Toyota Sienna or Chrysler Pacifica

Wife currently has a 2018 Honda Odyssey. I’m about to light it on fire . There’s an intermittent parasitic draw that kills the battery that goes away when I’m out there with my multimeter, but shows up at the most unbelievable times. For example, driving from Dallas to Little Rock (4hrs straight freeway driving)…stopped for 10 minutes at a truck stop for a bathroom break and come out and the battery is at 11.5V and won’t start…

Which is the better product these days the Sienna or Pacifica? TIA

 

Do you really have to ask? Is there anyone on this forum who's going to tell you not to get the Toyota?

 

I'd say get a Hyundai Santa Cruz, unless she needs the seating capacity then I'd say get a Lexus GX 460.

 

I do valet, and get to drive a lot of different cars in a lot of different conditions.
Buying new?
Honestly either are good vehicles in terms of entertainment and initial quality.
Used?
I’d go with the Sienna. Dodge electronic dash shifters and general fit and finish seem to deteriorate quicker to me.

 

Sienna hands down. Seats in the Pacifica are horrible at least they were a couple years ago. Did a long drive and swore to never sit in one again.

 

Sienna will Run circles around any minivan. Go with Chrysler/fiat and you’ll end up regretting and your wallet will not forgive you

 

I'm no a brand loyalist but I'd recommend against the Pacifica. Every one I've driven, or known people who own one, it looks like junk after a few years.

 

Siennas have a backlog in my region, some 2 years.

I'd sooner buy an older model, but the hybrid model is getting bonkers fuel economy, 6L/100km 40mpg.

 

I'd fix the Honda. Your sample description sounds like an alternator or battery problem. It's pretty much free testing to start there.

Given normal care there is no reason to toss out a 2018 model.

To your original question, Sienna. We've run 2 into the ground in the family and #3 is doing quite nicely.

I'd accept a Pacifica as a gift, then sell it.

 

Don't give up on the Honda just yet, it's only 4 years old

Also, one of my customers has a new Pacifica hybrid, I pulled it in for an oil change the other day and saw 42.4 average mpgs. Pretty impressive

 

pacificas... see a fair few of them traded in due to electrical issues and engine issues. not recommended. new sienna hybrids are ugly.. but comfortable and good on gas

 

I’ve tested the battery dozens of times and even replaced the battery 3x. The alternator is also charging the battery just fine. The parasitic drain takes the battery down to 11.5V in 10 minutes in some instances so it’s a quick hard draw.

 

Ok. Have a pro fix it. That big a draw should be easy to find.

Even something really weird that cost a couple grand is way cheaper than a vehicle swap.

 

Not worried about the money. I’ve lost all confidence with this particular odyssey and Honda as a course of their handling this issue which started in warranty and has persisted through 56K miles.

 

But did you measure the voltage when you first shut off the engine?
How do you know it went to 11.5V in 10 minutes?
It may well have been discharging while the engine was running..

 

Does the vehicle have a remote start installed?

Any aftermarket electrical stuff added?

A while back on a Acura MDX I found the Hands Free Link system was causing a massive drain.

 

I would get the sienna soon b4 they put the 4 cylinder turbo in. We have a 16 Highlander with 70k that has been flawless. Traded in 2018…14 CRV with the death rattle. Really pissed me I traded so early usually keep vehicles 10-12 years. Just from a Toyota fanboy!

 

A typical H6 battery has 115 minutes reserve capacity = 47 AH. To truly drop it from nominal 12.9V to 11.5V, you'd be discharging 38 AH @ 10 minutes = 228 amps.


^^ That's not a parasite, that's a fire starter. If a circuit was really draining that hard, that fast, it would have melted by now. A dollar says that the alternator is intermittently failing.

Edited - corrected my own math.

 

You'll likely not a find a new Sienna. My dealership stopped taking deposits on them almost a year ago. Supply chain issues have plagued the Princeton Indiana plant. They simply can't produce even a fraction of the demand.

The current Sienna is hybrid only. The A25 Dynamic Force engine that's been out for 6 model years is the only powertrain option, aside from AWD. Like the RAV4 and Highlander hybrids, it has extra oil cooling for the heavier duty applications vs the Camry/Avalon/ES.

There are no plans for the 2.4 Turbo for the Sienna. That engine will only be as a replacement for most 2GR V6 applications....both transverse and longitudinal. The current Sienna was not designed for the 2GR.

Good luck finding one. And if you find a used one, expect to pay near new price.

 

this might be true. I haven’t persistently checked the alternator. However once I jump the battery I do see the alternator charging it at the correct voltage.