Five Minivans Compared: Odyssey, Sienna, Carnival, Grand Caravan and Pacifica for Ontario Families
By Navin Kotecha, The Car Doctor
Published
Full disclosure first: I sell Chryslers. Golden Mile Chrysler sells the Grand Caravan and the Pacifica, and we do not sell a new Honda, Toyota or Kia. So you would expect me to say the Chryslers win everything. They do not. All five of these vans will carry a Toronto family well. Each one is better at something, and the right one depends on how many kids you have, how far you drive and whether you need all-wheel drive in January.
Everything below comes from the makers' Canadian specifications and Natural Resources Canada's fuel ratings, not from US brochures. That matters, because Canadian trims, warranties and even model years differ from what most American comparisons show. The Grand Caravan is a Canada-only van, so most US reviews leave it out entirely.
Which van wins what
Fuel: Sienna
Hybrid on every trim, 6.6 L/100 km combined (FWD).
Eight seats: Odyssey
Eight on every trim.
Cargo behind row 3: Carnival
1,139 litres, the most of the vans that publish it.
Hidden seats: Chrysler
Stow 'n Go folds rows two and three into the floor.
All-wheel drive
Only the Sienna and the Pacifica offer it.
The short answer
Toyota Sienna if fuel economy matters most. It is hybrid-only and the most efficient van here, with or without all-wheel drive. Honda Odyssey if you want eight seats on every trim and the most flexible second row. Kia Carnival if you want the most room behind the third row and the longest standard warranty. Chrysler Grand Caravan if you want seven seats, sliding doors and Stow 'n Go seats that fold into the floor, in the simplest package. Chrysler Pacifica if you want all of that plus all-wheel drive, an available eighth seat and the most towing.
| Spec | Honda Odyssey | Toyota Sienna | Kia Carnival | Chrysler Grand Caravan | Chrysler Pacifica |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model year on sale | 2026 | 2026 | 2027 | 2027 | 2027 (refreshed) |
| Powertrain | 3.5L V6, 280 hp, 10-speed automatic | 2.5L hybrid, 245 hp combined, eCVT | 3.5L V6, 288 hp, 8-speed; or 1.6L turbo hybrid, 242 hp, 6-speed | 3.6L V6, 287 hp, 9-speed automatic | 3.6L V6, 287 hp, 9-speed automatic |
| Hybrid | No | Standard on every trim | Available | No | No (plug-in hybrid being phased out) |
| All-wheel drive | No | Available | No | No | Available on Select and Limited, standard on Pinnacle |
| Seats | 8 on every trim | 8 (LE, XLE) or 7 (XSE, Limited, Platinum) | 8, or 7 on SX+ | 7 | 7, or 8 available on Select |
| Second row | Magic Slide seats | Long-slide captain's chairs on XSE and up | VIP lounge seats with leg rests on SX+ | Stow 'n Go: folds into the floor | Stow 'n Go (also with AWD); removable captain's chairs on Pinnacle |
| Cargo behind 3rd row | 929 L | 949 L | 1,139 L | Not published | Not published |
| Maximum cargo | 3,973 L | 2,860 L | 4,110 L | 3,978 L | More than 3,964 L |
| Maximum towing | 1,587 kg | 1,585 to 1,587 kg | 3,500 lb (V6), 3,000 lb (hybrid) | Not published | 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) |
| NRCan combined L/100 km (2026) | 10.6 | 6.6 FWD, 6.8 AWD | 11.3 V6, 7.2 hybrid | 10.6 | 10.6 FWD, 12.0 AWD |
| Warranty, basic / powertrain | 3 yr/60,000 km / 5 yr/100,000 km | 3 yr/60,000 km / 5 yr/100,000 km; hybrid parts 8 yr/160,000 km | 5 yr/100,000 km comprehensive and powertrain; hybrid parts 8 yr/150,000 km | 3 yr/60,000 km / 5 yr/100,000 km | 3 yr/60,000 km / 5 yr/100,000 km |
| Built in | Lincoln, Alabama | Princeton, Indiana | Not listed by Kia Canada | Windsor, Ontario | Windsor, Ontario |
Source: Honda Canada 2026 Odyssey specifications and warranty; Toyota Canada 2026 Sienna product information; Kia Canada Carnival and Carnival Hybrid specifications and warranty; Stellantis and Chrysler Canada; Natural Resources Canada 2026 Fuel Consumption Ratings. "Not published" means the maker's Canadian site does not list the figure.
Seats: seven or eight, and what the second row does
Eight seats is the first filter for a lot of families. The Odyssey seats eight on every trim. The Sienna seats eight on LE and XLE, then drops to seven captain's chairs on the higher trims. The Carnival seats eight except on the top SX+, and the Pacifica offers an eighth seat on the Select. The Grand Caravan is a seven-seater, full stop.
The bigger difference is what the second row does when you are not using it. In the Grand Caravan and the Pacifica, the second- and third-row seats fold down into wells in the floor. That is Stow 'n Go, and nobody else does it. No lifting a heavy seat out and finding somewhere in a condo locker to keep it. The Pacifica is the only van that keeps Stow 'n Go with all-wheel drive. The Odyssey's Magic Slide seats slide side to side, which helps you reach a third-row car seat. The Sienna's long-slide chairs and the Carnival's VIP lounge seats are about rear-seat comfort, and they stay in the van.
Stow 'n Go: where the seats go
- Second rowIn the Grand Caravan and the Pacifica it folds down into a well in the floor.
- Third rowFolds into the floor as well.
- Behind the third rowCarnival 1,139 L, Sienna 949 L, Odyssey 929 L. Chrysler does not publish this figure.
- Seats stowedFour of the five vans offer close to 4,000 L; the Sienna tops out at 2,860 L.
Shown for the Grand Caravan and Pacifica; the other three keep their second-row seats in the van. Simplified drawing; the layout differs between vehicles.
Source: Chrysler Canada, Stellantis, Honda Canada, Toyota Canada and Kia Canada.
Cargo: behind the third row and with the seats down
Behind the third row, with every seat in use, the Carnival is the roomiest of the vans that publish a number: 1,139 litres against 949 for the Sienna and 929 for the Odyssey. That is the space for strollers and hockey bags on a full-family day. Chrysler Canada does not publish a behind-the-third-row figure for the Grand Caravan or Pacifica, so I will not guess one. Bring your stroller to the lot and try it.
Maximum cargo space, seats folded or stowed
Chrysler publishes the Pacifica as more than 3,964 L. The Sienna's second-row seats do not come out or fold into the floor, which is why its maximum is smaller.
Source: Honda Canada, Toyota Canada 2026 Sienna product information, Kia Canada, Chrysler Canada and Stellantis.
With the seats down, four of the five are close to 4,000 litres, which is IKEA-run territory. The Sienna is the outlier at 2,860 litres. Its second-row chairs slide and recline but do not come out, so it gives up a lot of floor when you need to haul. If you move furniture or help your kids move into residence, that gap is real.
Fuel economy: the Canadian numbers
This is where Toyota and Kia win, and I am not going to pretend otherwise. Natural Resources Canada rates the Sienna at 6.6 L/100 km combined, and only 6.8 with all-wheel drive. The Carnival Hybrid is next at 7.2. The V6 vans, including both Chryslers and the Odyssey, sit at 10.6, the V6 Carnival at 11.3, and the all-wheel-drive Pacifica at 12.0. If you drive the 401 every day and fuel is your biggest running cost, a hybrid will cost less at the pump.
Combined fuel consumption, 2026 ratings (lower is better)
These are the latest official Canadian ratings, for the 2026 model year. Ratings for the 2027 Carnival, Grand Caravan and Pacifica were not yet published when this was written. Your own numbers will vary with winter, traffic and tires.
Source: Natural Resources Canada, 2026 Fuel Consumption Ratings.
The Chrysler argument here is different. The Pentastar V6 is a simple, proven engine that Chrysler has used for years. Then there is the plug-in Pacifica Hybrid. CTV News reported that Stellantis is phasing out its plug-in hybrids, the Pacifica Hybrid included, so plan your new-van shopping around the V6.
Winter: all-wheel drive in a minivan
Only two of these five offer all-wheel drive: the Sienna and the Pacifica. The Odyssey, the Carnival and the Grand Caravan are front-wheel drive only. For most Toronto driving, a front-wheel-drive van on proper winter tires is fine. Winter tires do more for stopping and turning than all-wheel drive ever will, and Ontario insurers give a discount for them. All-wheel drive earns its place on unplowed side streets, steep driveways and ski weekends up the 400.
If you want all-wheel drive, the choice is clear. The Sienna gives it to you with almost no fuel penalty. The Pacifica gives it to you with Stow 'n Go seats, an available eighth seat and the most towing of the five, at 1,633 kg. That is the van for the family that pulls a small trailer up to cottage country.
Safety: check the rear-seat result
None of the four vans the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests (the Odyssey, Sienna, Carnival and Pacifica) earned a 2026 Top Safety Pick. The main reason is the updated moderate overlap front test, which now puts a dummy in the second row. The Sienna, the Carnival and the Pacifica rate Marginal there, and the Odyssey rates Poor. IIHS does not list the Grand Caravan separately. These are US ratings, but the vans are built the same way. If you have kids in the second row, read the IIHS minivan results yourself.
Warranty and ownership
On paper, Kia's warranty is the best: five years or 100,000 km of comprehensive coverage, where Honda, Toyota and Chrysler give you three years or 60,000 km. All four give five years or 100,000 km on the powertrain, and Toyota adds longer coverage on the hybrid system. Toyota's hybrid coverage also runs longer than Kia's, at 8 years or 160,000 km against 150,000. Read each warranty in writing before you sign.
The Grand Caravan and the Pacifica are built at Windsor Assembly, a few hours down the 401, which keeps parts and know-how close to home. Buy either from us and you also get the Car Doctor perks: the lifetime oil change*, a gas card and two years of free tire storage, which makes the winter-tire swap easy. Most of the used vans we take in are Grand Caravans, so ask us what the used Grand Caravans and used Pacificas look like at three and four years old.
So which minivan should you buy?
If you drive a lot and want the lowest fuel bill, buy the Sienna. If you need eight seats on a basic trim, look at the Odyssey or the Carnival, and pick the Carnival if cargo behind the third row and a long warranty matter more. If you want seats that disappear into the floor, the Grand Caravan does that in the simplest package, and the Pacifica adds all-wheel drive, an eighth seat and towing. Driving for Uber? Read the best van for UberXL in Toronto. To compare what a van costs to own, see lease vs finance, and when you are ready, see the current minivan deals.
Minivan Comparison: Common Questions
Which minivan has the best fuel economy in Canada?
The Toyota Sienna. Natural Resources Canada rates the 2026 Sienna hybrid at 6.6 L/100 km combined with front-wheel drive and 6.8 with all-wheel drive. The Kia Carnival Hybrid is next at 7.2. The V6 Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Grand Caravan and Pacifica are rated 10.6 with front-wheel drive.
Which minivans have all-wheel drive?
Only the Toyota Sienna and the Chrysler Pacifica. All-wheel drive is available on many Sienna trims and on the Pacifica Select and Limited, and it is standard on the Pacifica Pinnacle. The Honda Odyssey, Kia Carnival and Chrysler Grand Caravan are front-wheel drive only.
Which minivans seat eight?
The Honda Odyssey seats eight on every trim. The Toyota Sienna seats eight on LE and XLE, the Kia Carnival seats eight on every trim except SX+, and the Chrysler Pacifica offers an eighth seat on the Select. The Chrysler Grand Caravan seats seven.
What is the difference between the Grand Caravan and the Pacifica?
They share the 3.6L Pentastar V6, the 9-speed automatic, Stow 'n Go seating and the Windsor, Ontario plant. The Grand Caravan is the simpler seven-seat front-wheel-drive van. The Pacifica adds available all-wheel drive, an available eighth seat, higher trims and a towing rating of 1,633 kg.
Which minivan has the most cargo space?
Behind the third row, the Kia Carnival at 1,139 litres, ahead of the Toyota Sienna at 949 and the Honda Odyssey at 929. With the seats folded or stowed, the Carnival, Grand Caravan, Odyssey and Pacifica are all close to 4,000 litres, while the Sienna is 2,860.
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