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As a reminder of the vehicle that started it all, Chrysler invited us to load up our family for a summer road trip in the latest example in the minivan lineage, the updated 2027 Pacifica. There hasn’t been much new since its last facelift for the 2021 model year, which followed the launch of the van for 2017.

For 2027, the Pacifica gets another mild overhaul, with the most noticeable element a new Chrysler badge and front-end lighting. In place of the winged emblem is a logo that looks more like a couple of lines from a designer’s sketch, the same marking that’s appeared on recent Chrysler concept cars. In front, this new branding is illuminated and comes with new headlights that have substantially improved reach and a wider beam pattern. That is, unless you opt for the new base LX trim, which starts at $43,490, keeps the old nose, and replaces the previous Chrysler Voyager model. The 2027 Pacifica also gets new wheel designs and a couple of new features, including a camera feed of the blind-spot area. Activated with the turn signal, the feature is part of the $395 Safety Sphere package on Limited models such as our test van. (The package costs more on the lower Select trim.) Our van didn’t have the dual-screen rear-seat entertainment option, which is now available only on the top Pinnacle trim.

Road Trip Away

We loaded my family of five into a bright-red Limited model, second only to the Pinnacle, and rendezvoused in Stowe, Vermont. Our vehicle had the $2995 all-wheel-drive option—a feature added for 2021, and something that’s still not ubiquitous among minivans—and just about every other option too, bringing the price to $56,365. The Pinnacle gets a new blue-leather interior, but the Limited soldiers on with the same all-black carryover interior that consists of just-okay materials and no two-tone option to dress things up.

As we explored the lush Vermont countryside—traveling through charming towns and across covered bridges, sampling maple syrup, and stopping at the Ben & Jerry’s creamery and the von Trapp Family Lodge—my kids praised the second-row heated seats but complained that there are cupholders and a USB port only on the passenger’s side of the third row. Under the other side is a built-in vacuum, available on Limited trims and standard on Pinnacle. It’s a handy feature in a great location for quick access to tidy up the rear seating area. The canister where the detritus piles up is behind a panel in the cargo area, where the optional spare tire used to live (it got nixed with the 2022 models). However, self-sealing tires are somewhat of a salve for fears of being stranded.

HIGHS: Pleasant driving manners, fold-into-the-floor second-row seats, hushed cabin.

The Stow ’n Go second-row seats that fold into the floor are still a standout feature found only on the Pacifica. If you regularly haul large items, they’re a must-have, and when the seats are up, those large underfloor bins are great additional stash space. However, there are a couple of trade-offs: The second-row buckets have firmer cushions, a lower seating height, and less lateral support than in other minivans. And there’s no fore-and-aft adjustability either. But my teenage daughters had no beef with seat comfort.

The Pacifica’s infotainment and climate controls are sometimes laggy, especially right after start-up, but standard wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are fantastic tools for all your navigating needs. We used Google Maps and Waze to make our way to the Maine coast for a lobster roll at Barnacle Billy’s in Ogunquit before pointing the Pacifica back west toward C/D headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where we ran it through the usual test regimen.

Accelerating to 60 mph in 8.2 seconds puts the Pacifica at the back of today’s minivan pack. If that’s important, know that in our experience the front-drive variants have been nearly a second quicker to 60 mph, which is closer to the class average, and a difference that isn’t explained completely by the all-wheel-drive system’s 350-pound weight penalty. When driving more gently, you often have to give the Pacifica’s throttle a boot to trigger sufficient downshifts to wake up the gruff 287-hp 3.6-liter V-6, which is not unusual in the efficiency-optimized times we live in. Speaking of the Pentastar V-6, it’s the only powertrain now that Chrysler retired the plug-in hybrid variant.

Lots of Kids + Lots of Stuff + Lots of Miles = No Problem

A number that may be more important to more buyers is the excellent 66 decibels and 22 sones we measured at a 70-mph cruise. That is seriously quiet for a vehicle this large, among the quietest in the minivan set, and in fact more hushed than what we’ve found in some blue-chip luxury nameplates, such as the Mercedes E-class.

LOWS: Behind the pack in terms of acceleration, AWD option hurts fuel economy, folding second-row seats exact some trade-offs in comfort.

During 1200-plus miles of family hauling with many fill-ups, we couldn’t help but notice the fuel gauge is a bit shifty. It doesn’t budge for the first 100 miles or so, but the second hundred burns an indicated half tank. Overall, we averaged 22 mpg, which is at least a few-mpg penalty relative to the front-drive model. Back when we spent 40,000 miles with a front-drive 2017 Pacifica, we often got nearly 30 mpg on road trips. Although, on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test, this all-wheel-drive Pacifica managed 27 mpg, beating its EPA highway figure by 2 mpg. Still, we’d recommend skipping the all-wheel drive and switching to winter tires during snowy months if you live in an area where you need them.

Overall, though, even 10 years into this generation, the Pacifica still has the family-hauling goods, plus a few tricks not found anywhere else. The steering and brakes are nicely linear, and the ride quality is excellent, even on these largest-available 20-inch wheels and tires. The big question, one that Chrysler and Dodge CEO Matt McAlear wouldn’t give us a clear answer to, is when to expect an all-new Pacifica. But it can’t be too far off.

VERDICT: The inventor of the minivan still makes a compelling one.

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Specifications

Specifications

2027 Chrysler Pacifica Limited AWD
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 7-passenger, 4-door van

PRICE
Base/As Tested: $52,985/$56,365
Options: Family Tech Group (19-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo, built-in vacuum, interior camera, second- and third-row window shades, 120-volt outlet), $1495; 20-inch wheels and tires, $995; Red Hot paint, $495; Safety Sphere (surround-view camera, blind-spot view, front and rear parking assist with automatic braking), $395

ENGINE
DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 220 in3, 3605 cm3
Power: 287 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque: 262 lb-ft @ 4000 rpm

TRANSMISSION
9-speed automatic

CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: struts/multilink
Brakes, F/R: 13.8-in vented disc/13.3-in disc
Tires: Pirelli P Zero All Season
245/50R-20 102V M+S Seal Inside

DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 121.6 in
Length: 204.3 in
Width: 79.6 in
Height: 70.7 in
Passenger Volume, F/M/R: 58/54/47 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/M/R: 141/88/32 ft3
Curb Weight: 4883 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 8.2 sec
1/4-Mile: 16.4 sec @ 87 mph
100 mph: 22.5 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.4 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 8.5 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.2 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.2 sec
Top Speed (gov ltd): 111 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 185 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.78 g

Interior Sound
Idle: 3 dBA/22 sone
Full Throttle: 75 dBA
70-mph Cruising: 66 dBA/22 sone

C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed: 22 mpg
75-mph Highway Driving: 27 mpg
75-mph Highway Range: 510 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 20/17/25 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver's vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.