Used 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid

#2 in Best Minivans of 2020

The 2020 Chrysler Pacifica minivan competes favorably with rivals such as the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona. Like those competitors, the Pacifica is a great choice for families seeking the roominess and ease of access of a van over the design of an SUV. The Chrysler has room for seven or eight passengers depending on configuration, and solid, comfortable road manners. Active safety and driver-assistance features are available, but unlike the Sienna, they don’t come standard.

What the Pacifica can boast over every competitor is the availability of a plug-in hybrid variant. The only such vehicle in its segment, the Pacifica Hybrid uses a V6 engine like the standard model, along with an electrified powertrain that enables it to travel up to 32 miles on battery power.

For 2020, there’s also a new all-wheel-drive (AWD) Pacifica. Called the AWD Launch Edition, it rides an inch higher than a standard Pacifica.

The 2020 Chrysler Pacifica carries a starting price of $33,495, the highest in its class. If you want a Pacifica at a lower price, check out the Chrysler Voyager.

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The Pacifica delivers the kind of ride minivan drivers expect: quiet, powerful enough, and one without unpleasant surprises. We’ve griped about Chrysler’s 9-speed automatic transmission in the past for its hesitancy and lack of refinement, but it’s been reworked over the years and feels smoother. The standard V6 has enough oomph to get the Pacifica up to freeway speeds without much effort, and is even rated to tow up to 3,600 pounds, 100 more than the Odyssey, Sienna and Sedona.

If you go with the Pacifica Hybrid, you’ll get a smoother and surprisingly competent electrically variable, continuously variable transmission (CVT). The standard Pacifica’s 287-horsepower V6 isn’t quite as powerful as that of the Sienna, but it’s more than the Odyssey’s. Here again we prefer the Pacifica Hybrid over the standard Pacifica, as its electrified powertrain offers a smooth and powerful boost, even when the EV range is depleted. Transitions between the gasoline engine and electric motor are seamless.

The 2020 Chrysler Pacifica can seat either seven or eight passengers, depending on whether you choose to have the second row as two captain’s seats or a bench. The Pacifica Hybrid, meanwhile, only seats seven as it comes standard with the twin buckets in the second row. In both versions the 3rd-row seats are roomy enough for adults to not feel penalized.

Up front, Mom and Dad get a commanding perch thanks to comfortable seats, good visibility and a hidden “conversation mirror” that allows you to monitor the kids bickering in back. If you haven’t been in a minivan in a while, the Pacifica will feel futuristic. Instead of a traditional transmission gear lever, there is a round dial to choose Park, Drive, Reverse, etc. Even the parking brake is engaged via a button.

The standard Uconnect 4 with a 7-inch touch-screen (or optional 8.4-inch) infotainment system is easy to use for major functions, but others such as optional seat ventilation or steering-wheel heat require multiple touches and digging down into sub-menus.

Cargo room for both the standard and hybrid Pacifica is deep and plentiful, though not quite as much as what the Honda Odyssey offers. The low step-in height and standard power-operated side doors make access easy for every member of the family young and old, including the dog.

Even among minivans, the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica stands out with its rounded, soft exterior with plenty of curves. Prominent elements include lots of glass, including a dual-pane panoramic sunroof that is now optional on all trims, and upward rising rear angle. It combines to stand in contrast to boxier minivans like the Kia Sedona. Which do you prefer? Your eyes will know.

They’ll have a harder time, however, telling the difference between the Pacifica and the Pacifica Hybrid. Aside from the “hybrid” badging, the latter’s main giveaway is what looks like a fuel door on the left front. Don’t try to put a gasoline nozzle there — it’s where you plug in the AC cord to charge the battery pack. For 2020, the Pacifica Hybrid also gets a standard honeycomb grille.

STOW ‘N GO
Unique to the minivan world are Chrysler’s Stow ‘n Go 2nd-row seats. Where other minivans require you to manually remove and store the seats, the Pacifica’s fold flush into the floor. And, unlike the seats in the old Town & Country, the Pacifica’s seats are actually now comfortable on long trips.

PLUG-IN HYBRID MODEL
In addition to its quiet, comfortable and refined ride manners, the Chrysler Pacifica plug-in hybrid brings two other big perks: It is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax rebate and, in states like California, single-occupant carpool-lane access.

With the new Chrysler Voyager filling the role of former lower-end trims of the Pacifica, the new 2020 Pacifica model count is reduced to four main trims. The base model is now the Touring, and it comes well-equipped with power liftgate, power sliding side doors, 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, tri-zone climate control and a 7-inch touch-screen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

In addition to the usual roster of airbags and traction-control systems, the 2020 Pacifica’s standard safety features include blind-spot monitoring. The base 2020 Pacifica Hybrid Touring comes with an 8.4-inch touch screen, digital instrument cluster and 7-passenger seating, but lacks the standard model’s power tailgate (it’s optional). Stepping up just one trim to the Touring L adds amenities like leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, chrome roof rack and 3rd-row sunshades.

The new 2021 Chrysler Pacifica AWD Launch Edition has an all-wheel-drive system that can disconnect on the highway for better mpg. In addition to black exterior trim on its grille and headlights, the Pacifica AWD Launch Edition has special badging, 18-inch alloy wheels and an inch-higher ride height. Inside, you’ll find black leather seats with gray stitching.

Whichever 2020 Pacifica you choose, we recommend one very important option: the Advanced SafetyTec Group. For $995, it bundles active safety and driver-assistance features like collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, parallel-parking assist, bird’s-eye rearview camera and more. The package is optional on all trims of the standard Pacifica and on the top-line Limited version of the Pacifica Hybrid.

Otherwise, climbing trims brings features like the larger, 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment system, Alpine or Harman Kardon premium audio systems, dual- or even tri-pane panoramic sunroof, navigation, ventilated front seats, rear-seat theater system, and a built-in vacuum cleaner. Through the end of 2019, the 35th-anniversary edition packages will remain available.

New for the 2020 model year is the Red S Appearance Package on Pacifica Limited models that adds plush red leather seats, 20-inch wheels, and a 20-speaker Harman Kardon audio system.

The standard Chrysler Pacifica minivan uses Chrysler’s tried-and-true 3.6-liter V6 matched to a 9-speed automatic transmission. At up to 28 mpg on the highway, it is among the most efficient minivans, matching that of the newer Honda Odyssey. Like many other new cars, to save fuel the Pacifica uses a start/stop system that cuts engine power at stoplights and other situations where you’d otherwise idle. If you dislike the restarts, the system can be deactivated with the press of a button.

Those seeking the most efficiency should check out the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, at present the only plug-in minivan on the market. It also uses a V6 engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), with power supplemented by battery-fed electric motors. It has the ability to travel up to 32 miles on electric power alone, while the gasoline engine assures you will have well over 500 miles of range total. The Pacifica Hybrid can be recharged in a few hours with a 240-volt charger or the included 120-volt charging cable.

The new 2020 Chrysler Pacifica AWD Launch Edition has an all-wheel-drive system that can send as much as 100 percent of the power to the rear wheels when needed.

3.6-liter V6
287 horsepower @ 6,400 rpm
262 lb-ft of torque @ 4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/28 mpg (FWD), 17/25 mpg (AWD)

3.6-liter V6/dual-electric motors, 16-kWh battery
260 total system horsepower
EPA city/highway combined fuel economy: 30 mpg/82 MPGe
Battery-only range on a full charge: 32 miles