It’s hard to believe that Chrysler’s Pacifica minivan has now been on the market for almost four years, in fact for 2021 it is getting a small facelift as well as an all-wheel-drive option that should make it even more appealing. While minivan sales have been in a continual slump for the last few years, the Pacifica’s introduction was a bit of a breath of fresh air; after all, Chrysler has generally been at the forefront of minivan innovations and with this latest generation they included a Plug-In Hybrid option which in theory should make the van much more fuel efficient than its competitors.
Jumping right into that aspect, it certainly is, in fact over my week and 455 miles with this van as the above picture indicates, I averaged close to 40mpg using the trip computer and plugging the van in every night to start the next morning with a full charge. Yes, electricity costs money if you aren’t generating your own power (which also costs money to purchase) but in a system this small I didn’t calculate it out and the convenience far outweighs the cost.
On a few of the days I only drove locally and managed to finish the entire day without once having the gasoline engine fire up. On at least two days I drove in excess of 150 miles each, first exhausting the stored electrons and then running on a combination of gasoline and battery as most other hybrids do depending on load and situation. I also drove it how I would drive a minivan of my own, not particularly trying to eke out every last MPG or cruising below the speed limits or anything drastic like that.
Chrysler’s EPA ratings are advertised as 82MPGe (combined electric and gas) and 30MPG (gas only, city/highway average). The MPGe part is a little hard to explain, but basically there is a formula that uses the energy content of the battery pack and converts it to the energy content of gasoline and then comes up with the result. This does not really mean than the van gets 82 MPG of gasoline (don’t forget the little “e” which stands for “equivalent”).
The highest I ever got the mileage on the trip computer to was in the mid-60’s on a run until the battery pack was empty and the engine started to kick in. This was a moderate speed run that consisted of about five miles of normal suburban traffic until I got to the outskirts at which point I transitioned to country roads with approximately 50mph speed limits for the rest of my 30 mile trip that day. Those types of roads seemed to be the sweet spot between not using too much power, generally easy throttle settings, and low-ish wind resistance while still moving without many stops for lights etc.
Higher speed freeway driving cuts the range down but the vehicle also won’t run at over 80mph on electric-only power. (It’ll go much faster, but only with the engine on). When fully charged, Chrysler says it should have 32 miles of range. While I had the van it was generally cold (around freezing most days) so my range was generally diminished by about 20% once I got underway. Note in some of the pictures that the miles driven, miles remaining, and battery percentage don’t always add up to the full range.
This is due to how it was driven as well as external factors. The picture above shows the result of a day spent driving from our house to the freeway to an IKEA south of Denver and straight back, i.e. mostly freeway at speeds sometimes slightly in excess of what the van will do in all-electric mode. Or perhaps representative to what one might do on a multi-state journey to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving etc. Note that this is about the lowest MPG readout I saw the entire week. I was not able to empty the tank to refill it and calculate a more accurate total although I did top it off before going down to IKEA as a gas station on the way that had it priced at $1.88/gallon which I could not pass up. It took about five gallons…
Note that this is by no means a slow vehicle. The gas engine is an Atkinson-cycle version of the PentaStar 3.6 V6 that is generally well-liked in almost every application of it, and doesn’t disappoint here either. It’ll easily do an accidental one-wheel burnout when turning from an intersection ahead of oncoming traffic (until the traction control kicks in) and is happy to go as fast as you wish. In electric-only mode there is a ton of torque and the van just seems to ride a continuous wave, i.e. it’s not lacking for power, but if you floor it the gas engine kicks in as well and it accelerates even faster (or at least louder), in normal driving there was no reason to floor the throttle any more than in any other normal vehicle.
In fact, one of the engineering challenges surely was how to make the van quiet as when it is in all-electric mode without engine noise that would normally mask other noises all other sounds are comparatively amplified, such as wind, tire, and any rattle or squeak that might develop over time. The body itself was rock solid, with none of the creaking noises that I recall from my older vans or the last (currently sold generation) Town&Country that I rented a couple of years ago when traversing anything but smooth straight roads such as angled driveways etc. Compared to those vans this is a fortress.
The transmission is novel as well, Chrysler calls it their EFlite Si-EVT Transmission. Basically it’s an Electronically Variable Transmission, somewhat similar to what Toyota and Ford have used for years in their hybrids. There are two electric motors, two lubrication pumps, an electronic park lock actuator, electronic shifter, and an electric-only reverse gear.
AllPar has an excellent synopsis of this system but in essence the two motors are AC, one at 102kW, the other at 65kW, the larger one is the main motor, and the smaller one handles all auxiliary functions including air conditioning but can also be used to help propel the van depending on mode and requirements. To make this very short, it works and seems robust and simple, in fact to me it seems far simpler than the voodoo in a traditional automatic. For more detail I highly recommend you check out the AllPar article, it’s more detailed than I could hope to condense it to here.
As far as the styling goes, I don’t personally have any strong feelings in regard to this or any other minivan currently on the market, while I recognize that most people find this a generally attractive shape, I also believe that if one needs a minivan, then choosing one based primarily on styling probably defeats the purpose of the purchase. I mean it’s nice that it’s attractive as it doesn’t cost any more to make a pretty van than an ugly one, but in a minivan function should really be the primary motivator as opposed to form.
If anything this one looks more like a continuation/evolution of the third and fourth (the rounded ones) generation of vans rather than the still in production fifth generation Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country twins. Overall it’s a very modern shape with some interesting lines and nothing to offend most people as well as avoiding any potentially polarizing elements. I suppose I find the wraparound rear window that really isn’t one an interesting styling touch that works well.
Inside however, I do think this is one of the more attractive offerings, especially in the colors mine was equipped in. The Deep Mocha and Black interior with gray piping on the leather seats is a very attractive combination and matches/contrasts well with the Granite Crystal (metallic charcoal) exterior paint. (In the picture above the third row headrest is flipped down, any occupant would flip it up before sitting down and leaning back, it’s not that there isn’t one included.)
In fact, I believe the seats and piping material/colors are identical to what was on the Fiat 500X that I tested a couple of months ago. It was attractive there and it is here as well. The surfaces are soft where you are at all likely to touch them and harder where you are unlikely to ever do so.
The seating position is typical minivan (i.e. relatively upright) and almost endlessly adjustable, with the sweep of the dash allowing easy access to every knob and button. Many if not most of the controls are duplicated between the touch/voice command screen and physical buttons and knobs and other items can be programmed such as to turn on the heated seats and wheel or reset them every time etc.
Accessing the second row is simple, the door can be opened from outside either via the keyfob, pulling the handle, or pushing a little button on the handle. Closing it from the inside can be done from a roof mounted switch in the front, pulling the handle from the second row, or pushing a button in the second row pillar. Lots of options.
Getting to the third row just means walking between the middle two seats. Comfort was excellent in both back rows, one consequence of the Hybrid means that the battery pack is below the floor where normally the second row Stow’N’Go seats would fold, so instead you get seats that don’t fold away but are more comfortable. The seats are individually removable however, in case you need a large flat load floor.
The third row does fold away into a well all the way in the back, and when raised leave tons of luggage room in that well. Since the third row is split, I usually left one seat down and the other up which created a handy crate-sized hole to hold whatever items I want to carry that fit into it without rolling all over the interior. I won’t lie, I was able to put this van to great use, be it for grocery shopping (forgot my eco-bags!), Home Depot runs for long items, a big trip to IKEA and of course stocking up on toilet paper at Costco for when the CoronaVirus quarantine kicks in.
Folding the third row is a simple matter of pulling a few straps in order (they are clearly marked) and the seats just do their thing, extremely low effort to the point that I raised and lowered them a few times and can’t even recall doing so. Basically zero effort/skill/brains required.
This van also had the panoramic sunroof which brightens up the interior significantly when the shade is opened. At $1895 though it’s a fairly pricey option and likely adds a good chunk of weight right on top. At least there was so much headroom that even with this roof I had no issues which is I think a first for me. Still, I’m too cheap nowadays to pay that much for that, but that’s just me.
This van (and various other FCA products) has as one of its options something called “KeySense”. This provides an additional keyfob marked with a KeySense logo instead of a Chrysler one and has various settings enabled in case one needs to loan the van to a teen driver or someone else in that vein.
I had originally received two keys on one keychain (and removed one to reduce the bulk) and didn’t realize what this was at first until it became clear that the van was limited to a top speed of 80mph that could not be overridden in the menus until I realized that I needed to use the other key. So after leaving it on my desk and using the regular one the limiter was removed.
Playing with it some more revealed that with the KeySense key if a passenger got in the van, the 760Watt 20-speaker Harman-Kardon audio system would go mute until they fastened their seatbelt. The radio was also limited in volume, while still loud, it would not go to a DEAFENING level no matter how far towards eleven you turned the knob. Say what you want about safety nannies, I found this to be an excellent option/feature and one that I would pay extra for if I had a car that I shared with or was purchasing for a younger, less experienced or less mature driver.
Cars, even minivans, are much faster and more powerful than most cars were when we were young and learning to drive, radios are more powerful/louder/distracting, and simple safety features such as belts should be used (the radio muting idea is brilliant in my opinion as a Dad). In the case of this van’s particular trim level it was included as a no-cost option. I believe it normally runs around $250 which is not bad at all since a spare keyfob alone costs close to that anyway in most cars nowadays.
The handling of this van was….good for a van of this size, I suppose. It reminded me a lot of how a current Toyota Sienna handles, i.e. definitely on the softer side, it leans a bit in corners, sort of wobbles at first and then takes a set and completes the turn. Basically an understeerer it doesn’t really reward aggressive driving but isn’t at all dangerously bad.
It’s not an Alfa Romeo but that isn’t its mission, it shouldn’t be and isn’t advertised as such. It rides very well, goes over bumps softly, presumably your babies would fall asleep within minutes, and gets you to where you want to go. Driven like you’d expect a minivan to be driven it does just fine, I got the tires to squeal a bit on an off-ramp then got bored with that and played with the satellite radio instead. I will say that it handled the S-curve at my favorite drive-thru in stellar fashion, I placed, paid for, and received my order in less than two minutes, a new course record! The tires on my van were sized at 235/65R17 and were Yokohama Avid All-Seasons, overall they seemed like the perfect choice for the application.
Braking, being of the regenerative type and burdened with the additional weight of a battery pack, is a little different than normal. It slows the van down just fine and quickly/strongly enough but the feel is fairly artificial and also seems to vary a bit depending on speed or perhaps battery charge level, I found myself adjusting my pedal pressure during braking more than usual as compared with a conventional system.
Sometimes when I thought I had it just right I didn’t and had to apply more brake towards the end. The best way to describe it is somewhat like driving a truck with a heavy load or perhaps a liquid load when while braking the load shifts a bit and causes the stopping dynamics to change mid-act. It didn’t feel outright dangerous or anything like that, just different from the norm.
The battery pack measures in at a 16kWh capacity and obviously includes a charger cord. The van will charge one of two ways. First, you can choose to charge it using a regular 120V grounded outlet as most garages or sides of houses will have. This is the cord that is included and from empty to full takes up to 14 or so hours. I found myself plugging it in every evening and unplugging it again in the morning at which point the electron tank was full. I also got in the habit of just plugging it in every time I came back home as well for an hour or two mid-day.
In addition I sometimes took the cord with me and plugged it in at a different house that I was at for several hours a couple of times. If I owned this van I’d probably get a spare cord to have one in my garage and another stored in the side cargo bin for “away” charging. The cord itself is about twenty feet long but different lengths are available as well, at least on the aftermarket.
Actually I would probably go for the second option if I owned this, which is to install a 240V outlet in the garage, with which the van can achieve a full charge in right about two hours. In all cases the system is programmable as to what times it will charge, for example you might want to vary it if your utility company uses Time-Of-Day rates as mine does.
Plugging it in couldn’t be easier, there is what looks like a second fuel flap on the front fender, it opens with a push, then the charger handle just slots into the receptacle and a blue light on the dash comes on that is clearly visible from the outside telling you it is plugged in and charging. Taking the charger out just requires pushing a thumb button on the unit and it releases.
The whole unit seems quite rugged, not at all flimsy or easily breakable. I’ve owned a Hybrid before but have not had any experience (beyond brief drives) with either a Plug-In Hybrid or a Fully Electric vehicle and this was as painless as it gets with the benefits of electric power but no anxiety about anything.
Come to think of it, there is also a third option which is to never plug it in at all. Nothing is forcing anyone to do so, one could just drive this as if it was a regular van, and it would act like a typical hybrid, i.e. pretty much the same as any other vehicle but with better gas mileage overall. You’d still get the potential financial benefit without any additional costs, which I get into below.
At this trim level this van base prices at $45,845, the only options were the aforementioned KeySense (no charge), the panoramic sunroof ($1,895), and the Advanced SafetyTec Group for $995. Including 360 degree surround cameras with overhead view, Full Speed Forward Collision Warning Plus, Adaptive Cruise, LDW, Park Assist, ParkSense, Rain-sensitive Wipers, Auto Headlights and High Beams and Advanced Brake Assist that package is a no-brainer for a likely often-distracted family driver. The last option, also at no charge at this trim level, is the dual screen BluRay DVD system in the second row with wireless headphones and remotes as well as extra media ports and supplemental inputs to plug in and use other devises
Standard features include everything you might expect: power everything in regard to the front seats including four way lumbar, heated front seats and wheel, 4G LTE WiFi HotSpot, Apple CarPlay/AndroidAuto, the UConnect system with Navigation, Hands-Free Tailgate and Sliding Doors, and much, much more.
So while I liked the van in general, didn’t dislike any specific thing, and loved the fact that my mileage just about doubled what I could get out of either of the minivans that I used to own myself (2005 Sienna and 2006 Odyssey), if I was in the market for a semi-luxury minivan (i.e. any of the upper trim level vans on the market with leather and all the other goodies) this would rise to the top for one simple reason: value.
While this was a pretty much loaded van and rings up at a hair over $50,000, what changes the equation significantly is the fact that the US federal government as well as my particular state government are kicking in a large chunk of money. Assuming one’s tax burden is high enough, this van qualifies for the full $7,500 tax credit from the feds as well as a $5,000 tax credit from my home state of Colorado. (Note that the starting base price for the Pacifica Hybrid is $39,995 for a slightly lower-spec’ed version to which the exact same rebates apply)
At that point the sticker is effectively reduced to just about $37,500 for this van as pictured and $27,500 for the lower trim level that is in no way a base model. If I avoided the sunroof I could have everything else you see in these pictures for about $35,600 and that’s BEFORE any factory or dealer incentives are figured in. (But yes the sales tax etc is likely figured before any of those credits so that adds a little back in). Still, that makes it much more affordable than a top-level Sienna, Odyssey or even likely a Sedona or maybe even the older Caravan/T&C models.
The entire hybrid system and battery is warrantied for 10years or 100,000 miles (10/100) here and longer in some other states, the rest of the powertrain is 5/60, and bumper to bumper is 3/36. A smart buyer planning to spawn a multi-kid family might get this when the first kid is two years old, and then drive it for the next decade until the last or third kid is in mid-elementary school, at which point both this as well as any other competitors van are likely pretty fully depreciated.
Over that decade if one drove 12,000/yr and was able to get 40mpg vs other vans 20mpg, that would amount to 3,000 gallons of gasoline not needed to either purchase or even go to the station for. Regular gas around here has averaged around $2.60 or so for the last decade from what I can recall so that’s another savings of around $7,800. Your electricity costs would need to be factored in as well and would offset that somewhat or if you don’t even plug it in, seeing 30mpg still seems easy. Your mileage may vary, however…Still, those are compelling figures and I’m very surprised that no other van maker has offered a plug-in hybrid over here yet. You could potentially save a lot of money to then spend elsewhere…
I definitely have found myself second guessing my decision to buy a cheaper ’16 Town&Country instead of ponying up a bit more and buying a lightly used Pacifica (non-Hybrid, those were too pricey and had horrible first year reliability records). As you mention, the Pacifica feels VASTLY tighter/smoother to drive. I’ve simply made peace with all the rattles creaks from the doors/seats/body/whatever in our van. Love the styling inside and out on the Pacifica, especially when you look at what a monstrosity the Honda and Toyota options look like these days. I was spooked by some first year Pacifica foibles but it looks like the 2018+ cars are pretty solid, and even the ’17 stuff ended up not so bad.
I will say on very particular feature on our Town&Country has turned out to be a bit of a make-it-or-break-it factor on several road trips: the removal front center console. Not all Town&Countrys or Grand Caravans have this, most have the fixed center console with admittedly handy storage bins for the second row. But when you have a hard ski bag, luggage, and six passengers, that removable console made the difference between taking one van or two vehicles to the airport. Likewise packing for a Lake Michigan vacation, removing the center console made all the difference for some bulky long items we were bringing. Also is nice for my wife to be able to come sit up front with me on long drives but still able to take care of our son positioned behind my driver’s seat. I think the Odyssey is the only van that now still offers a removable center console for the front row.
I say love the one you’re with and drive it until it doesn’t go anymore. We only bought our second van because the first one died in a fire, otherwise we would have kept it…I remember you thought a long time before deciding on which van would be best for you at the time.
The best part of removable consoles is that you can enter the cockpit Millenium Falcon style. 🙂
Yeah we’re in it for the long haul with our T&C. It’s definitely fully taken on the family workhorse look by now, a few errant dings, got clipped in the rear bumper by an older lady (at lower speeds), that was a nice $2300 payout for some surprisingly minor cosmetic damage. I buffed out the bumper cover and will be touching it up a bit more this spring. Rolling on junkyard steelies+snow tires for the winter. A year and 12k miles later, (45k miles now) we’re very pleased with it. Wife loves the heated seats and steering wheel and the peppy Pentastar. Have hauled all sorts of furniture using a combination of the stow and go and handy roof rack with built in deployable cross rails.
Interesting read, and it would seem to be a valid choice for thatpart of the market. To me, looks pretty sharp too, for a minivan.
One puzzle – Blu-ray DVD etc is a no cost option?
It’s included in this trim level but as a no-cost option, extra in other trims. Possibly so that can be changed depending on demand or so that the base price doesn’t need to change if this part of the spec changes for whatever reason.
Jim’s review of the Pacifica Hybrid is one of the better ones because he goes into much more detail on the hybrid aspect than a lot of the other reviews. It’s puzzling since the hybrid system would likely be the determining factor in buying/leasing one.
One minor correction on the battery capacity: 6.6/kWh is the maximum rate at which the onboard charger operates; the battery capacity is actually 16/kWh, of which ~13/kWh is the normal amount used/charged (there is ~3/kWh reserve that is never depleted and saved for longevity, driving in reverse, etc.).
It’s important because that 13/kWh figure can be used to calculate how much it costs to fully charge a depleted battery. For example, if residential electricity is $0.11/kWh, a full charge would cost $1.43. With a range of 32 miles, that’s roughly the equivalent of a gallon of gas.
So, if Jim got gas at $1.88/gallon at Ikea, charging/operating on electric saves a whopping $0.45 for the first 32 miles. I personally think the PacHy (as it’s known by the cognoscenti) is terrific, but instrict financial terms of current low gas prices, it’s not that great. But if you routinely drive less than 32 miles at a time and can charge at home, that convenience, alone, might make it worth the extra cost. As Jim correctly pointed out, with a high enough tax burden to get the full $7500 tax credit, the PacHy doesn’t actually cost anymore than the gasser, making it something of a no-brainer.
Finally, Jim probably should have mentioned the actual time it takes to fully charge the battery. At Level 1 (110/120v wall outlet) it is a long 14 hours (which still would be okay for overnight charging). But at Level 2 (240v, typically used for electric dryers), it’s a much more reasonable 2 hours and15 minutes. Installing a home Level 2 charger (which, again, wouldn’t be a good financial move), could make a lot more sense to make several EV-only drives per day.
Thanks, I goofed on the battery size, corrected now in the text, I was looking at the spec for the charger cord when I wrote that.
I did mention how long it takes to charge in that same section where I goofed on the battery size though, the info is split among the three pictures and six short paragraphs..
The hard part, as you pointed out, does depend on the cost of gas vs utility rates. While today gas will likely be coming down a lot more that it has, large parts of the country (world) pay a lot more than we do for gas In my town, we also have TimeOfDay utility rates so if I avoid the 5-9pm time to charge during weekdays, my rate is around 7 cents (21 cents during those times). And if I had solar power as a lot of people around here do, then that’d be even less (although the panels are an investment in themselves). Still, with the tax incentives on the van, it can certainly make a lot of sense vs the gas-only version or the competition, one would have to do the math for their own situation .
Frankly, it depends on how much highway driving one does (where the hybrid’s fuel mileage advantage diminishes), as well as how much someone values Stow ‘n Go and towing (the hybrid cannot tow, at all). If you don’t mind those sacrifices, the PacHy makes a compelling argument, even at today’s low gas prices.
The highway driving is where all hybrids’ fuel mileage advantage disappears, not just this van.
I could live with the other compromises on this van, however.
Nice review, Jim.
Nice minivan too, inside and out. Too rich for my station in life, though, as my state doesn’t offer a tax credit. Pacifica Tourings for in my area are advertised at about 29K, and that stands well enough on its own merits that I wouldn’t hesitate to stop by for a thorough test drive of one if I were in the market. I find the Odyssey tremendously ugly and the current Sienna overpriced for how old and cheap-feeling it is.
Very nice review of a vehicle I’ve never read up on before. Definitely makes sense given the tax breaks and reduced consumption. Your 7 cents overnight rate is very reasonable.
Now if it just had a Toyota badge on it…
BTW, why isn’t there a Sienna hybrid? It’s not like they don’t have the technology. 🙂
Supposedly, the next generation Sienna will (finally) have a non-plug-in hybrid variant.
That’s what I’ve heard. I’ve wondered for a long time why it’s taken that long. I guess it’s because the Sienna is essentially NA only, and not built in very large volumes. But still.
I suspect there was a packaging issue with folding seats? AWD Sienna already loses the spare. And I suspect marketing decided it was easier to just get customers into a three row Highlander Hybrid than to do all that work.
I’ve long wondered that as well, since they’ve had various hybrid vans in Japan for years. Perhaps they were producing enough at the time to keep the line busy and with the AWD option, which is very popular around here, were selling well enough? Who knows.
But yes, as Rudiger stated, it’s supposedly coming. Package it with the electric AWD from the Highlander Hybrid and it’ll sell around here. But with the Pacifica (non-hybrid) coming as AWD as well next year, that may boost that one too.
I’ll be interested in seeing the new Voyager (entry level Pacifica) to replace the Caravan/T&C. The whole thing is so much more modern than the old one, which admittedly is an excellent value at what they actually sell for.
The random Curbside black hole opened and swallowed my prior comment, but in short I think Toyota didn’t have a very competitive hybrid powertrain for heavy vehicles in North America.
The prior Highlander hybrid was powerful but not so efficient, but it looks like the new 2.5 Highlander hybrid has a better balance of power and fuel economy. Sacrifices about a second to 60, but gives back nearly 10mpg combined. Similar trend with the Camry hybrid from 10 years ago vs now.
I’d guess that the reason for the lack of a Sienna hybrid all these years is simply that pragmatic, ultra-conservative Toyota questioned the future of the minivan, in general. Right now, there are only four players in that traditional demographic, with any auto consumers left not flocking to a full-size, 4-door pickup, buying some sort of SUV variant. On top of that, the whole EV market, in whatever vehicle category, is still quite a niche, with the vast majority of sales going to ICE-adverse California. I’m convinced the only reason FCA made the plug-in jump with the Pacifica was that the Stow ‘n Go compartments were already there, ready-made to hold a nice, big traction battery. And then there’s that big Waymo order for 65k PacHys. Without those two factors, I have no doubt there’d never have been a Pacifica Hybrid.
OTOH, the Sienna has no built-in space already existing in the platform for a big battery. And the engineering to get even the existing Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) into the Sienna would be quite pricey and a big gamble for a dwindling market, certainly one not as profitable as SUV/CUV. Indeed, Toyota’s only other plug-in besides the Prius Prime will be the upcoming RAV4 PHEV. The irony, of course, is that the few plug-ins that Toyota dealers ‘can’ get their hands on sell like hotcakes.
Regardless, those Pacifica Hybrid owners who haven’t experienced any major issues seem to be very happy with them. Indeed, I’ve even read of a few PacHy lemon buybacks who put their settlement towards getting another one! I’m not sure you hear many lemon sufferers doing that too much.
I’d posit that they didn’t have a very convincing hybrid powertrain to put in a heavy vehicle like a minivan for the North American market. Toyota’s more powerful hybrid offerings seem to have been aimed at preserving acceleration at the cost of big gains in efficiency, and were priced as the premium option in the lineup. The outgoing 3.5L V6 hybrid used in the Highlander was quicker than the gas-only V6 but the rated fuel economy wasn’t an impressive jump, something like mid to high 20s combined. I wonder if Toyota didn’t think there would be enough demand for that on an older model in a declining segment. Or maybe some constraint in the Sienna’s platform?
The new 2.5 hybrid going into the new Highlander is down about 70hp but is rated at about 35 city and 35 highway. Looks to be step down in acceleration from the V6, something like 8 seconds to 60, but that’s still acceptable for a family vehicle and the fuel economy is far more attractive than before. And the hybrid upcharge is only ~$1400. If they can get similar results in the new Sienna…
It seems they had a similar pattern stepping up their hybrid tech to the Camry a decade ago. The first Camry hybrid was far quicker than the lighter, less powerful Prius but economy wasn’t that remarkable. Now, they dialed back the acceleration a bit but have a nearly 50mpg combined rating.
Thank you for rescuing my comment from the black hole!
You’re welcome! It isn’t a hopeless black hole after all…
Even without the electric component, the minivan life has a lot to recommend it for we practical types. This could be really interesting. I am currently commuting about 16 miles a day if I don’t have any outside destinations during the day, so something with an electric mode could be attractive to me.
The creaky structure of the old Grand Caravan was an anomaly (although a long-term one). The 3d gen I owned (1996-2000) was rigid as could be – far more than my friend’s Honda of the contemporary generation (99-05). It is good that Chrysler resurrected that trait, which I always found very pleasing.
Thanks for this informative read. Somehow I have never been inside of one of these. A friend bought one (a non-hybrid – it is his wife’s, actually) so maybe I can one day sweet-talk him into a test drive.
For your particular situation, a (almost any) plug-in hybrid is absolutely the perfect scenario, especially if you can take advantage of a tax credit.
This one, inside, is just as luxed-up as the competition’s upper trims, and the plastics are better feeling than in the (quite old at this point) Sienna.
Friends of ours in SoCal bought one last year (not sure if it’s a hybrid or not) when they had their third kid and love it. I don’t think they’ve ever owned a domestic vehicle prior, their other car is a Lexus RX350
And there’s good hybrid news for Sedona lovers, too. Seems like I read somewhere that Kia is planning not only a hybrid Sedona in the near future, but a plug-in version, as well.
You may swoon now, JP…
A very good and comprehensive review. I’ve always found these attractive, as far as minivans go, but this hybrid availability does add a nice unique twist.
While the 3.6 isn’t the centerpiece of this minivan, I still think it is the modern day equivalent of the 318 – found throughout the lineup and quite rugged. I’ve driven a few, primarily in Grand Caravans, and they are always up to the task – if a bit noisy at times.
It’s not the centerpiece but it’s there and performs unobtrusively and strongly when needed/desired. The GC has horrific gearing which doesn’t help things, some downshifts take it from a decent RPM level to almost at redline, it’s really bad on hills/mountains at altitude.
I’m patiently waiting for FCA to stop making the Grand Caravan so I can finally rent a Pacifica!
FWIW, the replacement of the soon-to-be-discontinued Grand Caravan is quite a question. FCA recently renamed the lower trim Pacific L and L Plus to Voyager, but whether Dodge gets a version of the Voyager is up in the air.
Of particular note is the Chrysler Portal EV crossover concept. Will the Portal by the replacement for not only the GC but the Journey, as well? Dropping both the GC ‘and’ the Journey will leave a rather large hole in the Dodge line-up and I can certainly see the Portal coming out as a Dodge to fill that gap.
Thanks rudiger. On the lots of Enterprise, as long as FCA makes the Grand Caravan, you’re unlikely to find a Pacifica or Voyager in the fleet. I’ve been dying to drive one, and we rent minivans a couple of times a year for long trips. Any GC replacement that’s not a minivan will not qualify for the “minivan” category.
I’ve had very good luck with the CostCo car rental program if you’re a member. Good pricing in general with upgrades and often YOUR choice of vehicle from a selection if you end up with Alamo or National.
I’ve seen/driven Pacificas through Avis several times. And it’s one of those cases where a car being available to rent really did help to recruit a potential buyer for FCA. I was quite smitten after an 8 hour haul from Iowa to Indy. 29mpg indicated with sustained cruising at 77-78mph, and the 9spd on my particular 42k mile example was very well synched up to the Pentastar. Well tuned ride/handling for relaxed high speed highway cruising, a very satisfying drive. My car’s one issue was a consistent rattle from the sliding doors, an issue solved easily enough with some lubrication IIRC.
I’ve owned 2 of these and loved them. Strange to say since both are being bought back by our lemon law. Had the 2018 and 8 months into it their was a software issue that destroyed the catalytic converter. We started a national recall on that one. Then there was an issue with the transmission. That was bought back by FCA with no hassle. It was a sweet granite color with light seats. We instantly bought the 2019 and 5 days later it had to go to the shop due to a bad battery control module. It took them over 90 days to get the part during which they had us in a rental van. Halfway through we filed another lemon law with dealer support (it was ridiculous). Things were moving along in that process until they made a paperwork mistake and stopped. 12000 miles and 10 months later their arbitrator said they did have to buy it back. We get that check next month. We’ll probably buy the 2020. So we’ve been driving the hybrid Pacifica for 2 years now and have been paid over $18k to do so thanks to the federal tax credit and FCA’s lack of parts. Really though we LOVE the car. I pay 99 cents for the equivalent of a gallon of gas when I use electricity. It’s super comfortable. It carries many sheets of plywood flat at once. It’s very classy. We did a 2000 mile road trip with 4 adults and 2 kids and luggage and it was still comfy. We live in Washington so love the panoramic sunroof. The adaptive cruise control seriously even works in stop and go traffic. I don’t know how but kids can watch different parts of the same BluRay on their different screens. You can also wirelessly mirror your phone to the screens. Epic vehicle. Can’t decide if we’ll get another white one or go back to granite. I like the way your brown seats look too. I hope more vehicles go plug in hybrid. I love not worrying about running out of a charge.
It is very odd when replacement parts are not available to fix a vehicle that has an issue but plenty of parts are available on the production line to build new vans. I ran into that with a ’95 Jetta that had its jack recalled before it was a year old. It was apparently back-ordered six months or so but in the meantime they were churning out new Jettas of the same generation, all with a jack…
The Granite with Brown combination is sharp. I don’t know if I could do that very light interior (at least the carpets are dark) and wouldn’t want another black interior.
The 2021 gets a revised front and rear and I believe more safety stuff as standard. Conversely the 2020s may end up an even better value. I’m not sure where FCA is in regard to the whole tax credit thing from a vehicle quantity sold standpoint at this time.
Not in the market for a minivan at all. But if was going to buy one, this would probably be it. I really like the styling, it doesn’t look as large and ponderous as most competitors. My favorite part is the swept back D pillar. Reminds me of the aero Cougars from the 80s, which I was a big fan of.
Thanks for the real world review of this van. I’m kind of envious of your side gig reviewing all of these cars, you’ve had a string of some pretty desirable ones in my opinion.
I knew that FCA was going to put all of their expertise on the line with these vans and the non-hybrid ones. I think that either one would be a good choice. Maybe I can convince my wife that minivan life isn’t as dismal as she thinks it is…
We were “never-minivanners” until we rented one for a week in Canada when our first two kids were little, it was a Dodge Caravan. It completely opened our eyes and we bought our first van not long after we got back (and had been driving SUV’s before then if you recall my CarsOfALifetime series). Neither of our pwn vans were what we would call penalty boxes to either drive or live with and I don’t feel that way about any of the current crop either.
I can’t say it isn’t enjoyable sampling all manner of different vehicles (and have had some great experiences) but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a bit of a job as well…It definitely takes time, both to drive them enough to really get a good feel for them and then to write about it as well in a timely manner. I’m hardly all “woe is me” but there’s definitely more work involved than it may seem or that I may have given others credit for in the past 🙂
Yeah, I don’t know what happened with my wife, as we used to borrow her dad’s Plymouth Voyager (way back in the day) pretty frequently and she seemed to like it. However, several years ago, when our kids were in the midst of their sports/church/scout activities, she shot down the idea of a van with extreme prejudice. We ended up with a Pontiac Aztek instead, which amused me because they were made on a minivan platform. Even when the last Aztek was totaled by a deer, I got the stink eye when I said I would replace it with a van…
With regard to the reviews I don’t doubt that there’s a lot more work involved than what we see on the site, but I’m still grateful for some real world driving impressions. Keep up the good work!
This is on the top of our list when it comes time to replace our T&C. What a well done and comprehensive review. I’m glad you went into detail with the value. I’m not sure the $7500 credit will still be available when we are in the market in about two years, but if it is, it seems like a no-brainer. And although I don’t really care about the fold down middle seats, I would miss that storage as we use it on long trips.
The AWD version is looking pretty attractive as well. Chrysler has really done a great job with the Pacifica. Chrysler has a bad reputation, but over the past 13 years I’ve owned two of their vans and while they have certainly not been very refined with iffy build quality, they have been as reliable as anything else I’ve owned, including Hondas and Toyotas, and much more so than my Fords.
Thank you, I was remiss in not explaining that the middle row seats in this one CAN be removed (have added that to the text).
That’s all I’ve ever needed, really. In fact I’d rather have the larger more comfortable seats than stowing ones. The Stow-n-Go seats are convenient, but I rarely stow them and have never had a situation where I needed to haul passengers one way and cargo another. Now with the Pacifica’s optional middle row center seat, there’s even less reason to. Though I’m not sure if that’s available with the non-stowing seats.
But it’s really nice to have that storage, it’s a great place to stash an emergency kit and other stuff you want out of sight and out of the way. We’ve hauled Christmas presents in there many times.
So you were the jerk who blew past me on I-25, the Coloradobahn, at 20 over the limit? Oh well, enjoy it while it lasts. With normally heavy traffic, those speeds are unnerving, but nothing is normal these days.
It’s a good, thorough review. Curiously similar to the one I’d write about a different car, my Ford C-Max Energi. The tax benefits were the same, and the dealers’ deals were generous. It has the same vanlike character on a smaller scale, and the same eCVT drive system that’s proven itself in a decade of NYC’s tireless Prius and Escape taxicabs. The same duplication of touchscreen controls with ergonomically superior knobs and buttons. Yes, I like this. If I was shopping for a van, I’d shop no more.
Just a handful of differences between this Chrysler and my Ford. Only numbers, really. My car has about half the EV range (20 vs. 35), with about one-third the charging time (5 hours, which makes overnight recharges on 110V an obvious low-cost choice). The most eye-catching number is 70. That’s MPG, as accumulated over 15 months and about 20,000 miles until the mileage meter mysteriously reset and started over. My car was driven on gas beyond the 20-mile range an average of five days per week, with a couple of those days over 100 miles. For comparison, our C-Max Hybrid, on a more favorable urban commute, remains at a consistent 38 mpg.
The benefits of plug-ins are huge, but, like the acronym PHEV, they’re hard to wrap your head around. Twenty miles of range seems laughable. Why bother? Because the separate gas and electric elements of the powertrain work so well together. On the ten-mile coast down into Summit County, I can regenerate and store EV capacity almost mile-per-mile. My results from 36,000 miles of ownership convince me that I never want to have to choose between EV and gas engines. I want both!