If you are cross shopping these two, you have already made the harder decision. You worked out that a minivan beats a three row SUV for what your family actually does, and now it comes down to two vans that are both genuinely good. That is a much nicer problem than most vehicle decisions.

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

So this is the straight version, from a dealer that sells one of them. Where the Odyssey honestly wins, where the Pacifica wins, and the one difference that decides most of these for a family living through a Manitoba winter. If you want to see what is actually here, our new Chrysler Pacifica inventory is online and updated as vans move through Portage la Prairie.

Key Takeaways

• The Pacifica offers all wheel drive. The Odyssey does not. Chrysler Canada lists all wheel drive on the Select, Limited and Pinnacle trims. Honda Canada lists the Odyssey as front wheel drive across the lineup. For a lot of families out here, that is the whole comparison.
• Stow n Go is the interior difference. The Pacifica's second and third row seats fold completely flat into the floor. The Odyssey's second row seats come out, which means finding somewhere to store them, usually a garage floor.
• The Odyssey's second row is genuinely clever, and we will say so. Honda's sliding second row seats and the one motion 60/40 third row are excellent, and the removable seats do open up a big flat load floor when they are out.
• The Pacifica offers a plug in hybrid. The Odyssey has no hybrid at all. Chrysler's published figures for the Pacifica Plug in Hybrid are 51 km of all electric range and 835 km of total range. It is front wheel drive only, so you pick the hybrid or the all wheel drive, not both.
• Neither van won a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick, and no minivan did. The IIHS awarded none this year, citing back seat performance in the moderate overlap test as an ongoing challenge for the class. The Pacifica did earn the award for 2023 and 2024.

Where the Odyssey Genuinely Wins

A comparison that hands every category to the van we sell is not worth reading, so here is the Odyssey's genuine case.

The second row seating is the best in the class at what it does. Honda's sliding second row seats move side to side and fore and aft, which is a real answer to two problems every parent knows: separating kids who are fighting, and getting a person or a car seat into the third row without a gymnastics routine. Chrysler's Stow n Go seats are thinner by design, because they have to fold into the floor. Honda's do not, and they are more comfortable for it on a long drive.

Maximum cargo volume with the seats out. Honda publishes up to 158 cubic feet of total cargo space for the Odyssey. Chrysler publishes a maximum cargo capacity of 3,979 L, or 140.5 cubic feet, for the Pacifica. Those two figures are not measured the same way and the Odyssey's biggest number depends on the second row seats being physically removed from the vehicle, so treat them as ballparks rather than a head to head. Still, with the seats out and stored, the Odyssey gives up a very big box.

Honda's reputation for holding value. We are a Chrysler dealer and we still watch the used market every week. Honda's resale reputation in this segment is earned and it is a legitimate part of a total cost calculation.

The powertrain is smooth and proven. Honda Canada lists a 3.5 litre V6 making up to 280 horsepower and up to 262 lb ft of torque, paired with a 10 speed automatic. There is nothing wrong with that combination and nobody should pretend otherwise.

If those four things are what your family is optimizing for, the Odyssey deserves the test drive. We would rather tell you that than sell you the wrong van.

Where the Pacifica Wins, and Why It Matters Here

Available all wheel drive. This is the big one and it is not close. Chrysler Canada offers all wheel drive on the Pacifica Select, Limited and Pinnacle. Honda Canada lists front wheel drive on the Odyssey. Every winter we have the same conversation with families who are moving out of an all wheel drive SUV and are not willing to give that up. If your driveway faces a north wind, if you are on a gravel road that gets greasy every spring, or if you are commuting Highway 1 into Winnipeg in February, an all wheel drive minivan solves a real problem that a front wheel drive one does not. Good winter tires still matter more than the drivetrain, but all wheel drive on top of good tires is a genuinely different vehicle in a rutted, drifted approach.

Stow n Go, which is the feature people underestimate until they own it. The Pacifica's second and third row seats fold completely flat into the floor. No lifting a heavy seat out. No storing it. No planning your Saturday around whether the seats are in or out. You go from seven seats to a flat cargo floor in a couple of minutes, in the parking lot, in the cold, alone. Every parent who has wrestled a second row bench onto a garage floor knows exactly what that is worth. As a bonus, when the seats are up, those floor bins are the best storage in any minivan.

The plug in hybrid option. Chrysler publishes 51 km of all electric range and 835 km of total range for the Pacifica Plug in Hybrid. For a Portage la Prairie family, most daily driving is school, work, groceries and hockey, and that is well inside the electric range on a home charge, with the gas engine there for the trip to the lake or the drive to Brandon. The Odyssey has no hybrid or plug in hybrid option at all. The honest catch: the Pacifica Plug in Hybrid is front wheel drive only, so this is an either or against the all wheel drive. Decide which one your winter actually needs.

Seating and towing. Chrysler Canada lists standard seating for up to seven with available seating for up to eight, and a towing capacity of up to 1,633 kg (3,600 lb), which is enough for a small utility trailer or a couple of sleds.

The 3.6 litre Pentastar V6. Chrysler Canada rates it at up to 287 horsepower with a nine speed automatic. It is a well understood engine that our service department has been maintaining for years, which matters more in a town this size than a spec sheet does.

The Safety Picture, Told Straight

This is where a lot of comparison posts start inventing awards, so here is the verified version.

Neither of these vans is a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick, and neither is any other minivan. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded no minivan a 2026 Top Safety Pick, and pointed at back seat occupant protection in the moderate overlap front test as the ongoing weak spot for the whole class. That is a fair criticism of the segment and it applies to both of these vehicles.

For the record on the Pacifica specifically: it earned an IIHS Top Safety Pick for the 2023 and 2024 model years. That is a real award, correctly stated, and it is not a 2026 award.

Anyone telling you their minivan won a 2026 safety award in this class is either confused or stretching. Ask to see the rating rather than the marketing line, on either van.

How We Would Actually Decide It

Strip out the noise and it usually comes down to three questions.

Do you need all wheel drive? If the answer is yes, the comparison is over. The Pacifica offers it and the Odyssey does not, and no amount of second row cleverness changes that in a Manitoba March.

Do the seats live in the van or in the garage? If you fold and unfold seats often, Stow n Go is transformative and you will use it weekly. If your seats go out once a year for a move and stay put the rest of the time, the Odyssey's more comfortable, more adjustable second row is the better daily experience.

Is your daily drive short and your charging easy? If yes, and if you can live with front wheel drive, the Pacifica Plug in Hybrid is a genuinely different ownership cost story and the Odyssey has nothing to answer it with.

If you are also weighing the Pacifica against the more affordable van in our own showroom, our Pacifica versus Grand Caravan comparison covers that decision, and the Pacifica Pinnacle walkthrough shows what the top trim actually adds. If you want to know what is changing next year before you commit, read what is new for the 2027 Pacifica.

Every new Pacifica we sell carries Dunn's Eh+ value stack, which includes the maintenance plan, anti theft protection, walkaway coverage and absolutely zero dealer fees. If you are trading out of an SUV or an older van, get your number first with our instant cash offer on your trade, and whichever van you end up in, our service department is here in town rather than an hour down the highway.

FAQs

Is the Chrysler Pacifica better than the Honda Odyssey?

It depends on what you need. The Pacifica offers available all wheel drive, Stow n Go seats that fold into the floor and a plug in hybrid option, none of which the Odyssey has. The Odyssey has a more adjustable and more comfortable second row and a very large maximum cargo volume with those seats removed. For most Manitoba families, the all wheel drive is the deciding factor.

Does the Honda Odyssey come with all wheel drive?

No. Honda Canada lists the Odyssey as front wheel drive. If you want an all wheel drive minivan, the Chrysler Pacifica is one of the few ways to get one, offered on the Select, Limited and Pinnacle trims.

Does the Pacifica Plug in Hybrid come with all wheel drive?

No. The Pacifica Plug in Hybrid is front wheel drive only, so it is a choice between the hybrid powertrain and the all wheel drive, not both. Chrysler publishes 51 km of all electric range and 835 km of total range for the plug in hybrid.

What is Stow n Go and does the Odyssey have it?

Stow n Go is Chrysler's system where the second and third row seats fold completely flat into bins in the floor, with no lifting or storing. The Odyssey does not have it. Honda's second row seats are removable instead, which means taking them out of the vehicle and finding somewhere to keep them.

How much can a Chrysler Pacifica tow?

Chrysler Canada publishes a towing capacity of up to 1,633 kg (3,600 lb) for the Pacifica. That covers a small utility trailer, a pair of sleds or a light boat. Confirm the rating for your specific trim and configuration with us before you hitch anything.

Which minivan is safest?

Neither one holds a 2026 IIHS Top Safety Pick, because the IIHS awarded none to any minivan for 2026, citing back seat protection in the moderate overlap front test across the class. The Pacifica earned the award for the 2023 and 2024 model years. Look at the individual crashworthiness ratings for the exact model year you are buying rather than a headline award.

The Bottom Line

The Odyssey is a very good minivan with the better second row and a huge cargo hold once those seats are out of it. The Pacifica answers the two questions a prairie family usually ends up asking: can I get all wheel drive, and can I fold the seats away without a wrestling match. On both of those the Pacifica says yes and the Odyssey says no.

Come sit in one and fold the seats yourself. That is a ninety second demonstration that settles more of these decisions than any spec sheet does. Take a look at our new Chrysler Pacifica inventory, tell us what your winter driving really looks like, and we will give you the straight answer even if it points at the other van.

Tyler Dunn, Dunn Ram Trucks, Portage la Prairie