The Chrysler Pacifica minivan seats seven or eight passengers in comfort and relative style. It rates higher than family haulers such as the Toyota Sienna, Honda Pilot, and Kia Carnival.
The Pacifica is a perennial TCC Best Minivan To Buy winner for its flexible and roomy interior, its good road manners, and its front- or all-wheel-drive options. The choice between a solid V-6 and a V-6 plug-in hybrid that can handle most daily minivan duties on electricity alone sweetens the pot even more. It earns a TCC Rating of 7.0 out of 10. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
Chrysler tapped social media to name the Pacifica Road Tripper model based on the Touring L gas and hybrid models. It includes a roof rack, orange accents inside and out, and a trailer tow package with a capacity to lug around 3,600 pounds of additional weight on the gas Road Tripper.
Otherwise the Pacifica carries on with a winning formula of flexibility, versatility, comfort, and utility. From the sliding doors forward, it could pass for a crossover SUV, but the bulbous back end gives it away that it’s meant for family duty. Inside, a 10.1-inch touchscreen centers the dash, and large dials and buttons keep the functionality easy amid refined leather surfaces on most grades. It’s nice enough to not feel like a sacrifice and durable enough to not feel like a risk around kids.
Chrysler offers the Pacifica in three choices: a plug-in hybrid with front-wheel-drive only, or as a V-6 that can be paired with front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 3.6-liter V-6 pairs with a 9-speed automatic transmission that can be inconsistent in low gears, yet there’s enough power to make most passing moves with confidence. The Hybrid is smoother, and uses a detuned version of the V-6 with two motors and a battery pack for seamless power delivery and an electric range of 32 miles—enough to satisfy most daily errands without using gas.
The Pacifica can’t be matched when it comes to interior spaciousness and flexibility. With seats for up to eight passengers, including room enough for six adults, the minivan makes good on its promise to move people in comfort, or the third row folds into the cargo hold and the second-row seats also collapse into the floor on non-hybrid models to turn the refined family hauler into a work van capable of hauling sheets of plywood or drywall.
The Pacifica earned top marks in crash testing by the IIHS and the NHTSA, and it avoids collisions as well. Standard driver-assist features range from automatic emergency braking to adaptive cruise control.
How much does the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica cost?
The base Pacifica Touring with front-wheel drive costs about $38,700, including a what-the-truck destination fee of $1,595. All-wheel drive can be added to the Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle grades for $2,795 ($2,995 on Touring L).
The front-wheel-drive only Pacifica Hybrid Touring L starts at $50,595, and the loaded Hybrid Pinnacle tops the lineup at just under $60,000. It’s expensive, but Chrysler makes it worth it, as no other minivan and few family SUVs can match the level of luxury.
Where is the 2023 Chrysler Pacifica made?
It’s made across the Detroit River in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
