#Minivanlife

From the 1980s through the late ’90s, families and minivans went together like ketchup and French fries. That was certainly the case among my friends’ families, all of whom drove around Mexico City in white Ford Windstars. Our own green Windstar was easier to spot in our school’s pickup/ drop-off line, but its sliding door, spacious interior, and carlike ride were no less perfect for our usual carpool of six. Prior to that van, we had a red Windstar and a white Chrysler Voyager, but those ended up being stolen. See, we told you minivans were popular.

- MIGUEL CORTINA

FOUR VANS ENTER, ONE VAN LEAVES

2021 Chrysler Pacifica S Limited AWD ..............$56,090

2021 Honda Odyssey Elite .....................................$49,390

2022 Kia Carnival SX Prestige .............................. $47,770

2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum Hybrid AWD .......$54,138

But the rise of two-box crossovers and SUVs led to the stigmatization of minivans as unfashionable mom-mobiles despite off-the-charts versatility and convenience. And just like that, these carefully packaged, thoughtfully designed vehicles were replaced by less practical and less adaptable three-row SUVs.

Today’s minivans go all out in terms of technology and features in an attempt to swing the pendulum back. To see which modern, luxury-leaning minivan reigns supreme, we gathered the entire segment in their fanciest trims, plus three dads (Dr. Bob Cho, chief of staff at Shriners for Children Medical Center in Pasadena; MotorTrend head of editorial Ed Loh; and senior features editor Jonny Lieberman) and yours truly, a single 32-year-old with vast experience living with and driving such vehicles.

The Contenders

First up was a Chrysler Pacifica S Limited AWD with black wheels and badging. This Pacifica came loaded with Stow ’N Go second-row seats, dual rear screens, and the Stow ’N Vac onboard vacuum to keep things tidy. Its eye-watering price—$56,090—made it the most expensive of the group. (Today, the Voyager is Chrysler’s lower-priced model, but it’s simply a decontented Pacifica by another name.)

The Honda Odyssey Elite didn’t match some of the other vans’ wow features, but it’s a longtime top choice in the segment. One of its key tricks is CabinWatch, which displays a camera feed of the rear seats on the infotainment screen. At $49,390, the Odyssey included a vacuum and a rear entertainment package.