2024 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2025 Toyota Sienna

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica maintained its contemporary appeal despite not undergoing frequent redesigns. Its smooth exterior styling, with a modest grille, offered a refreshing alternative to the flashier designs of its competitors. The Pacifica's clean look was enhanced by hidden sliding-door tracks, avoiding the need for additional styling features. Available in various trims, including the base Touring and the luxurious Pinnacle, the Pacifica featured standard LED lighting and a range of wheel options. The S Appearance and Road Tripper Packages added unique exterior and interior trims, while new paint options like Baltic Gray and Red Hot expanded the color palette. Inside, the Pacifica's minimalist dashboard design integrated controls seamlessly, with a sculpted look that gracefully accommodated the instrument cluster and infotainment touchscreen. The Pinnacle trim boasted luxurious brown Nappa leather upholstery, but some interior elements felt less premium, with plastic mingling with the contrast stitching.

In contrast, the 2025 Toyota Sienna embraced a more traditional minivan design, with a trapezoidal grille and upswept body lines. Despite attempts to add style, the Sienna still resembled a minivan, prioritizing practicality over fashion. The Platinum trim introduced new flower-petal wheel designs and a Magnetic Gray paint color. The Sienna's interior updates included a woodgrain finish, though opinions on its appeal varied. The Platinum model featured power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats, but comfort was lacking on long drives. The second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with passengers, and the hands-free power liftgate added convenience. While storage space was generous, the Sienna's cargo capacity fell short compared to rivals, with a maximum of 101 cubic feet. The Sienna's design choices reflected Toyota's understanding of minivan owners' needs, but it might not satisfy those seeking maximum load space.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, delivering 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available on higher trims. The Pacifica's V6 engine, known as the Pentastar, had a long history in the Stellantis lineup, providing peppy acceleration and a towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The minivan's chassis tuning prioritized comfort and stability, with a suspension that effectively dampened body motion and road imperfections. However, some weight transfer was noticeable during acceleration and deceleration. The Pacifica offered a quiet and comfortable ride, positioning itself as a step above mainstream rivals.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured a hybrid powertrain with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The hybrid system produced a net horsepower of 245, with front-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive available. While the Sienna's power output seemed modest, the electric assist motor provided immediate torque, preventing the minivan from feeling sluggish. The Sienna excelled in fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 36 mpg in combined driving. However, during testing, it averaged 26.3 mpg. The Sienna's handling was predictable and secure, but not particularly engaging. The CVT's droning noise was noticeable during hard acceleration, and the brakes experienced temporary fade during a mountain descent. The Sienna's ride was smooth and absorbent, offering excellent impact isolation.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica offered the innovative Stow 'n Go seating system, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating large in-floor storage bins. The Pacifica's standard configuration included second-row bucket seats and a 60/40 split-folding third-row bench seat, accommodating seven passengers. An eight-seat configuration was available with the Touring L trim, but it couldn't be combined with Stow 'n Go or all-wheel drive. Pinnacle and Limited models featured a power-folding third-row seat and an optional power liftgate. The Pacifica's passenger space was competitive, with ample headroom and legroom in the first two rows. Cargo space was generous, with 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 87.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and 140.5 cubic feet with both rows folded. The Pacifica's Stow 'n Vac built-in vacuum cleaner was a convenient feature, though the raised center console's storage area was challenging to access.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna prioritized form and function, offering power-adjustable, heated, and ventilated front seats wrapped in perforated leather. However, the cushions felt hard during long drives. The Platinum trim's second-row captain's chairs with ottoman-style leg rests were popular with passengers, and the refrigerated compartment on the back of the center console was a hit. The Sienna's third-row seat accommodated adults comfortably, and the sliding side doors facilitated easy loading and unloading. Storage space was generous, with a wide tray under the center console, but finding secure places for large water bottles was challenging. The Sienna offered 33.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 75.2 cubic feet behind the second row, and a maximum of 101 cubic feet. Unlike its rivals, the Sienna's second-row seats couldn't be removed, limiting maximum load space.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica came equipped with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The instrument cluster included analog gauges with a 7-inch digital display. The Pacifica offered up to 12 USB-C ports, built-in navigation, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Uconnect 5 system was intuitive and user-friendly, though a shortcut for the 360-degree camera system would have been appreciated. The Uconnect Theater system provided rear-seat entertainment with dual 10.1-inch touchscreens, wireless headphones, and Amazon Fire TV connectivity. The FamCam rear-facing interior camera allowed parents to monitor rear-seat occupants, though an intercom system was not available.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna's higher-spec models featured a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 12.3-inch touchscreen display for the Toyota Audio Multimedia (TAM) infotainment system. The Platinum trim included a four-zone automatic climate control system, a 10-inch head-up display (HUD), and a camera-based digital rearview mirror. The TAM system offered access to five connected services plans, with varying complimentary subscription periods. The Drive Connect plan included a digital assistant that responded to conversational commands. The Sienna Platinum's infotainment system paired with a 12-speaker JBL premium audio system, though the sound quality was bass-heavy. The four-zone climate control system was appreciated, and the digital rearview camera offered zoom-in/zoom-out capability. The HUD provided useful information, though blind-spot warnings were not communicated.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named it a 2023 Top Safety Pick, though it missed the highest Top Safety Pick+ award due to low scores in updated crash tests and middling ratings for headlights and front crash prevention tech. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear park assist. Optional features included a 360-degree camera system, front park assist, and a parallel/perpendicular park assist system. New for 2024 was an Emergency Vehicle Alert System integrated with the Uconnect infotainment system.

The 2025 Toyota Sienna featured Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 2.0, an older technology set compared to TSS 3.0. TSS 2.0 included forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, lane-centering assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Sienna also had automatic high-beam headlights, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The lane-centering assist performed well, though it could waver in some situations. The adaptive cruise control required human intervention during sudden traffic braking events. New for 2025 was a rear-seat reminder system that detected movement within the cabin and issued warnings. The NHTSA gave the Sienna a five-star overall rating, but it scored four stars in frontal crash tests and three stars for driver protection in a frontal impact. No minivans earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS.