Text by Tom Appel
2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Premium S Appearance
Specs
Class: Minivan
Color: Silver Mist
Seating Capacity: 7
Miles driven: 183
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | B+ |
| Fit and Finish | A |
| Fuel Economy | A |
| Value | B+ |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 260-hp 3.6-liter |
| Engine Type | V6 plug-in hybrid |
| Transmission | CVT-automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Real-world fuel economy: 32 mpg
Driving mix: 65% city, 35% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 82 MPGe/30 mpg (city/highway combined)
Fuel type: Regular gasoline recommended
Base price: $53,425 (not including $1595 destination charge)
Options: Special paint ($195), Customer Preferred Package 2ET ($5995), Uconnect Theater and Sound Group ($2995)
Price as tested: $64,205
Pros and Cons
The great: Plug-in hybrid efficiency, excellent array of family-friendly convenience features
The good: Spacious cabin with upscale trimmings; pleasant road manners, especially quiet at highway speed
The not so good: No Stow ‘n Go seating in hybrid, luxury-vehicle pricing
Review
Shoppers would be hard pressed to find a vehicle category more competitive than the minivan segment. There are just five minivan options for 2024, and all of them are worth a look. But there is just one van we awarded Best Buy status for ’24, and that’s the Chrysler Pacifica.
Competitive Set
Of the five minivans available this year, only two, the Pacifica and Toyota Sienna, are offered as hybrids. And, only one, the Pacifica, is offered as a plug-in hybrid. Interestingly, the Sienna is available only as a hybrid, while the Pacifica can also be had with a conventional V6 engine. More on that in a moment.
Pacifica is little changed for 2024, save for some trim-level juggling on the hybrid side of the lineup. For ’24, the Hybrid Touring L and Hybrid Limited have been dropped.
Prices and Trim Levels
The hybrid lineup ascends the following trim levels:
Hybrid Select ($52,845)
Hybrid S Appearance ($55,145)
Hybrid Road Tripper ($55,345)
Hybrid Premium S Appearance ($58,645)
Hybrid Pinnacle ($61,575)
We evaluated a Pacifica in new Hybrid Premium S Appearance trim and Silver Mist paint. Our test van came outfitted with two significant packages, including the Customer Preferred Package ($5995), and the Uconnect Theater and Sound Group ($2995). The former includes the S Appearance Package. All told, our Pacifica clocked in at $64,205, including destination charge. Yes, minivans have very much become luxury vehicles.
Cabin
Inside Pacifica, infotainment is relayed by the maker’s Uconnect 5 system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration (with the ability to connect two phones simultaneously), Amazon Alexa voice control, and more, plus a 10.1-inch touchscreen.
And, things are nice inside. Nappa leather seats with contrasting trim welcome up to seven passengers. Middle-row captain’s chairs are firm and supportive. The seats’ upscale look would be wasted if they weren’t comfortable, which they are—even in the third row—though the height of the middle seats struck this tester as a tiny bit low. Other cabin details of the new model are contrasting stitching on dark surfaces like the dash pad, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and console; and satin-chrome accents.
Room and Comfort
Naturally, there is plenty of room for passengers and cargo. Unlike other Pacificas, the Hybrids lacks the “Stow ‘n Go” second-row seats that fold into the floor, but its captain’s chairs have the “Easy Tilt” feature that clears access to the third row. (Passage between the seats is easy, too.) Middle seats track fore and aft, which can open up enough legroom for a couple of adults to contentedly occupy the third row.
And though the 2nd-row seats do not fold into the floor, they can be removed. To help a friend move, this editors wife took it upon herself to extract the seats from the car, a project she described as, “strenuous.” The seats each weigh about 80 pounds, but remove from the van floor easily enough. Returning the seats to their rightful positions was simple enough, though, again, the seats are heavy. We recommend that petite folks—such as my wife—recruit larger assistants to perform seat removal operations. That said, once the seats are removed, and the 3rd-row folded away, Pacifica offers an impressively vast cargo hold.
Power and Performance
On the driving-dynamics front, we found the hybrid system to be largely unobtrusive, though power delivery is somewhat less smooth and less linear than found in non-hybrid systems.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain merges the standard Pacifica’s 3.6-liter V6 with electric assist and a CVT automatic transmission. A 16-kWh battery provides a promised 32-miles of electric-only range, after which Pacifica operates like a conventional hybrid. The system provides good power and excellent economy, provided operators are diligent about plugging in.
Fuel Economy
Plugging-in when convenient to do so, we averaged 32 mpg, and would have seen better were it not for a long trip without charging opportunities.
Most consumers should be able to operate on electricity alone during a normal week of commuting and local driving, and still enjoy extended-range driving when the opportunity arises.
At just over $60,000, the Pacifica Hybrid doesn’t come cheap. Though expensive for a minivan, our lavishly appointed Pacifica is best considered a luxury vehicle, as which, its price seems more reasonable. For more cost sensitive minivan intenders, avoiding pricey option packages will bring the cost of purchase down considerably.
Summary
While the other vehicles in this segment are worthy of consideration, none matches the Pacifica’s quietness, ride quality, or general premium feel. And in hybrid guise, only the Toyota Sienna matches the Chrysler for fuel efficiency.
And a final thought: If you can’t commit to plugging in, the Pacifica Hybrid makes little sense. Perhaps appoint one of your children the “Charging Czar,” and have him or her goad and remind mom and dad to plug-in.
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2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Premium S Appearance Pictures
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