Pacifica vs Odyssey: Which Minivan Should You Buy? (2026) — AWD and Stow 'n Go Against More Space and Better Resale, With the Pacifica Hybrid Now Gone
The refreshed 2027 Pacifica drops its plug-in hybrid, leaving two 22-mpg V6 minivans that differ on all-wheel drive, space and safety-test results.
Minivans have quietly become the most competitive family vehicles you can still buy at a sensible size, and two of them have defined the category for years: the Chrysler Pacifica and the Honda Odyssey. In November 2026 they are in an unusual moment. Chrysler has just refreshed the Pacifica for the 2027 model year, with a new face, a new entry trim and, notably, no plug-in hybrid. Honda's Odyssey is in its 2026 model year, a van whose basic design dates to 2018 and which was last freshened for 2021. This comparison sets the 2027 Pacifica against the 2026 Odyssey, because those are the two vans a shopper will actually find on lots right now.
The short version: the Odyssey is the more spacious, more traditionally Honda choice, with a cargo number that is hard to argue with. The Pacifica is the more flexible one, offering all-wheel drive, fold-flat seats and, until this year, a plug-in hybrid that no other minivan in America matched. Which one is right depends on what you do with a minivan every week.
Price: Chrysler Starts Lower, Honda Ends Lower
Chrysler announced the 2027 Pacifica with a base price of $41,495 for the new LX trim, according to reporting from Cars.com and MotorWeek, both dated March 10, 2026. Add the $1,995 destination charge and the LX comes to $43,490. The LX replaces the old low-cost Voyager and adds standard power-sliding doors, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel. Above it sit the Select, Limited and Pinnacle, and all-wheel drive is available on those three at a premium MotorWeek puts at $3,345 on the Select. Pricing for the upper trims has been reported inconsistently since launch, and at least one outlet reported Chrysler trimming prices on several trims as vans reached dealers, so treat the top-trim figures as a range to confirm with a dealer rather than a fixed number.
The 2026 Odyssey starts at $42,795 before destination in EX-L form, according to figures from iSeeCars and a Honda dealer comparison page. With Honda's $1,495 destination charge, that is about $44,290. The Sport-L is $43,895 before destination, the Touring $47,495 and the Elite $51,695. Cars.com notes that Odyssey prices rose by an average of roughly $550 from 2025.
The two vans therefore open about $800 apart once destination is included, in the Pacifica's favor, but the Odyssey starts at the EX-L, which is already a well-equipped trim, while the Pacifica's lowest rung is stripped down by comparison. A like-for-like comparison is closer than the sticker suggests, and the gap flips as you move up: a Pacifica Pinnacle is a notably more expensive van than an Odyssey Touring.
Powertrains: Two V6s, One Big Difference
Both vans use a V6 and an automatic transmission. The Odyssey's 3.5-liter V6 makes 280 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and drives the front wheels through a 10-speed automatic. The Pacifica's 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 makes 287 horsepower at 6,400 rpm through a 9-speed automatic. Those horsepower numbers come from Honda's own comparison sheet and a dealer comparison page, so one of them comes from a competitor-written source, but the seven-horsepower gap is too small to notice from the driver's seat either way.
Where they diverge is drivetrain choice. The Odyssey is front-wheel drive only. The Pacifica offers all-wheel drive on Select, Limited and Pinnacle trims. For a family in the snow belt, that is a real reason to look at the Chrysler. It costs fuel economy: the EPA rates the front-drive gas Pacifica at 19 mpg city, 28 highway and 22 combined, and the all-wheel-drive version at 17, 25 and 20. The 2026 Honda Odyssey is rated at the same 19, 28 and 22, according to fueleconomy.gov.
The Hybrid That Is No Longer There
The Pacifica Hybrid was the single most interesting minivan on sale. On fueleconomy.gov, the 2026 plug-in model is rated at 82 MPGe and 30 mpg on gas alone, with 32 miles of electric range. For a family whose daily driving fits inside 32 miles, that meant school runs on electricity and a van that still had a gas engine for road trips. According to MotorWeek's coverage of the 2027 reveal, the Pacifica Hybrid is gone for 2027, and the V6 is expected to be the only engine.
That changes the comparison. With the hybrid gone, the Pacifica no longer has a fuel-economy story: its gas numbers are identical to the Odyssey's front-drive 22 mpg combined, and worse with all-wheel drive. If you were considering the Pacifica specifically for the plug-in, the 2027 model is not that van. You would need to look at a 2026 model or a used one, and check availability at your dealer, since 2026 hybrids will sell through.
Space and Seating
Honda's comparison sheet lists maximum cargo volume at 155.7 cubic feet for the Odyssey against 140.5 for the Pacifica, a 15-cubic-foot advantage. Honda says it measured its figure using the SAE J1100 standard plus floor space where applicable, so it is a favorable reading, and Honda is not a neutral party. Even so, the Odyssey has long been the roomier of the two, and the direction of the gap is not in doubt.
The Odyssey seats eight in most configurations. The Pacifica seats seven as standard with an eighth seat available for $695, according to the Crest Honda comparison, and a Chrysler dealer summary confirms seven- or eight-passenger configurations. Honda's Magic Slide second row, which lets the outboard seats slide sideways to create either a wide bench or a walk-through to the third row, is the Odyssey's signature trick. The Pacifica's is Stow 'n Go, in which both the second and third rows fold into the floor to create a flat load deck. If you carry plywood, a bicycle or a flat-pack wardrobe, Stow 'n Go is the more useful system. If you carry car seats and need to reach the third row, Magic Slide is the more thoughtful one.
Both vans have tri-zone climate control standard on all trims. For rear entertainment, the Odyssey's 12.8-inch ceiling display is standard on Touring and Elite, while the Pacifica's two 10-inch seatback screens are standard on the Pinnacle. Chrysler removed its Uconnect Theater Package for 2027 and added a Family Tech Group with Amazon Fire TV, an interior camera, premium audio and more power outlets.
Safety: Neither Van Is a Clear Winner
This is the part of the comparison where the ratings do not flatter either van. IIHS tests the Odyssey and Pacifica under its updated moderate-overlap front test, and neither does well in the rear seat. The 2025 Odyssey (results apply to 2023 to 2027 models) earns Good for structure and driver protection but Poor for rear-passenger head and neck protection and Marginal for chest protection, which brings its overall result to Poor. The Pacifica earns Marginal overall in the same test, with Good structure and driver protection but Marginal rear-passenger chest protection.
In the updated side test the Odyssey earns Good, while the Pacifica earns Acceptable, with Poor rear-passenger pelvis protection. Both vans earn Good in the small overlap front test. Headlights rate Acceptable on both, as does pedestrian front crash prevention. The Odyssey's seat-belt reminders rate Good, while the Pacifica's rate Marginal. The Odyssey's LATCH child-seat hardware rates Good, the Pacifica's Acceptable, with some hard-to-find tether anchors on the Chrysler.
Tallying the IIHS results, the Odyssey has the better of it: Good in the side test, Good LATCH, Good seat-belt reminders, against a Poor in the moderate overlap test where the Pacifica scores Marginal. Neither earned a 2026 IIHS award on the pages we reviewed. For a vehicle bought mostly to carry children, the rear-seat results are worth weighing, and the child-seat anchor ratings are a practical edge for Honda.
Resale Value
Honda's comparison sheet cites Black Book projections for retained value after 36 months: $25,550 for a 2026 Odyssey EX-L against $18,925 for a 2026 Pacifica Select FWD, both estimates as of July 2026. Treat those as marketing from an interested party, and note the trims are not equal, since the EX-L starts higher than the Select does. Still, the Odyssey's reputation for holding value is long-standing and the direction of the estimate matches it. If you buy new and sell in three years, that difference could outweigh any sticker-price gap.
Which One Should You Buy?
**Buy the Honda Odyssey if** you want the most room and the most flexible third row, you value the better IIHS side-test and child-seat results, and you expect to resell in a few years. It is also the van to choose if you want a well-equipped trim at a price within a few thousand dollars of the Pacifica's entry point.
**Buy the Chrysler Pacifica if** you need all-wheel drive, you want Stow 'n Go's flat load floor, or you want the lowest entry price and are happy with the LX's power doors and heated seats. The 2027 refresh also brings an illuminated grille, a new Safety Sphere Package with a 360-degree camera, and a more distinctive look.
**Look at a 2026 Pacifica Hybrid if** plug-in range matters to you. It is the one thing neither van offers in its current form, and it is only available while 2026 stock lasts.
Both vans are strong choices, and neither is a mistake. The Odyssey is the safer bet on space, safety-test results and resale; the Pacifica is the more versatile van, and the more interesting one, even without its plug-in. Test drive both with your own child seats installed, because that is where the differences described here become obvious.
| 2027 Chrysler Pacifica | 2026 Honda Odyssey | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price (incl. destination) | $43,490 (LX) | About $44,290 (EX-L) |
| Engine | 3.6L V6, 287 hp | 3.5L V6, 280 hp |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic | 10-speed automatic |
| Drivetrain | FWD; AWD on Select, Limited, Pinnacle | FWD only |
| EPA mpg (city/hwy/comb., FWD gas) | 19/28/22 (AWD 17/25/20) | 19/28/22 |
| Seating | 7 (8 optional, $695) | 8 |
| Max cargo (Honda's figures) | 140.5 cu ft | 155.7 cu ft |
| IIHS moderate overlap (updated) | Marginal | Poor |
| IIHS side (updated) | Acceptable | Good |
| Plug-in hybrid | Dropped for 2027 | Not offered |
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Sources
- Cars.com — How Much Is the 2027 Chrysler Pacifica?
- MotorWeek — Here's More on the Refreshed 2027 Chrysler Pacifica
- Honda Info Center — 2026 Honda Odyssey vs 2027 Chrysler Pacifica
- Crest Honda — 2026 Honda Odyssey vs 2026 Chrysler Pacifica
- Diehl Auto — What's New: 2027 Chrysler Pacifica
- IIHS — 2025 Honda Odyssey ratings
- IIHS — 2025 Chrysler Pacifica ratings
- FuelEconomy.gov — 2026 Honda Odyssey
- FuelEconomy.gov — 2026 Chrysler Pacifica