Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid
How it looks when you see on the street: Mom jeans and minivans. It’s hard to make the mental jump to embrace this life, but once you do, the impact is palpable. For hauling people, crates of records, or whatever you need to do, the minivan is the most logical and comfortable choice on the market, period. SUVs can’t hold a candle to those sliding doors that open and close themselves. I understand the trepidation on embracing the minivan aesthetic. I spent much of my tweens and teens being driven from school to practice to the roller rink in one of the earlier models of Chrysler’s genius inventions. As a teen back then, it could be a bit cringe., but now there’s a retro cool thing. Shout out to the 1984 Dodge Caravan. The Chrysler Pacifica is the modern version of that gamechanger and it has plenty of staying power. While the basic concept has stayed the same, the form has become sleeker over the decades. We recently drove the latest 2026 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, the last of this line making way for an updated version in 2027.
How it makes you feel when you get in: Minivans are all about what’s happening on the inside, and the Pacifica is set up for a party. Cupholders, storage bins, Amazon Fire TV, and a dozen charging ports is group friendly. Once inside, sit back, relax and enjoy the ride, because the interior is where the Pacifica has it going on. Chrysler's Uconnect 5 infotainment system operates on a 10.1 inch screen and offers the Apple CarPlay and Android Auto combo, plus a wifi hotspot for days your van might double as a remote office. Park, kick back in the second row cabin seats, as you wait for pickup time.
How it drives: It’s one of three vans that offers both gas and plug-in hybrid powertrains. The Pacifica can travel 32 miles on electric power and earns 82 electric and gas miles combined. The blindspots that seem unavoidable in SUVs are a non issue in the Pacifica. Available all-wheel drive make this ideal for slogging through the winter. Driving is a serene experience — minivan cruising makes for a nice life.
What to compare it to: Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna.
How much does it cost: The base price for the Pacifica is $46,385 and goes up to $62,460. We drove the Pinnacle model, which sits atop the model lineup.