in the Sienna and can be unbolted with 4 bolts if you absolutely had to have a flat floor although the stow-n-go seats are easier for the very few Tim es that might be needed. You can also make a flat surface with the seats folded flat and get 4x8 sheets of plywood in the Sienna too. The difference between 20mpg in the Pacifica and 35mpg in the Sienna though is the hands down winner. Better reliability, better mpg, and nicer interior are major wins for the Sienna. Yes, the camera function and panoramic sunroof are nice but are fluff that I could care less about personally. Like you said, I care about me as the driver and with a sunroof over my head I'm happy! I know several people that bought a Pacifica and every single one of them have had numerous issues with them. What good is it if it's at the dealer?

The mpg difference itself is an automatic win for the Sienna.

AWD roller test comparison would be great.

Sooo... there is a Hellcat engine in the Charger, Challenger, Durango, Cherokee, Ram, and Wrangler... when are they gonna release a Hellcat Pacifica?

A more relevant comparison might be to the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. It's a PHEV. It can go 32 miles pure electric. It gets 30 mpg combined when running with the gas engine. It does cost more and I don't believe it can tow anything.

Pacifica looks better. But I’d still rather have the Sienna

I'm liking the sienna van

Hi Nathan! So I have no minivan but got to rent a fully loaded Chrysler Pacifica in March. It was a great driving vehicle packed with cool technology and lots of space, I was really impressed. If I were to pick between the two in this episode, I would definitely go for the Toyota. The Pacifica is a Chrysler and they tend to have quality issues in the long run (in my experience). I mean-the one I rented only had 600 miles on it and the panoramic sunroof was stuck with the vent partially open, plus could not open or close the whole thing. Somehow, the windscreen got stuck in the track and I had to hear a little bit of wind noise during highway speeds. I’ve also seen one that had rust bubbling up at the edge of the hood here in Ohio, I’m sure it wasn’t brand new but I know they haven’t been around that long. Anyway...just my two cents, don’t own a minivan and hope not to need one any time soon! 😂

I know it's not AWD but I'd take the Pacifica Pinnacle PHEV at $52,000 over either of these.

We just got a 2021 Sienna XSE and really like it a lot. Wife really liked the Pacifica as well, and we both really liked the idea of the pluggable hybrid since we're also Tesla owners. However, we need a van with a towing capacity and really wanted AWD since it was replacing a subaru. The Pacifica hybrid has NO towing capacity and no AWD, so it basically was out. I didn't even consider the gas version because the fuel economy was so terrible (that and Chrysler transmissions... scary!). The toyota hybrid powertrain is proven reliable, look at the Prius out there used in taxi fleets that have 300K+ on them with no drivetrain issues. Thanks for the review, I'd agree that the platinum definitely has a little nicer inside than the lower trim with the real leather and the two-tone coloring, but we wanted the XSE for the "sportier" suspension. I wouldn't say it's sporty, but it's definitely not as numb as the other trims, the XSE supposedly has a different steering tuning, different suspension and larger swaybars. We owned a Mazda5 before and this van is amazing compared.. just wish they still made smaller vans.

I’d be fine with this Sienna if it was offered with a V6, and a conventional transmission. So the 3.5 was too inefficient. How about a 2.8 or 3.0 litre V6 instead?

I think a loaded down test and comparison should be done with minivans and larger crossovers. How do these vehicles act when they are loaded down close or at least 70% of their payload capacity. And before someone says "you don't buy minivans to race", yes but passing power is still important, especially when the van is loaded down.

TOYOTA ALL THE WAY

Reliable is my number concern

Anyone buying a Chrysler over a Toyota needs their head seriously checked. Lol

For those wondering the "CVT" used in this is an eCVT. Toyota's eCVT used in collaboration with the MG (motor generator) units in the new 2021 Sienna Hybrids and 2020+ Highlander Hybrids (not to be confused with a normal CVT in other Toyota vehicles) is very good and very reliable. It is not a CVT in the conventional sense that you may have become accustomed to. As in there is no metal banding made of hundreds of smalls discs that can explode like in the Nissan and there is no primary and secondary like in the JATCO Nissan nightmarish and controversial CVT. It is a far more advanced and far more reliable system than anything Nissan/ JATCO has ever produced.

I like all the comparisons and the price checks and the explanation of the interior and what it comes with but after using these vans for 1 week the Pacifica is just so much better with amenities and features and the feel is so much better. Pacifica is also quieter. Basically the only reason i would go with Toyota is better gas mileage. But if you drive short trips all the time you have be careful with moisture in the oil. Also, this wasn't a true test. Car and driver did a long term test and they loved both the Pacifica and the Toyota but Pacifica always came on top. Plus, most people are buying these used and Pacifica was the better option again. I don't think you'll make a bad decision with either if you do your homework and do the maintenance needed and not forget, like the moisture issue with Toyota hybrid engine.

Great review 👍 I guess you didn’t cover resale value & reliability because it’s obvious which wins that race.

Yipeeeee Nath-San is back..😂

My issue with these reviews is that the true purchase price is never considered. Toyota won’t give you $500 off that van, while Chrysler you can easily shave few thousand off sticker. If you’re leasing then reliability doesn’t matter. Also, the Pacifica can hold more stuff, especially something like sheets of plywood for DIY projects. The stow and go feature is fantastic. A family member owned the previous generation Sienna and I had to pull out the second row seats to fit a recliner, and it was a pain in the ass to remove, carry and install back. This generation the seats aren’t even removable! Also, the Pacifica looks better/cooler and less of a minivan. Finally, it has a true AWD system and the interior is fancier. Frankly, the Pacifica is the better value here.

I find it funny that Nathan is basically the minivan guy

Definitely the Sienna. While the Pacifica might make more HP on paper, the electric motor gives the Sienna immediate torque from zero RPM.

The problem is the options packaging. With the Sienna, if I want AWD, I give up the 2nd row bench. Why would I want a mini-van that forces me to use the 3rd row, just because I have three kids? I can get three kids in the 2nd row of my midsize sedan, but not a Toyota mini-van with AWD?

I know now that I’m automotive enthusiast. I just clicked on a mini van video!

Excellent review Nathan. Well balance and practical.

I bought the 2022 KIA Carnival. Take that for a spin and then make an evaluation.

Great review sir, thanks so much!

My older Toyota has removable second row seats. Does this not?

I won’t argue Toyota reliability, but that Sienna looks so ugly. That Pacifica especially with the S appearance package actually looks cool.... and that’s important to a lot of people these days. It’s also probably the reason you now see tons more Pacificas on the road than any other minivan. People were sick of the plain jane minivans and with exception to the new Kia Carnaval which takes looks to a new level, the Sienna and Odyssey are just ehhhh. 2017 Pacifica Limited owner and now at 50,000 flawless miles. 👍🏼

@4:25 And it can make a really big difference if using as a cargo van. Stow-n-go = basement. @6:58 I you removed the seats from the Toyota, could 4x8 sheet stock fit? Anyone? Thanks

DUDE THE PACIFICA IS A LUXURY SPORTS CAR

Nice video bro

Great review just want I needed when I needed it Thank you

When they had stock, you could easily get 10%+ off msrp on the Pacifica. That's just a given. Plus the 0% financing. I would say the Pacifica is a better value and more thought out, but the Sienna has better mileage.

Why didn’t you test the hybrid Toyota vs the plug-in hybrid Chrysler? We have the hybrid Chrysler and it is great. Since it’s a plug-in, you get getter mileage on a Chrysler. The impact on the electric bill is not significant.

Thank you! This video was helpful.