During a week of driving the Pacifica in its plug-in hybrid format, the van was pelted by hail, had high wind sling a roadside sign into its rear quarter, and it climbed a mountain at over 30 mpg. All while hauling 7 people.
I cannot think of a stronger test of a new vehicle than what that Chrysler put up with while I had it.
This current rendition of the van, whose name originally appeared briefly on a crossover-type SUV, debuted in 2017. The Pacifica replaced the old Town & Country model minivan, but kept most of that model’s best features. Stowaway seating for the second and third rows, for example, and a super tight turning radius, for another.
Added to the lineup options for the new Pacifica was the Hybrid model, which became the first hybrid minivan on the market and the first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in Chrysler’s model line. The Pacifica’s PHEV drivetrain, in fact, led the way for others in parent company Stellantis’ brands. The plug-ins from Jeep, Ram, Alfa Romeo, and others all started here.
The PHEV powertrain has a lot of upsides to it. And a few downers, like the added complexity of combining two drivetrain types. The upsides, though, are all-electric (read: cheap) daily driving, better fuel economy on the road, and the long-distance security a gasoline engine offers. The Pacifica Hybrid can drive up to about 32 miles on a single charge of its small battery. This means most people will have their daily commute and errand running covered by the electric drive system. For longer drives, or when someone forgets to plug it in, though, the V6 gasoline engine takes over and does the work.
I have three kids, so our family of five is already familiar with minivans. Visiting relatives meant that we added two more to our crew, making seven. No problem for the 2024 Pacifica Hybrid. This is literally what it’s made for.
We showed our southern fam what Wyoming is all about. A road trip from Cheyenne over the hill to Laramie, we stopped at Corona Village for some lunch. Leaving there, it the sky was starting to get dark and it was obvious that one of those blow-by storms was coming. So we stopped at the convenience store up the street to grab some waters and let the storm go past.
Then came the hail. Not heavy and destructive, but pushed by some pretty hard winds. Those winds were pushing other things too. Like a big wooden realtor’s sign that blew across 3rd Street straight into the rear quarter of the Pacifica. A big dent, but no injuries was the result. It could have been a lot worse.
After filling out the requisite paperwork, taking a bunch of photos for insurance, and getting myself soaked in the process, we decided to keep going. Our plan was to go along Snowy Range and stop at a couple of the lakes in that beautiful stretch of national forest northwest of Centennial.
That drive bore fruit as the sky cleared and the sun came back out. A herd of bull moose, some browns and rainbow in the clear lakes, and some good conversation were highlights of that little drive.
Heading back, with all seven of us still comfortably ensconced in the spacious Pacifica Hybrid, we waved to Lincoln’s bust atop Sherman and headed back into Cheyenne. I noted, as we neared town, that the trip computer was showing just over 30 mpg for the drive from Cheyenne to Laramie, up the Snowy, and back. That’s impressive.
The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid put up with Wyoming’s shenanigans well. I was pretty proud of it for that.
