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Odyssey vs Pacifica Hybrid

14K views 43 replies 26 participants last post by  matt9072 
#1 ·
So after month long debate and daily swings between Odyssey and Pacifica Hybrid, I have finally decided on Pacifica Hybrid for following reasons.

Not including Sienna in this thread as Sienna, was last remodeled in 2010 which causes some issues. Its definitely better for reliability vs not only PacHy but also Ody as over time it's all cleared out all those issues. But because of 2010, it looks old, stuffs in it are old, doesn't really stand up to todays crash testings and also no apple auto/android car play.


So between PacHy and Ody

Comparing PacHy Ltd w Advanced Safety Tec + Tri-pane Sunroof + 18inch wheels and Ody EX-L.
Comparing these two because I could get them at around same price.
Best price with such PacHy, I could get was around Portland metro 45k, after tax rebates, it would be 35k.
For Ody EX-L, best price I have is just under 34k. So overall closeby.


Advantages of Ody over PacHy
1) its Honda, so 'predicted' better reliability and resale value (though I am getting some data points that point to other direction), also some reports of PacHy catching fires
2) Magic seating 2nd row and 8 seating capacity

Actually this 2nd point was huge for me and I had almost decided on Odyssey for same as the seating flexibility it provides:
I have a 17 month old and we are expecting our second one in around month.

So our most common cofiguration would be two adults (me and my wife) and two (young babies). In Ody with 3 seats in second row, my wife or me can seat with two baby car seats either on one side, or may be even we seating in between. Can't do that in PacHy.
Other config is 6. My/my wives parents added. In both cases, we will have can two adults in front; one adult, one baby in second row; and one adult, one baby in third row. But here also Ody wins as I will move the second row sits closeby, thus making third row egress easy.
We would have 8 people a few times (this is very few I know, but still it will be there in next few months with my grand parents visiting us). So in this case, only possible option is Ody, PacHy doesn't have 8 seat capacity. We can have one baby in each row, or also both babies in third row.

Advantages of PacHy over Ody
1) Hybrid, huge fuel savings. Specially my work place has chargers, and my round trip is less than 33 miles, so I can pretty much drive without any cost on most of the days
2) hands free side doors, I think they would be very useful specially when you have baby in your hand.
3) 360 degree camera and park assist. A very good features for specially a big car. I am used to sedan, these features would have been useful in minivan
4) Tri-pane sunroof. Live in Pacific Northwest, more light is always good, especially in winter
5) Ventilated seats, I often get very sweaty at my back during drives. And ventilated seats would have been a god-gift.
6) double entertainment screens
7) far modern looking interior

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Seating issue was important but then I was like my 17 month old need parental assistance on road may be for 6-12 more months, after which he should be independent enough.
Cars catching fires, I am definitely concerned, but I am hoping that its very rare.

Overall PacHy is a better deal, has tons of more features and various reports online makes me think that overall reliability in both of them is very closeby, so going for PacHy.

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#2 ·
We have just over 3,000 miles on our Pacifica Hybrid and love it. Before we bought it, we were trying to decide if we should upgrade my Volvo V60 to the V90 or go with the Pacifica Hybrid. I told my wife that if we got the Pacifica, no way was I driving a mini van even though we had had them for nearly 35 years. Fast forward to the present and I drive the Pacifica every chance I get.
If you do decide on the Pacifica, I don't think you will regret it. I installed a Level 2 charger myself because charging on Level 1 was taking 14 hours while the Level 2 take about 2 1/2 hours.
 
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#3 ·
I agree with your assessment of the Ody and the Pac, and your reasons for taking a pass on the Sienna.

However, I for one continue to be concerned about the long-term reliability of Chrysler products.

Happy travels in your Pac Hybrid. Smile as you pass the gas pumps. :)

Dave
 
#4 ·
Hi Dave,

Based on all the current 5th generation Odyssey issues and breakdowns, I doubt they will last any longer than a Chrysler product. The long-term reliability we used to enjoy with Honda is no longer. If the first two years of the 5th generation is any indication, I'd say Honda has gone all to h***.
 
#5 ·
So after month long debate and daily swings between Odyssey and Pacifica Hybrid, I have finally decided on Pacifica Hybrid for following reasons. .... snip ....
Have you done research on:
  1. How long the batteries will last?
  2. How much it will cost for a new set of batteries?
  3. The disposal cost of the old batteries?

I've always wondered about the above for electric cars.
Thanks.
 
#40 ·
Have you done research on:
  1. How long the batteries will last?
  2. How much it will cost for a new set of batteries?
  3. The disposal cost of the old batteries?

I've always wondered about the above for electric cars.
Thanks.
Hybrid batteries usually cost around 6 grand to replace, and they recommend you do that every 5 years, so whatever money you're saving on gas will be a wash when you compare how much you paid to replace the batteries on your hybrid if you spend around a grand a year on gas.
 
#6 ·
As someone who had been burned twice by Chrysler in the past(transmission in one case and corrosion in the other), I swore never again but we decided to try once more. So far, we've had no issues but that may be partly due to the fact that I won't buy a first year model again so it's given Chrysler a chance to work out some of the bugs.
 
#7 ·
I agree with the Pacifica over the Odyssey. We've rented them three times and liked it each time (transmission/1st gear, infotainment screen closer, panoramic sunroof, sliding doors/faster, dual rear screens, etc.).
However, I don't trust FCA products - at all.
And the hybrid is a dog - the lack of Stow-N-Go in the hybrid just makes things worse.
Note: the lower-spec Pacifica has merits, but they do cut costs in awkward places.
And the highest-spec Pacifica has the absolutely asinine metal band around the steering wheel. It gets wicked hot in summer, and unbelievably cold in winter.
 
#9 ·
I was in a similar situation. I passed on the Pacifica....the seats were uncomfortable, and it was a DOG, performance-wise. The Ody......literally hauls ass. There was a learning curve to NOT squeal the tires....Also, 1st year model of the Pac.....FCA....etc...

I also should mention, if you’ve never owned a PHEV...do your research....from actual owners. Don’t drink the Kool-Aid. I own a 2017 Ford Fusion Energi (PHEV), and a Tesla. Electrics aren’t necessarily all they are cracked up to be. Much more niche than conventional.

My 2018 Ody, so far....has been “relatively” problem free. I have the same infotainment software issues that everyone else has, my transmission used to slam into gear (like many do), but for me, a reflash fixed that.....

This is on a 2018 EX, with 75K miles put on it in less than a year. I can’t complain too much.

Either way you go, good luck to you. It seems of late that it’s really hit, or miss, with Honda.....that’s a sad change from the days when you knew if you bought a Honda.....you were good.
 
#11 ·
On our van search, we test-drove the PacHy first. I really wanted to like it. The PHEV use case matched our typical day-to-day usage, and I was excited to kick the gas habit. But neither my wife nor I could stand the seats. This mattered for us on account of many long trips. I also couldn't stand the transmission "dial", which looks dangerously like a volume knob and is also in a dangerously similar location (just when I thought FCA couldn't come up with a control scheme more obnoxious than the PowerFlite push-button). Speaking of push buttons, which are unfortunately experiencing a resurgence in other than FCA products, the good old-fashioned PRNDL control was largely responsible for steering us toward a Gen4 Ody rather than a Gen5.
 
#12 ·
The whole shift knob confused for volume knob on the Pac is way way over blown. One is a large metal knob that has resistance and defined detents and the other a smaller plastic knob that is easy to turn. I think this is a power of suggestion problem from auto reviewers that aren't owners. I blame them for the trend of getting rid of buttons too. Now we have unsafe menus to dig through just to get to a function. Because those reviewers are only in the car for a day or two, whereas an owner will be with the car for years and will get to know where things are and how to use them.

BTW, Honda's push button system makes no sense, as it take up the same amount of real estate as the shifter!
 
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#13 ·
This is one of the more pointless threads I've seen in here. Why are we talking about the pros and cons of the Pacifica here? And with people who have already chosen the Pacifica. In all the above comments, any mention of an Odyssey is tangential at best.

Don't get me wrong; the discussion itself is fine but it has precious little to do with 2018+ Odysseys. Maybe the mods could move it to the Off-Topic section?
 
#17 ·
You have a valid point, CroMath, however, the OP was trying to decide between a Pacifica Hybrid and Odyssey. Comparisons are naturally a large part of that discussion :). Normally, we wouldn't even be having this discussion because the previous Odyssey generations were far better. There is a valid reason to cast doubt now with all the issues with Generation 5.
 
#18 ·
You have a valid point, CroMath, however, the OP was trying to decide between a Pacifica Hybrid and Odyssey. Comparisons are naturally a large part of that discussion <img src="https://www.odyclub.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif" border="0" alt="" title="Smilie" class="inlineimg" />. Normally, we wouldn't even be having this discussion because the previous Odyssey generations were far better. There is a valid reason to cast doubt now with all the issues with Generation 5.
The funniest part of this is that the OP wasn't trying to decide - he or she had already decided. And then they came to Odyclub and created an account specifically to detail why they were probably never going to reach a post count of two.

As I already stated (I thought clearly) there is nothing wrong with the discussion. It's just off-topic. You wanna talk Pacificas? Go for it - in the right place. Keep the forums clean so things make sense.
 
#19 ·
I appreciate the comparison between Odyssey and its competition. I have a 2009 I have been trying to replace for two years.
I kept hearing problems with the 2018 transmissions, sliding doors, infotainment system, lack of rear air and other issues which
kept me from buying a 2018. I also emailed Honda to ask them if they had resolved the excessive oil consumption problem I have
had since my 2009 was brand new. Honda dismissed my concern but I began hearing similar complaints with 2018s. I began looking
at the Toyota Sienna but I too found it too dated and noted it didn't have as good crash safety ratings. I have heard too many Chrysler transmission problems to consider the Pacifica and
decided to wait and see if Honda resolved the 2018 problems in the 2019s. By this time, Consumer Reports came out and recommended AGAINST buying the Odyssey which has left me in the same boat- hoping Honda would clean up its act or that Toyota would come out with
a new updated Sienna. I think mini van prices are too high to consider risking so much on a new vehicle without a real good reliability record.
 
#22 ·
hoping ... that Toyota would come out with a new updated Sienna.
There's not much incentive for Toyota to invest in a new Sienna.

First, the minivan market is in decline.

Second, the present Sienna is selling fairly well.

Have you considered an SUV to replace your 2009? There's a huge selection of brands and sizes out there due to their popularity. However IMHO, none matches the versatility of a minivan, so you would probably have to compromise on some features that attracted you to a minivan in the first place. Decisions, decisions...

Dave
 
#23 ·
You might should have considered that Chrysler and Dodge products are consistently rated the least reliable of all of the American auto makers. I hope you enjoy your decision over the long haul. I would not waste a minute looking at a Pacifica. My driveway has held only Honda and Toyota products since the 1980's. I have "never" had an issue with either. My current Tundra was made in Texas why my 19 Odyssey was made in Alabama. Where was your Pacifica made?
 
#32 ·
The tone of your post is offensive. Reliability is one aspect of quality. Others would include design, utility, safety, comfort, feature content, NVH etc. Honda and Toyota are far from clear winners in any of those other areas and are markedly inferior in some of them. It’s why the Germans are still in business. Pacifica and Odyssey buyers have differing priorities, it doesn’t make one decision right or wrong, or better than the other.

So what does “never” in quotes mean?
 
#24 ·
Spkmakr, you may be right about questionable Chrysler reliability, however, the 5th generation Honda has so far been riddled with a lot of problems, and its long term reliability is in serious question. We may now be no further ahead buying a Honda than a Chrysler product. The new Hondas are American designed and built, which means they no longer carry the good old Japanese quality of yesteryear. Many of us invested in the 2018 Odyssey on the basis that it was up to the original Honda quality. We got collectively screwed! Honda Corp is basically telling us to drop dead and most of the dealers are living this "We can't reproduce the problem, so it doesn't exist" fetish as a way of bailing them out of low-profit service work. When a corporate head office and its dealer network no longer stand up for their customers' needs, that company no longer holds the top place. The playing field has now been leveled my friend.
 
#25 ·
Honda, I feel your pain but must optimistically say that I have never had a problem with a Honda product that could not be "long-term" resolved. I am knocking on wood and asking the voodoo doctors to protect me..... My 19 with 3,200 miles has no issues to date. However I do see a pile of potential service bulletins and recalls. Luck of the draw. Ultimately I purchased for the long haul and am prepared to be a horrible nuisance and enforce "lemon laws" that exist should problems arise. However, you would have to hold me gunpoint to make me invest my hard earned dollars into a Chrysler/Doge product. I'm just not that stupid!
 
#26 ·
Switched from an Accord to a Clarity (with a brief period on an Outback) and could not be any happier. Specially since I charge at work for free. We've done a few 200 mile trips and been excellent.

That said, for anything longer, we'll stick to our '18 Ody. Not sure I would have switched to the Pacifica PHEV, but if Honda were to make an Ody PHEV I would jump on it in a minute.
 
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