Eric's Autos: 2024 Chrysler Pacifica
This is fascinating -- as Mr. Spock might put it -- because minivans are the last big-engined (relatively speaking) family vehicles still on the market. The majority of crossovers in this price range come standard with turbocharged fours now, as is also true of family sedans such as the just-updated Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord, neither of which are even available with the V6 engines they both used to offer.
Interestingly, the hybrid Sienna's mileage -- 36 mpg in both city and highway driving -- isn't spectacularly higher than the V6 Pacifica's 19 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, which works out to just shy of 24 mpg on average. Yes, that's still a 12-mpg difference. But it comes at the cost of power (the hybrid Sienna's combo drivetrain only produces a total of 245 horsepower), and the potential cost down the road of having to replace the hybrid battery when it gets tired.
If you'd like higher mileage, the Pacifica hybrid offers it.
And it offers something else the hybrid Sienna doesn't.
That being the capability to plug this Chrysler hybrid in -- and drive for about 32 miles on battery power alone. That opens up the possibility of burning no gas at all if your trip there and back is less than about 32 miles -- and you start your trip with a fully charged battery.
On the downside, the plug-in hybrid Pacifica only averages 30 mpg -- 6 mpg less than the hybrid Sienna -- and its starting price ($52,495) renders absurd any discussion of "saving money."
On The Road
Minivans have changed in that they are now focused more on empty nesters who want a roomy, comfortable vehicle to road trip in. This is reflected in the pushing $40,000 cost (to start) prices of minivans such as the Pacifica and its main rivals as well as the luxury vehicle amenities these vans now offer, such as the Pacifica's available quilted Nappa leather seats.
These are not meant for Cheeto-eating, juice box-spilling kids.
The ride reflects this new ethos, too. The Pacifica's is just that -- Pacific. Calm, quiet, luxurious. Minivans were once basic family haulers (reflected in the price) that had basic (read: primitive) suspensions that were adequate for the task of carrying a bunch of kids around. But the experience wasn't exactly posh, let alone luxurious.
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