Best minivans of 2025? Pay attention to the tinnitus

New minivans can be had with gas, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or all-electric engines.
The Toyota Sienna can only be had as a hybrid, and with all-wheel drive it gets 35 mpg combined.
The VW ID.Buzz is an electric truck with a range of 231 miles with all-wheel drive

Minivans have never been better.

Minivans are no longer as popular as they were at the end of the 20th century. Sales fell from 1.3 million in 2000 to 306,000 last year. But the four flowing out of showrooms today are Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, Kia Sedonaand Chrysler Pacifica-They were great family-oriented providers, with mostly average fuel economy.

This is about to change. After years of delay, the new 2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz The electric truck will activate the minivan with battery power. It doesn’t do it on its own: today, three other minivans sport hybrid or electric power Hybrid optionsleaving the Honda Odyssey alone in the gas-only era. But it’s the only battery-powered model, and there’s no other on the horizon. It capitalizes on the old trend of reviving old nameplates, but those sliding side doors make it a standout.

They’re all solid performers in their class, but which of these minivans is the best to own? The strong or the new, the on fire or the electrified?

Our rating factors are cost of ownership plus sticker price, so they favor hybrids. However, safety and interior space play important roles, as does how easily little hands can maneuver the large seats to make their own way in the world. Connectivity and ease of use features are also high.

From power-sliding side doors to all-wheel drive with charging, these family haulers make all the right moves. Here’s how to arrange it (all prices include destination).

Honda Odyssey 2025

Price range and trim: EX-L ($43,315), Sport-L ($44,465), Touring ($48,005), Elite ($52,275)
Powertrain: 280 horsepower 3.5-liter V6 with 10-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive only
mpg: 19 mpg city, 28 highway, 22 combined
Outstanding features: Heated front seats, sunroof, wireless smartphone charger as standard

Honda has been shrinking its Odyssey lineup in recent years, but the fifth-generation Odyssey last redesigned for 2018 is outdated. It’s the only minivan that lacks a hybrid powertrain option, and only comes with front-wheel drive. On the upside, it’s one of the best minivans with good steering and exceptional reliability — one of the benefits of not changing much over the years. The downside is that the infotainment system and technology generally lag behind competitors, raising speculation that Honda will either discontinue the Odyssey after 30 years of operation or update it with a hybrid powertrain in the next year or two. Honda’s late push to go electric includes not only making the CR-V Hybrid and Accord Hybrid the top sellers of these models, but also planning a three-row electric crossover due in 2027. We’ll see if the Odyssey’s journey continues, Homer.

2025 Chrysler Pacifica

2023 Chrysler Pacifica

Price range and trim: Voyager ($41,690), Select ($44,145), Limited ($51,760), Pinnacle ($56,425)
PHEV price and trim range: PHEV Select ($52,750), PHEV S ($58,995), and PHEV Pinnacle ($61,975)
Powertrain: 287-hp 3.6-liter V6 with 9-speed automatic transmission; AWD adds $2,995
Hybrid powertrain (PHEV).: 260-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 with dual electric motors and 12.5 kWh battery (usable) with CVT transmission
mpg: 19/28/22 mpg; 17/25/20 mpg with all-wheel drive
PHEV MPG: 32 miles of electric range; Equivalent to 82 mpg combined with gas and electric power; 30 mpg combined without electric
Outstanding features: Stow ‘N Go seats that fold into the floor (not on the PHEV); available all-wheel drive (not on the PHEV); Luxury options

When the Pacifica hybrid launched in 2018, a year after the Chrysler Town & Country replaced the gas-powered Pacifica, the classic Chrysler became a tale of two small cars: The Pacifica still has the revolutionary Stow ‘N Go seats that fold into the floor in both the second and third rows, and is available with all-wheel drive; The Pacifica Hybrid is the only PHEV pickup truck and can go 32 miles around town without needing the gas engine at all — perfect for family errands — but it can’t be had with second-row Stow ‘N Go seats or all-wheel drive. Chrysler is adding a third wrinkle this year by bringing back the Voyager as a base budget model for customers rather than just fleets, but at about $42,000, how much is the Voyager worth? It wears the old look of the Pacifica but has modern content, including a standard 10.1-inch touchscreen with wireless smartphone compatibility as well as Stow ‘N Go in both back rows. It lacks the Pacifica’s more luxurious options that push it toward the $60,000 brink. It’s worth noting that the Pacifica PHEV qualifies for the full $7,500 federal tax credit, so depending on your income, it could cost roughly the same as a gas model.

Toyota Sienna 2025

Price range and trim: LE ($40,635), XLE ($45,445), XSE ($48,090), Limited ($51,650), Woodland ($51,875), Platinum ($57,595); All-wheel drive costs an extra $2,000, though it’s standard on Woodland and just $760 on Platinum.
Powertrain: 245-hp 2.5-liter inline-4 with two motors (all-wheel drive adds a third motor to power the rear axle), hybrid transmission, and front-wheel drive
mpg: 36 mpg with front-wheel drive; 35 mpg with all-wheel drive
Outstanding features: At least 35 mpg combined, available all-wheel drive

Standard Hybrid With 36 mpg with front-wheel drive, or 35 mpg with all-wheel drive, the Sienna continues to check all the practicality boxes for minivan owners. However, the second-row seats are bolted on and are more difficult to remove than any other minivan in the class, limiting its versatility. With six models and heaps of options, there’s a Sienna to suit most tastes. Its 245-hp hybrid system and two engines (three with all-wheel drive) lack the grunt of the V-6 options in the class, but Toyota tunes its suspension to be less wobbly than its rivals and it’s a stable highway cruiser. Like the Pacifica, it gets expensive at the top, and although it offers a built-in vacuum and cooler, plus footrests and other luxury options, it’s more practical than luxurious in any of its myriad configurations.

Kia Carnival Hybrid 2025

2. Kia Carnival

Price range and trim: LX ($37,895), LXS ($39,895), EX ($42,095), SX ($46,995), SX Prestige ($51,995)
Hybrid prices and trims: Costs $2,000 more in LXS, EX, SX, and SX Prestige trims
PowertrainPower: 287 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 with 8-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive only
Hybrid powertrain: 242 horsepower, 1.6 liter turbo 4, single engine, 6-speed automatic, and front-wheel drive only
mpg: 18/26/21 mpg; 34/31/33 mpg hybrid
Outstanding features: Enhanced Hybrid, Smart Storage, Value, 5-year/60,000-mile warranty

The new hybrid option makes the carnival more than just a good time; It raises the bar for ride efficiency and refinement. The updated Carnival may lack features like all-wheel drive or floor-folding seats, but it does everything else well, especially in hybrid trim. It’s well equipped with an intuitive infotainment interface, has an exceptional warranty, and represents the value car in its class without ever feeling like an economy car.

2025 Volkswagen ID.Buzz

Price range and trim: Pro S ($61,545), Pro S Plus ($65,045), First Edition ($67,045); Adding a second all-wheel drive adds $4,500 to the Pro S Plus and Premier Edition models
Powertrain: Single engine, 282 hp with rear-wheel drive or 335 hp with dual-motor all-wheel drive; 91 kWh battery pack
mpg: Range: 234 miles with one engine or 231 miles with two engines
Outstanding features: A new look for a new era, great outward visibility, fully electric model, spacious second row

Our TCC rating may seem to reflect a preference for shiny new things without dirty tailpipe emissions (read more about How do we rate cars?) But the return of the Volkswagen Bus in the form of the electric ID.Buzz revitalizes the minivan segment while also pointing it forward. In two-tone form with a long wheelbase and flared ends, it benefits from the retro trend but excels at modern power delivery, with a 91-kilowatt-hour battery pack feeding the drivetrain with one or two motors. At up to 234 miles, range may seem at the low end for a new electric vehicle, but this is the most spacious and heaviest minivan on sale. The instant torque gives it a good launch from a stop, and the battery on the floor between the axles makes it feel planted. The cockpit has the same hood-less views as the original coach, but has clever storage options like a passenger dashboard rack, a smartphone charging station, and a clean look. The downside is the 12.9-inch touchscreen’s climate controls and temperature sliders can be less than accurate. Because it’s made in Germany, it doesn’t qualify for a tax credit, so it’s relatively expensive compared to other minivans. But that’s the cost of relatively clean, shiny new things

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