Chrysler Pacifica review

Those saddling into the Pacifica aren’t doing so for the thill of it, but surprisingly, the unassuming minivan has a few steps in its repertoire to cut a rug. To be clear, this isn’t to say the Chrysler is secretly a Porsche Macan, but it’s a van that handles very nearly like a car, and that car-like agility around turns and through traffic alone surpasses expectations.

Once the shock of competent performance wears off, the Pacifica trundles on without much else to get excited about though it thankfully doesn’t get worse. The drive from then out is even-keeled and innocuous, giving drivers - likely with their minds and attention divided between other priorities - one less thing to be concerned about.

How is the hybrid Pacifica?

In step with the “we got this” ethos that the rest of the car harbors, the Hybrid Pacific has no selectable driving modes. Sure, it’s one less thing to bother with, but it’s still an interesting omission, particularly for those who wish to be a more active participant in their energy usage and regeneration. In lieu of this, there is a max-regen setting that slows things down when lifting off the pedal or braking, not yet one-pedal driving but handy in the city. All that being said, the Pacifica Hybrid should be good for about 520 miles of range, netting an estimated 83 MPGe or 0.89 mi/kWh.

What about driving assists?

As is most of the car, the digital side of things is just as convenient and thought through, mainly in terms of safety functions. Surround view camera and sensors are a must for such a vehicle, as are the many sensors providing awareness in all directions. The standard pedestrian sensing and automatic braking in particular is particularly dialled in.

Thankfully we were spared any instance of a practical test, but we found the auto-braking was overly cautious when maneuvering out of driveways or in parking areas. Annoying? Perhaps, but with good reason, considering this is a family car that’s surrounded by children more often than not.