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Buy this Ford vs Ferrari GT40 Movie CarBest Minivans of 2023
Helping a friend move? Carting around half your kid’s soccer team? Taking a multi-state road trip? The best minivans of 2023 have you covered.
Family Haulers
Prior to the rise of the SUV, when you needed to haul a lot of people and a lot of stuff, the obvious best choice was a minivan. The secret truth is the minivan is still the best choice for a family vehicle today. They offer tons of space in all three rows, cavernous amounts of cargo capacity, and come loaded with creature comforts and all the latest infotainment and safety tech. For tackling the most common day-to-day driving tasks, the humble minivan is an extraordinarily efficient vehicle.
The minivan segment is not a large one. That lack of options ends up being a good thing for shoppers because as competition heats up, quality rises. Each entrant is strong and making a choice between will come down to minor differences and personal feel (which is why we’d recommend taking the time to test drive each one).
3. 2023 Honda Odyssey
The Breakdown
Highly configurable
Best driver’s minivan
Spacious
Frustrating back seats
Middling fuel economy
Small infotainment screen
Refinements are due
CARSFORSALE.COM SCORE
8.2/10
How Do We Score?
CarsForSale.com takes into account key metrics to compile an aggregate score. Click to learn more.
MSRP
$38,635 - $50,765
BEST FUEL ECONOMY
19 City / 28 Hwy (MPG)
The 2023 Honda Odyssey is an impressive minivan. Full stop. But in a segment full of similarly impressive minivans, the Odyssey comes in third on our list. With a comfortable and functional interior and the best driving dynamics of any minivan, the Odyssey won’t disappoint. The sole powertrain on offer is a 3.5L V6 making 280 horsepower. That’s a good amount of grunt channeled to an inconspicuous ten-speed automatic. Body roll is well contained and the suspension, though smooth, is still taut enough to make the Odyssey the nimblest van in the segment. Where the Odyssey really shines is its cabin. Material quality and fit and finish are good, there’s tons of space in all three rows for passengers and luggage alike. In fact, the Odyssey’s “Magic Sliding” seats make it highly configurable to your needs or can be removed to maximize cargo capacity. One detraction for the Odyssey is its infotainment system. The eight-inch touchscreen is smaller than its rivals and the software itself laggy and unintuitive. Honda makes up ground when it comes to its standard advanced safety and driver assistance features which are generous and include items like adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, and automatic emergency braking. The Honda Odyssey’s base EX trim starts at $38,635 and comes with tri-zone climate control, heated front seats, and power-sliding rear doors. The Touring trim, at $45,745, has a cabin intercom system, Wi-Fi hotspot, and third-row sunshades among its many features. The top trim Elite starts at $50,765 and comes loaded with modern conveniences like a hands-free liftgate, premium 11-speaker stereo, and a heated steering wheel. In all, the 2023 Honda Odyssey is an excellent choice for a minivan. With that said, we’d like to see a hybrid powertrain option for better fuel economy and an updated infotainment system.
2. 2023 Toyota Sienna
The Breakdown
Hybrid efficiency
AWD confidence
Plenty of legroom
Can’t stow the 2nd row
Light on power
Smallish touchscreen
The ideal family vehicle
CARSFORSALE.COM SCORE
8.3/10
How Do We Score?
CarsForSale.com takes into account key metrics to compile an aggregate score. Click to learn more.
MSRP
$37,470 - $52,930
BEST FUEL ECONOMY
36 City / 36 Hwy (MPG)
The 2023 Toyota Sienna is great at doing minivan things. Long summer trips, commuting to school and work, hauling half the soccer team to practice. That it does all this and still gets 36 combined mpg thanks to its hybrid powertrain is even more impressive. That powertrain is comprised of a 2.5L four-cylinder engine working in tandem with two electric motors for 245 horsepower. A CVT (continuously variable transmission) sends power to your choice of the front wheels or all four. The XSE and above trims come with a fully independent suspension for an extra forgiving ride while the Woodland trim offers seven inches of ground clearance, a nice addition for tackling snowy winter roads. The Sienna’s interior is a perfect blend of comfort and functionality. Great material choices balance good looks with durability. The Sienna’s sliding second row captain’s chairs can either maximize legroom for a mid-trip nap or slide all the way forward to maximize cargo space. Unfortunately, these same chairs can’t be removed. Leaving the Sienna with 101 cubic feet of cargo space versus rivals offering more than 140 cu-ft. The Sienna sports a nine-inch infotainment touchscreen offering standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as well as optional navigation. The available intercom system is a notable feature for parents to communicate with kids in the way-way back. Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0 comes standard with features like blind spot monitoring, lane keep assist, and more. The entry-level LE trim starts at $37,470 and comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, LED head- and taillights, remote start, and keyless entry. The mid-tier Woodland trim, at $48,280, as the intercom system, navigation, and that additional .7 inches of ground clearance. The top trim Platinum kicks off at $52,930 and features brown leather upholstery, a digital heads-up display, and 20-inch wheels. Again, the 2023 Toyota Sienna does the minivan thing very well. A snazzy interior and stellar fuel economy (36 mpg) make a compelling case. Less maximum cargo space than the competition and leisurely acceleration count among its very few detractions.
1. 2023 Kia Carnival
The Breakdown
Gazillion driver aids
Handsome styling
Strong naturally aspirated V6
No AWD option
Second row captains do not stow
SX trim will be beeping with sensors non-stop
A minivan dressed up like an SUV
CARSFORSALE.COM SCORE
8.5/10
How Do We Score?
CarsForSale.com takes into account key metrics to compile an aggregate score. Click to learn more.
MSRP
$33,935 - $47,035
BEST FUEL ECONOMY
19 City / 26 Hwy (MPG)
The 2023 Kia Carnival tops our list of the best minivans of the year. Its combination of a stylish exterior and posh interior make it feel a cut above the competition. And that’s before you consider how well-equipped the Carnival is for the price. The Carnival is powered by a 3.5L V6 making 290 horsepower and paired with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission sending power exclusively to the front wheels. Fuel economy is a decent 19 city and 26 highway mpg. The Carnival sports the segment’s most spectacular interior. High-quality material abounds, the designs feel modern, and the seats are forgiving in all three rows. The optional VIP Lounge seats in the second row not only fully recline but they also have leg extensions for ultimate snooze-a-bility. An optional pair of 12.3-inch digital displays, one for the gauge cluster the other functioning as the infotainment touchscreen, are spectacular. The infotainment software is equally impressive with snappy response times and sharp graphics. Like the rest of the segment, the Carnival comes with a bevy of standard driver assistance features like blind spot monitoring, driver attention monitoring, and automatic emergency braking. The base-level LX trim ($33,935) is generously appointed with items like power-sliding rear doors, seven USB ports, and 17-inch wheels. The EX trim starts at $39,435 and gets you a great value with its adaptive cruise control, heated front seats, and hands-free tailgate among its many features. The sumptuous SX Prestige trim, at $47,035, has leather upholstery, dual sunroofs, and those optional VIP Lounge seats. The 2023 Kia Carnival tops our list of the best minivans because it does everything you’d ask of a minivan, does it well, does it in style, and does it for less. High quality and affordability are a hard combination to beat.
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