Using vehicle speed sensors and seat sensors, smart airbags in the Odyssey deploy with different levels of force or don’t deploy at all to help better protect passengers of all sizes in different collisions. The Odyssey’s side airbags will shut off if a child is leaning against the door. The Pacifica’s side airbags don’t have smart features and will always deploy full force.
The Odyssey has a standard Whiplash Mitigation Front Seat Design, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash Mitigation Front Seat Design system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.
The Odyssey’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.
Both the Odyssey and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available rear parking sensors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Honda Odyssey is safer than the Chrysler Pacifica:
|
Odyssey |
Pacifica |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Injury Risk |
27% |
29% |
Neck Stress |
184 lbs. |
230 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
18 lbs. |
56 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
95/82 lbs. |
75/194 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Neck Stress |
101 lbs. |
117 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
324/302 lbs. |
440/251 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Honda Odyssey is safer than the Chrysler Pacifica:
|
Odyssey |
Pacifica |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
66 |
72 |
Chest Movement |
.5 inches |
1 inches |
Abdominal Force |
83 lbs. |
149 lbs. |
Hip Force |
321 lbs. |
395 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Hip Force |
709 lbs. |
764 lbs. |
|
Into Pole |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Max Damage Depth |
12 inches |
13 inches |
Spine Acceleration |
41 G’s |
50 G’s |
Hip Force |
472 lbs. |
616 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Odyssey its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Pacifica has not been fully tested, yet.