OK, we’re playing the TV game show Jeopardy, and remembering when the dearly-departed Alex Trebeck was the host.
So, I’ll go with Minivans for $200, Alex. And here’s the clue: This minivan invented the segment 40 years ago and has become the best-selling minivan of all time.
I got that Alex; What is the Chrysler Pacifica?
Interestingly, the first syndicated episode of Jeopardy debuted in the same year – 1984 – that Chrysler started selling its wood-sided people carrier. Both are still going strong.
With all these interesting milestones popping up, I thought it a good time to take another look at this seminal people-hauler. So I booked a week in the latest Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid Pinnacle.
I know, I know; much of the appeal of the slidey side door, soccer-mom-friendly, three-big-row minivan is up there with CDs, Sony Walkmans and Coke Zero. Today, if you want to transport seven warm bodies and still look semi-cool, you buy an SUV.
But the Pacifica, especially in plug-in hybrid form, is an astonishingly capable machine and a perfect half-way house for those of you not quite ready to take the all-electric leap.
As a so-called PHEV, the Pacifica mates a trusty 260-hp 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with a pair of beefy electric motors juiced by a 16 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.
What sets the Pacifica plug-in apart is that unlike any other hybrid minivans on offer, it can run on electric-only, and run for 32 miles before the gas motor kicks in.
Most of us drive way less than 32 miles a day. So plug it in overnight, or at the office, or the mall, and your running around will cost mere pennies.
And with the Pacifica’s 16.5-gallon tank, the combo of gas and electric gives you a pretty amazing 520-mile total driving range. That’s Tampa to Key West on less than a tank. Even with the batteries depleted, the V6 will give you 30 mpg in combined driving.
On the road, I still love the feisty way this plug-in Pacifica drives. In electric-only mode, it will rocket away from the stoplight like a spooked gecko, while on the freeway there’s oodles of mid-range thrust to zip past lumbering 18-wheelers, or merge quickly from an on-ramp.
Interestingly, all those batteries and electric motors help make the Pacifica feel even more nimble through the curves. Having an additional 500 pounds under the floor lowers the center of gravity and prevents the minivan from feeling tippy in turns.
Of course, we’re not talking sports car handling. But it does feel surprisingly planted and balanced. Confidence-inspiring, even. And you sit up high, like in an SUV, with a short hood to increase visibility even further.
And for those 32 miles of pure-electric motivation, the Pacifica is as silent as a library at midnight. Even when the V6 kicks in, it’s all pretty hushed.
I don’t have to tell you about the amazing practicality that comes with every minivan out there. With the Pacifica Plug-in, you get three rows of seats, fancy middle-row captain’s chairs, easy-peasy power-sliding side door access, and the load-carrying capacity of a Mayflower moving van.
Go with the fancy-pants Pacifica Pinnacle trim, and you get acres of diamond-quilted Nappa leather as standard, along with matching leather pillows for the second-row captain’s chairs – just like those on a $200-grand Mercedes-Maybach S-class sedan.
Add to those a 20-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, dual-pane panoramic sunroof, suede headliner, and FamCam interior cameras to check on the kids back in the third row.
Price-wise you can slide behind the wheel of a Pacifica plug-in for around $51,500. The flagship Pinnacle goes for around $62,400 out the door. And Uncle Sam will still happily credit you $7,500 from your taxes for doing your bit for the environment.
Until Chrysler launches its next-generation, all-electric Pacifica in 2026, this plug-in version is still hard to beat.
