Minivans Worth Buying Instead of an SUV

2021 to present, hybrid only The fuel bill is where the Sienna quietly embarrasses three-row SUVs. Every one since 2021 is a hybrid, making 245 horsepower and rated up to 36 mpg combined with front-wheel drive, or 35 mpg with the available all-wheel drive, so a snowy school drop-off costs almost nothing in efficiency. For 2026, Toyota made more equipment standard, and the base LE now gets a power rear door and rear window shades. On the used market, the 2021 has drawn very few owner complaints and only one recall. The trade-off is the plain four-cylinder groan when you floor it, and eight seats come only on the LE and some XLE versions, so families who want a second-row bench rather than captain's chairs have to shop the lower trims.

2018 to present, fifth generation Magic Slide is the reason to pick the Odyssey: the second-row seats slide sideways, so you can push a car seat to one side and open a walkway to the third row without unbuckling anyone. Every trim seats eight, and the 280-horsepower V6 with a 10-speed automatic makes it the van that feels least like a compromise on the highway. It is front-wheel drive only, and 22 mpg combined trails the hybrids. Used, skip the 2018, the first year of this generation, which collected 13 recalls, including door latches that could open while driving. The 2022 has the strongest reliability record of any Odyssey year.

2025 to present, with the hybrid The Carnival styles itself like an SUV, but the sliding doors and the space behind them are pure minivan, which makes it the easiest sell to anyone embarrassed by the word. The 2025 update added a hybrid with 242 horsepower and an EPA estimate of 33 mpg combined, priced about $2,000 above the equivalent V6. The optional VIP lounge seats recline with leg rests and turn the second row into first class for grandparents, but they cannot be folded flat or removed, so cargo-hauling families should skip them. There is no all-wheel drive at all. Used 2022 to 2024 Carnivals are V6 only and a sensible way into the same cabin for less.

Gasoline V6, 2017 to present Stow 'n Go is the trick no SUV can match: the second and third rows fold into the floor, turning a seven-seater into a cargo van in a parking lot, with no seats to haul into the garage. Chrysler calls the Pacifica the only minivan to offer all-wheel drive together with that folding second row, a combination available since the 2021 refresh. The 2027 refresh keeps the 287-horsepower V6 as the only engine and starts at $41,495 for the LX before destination, and the all-wheel-drive version is rated 20 mpg combined. Used, the 2021 and later vans are the ones to shop if you want all-wheel drive.

2017 to 2020, used, V6 For a used-car budget, the last V6 Siennas are a strong bet. From 2017, Toyota fitted a 296-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and an eight-speed automatic, and the Sienna was then the only minivan offering all-wheel drive, so this is the cheap way into a snow-ready van. The 2018 has drawn few complaints. Check that recall work has been done on any 2018 to 2020, since fuel pump recalls covered those years and the 2020 was also recalled over a possible loss of steering. Expect around 20 mpg with all-wheel drive, so it costs more to run than the hybrid that replaced it.

2020 to 2026, now the Pacifica LX The Voyager is the stripped-down Pacifica, and for families who want Stow 'n Go seats at the lowest price, that is all it needs to be. In its final years it came in one LX trim with the V6 and a 10.1-inch touchscreen, priced below every Pacifica. For 2027 Chrysler folded it into the Pacifica range as the LX, which adds standard power-sliding doors and heated seats and steering wheel. There is no all-wheel drive on either, and the 17-inch wheels look small on a big van. A used Voyager is the value pick if your winters are mild and you want the folding-floor trick for less.

Plug-in hybrid, used, with care The Pacifica Hybrid is the only plug-in hybrid minivan, so the school drop-off and back can happen on electricity alone, with about 32 miles of electric range before the V6 takes over. Chrysler discontinued it in 2026, which makes it a used purchase now, and it has to come with homework. Its battery has a long recall history. In 2024 owners of 2017 to 2021 vans were told to park outside and away from buildings after an earlier software fix proved ineffective against a fire risk, and a 2026 recall of 17,277 vans from 2020 to 2022 asked owners to stop charging until the repair is done. Run the VIN through the federal recall lookup before you buy, and walk away from any van with open battery work.

2025 model year, fully electric The ID. Buzz is the only fully electric minivan here, with sliding doors, seating for up to seven and an EPA range of about 234 miles with rear-wheel drive, or 231 with the dual-motor all-wheel drive. For a family that charges at home and rarely drives far, it does the minivan job with no gas station stops at all. The catch is money and availability. It launched at about $60,000, and Volkswagen built no 2026 or 2027 model for the US, with the next new one planned as a 2028 model. Until then buyers are choosing among the last 2025 vans and used examples, which makes it the one van here where a big discount or a lightly used price is the reason to buy.