Most minivan comparisons you will read online were written by somebody who sells one of them. This one was too, so let us start with the concession rather than bury it. On fuel, the Toyota Sienna wins, and it is not close. If the number at the pump is the thing that decides your purchase, you should probably go drive one.

Shopping already? Browse our new Chrysler Pacifica inventory in Portage la Prairie.

What the Pacifica gives you back is real, and it is mostly about what you can do with the inside of the van. Before we get into it, the current new Chrysler Pacifica inventory is online if you want to see what is actually on the ground in Portage while you read.

Every figure below comes from Chrysler Canada's 2027 Pacifica specifications and Toyota Canada's own 2026 Sienna product information, checked in August 2026.

Key Takeaways

• The Sienna wins on fuel by a wide margin. Toyota Canada rates the hybrid only Sienna at 6.6 L/100 km combined in front wheel drive and 6.7 in all wheel drive. Chrysler Canada rates the Pacifica at 10.6 combined in front wheel drive and 12.0 in all wheel drive. Over 20,000 km a year that is roughly 1,060 more litres of fuel in an all wheel drive Pacifica.
• The Pacifica wins on cargo by an enormous margin. Maximum cargo is 3,979 L in the Pacifica against 2,860 L in the Sienna. That is more than 1,100 litres of difference, and the reason is Stow N Go: the Pacifica's second row folds flat into the floor, and the Sienna's does not.
• The Pacifica is the stronger van. 287 horsepower and 262 lb ft from the 3.6 litre Pentastar V6, against 245 combined net horsepower from the Sienna's hybrid system. It also tows slightly more, at 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) against 1,585 to 1,587 kg.
• There is no longer a plug in Pacifica. Stellantis is phasing out its plug in hybrid programs in North America starting with the 2026 model year, so the Pacifica Hybrid is gone. New Pacificas are the gas V6, front wheel drive or all wheel drive.
• Availability is a live factor right now. Toyota Canada's own Sienna page flags limited inventory and does not publish a Starting At price on it. A van you cannot get for eight months is not really in the comparison.

The Concession First: Fuel

There is no clever way around this one, so here is the arithmetic.

The Sienna is hybrid only. Toyota Canada rates it at 6.6 city, 6.5 highway and 6.6 combined in front wheel drive, and 6.8, 6.6 and 6.7 in all wheel drive. Chrysler Canada rates the Pacifica at 12.4 city, 8.4 highway and 10.6 combined in front wheel drive, and 12.0 combined in all wheel drive.

Compare the two all wheel drive vans, which is what most people around here are actually shopping, and it is 12.0 against 6.7. Drive 20,000 km in a year and that is about 2,400 litres in the Pacifica against about 1,340 in the Sienna. Roughly 1,060 litres. Put today's pump price on that yourself and you will have the annual number, and it is a meaningful one.

Toyota also backs the hybrid hardware for a long time: 8 years or 160,000 km on hybrid related components and 10 years or 240,000 km on the hybrid battery. That is a genuine answer to the usual worry about hybrid batteries, and it deserves to be said out loud rather than waved off.

One honest counterweight. Hybrid economy falls in deep cold, the same way it does for every vehicle that leans on a battery and an engine that shuts off. A Manitoba January will not deliver 6.7. But it will still be well ahead of the Pacifica, so this is a narrowing of the gap, not a closing of it.

Where the Pacifica Genuinely Wins

Now the other side, and these are real, not consolation prizes.

Stow N Go, and the cargo number it produces. This is the whole ballgame for a lot of families. The Pacifica's second row seats fold flat into the floor, which is why Chrysler Canada lists maximum cargo volume at 3,979 L. Toyota Canada lists the Sienna at 2,860 L behind the first row. The Sienna's second row slides a long way but does not disappear into the floor, and getting it out is a job rather than a lever pull.

More than 1,100 litres is not a spec sheet quibble. It is the difference between a load of lumber from town fitting inside the van and going on a trailer. If you have ever moved a kid into a Winnipeg apartment in September, you already understand why this section exists.

Cargo behind the third row is close to a tie, though. Sienna 949 L, Pacifica 915 L. The Sienna actually edges it with all three rows up. The Pacifica's advantage is specifically about what happens when you fold seats, not about everyday grocery space.

Power and towing. The Pacifica's 3.6 litre Pentastar makes 287 horsepower and 262 lb ft through a nine speed automatic. The Sienna's hybrid system makes 245 combined net horsepower through an eCVT. Chrysler Canada rates the Pacifica to tow up to 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) and Toyota rates the Sienna at 1,585 kg, rising to 1,587 kg on Limited and Platinum. Neither is a trailer hauler, but if you pull a small utility trailer or a pair of sleds, the Pacifica has the slight edge and the more conventional drivetrain doing it.

Both offer all wheel drive. This one used to be a Sienna talking point and it is not anymore. Chrysler Canada offers all wheel drive on Select, Limited and Pinnacle. Out here that matters more than almost anything on the list, because a February approach does not care about your fuel economy rating.

You can actually get one. Toyota Canada's Sienna page currently notes limited inventory and points shoppers to their dealer for availability. We have Pacificas on the ground. A van you can drive home in October is worth more than a slightly cheaper one that arrives next summer, and that is a real part of the decision even though it never shows up on a comparison chart.

Seats, Trims and the Things People Actually Ask

Seat count. Chrysler Canada lists the 2027 Pacifica at seven passengers across Select, Limited and Pinnacle. Toyota lists the Sienna at eight passengers on LE and XLE, and seven on XSE, Limited and Platinum. So if you specifically need eight belts, the Sienna has a configuration the Pacifica does not, and that is a legitimate reason to pick it.

Pricing, and why we are not putting the two side by side. Chrysler Canada publishes Starting At figures for the 2027 Pacifica: $52,995 for Select, $57,995 for Select AWD, $58,995 for Limited, $63,995 for Limited AWD and $72,995 for Pinnacle AWD. A Starting At price is not an MSRP. It already includes freight, the federal air conditioning surcharge and applicable levies, and it already has current manufacturer discounts subtracted, less any applicable incentives.

Toyota Canada is not publishing a Starting At figure on the Sienna's overview page, and their pricing is quoted on a different basis anyway. Setting the two numbers next to each other would be comparing things that are not the same, so we will not do it. Get a real out the door figure from both stores and compare those. Check our current pricing here for the most up to date pricing information on our side of it.

Warranty. Chrysler Canada covers the Pacifica at 3 years or 60,000 km basic and 5 years or 100,000 km powertrain. Toyota's basic and powertrain terms are similar, with the hybrid specific coverage added on top. If a long battery warranty is what would let you sleep, that is a point for the Sienna and we will not argue it.

What We Ask People Who Are Genuinely Torn

Three questions sort this out faster than any chart.

How many kilometres a year, and where? Above roughly 25,000 km a year, the Sienna's fuel advantage compounds into serious money and it becomes hard to argue with. Under about 12,000 km, mostly around Portage, the gap shrinks to something a lot of families would trade away for the cargo flexibility.

Do you fold the seats, or do you always have people in them? If your second row is permanently occupied by car seats, Stow N Go is worth very little to you and the Pacifica just gave up its best argument. If you fold seats even a few times a year for hockey gear, lumber, or a move, it changes the van completely.

Can you get the one you want, when you need it? Ask both stores for a real availability answer, in writing, with a date. Then decide.

If a minivan is a step up from what you are in now, get a number on the trade first with our instant cash offer, and the finance application will show you the payment on either configuration. There are current offers worth a look on the Pacifica Eh Plus page. Our write up on the top trim Pacifica Pinnacle covers the loaded end, and the 2027 Pacifica what's new post has the model year detail.

FAQs

Which is better on fuel, the Pacifica or the Sienna?

The Sienna, clearly. Toyota Canada rates the hybrid only Sienna at 6.6 L/100 km combined in front wheel drive and 6.7 in all wheel drive. Chrysler Canada rates the Pacifica at 10.6 combined in front wheel drive and 12.0 in all wheel drive. Over 20,000 km that is roughly 1,060 more litres of fuel for an all wheel drive Pacifica.

Which minivan holds more?

The Pacifica, by a lot, once you fold seats. Maximum cargo volume is 3,979 L against 2,860 L for the Sienna, because Stow N Go drops the Pacifica's second row flat into the floor. With all three rows up they are close, with the Sienna listed at 949 L behind the third row and the Pacifica at 915 L.

Is there still a plug in hybrid Pacifica?

No. Stellantis is phasing out plug in hybrid programs in North America beginning with the 2026 model year, so the Pacifica Hybrid is discontinued. New Pacificas use the 3.6 litre Pentastar V6, available in front wheel drive or all wheel drive.

Do both minivans offer all wheel drive?

Yes. Chrysler Canada offers all wheel drive on the Pacifica in Select, Limited and Pinnacle, and Toyota offers electronic on demand all wheel drive on the Sienna. For a Manitoba winter that is the box we would not leave unchecked on either one.

Which one seats eight?

The Sienna, on LE and XLE. Chrysler Canada lists the 2027 Pacifica at seven passengers across its trims. If you need eight belts, that is a real point for the Sienna.

Which one tows more?

The Pacifica, slightly. Chrysler Canada rates it up to 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) and Toyota rates the Sienna at 1,585 kg, or 1,587 kg on Limited and Platinum. Both cover a small utility trailer and neither covers a travel trailer.

The Bottom Line

If you drive a lot of kilometres and the fuel bill is the thing you feel every month, buy the Sienna. That is the honest answer and it is not a close call. We would rather tell you that than sell you a van you resent every second Tuesday.

If you fold seats, haul things, want the stronger drivetrain, or you need a van this season rather than next year, the Pacifica is the better tool. Stow N Go is not a feature list item. It is 1,100 litres of usable space that the other van simply does not have.

Come sit in one, fold the second row into the floor with your own hands, and see whether that changes anything for you. It does for a lot of people, and if it does not, we will tell you to go drive the other one. Book a time and bring the car seats.

Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie