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Dark gray 2021 Chrysler Pacifica with AWD drifting through the snow

The Most Fuel-Efficient Minivans

If you’re shopping for a minivan, then you’re going to want to pay attention to all of the features it has inside and out in order to keep your family safe and entertained for the drives ahead. One of the most important features that you can easily overlook, though, is a minivan’s fuel efficiency. It’s …

If you’re shopping for a minivan, then you’re going to want to pay attention to all of the features it has inside and out in order to keep your family safe and entertained for the drives ahead. One of the most important features that you can easily overlook, though, is a minivan’s fuel efficiency. It’s easy to get wrapped up in rear entertainment systems and safety features, but how far a van can safely get you and your family is important as well. So here are the most fuel-efficient minivans according to fueleconomy.gov.

Honda Odyssey

The Honda Odyssey has always been a front runner in the minivan segment. Known for its excellent value-packaged trim levels, tech-savvy features, and safety tech, the Odyssey is one family hauler that you can rely on for many years. But what you might not know is that, in addition to pumping out 280 hp, the Odyssey’s potent V6 engine can also muster 19 mpg in the city and up to 28 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. Those are some pretty solid figures if a long road trip is in your family’s future.

2021 Honda Odyssey
2021 Honda Odyssey | Honda

Chrysler Pacifica

Upon looking at the specs for the Chrysler Pacifica, it’s no wonder that Car and Driver lists it as the best in the segment. All-new for the 2021 model year, the Pacifica boasts a bold new look inside and out, a potent V6 engine under the hood, and all-wheel-drive capability. The standard 3.5-liter V6 is able to pump out 287 hp and, more importantly, can achieve an EPA-estimated 19 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway in front-drive form.

But if you need even better fuel economy, then you may want to opt for the hybrid version of the Pacifica. It’s a plug-in hybrid, which means that you can drive up to 32 miles on electric power only and achieve an EPA-estimated 82 city/highway MPGe in combined gas/electric driving.

Dark gray 2021 Chrysler Pacifica with AWD drifting through the snow
2021 Chrysler Pacifica with AWD | Chrysler

Toyota Sienna

Traditionally, the Toyota Sienna was much like the Honda Odyssey in that it was offered with a stout 3.5-liter V6 engine that was able to achieve up to 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. However, things have changed for the 2021 model year and the Sienna is now only offered as a hybrid.

Of course, that’s not a bad thing considering the Sienna is now powered by a 2.5-liter engine that’s connected to a dual-motor setup and is available in either front- or all-wheel-drive form. If you choose the Sienna driven by two wheels, that you can expect an EPA-estimated fuel economy range of 36 mpg in the city and 36 mpg on the highway. But if you need all four wheels to spin, then you can expect the city figure to drop by one mpg.

2021 Toyota Sienna Platinum | Toyota

Gas-saving people movers

The minivan segment offers a lot from the contenders on the list, however, if fuel-efficiency is of the utmost importance to you, these three minivans have you covered. Not only can each one keep you and your family safely to your next destination, but they can also get you there with fewer visits to a gas station along the way.

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