Used 2020 Chrysler Voyager

#2 in Best Minivans of 2020

The 2020 Chrysler Voyager is a newly named model, but it’s not a new minivan per se. The Voyager is a less expensive version of the Chrysler Pacifica. With a starting price just under $27,000 before destination charges, the 2020 Voyager is an attractive proposition for budget-minded families seeking a stylish, roomy and comfortable minivan. Its price undercuts the Pacifica by over $6,500 and is also thousands less expensive than rivals like the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

The Voyager doesn’t have all the premium amenities available in the Pacifica, nor is it available as a plug-in hybrid like its pricier sibling. The Voyager can be optioned with some active safety features like blind-spot monitoring, but unlike the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and its Pacifica sibling, it doesn’t offer features like automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist or adaptive cruise control — let alone come standard with them as does the Toyota.

Still, the Voyager touts fresh design and modern technology like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration, making it a better choice than its similarly value-priced cousin the Dodge Grand Caravan.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that the new Chrysler Voyager minivan drives much like the Pacifica. Both share the same powertrain: A V6 engine connected to a 9-speed automatic transmission. With 287 horsepower, the engine offers good power for everything from quickly pulling out of the school drop-off line to merging onto freeways.

In the past, the 9-speed transmissions in Chrysler vehicles have been hesitant, but tweaks over the years have improved their performance. Otherwise, the Voyager drives just as you’d expect — and how most parents would desire: smooth, quiet and comfortable. As we’ve noted, however, the plug-in hybrid powertrain that is available and that we prefer in the Chrysler Pacifica isn’t available in the Voyager.

RELATED: Best Minivans of 2020

Unlike competitors including its own sibling the Pacifica, the Chrysler Voyager comes only in a 7-passenger configuration. Rivals offer seating for eight via a bench seat in the second row. In the Voyager, the second row comes with two captain’s seats. If you don’t need to seat eight, this is a preferable setup as it offers more comfort to those in the second row and easier pass-through access to the third row. Upholstery is cloth, and it comes in either black or toffee color. Up front, Mom and Dad get a roomy perch with good frontal visibility. There is also plenty of open space and storage.

If you’re coming out of an older vehicle, the Voyager’s dash and controls might seem lifted from a space ship. Surrounding the standard 7-inch touch screen is a bevy of buttons and dials for climate and audio functions. Even the control used to put the Voyager into Drive, Park, Reverse or Neutral is different. Instead of a traditional lever, it is a dial that must be turned. Unlike the better-equipped Pacifica, Voyager models (except for fleet versions) only offer the innovative Stow ‘N Go seats in the third row and not the second, too.

The Voyager looks like a Pacifica twin because it is. It doesn’t wear as much chrome or have fancy wheels, but it will take a keen eye to tell the two Chrysler minivans apart. One way to distinguish the two is by what’s lacking. Cosmetically, you won’t see the Pacifica’s signature chrome front lip, and in everyday practicality you won’t get power-operated side doors or a power-operated tailgate, as found in the pricier Pacifica. Again, the Chrysler Voyager is about cutting costs, and amenities such as those add up when making a minivan.

VALUE PRICING
If you’re simply seeking a new family minivan at a low price, the Voyager fills that role, all while offering modern tech and a stylish design. It is far easier to recommend than the Dodge Grand Caravan, which is also value-priced but still uses old design and technology.

READY FOR MOBILITY SOLUTIONS
The 2020 Voyager comes ready to be converted by BraunAbility to offer easier access to passengers in wheelchairs and scooters. Enhancements can include a ramp-securement system, wider entries and accommodating interior space.

The new Chrysler Voyager minivan comes in two trims: L and LX. The base L trim includes basics like manual air conditioning, manual-adjust driver’s seat, cruise control, and an infotainment system that bundles a 7-inch touch screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and 6-speaker AM/FM audio with Bluetooth streaming and USB/aux inputs.

If you can swing about $2,800 more, we’d recommend the Chrysler Voyager LX. It adds power-adjust driver’s seat, tri-zone climate control with separate controls for rear passengers, and SiriusXM satellite radio with a year of complimentary service. (There is a Voyager LXi trim, but it is for fleet customers such as rental agencies.)

No matter which trim you choose, we highly suggest adding the SafetyTec package. For $495 it includes blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-path alert, rear parking sensors and one-touch power windows. A 3-zone climate zone is also available, as is a cold-weather package that includes heated front seats, heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, security alarm and remote vehicle start. A DVD rear-seat entertainment system is available in Voyager LX models.

As we’ve noted, however, active safety and driver-assistance systems such as automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise control are not available in the Voyager. They are, however, standard on the Toyota Sienna.

The Voyager uses Chrysler’s 3.6-liter V6 engine that makes 287 horsepower. That’s very competent in this class — slightly more powerful than the Honda Odyssey and slightly less than the Toyota Sienna. The Voyager’s standard transmission is a 9-speed automatic. As with most rivals, the Voyager is front-wheel drive. The only modern minivan to offer all-wheel drive is the Toyota Sienna. As we’ve noted, if you want a hybrid minivan, look to the Chrysler Pacifica, which can be had as a plug-in hybrid.

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