Overview
The Chrysler Pacifica, as well as its minivan brothers from other mothers, may never get the credit it deserves for being the preeminent family-friendly utility vehicle in the age of the SUV. Chrysler even goes so far as to claim its minivan can hold up to 60 gallons of milk, redefining what it means to go from zero to 60. The Pacifica is a function of convenience, and it’s the only van clever enough to tuck its second-row seats into its floor to create more space for carrying cargo. The Pacifica is available with either front- or all-wheel drive, and it is the only minivan in the segment to offer a plug-in-hybrid powertrain. The standard powertrain is 287-hp V-6 that pairs with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This combination makes the Pacifica reasonably efficient on the highway, even if it doesn’t push Chrysler’s people mover about with the urgency of rivals such as the Kia Carnival or Honda Odyssey.
What’s New for 2023?
Our favorite minivan returns this year without any major changes or updates. Chrysler’s made few updates to the Pacifica since refreshing it for 2021.
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Pricing and Which One to Buy
The midrange Touring L offers the best mix of features and value as it adds a host of additional niceties over the base Touring model. Standard items include a heated steering wheel, perforated leather upholstery, heated front seats, and 18-inch wheels. We’re fine sticking with front-wheel drive, but we understand some consumers may want the additional peace of mind this van’s optional all-wheel-drive system offers. We’d suggest staying with the standard 3.6-liter V-6, though, as we had a few reliability hiccups with our long-term Pacifica Hybrid during its 40,000-mile stay.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
It’s not the quickest minivan we’ve tested, but the front-wheel-drive Pacifica is far from sluggish (it reaches 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, about midpack in terms of performance) and feels plenty peppy around town. In gas-only guise, the Pacifica packs a 287-hp 3.6-liter V-6 and a nine-speed automatic transmission under its hood. The Pacifica Hybrid makes less total horsepower (only 260 ponies) from its 3.6-liter V-6 and two electric motors, which are backed by a 16.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. In our testing, the Pacific Hybrid needed an additional 0.5 second to hit 60 mph relative to its more powerful kin.
More on the Pacifica Minivan
Towing and Payload Capacity
The maximum towing capacity for the Chrysler Pacifica is 3600 pounds. Chrysler doesn’t recommend towing with the Pacifica Hybrid.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
In addition to being space efficient, a minivan should also be fuel efficient. The Pacifica Limited we tested delivered an impressive 31 mpg on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route. According to the EPA, the Pacifica Hybrid can travel up to 33 miles on electric power and is rated at 84 MPGe combined. Around town, we matched the EPA’s 33-mile estimate. On the highway, the Pacifica Hybrid managed 23.4 miles of electric-only driving before the gasoline engine kicked on. For more information about the Pacifica’s fuel economy, visit
