2021 Chrysler Pacifica Review

February 2, 2021

Believe it or not, SUVs come in second place when it comes to hauling people and cargo around on the road. Minivans are king and if you could label any particular minivan the King of Kings it would be the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica. The design solely revolves around being a family van with an emphasis on comfort. Sporting a regular V-6 engine and a plug-in hybrid powertrain have proved to be reliably fuel-efficient when making runs to the grocery store, school, or the coast. If you are on the move and not hauling the fam, the second and third rows will fold completely flat to transform the 2021 Pacifica into a cargo van that even rivals its sister brand’s Ram ProMaster City fleet vehicles. All-around the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is a step above the rest, designed with the family in mind and with the capabilities to haul nearly whatever you need.

Highs

• Rear seats that fold quickly
• Plug-in hybrid option
• More USB and storage compartments than you may expect

Lows

• Some plastic bits in the interior seem cheap
• Acceleration is lacking (but it is a family rig so a race car feel may not be necessary)
• SUVs continue to eclipse the van’s overall functionality

 

What’s New

The biggest “what’s new” is Chrysler’s makeover of the family minivan starting with a new exterior flash that breaks into the SUV game by giving it a slightly more SUV-type look. You can definitely tell that Chrysler is wanting to provide a family alternative to the SUV. The grille, wheel designs, rear liftgate, and exterior lighting elements have all been fine-tuned to embrace more refined styling. Performance-wise, all-wheel drive has been added to the options available and the hybrid powertrain will be offered on more 2021 Pacifica trim levels. The Touring L Plus trim has been discontinued and replaced with the Pinnacle trim as the pinnacle trim level you have the option to buy. As with the rest of Chryslers brands, the 2021 Pacifica gets an upgraded 10.1-inch display powered by Chrysler-Jeep-Dodge-Ram’s Uconnect interface that allows for Amazon Alexa integration, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto, interior camera system to keep tabs on the kids while driving, a customizable home screen, and up to 12 different USB ports to charge your tech toys.

Pricing

• Touring: $36,690
• Touring L: $39,990
• Hybrid Touring: $41,490
• Hybrid Touring L: $43,790
• Hybrid Limited: $47,115
• Limited: $47,290
• Pinnacle: $52,290
• Hybrid Pinnacle: $52,340

 

Performance

Minivans aren’t known for their speed and you probably won’t see one featured in an upcoming Fast and Furious movie, but the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is far from slow, achieving 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. The 3.6-liter V-6 version is packing 287-horsepower and nine-speed auto transmission. The 2021 Pacifica hybrid is a little lower at 260-hp.

Minivans and fuel efficiency go hand-in-hand and the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is no different, delivering a top of its class 31 mpg on the highway. The EPA has weighed in on the 2021 Pacifica hybrid saying it can travel up to 33 miles on electric power and is rated at 84 MPGe combined with the 3.6-liter V-6.

 

Interior & Tech

There is no shortage of storage on the 2021 Pacifica with it being packed with cubbies, cupholders, and slide-out bins. The Pacifica is well equipped to handle almost all of your storage needs. The Pinnacle trim comes complete with quilted-leather upholstery and offers matching lumbar pillows which haven’t been a feature since the Mercedes-Maybach S-class roamed the streets. One drawback to the Stow ‘n Go seats is the lack of padding because they have to be able to fit inside the floor bins to offer superior cargo room when needed.

The 2021 Pacifica’s infotainment system lives on a fantastic 10.1-inch touchscreen to provide drivers and passengers with top-of-the-line connectivity. Like we said at the beginning, Uconnect 5 has a home screen you can customize and Amazon Alexa, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto integration. Up to 12 USB ports allow for almost unlimited charging capabilities for all your electronics. You’ll be hard-pressed to run out of USB ports in this state-of-the-art minivan.

 

Safety and Driver-Assistance

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica rocked the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s crash test, earning a five-star rating but wasn’t able to achieve Top Safety Pick with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. But regardless, the 2021 Pacifica ups its safety by offering almost every conceivable driver-assistance feature out there today.

Key features include:

• Standard automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection

• Standard blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert

• Standard adaptive cruise control and lane-departure warning

 

Warranty

Chrysler keeps up with other manufactures by offering a warranty package that may not have as lengthy of terms but does allow longer use of roadside-assistance compared to other models in its class.

• Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
• Hybrid components are covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles

 

In Conclusion

Overall, the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is redefining the minivan class and is seeking to compete with its SUV counterparts. It is a high quality, stylish, comfortable, and spacious rig filled to the brim with tech and storage capabilities. This is definitely one minivan you will want to check out if you are in the market for a family vehicle that is beyond any other van on the road today.

Interested? Give Dick Hannah Chrysler a call at 360-727-0610 to set up your test drive or follow the links to see the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica and 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid available now.

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