If there is one brand that can successfully stake its entire being on a single minivan one might assume that it is Chrysler. After all, it invented the segment. It had a gigantic head start on every bit of the competition. Today though, other automakers challenge it as the world’s greatest minivan maker.
The automotive market is a constant game of one-upmanship and the Pacifica isn’t immune. Now, in 2024, it’s close to a full-scale update. Before that time comes it still has to do battle with its rivals though. That’s why we were excited to test one over the course of a week as though it were ours.
We drove it to the hockey rink, out in ministry work with several passengers, and on countless errands. As is the case with just about any car due for a full update, it lags behind the competition in some areas. When it comes to luxury though, it proves tough to beat. Sure, it’s the most expensive minivan on sale today, but lean into the finer life and the Pacifica Pinnacle will reward you.
QUICK FACTS
Powertrain
The Pacifica Hybrid is interesting because rather than gain power from its base internal combustion engine, a V6, it loses power compared to the ICE-only version. That means that it has to make do with 260 horsepower (194 kW) and on top of that, just front-wheel drive. Chrysler doesn’t offer all-wheel drive with its hybrid Pacifica no matter how much one pays. To potentially add insult to injury for those who enjoy driving, it’s only available with a continuously variable transmission.
Read: Chrysler Voyager Returns With Dated Looks And $40k Price Tag
On the positive side of the equation, Chrysler claims that one can drive a tad over 30 miles on electricity alone. In addition, it’s supposed to get up to 29 mpg in the city, 30 on the highway, and 30 combined. If to you that sounds like a total package aimed squarely at calm serene efficiency, you have the right idea. There’s an extra bonus here too though. The Pacifica PHEV is eligible for a $7,500 tax rebate, making our test vehicle’s MSRP of over $61,000 look a lot more attractive.
Where The Pacifica Stakes Its Reputation
The cabin of the Pacifica is perhaps its biggest selling feature. While I’ll be the first to admit that I prefer cramped but sporty over spacious and slow, there is something attractive about the peanut-butter-colored upholstery and the diamond stitching in this van. It greets you as soon as you open any of the doors and Chrysler includes the same soft leather upholstery on the door cards too. The seats themselves are very comfortable and find a really nice balance between being too tall and too low.
The infotainment system works well. It features intuitive menus, fast reaction times, and bright graphics. We’re happy to report that Chrysler keeps a slew of physical controls for the climate settings too. This cabin isn’t perfect though.
The gauge cluster should be completely digital in keeping with modern technology. The piano black plastics picked up dirt and dust quicker than I could clean it off. Finally, the rotary dial for gear selection feels like a miss. Buttons or even an actual column shifter would potentially be a better solution.
The Harman/Kardon sound system in this minivan is sincerely good. Chrysler took advantage of the space and inserted 19 speakers, including a 10-inch subwoofer. No, it’s not as crisp and clear as something like the Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s McIntosh system, but it’s great for a vehicle in this segment.
The Second Row
In this Pinnacle trim, the second-row seats are removable captain’s chairs. Buyers do lose the ability to stow-n-go like they can in other Pacificas, but there’s a tradeoff for everything these days. In this case, the benefit is that four grown adults can relax, recline, and revel in serious comfort. There are even some Chrysler throw pillows for the second row. Not even the Rolls-Royce Spectre I drove last year had those.
In addition, Chrysler includes maybe the best rear-seat entertainment system I’ve used so far. Not only are the screens bright and easy to see in any light, but the menu systems are quick. In addition, they come with common apps and maybe best yet, the driver and front passenger can control them. No more will parents need to stop and go back there to set up something for a kid. They can do it from the comfort of their own seat. In addition, it flips up when in use and down when out of use. That means it’s less likely to get broken in my opinion.
The Third Row
The third row isn’t a wasteland either. It’s treated to the same excellent upholstery as the rest of this car. The leftmost seat has a single cup holder and a grab handle while the rightmost seat gets two cupholders, a pair of charging ports, and a storage tray. All of the headrests in the Pacifica are adjustable and the front ones even tilt to better suit the occupants.
Behind the third row, you’ll find 32 cubic feet of storage space. That’s seven more cubic feet than you’ll get in a normal Escalade. On top of that, Chrysler keeps other things stowed back there like the charging cable, the battery, and the tire inflation kit.
Storage
Speaking of storage, the Pacifica offers a lot of it beyond just the area behind the third row. The third row does indeed stow-n-go, which leaves a flat floor between the rear of the Pacifica and the second row. In versions like ours with the Captain’s chairs, the seats are completely removable via a three-step process.
Fold the seat down, pull a lever at the front of the seat, and shift the whole thing rearward. No, it’s not as flashy, quick, or convenient as stow-n-go but in my opinion, it’s the best of both worlds. It allows you to carry around anyone around in luxurious comfort and still provides the freedom to have a completely flat open floor space when needed. If that isn’t enough storage in the vehicle, Chrysler offers stow-n-place, a fancy roof rack that owners can keep sleekly out of the way until they need it on the roof.
EXTRA Storage
In addition to those options, Chrysler includes a handful of storage cubbies in the cabin. In the front of the minivan, you’ll find a space under the main console. The center tunnel also has a large storage bin in the middle and a smaller open cubby behind it for second-row passengers. They also have access to seat-back storage and a large pull-out drawer that sits between the front seats.
Speaking again of the front seats, they come with no fewer than five separate storage spots on them. That includes two on the top of the armrest (counting the handle since it has a bottom), one in the middle of the door, and two in the bottom of the door. There are even spots for an umbrella next to each of the front seats on the floor. It’s worth mentioning here that the Pacifica does have quite a bit of hard cheap-feeling plastic littered throughout it as is the case for the umbrella holders.
Keep in mind that while many bits and pieces of this vehicle are luxury-oriented, it’s still a people hauler and in many cases, the people in this car are going to be small and messy. Having hard plastics in some places makes a lot of sense when it’s time to clean up and it’ll keep kids from potentially damaging soft-touch surfaces too.
Drive Impressions
The Pacifica isn’t a car I’d pick to drive on my own. It isn’t even the car I’d choose if I were taking one, two, or three friends somewhere. Add one more person though and it instantly becomes one of my top choices. We’ve already gone over the luxury appointments, the above-average infotainment system, and the excellent sound system, so those play a role. I’d choose it though because of what it encourages from its driver: to chill out and enjoy the ride.
260 horsepower isn’t much, but don’t forget that this thing has an electric motor helping things along so from a dead stop it’ll spin the tires quite easily. In traffic, I didn’t once feel as though I was driving an underpowered barge. In fact, I didn’t really feel the urge to pick my spots nipping through traffic the way I so often do. As we’ve mentioned, the Pacifica offers a little over 30 miles of electric range.
Plugging into my normal everyday outlet allowed it to fully charge each night which meant that every morning I woke up with another 32ish miles of range that I could enjoy in complete engine-free serenity. That’s where the Pacifica goes from a perfectly good vehicle to one that’s a little bit better. The average American commute is 27 miles. In theory, a person could go to work, charge while there, and drive home without needing to fuel up very often at all.
In a week’s worth of driving, I went 253.2 miles (507.4 km), 166.5 of which (267.9 km) were on electricity alone. On average, the Pacifica achieved 37.6 mpg over that span as a result. That surprised me. The Toyota Sienna hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 36 mpg. While I could’ve possibly achieved even better fuel economy than 37.6 thanks to the electric range on offer from Chrysler’s PHEV system, it would be much harder to beat the 36 mpg Toyota offers with a pure hybrid powertrain without plugging into a charger.
All of that said, the Pacifica isn’t for driving passionately. The powertrain tells you that and when you get used to the notion of just taking it a little easier to and from wherever you need to go, the drive isn’t all bad. The cabin is quiet, the suspension soaks up bumps quite nicely, and the seating is very supportive. That’s what I want when I move large groups of people around. I want them to enjoy that trip and the Pacifica checks the biggest boxes when it comes to a people mover.
Comparisons
There’s no getting around a few key downsides of the Pacifica when its competitors show up. The Kia Carnival for example offers far more attractive styling, a similarly luxurious experience, and far better warranty coverage. The Honda Odyssey has a few more minivan tricks up its sleeve and it’s better to drive. Finally, the Toyota Sienna offers great fuel economy, available all-wheel drive, and complimentary maintenance. None of them qualify for the $7,500 federal tax rebate though as the Pacifica PHEV does. That should weigh heavily into the equation.
Final Thoughts
What is a minivan if not an admission that the priority is people moving, comfort, and efficiency? Sure, plenty of people pick three-row SUVs these days for various reasons (not all of them very good ones), but I’d argue that a minivan is a better choice for almost all of them. The Pacifica isn’t a bad way to go either.
It is a prime example of what a modern minivan is about. It’s comfortable, it’s quiet, it’s incredibly efficient, and it’s spacious. During a week of driving it, I never felt like it was anything akin to the old, wallowy, ugly-mobiles I grew up getting shuttled around in.
If you’re in the market for a minivan, you should put it on your list. You’ll get better fuel economy than an SUV and most likely, the minivan will drive better too. In the end, it’s all a matter of figuring out what your priorities really are.
The Chrysler Pacifica isn’t going to win any beauty contests, races, or popularity awards. Instead, it’s going to be great at moving people economically in comfort and even luxury, if you’re willing to pay for that part.
