Compare the2024 Toyota SiennaVS 2024 Chrysler Pacifica

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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The Sienna has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

Both the Sienna and Pacifica have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Sienna has Rear Cross Traffic Braking (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Pacifica’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

The Sienna’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 Sienna and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Toyota Sienna is safer than the Chrysler Pacifica:

	Sienna	Pacifica
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	42	72
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1 inches
Abdominal Force	123 lbs.	149 lbs.
Hip Force	348 lbs.	395 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	52	66
Spine Acceleration	30 G’s	54 G’s
Hip Force	542 lbs.	764 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	12 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	31 G’s	50 G’s
Hip Force	499 lbs.	616 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Sienna is safer than the Pacifica:

	Sienna	Pacifica
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	201 lbs.	335 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	.94 in
Shoulder Force	178 lbs.	223 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.83 in	1.26 in
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	736 lbs.	848 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	18	83
Neck Compression	22 lbs.	67 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.98 in	1.1 in
Shoulder Force	312 lbs.	424 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.71 in	1.97 in
Torso Deflection Rate	7 MPH	12 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	POOR
Pelvis Force	625 lbs.	1450 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

The Toyota Sienna achieved a “Top Safety Pick” rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for the 2024 model year. This recognition was based on its impressive performance in the small overlap frontal crash test, updated side impact crash test, headlight evaluations, and pedestrian crash prevention testing. The Pacifica last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023.

Warranty

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sienna for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chrysler doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Pacifica.

Reliability

The battery on the Sienna is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Sienna’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Pacifica’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Chrysler vehicles. With 56 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Chrysler.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chrysler is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Chrysler is ranked 30th.

Engine

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Sienna is faster than the Chrysler Pacifica:

	Sienna	Pacifica Hybrid	Pacifica V6
Zero to 60 MPH	7.6 sec	7.9 sec	8.3 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16.1 sec	16.3 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Sienna gets better mileage than the Pacifica running its gasoline engine:

			MPG
Sienna
	FWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	36 city/36 hwy
	AWD	2.5 4-cyl. Hybrid	35 city/36 hwy
Pacifica
	FWD	3.6 V6 Hybrid	29 city/30 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/28 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy

The Sienna has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (18 vs. 16.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Sienna has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Pacifica. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

Brakes and Stopping

The Sienna’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pacifica are solid, not vented.

The Sienna stops shorter than the Pacifica:

	Sienna	Pacifica
60 to 0 MPH	125 feet	131 feet	Motor Trend

Suspension and Handling

The Sienna has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Sienna flat and controlled during cornering. The Pacifica 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Sienna’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Pacifica’s (38.3 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Sienna XSE/Platinum FWD’s turning circle is 1 foot tighter than the Pacifica AWD’s (39.2 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

Passenger Space

The Sienna has .6 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom, .9 inches more rear legroom, 1.4 inches more rear hip room and 2.2 inches more third row legroom than the Pacifica.

Cargo Capacity

The Sienna’s cargo area provides more volume than the Pacifica.

	Sienna	Pacifica
Behind Third Seat	33.5 cubic feet	32.3 cubic feet

Towing

While the Pacifica Hybrid is not recommended to tow, any Sienna can tow a minimum of 3500 pounds.

A Trailer Sway Control is standard on the Sienna, using the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Pacifica and isn’t available on the Pacifica Hybrid/Touring.

Ergonomics

The Sienna Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Sienna’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Pacifica’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the Sienna the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Pacifica can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

Consumer Reports rated the Sienna’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Pacifica’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Sienna’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Pacifica’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Sienna offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Pacifica doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

The Sienna will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Sienna will retain 52.72% to 55.04% of its original price after five years, while the Pacifica only retains 48.53% to 50.2%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Sienna will be $5756 to $9160 less than for the Chrysler Pacifica.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Sienna and the Chrysler Pacifica, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Car and Driver performed a comparison test in its May 2023 issue and they ranked the Toyota Sienna Limited AWD first. They ranked the Chrysler Pacifica Limited fourth.

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