The truth is that minivans are really pretty great, regardless of what the dads at the local sporting events try to convince you is cool. We’re big fans of the Kia Carnival and in general follow a function-over-form mentality for our own personal vehicles, and there’s no better tool for the family-hauling job than a van, and though its Dodge-badged variant is no longer with us, the Chrysler Pacifica– especially in the Pinnacle Hybrid PHEV trim tested for this story– excels at what it’s meant to do.

Function over form is the name of the game here. Maximizing usable space in the given footprint is the reason for the existence of the minivan in the first place, after all. So we did what any normal family would do and packed the Pacifica with far too much stuff for a long weekend away, stuffing it nearly to the gills with beach equipment and snacks galore.

Thoughtless packing presents one of the biggest, if not the biggest, benefits of a minivan versus an SUV or really anything smaller even. Case in point: The Pacifica is 203” long and has 32.3 cubic feet of cargo room behind the third row, 87.5 behind the second, and 140.5 with the second row removed. A 210” long Chevrolet Tahoe has cargo capacities of 25.5, 72.6, and 122.9, respectively. On this front the minivan is unmatched, and the Pacifica isn’t even the most spacious available today. This meant we could basically dump three peoples’ worth of stuff in without having to play the real-life Tetris we’ve become accustomed to, which helps mitigate stress and maximize adventure enjoyment. Check mate, minivan.

So it’s no surprise that the Pacifica is great at swallowing people and luggage. But on the road, the Pacifica PHEV was surprisingly pleasant as well. There’s a bit too much road and tire noise, and the suspension feels a bit saggy and isn’t particularly fond of impacts when the vehicle is loaded down, but these are only noticeable to those who have driven it unloaded and pay attention to these sorts of things. Most buyers will find it more than sufficiently comfortable and compliant.

One of the big selling points of the Pacifica PHEV is the plug-in hybrid factor (otherwise, just buy the regular gas version). We didn’t get to test this much as it arrived with no charge to its name, but that’s only the fault of the vehicle’s programming in that it has no “hold” button for the electric range. Even with copious regenerative braking the van only got up to about 2% battery state of charge, and yet we still saw around 33 MPG over our near-600 miles of use.

The usability is better than just the fuel efficiency. The infotainment worked flawlessly, providing Apple CarPlay at our fingertips with nary a frozen screen despite almost 15 hours of seat time. More important to us might have been the physical controls for most of the HVAC controls, which meant minimal looking away from the path of travel when someone needed more or less fan, heat, or A/C. Passengers also enjoyed the panoramic sunroof and second row windows that rolled down– still a novelty in a minivan for many of us– that helps the car feel open and airy inside rather than claustrophobic. This pays dividends in longer stints in the saddle, for driver and other occupants alike.

Obviously, a plug-in hybrid luxury-ified minivan isn’t going to be cheap in 2024, and the Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Hybrid PHEV is no exception. Our fully-optioned tester ran in at a total price of $61,685, which represents only $495 of Fathom Blue paint and the balance in Destination over the Pinnacle Hybrid PHEV’s $59,495 starting MSRP. That’s not no money, and in fact is quite a lot, but you can get into a base Pacifica PHEV for $51,250 and $39,645 for the gas-only version which eschews the electrified aspect for the 3.6L Pentastar.

So the Pacifica won’t win any style points or street cred at your favorite car show, and that’s just fine. It’s a great road-tripper, excellent at carrying everything you need (and want) to take with you on a trip to your favorite beach town, and it’s comfortable, efficient, and easy to use in doing so. The only remaining new Chrysler on sale won’t blow minds but is great at putting function over form.

Yay

• Spacious with clever packaging (like the tumble/fold third row of seats)
• 33 MPG as-tested
• Comfortable for everyone on board

Nay

• Electric range is mediocre
• No “hold” button for driving on electric only
• $60k for a minivan means you really have to want it

The Takeaway

While the Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle Hybrid PHEV might not be your dream car, it does everything it’s designed to do extremely well, with space galore, great efficiency, and that road-trip comfort a minivan needs all baked in.