2021 Chrysler Pacifica: 7 Things We Like (and 4 Not So Much)

When you hear the Big Three in reference to cars, it has historically referred to the trio of Detroit-based automakers: Chrysler (now Stellantis), Ford and GM. But if you’re talking minivans, well, then you’re talking about the Chrysler Pacifica, Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. All have their soccer-practice-schlepping merits, but we’ve made no secret of our particular affinity for the perpetually people-pleasing Pacifica.

Related: 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Review: Updated Minivan Is a Mega Win for Families

Updated for 2021 mechanically, technologically and otherwise, the Pacifica seems unwilling or unable to stop going out of its way to endear itself to the parents up front and the youngsters in back. Available in four trims this go-round — Touring, Touring L, Limited and Pinnacle, with the hybrid variant offered across the lineup — be prepared to pony up an extra thousand bucks over the outgoing model. And, although we’re guessing you’ll find that to be money well spent for the 2021’s upgrades and updates, we do have some quibbles with this Chrysler minivan.

For a comprehensive critique by Cars.com reviewer Jennifer Geiger, follow the related link above; for a rapid-fire rundown of this affable minivan’s pros and cons, keep reading.

Here are seven things we celebrate, and four things we’d recalibrate, about the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica:

Things We Like

1. Road-Trip-Ready Ride

If you’re buying a minivan, you’re likely using it to take a family on road trips — and in these situations, when it’s vital to keep everyone in as good a mood as possible, you don’t want fatigue to set in early. Mercifully for the driver, the Pacifica minds its road manners, exhibiting the handling and maneuverability of a smaller vehicle you wouldn’t dare cram the fam into cross-country. Meanwhile, for all involved, the Pacifica accepts the highway’s imperfections as passively as its name would suggest.

2. The Nine Seems Fine

The Pacifica has always provided ample power, both off the line and during highway passing maneuvers, and the 2021’s 287-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6, thankfully, is no exception. What is an exception, however, is the much-improved nine-speed automatic transmission, which earned a bad rap in model years past for herky-jerky shifting but generally appears to have found its footing here.

3. AWD A-OK

All Pacifica trim levels are now available with all-wheel drive, and we’re all about it. The system springs to action instantly and automatically when needed, channeling torque to the wheels that need it most in a slippery situation.

4. Uconnect? We Sure Do

One of the new Pacifica’s most significant perks is the latest version of its user-friendly, easy-on-the-eyes infotainment system, Uconnect 5. Upgrades include enhanced customizability via user profiles, a larger 10.1-inch display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity, the ability to pair and seamlessly switch between two devices and Amazon Alexa integration.

5. Big (Mother) Is Watching You

Your kids will probably appreciate the Pacifia’s wide-angle, zoomable FamCam about as much as Hollywood actresses walking the red carpet at the Oscars a few years back liked flaunting extreme closeups of their hands in front of millions of viewers via the E! channel’s Mani Cam — which is to say, not at all. But moms and dads will like using the surveillance-state technology to thwart the activities of their ill-behaved offspring in the way, way back. 

6. All Kinds of Convenient

From the versatility of the Stow ’n Go seating to the available second-row vacuum, and from third-row power recline seating to USBs across the board, those Pacifica people think of just about everything.

7. Safety Standards Raised

Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rear park assist, adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beams, lane departure warning and lane keep assist — some of which were either optional or unavailable on the outgoing van — are all standard now.

More From Cars.com:

• How Do Car Seats Fit in a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica?
• Best Family Cars: Volkswagen Atlas Tops Our List
• 2021 Honda Odyssey Review: Don’t Fear the Road Trip
• 2021 Toyota Sienna Review: A Strange Brew
• Winter Is Coming: 7 Great Cars for Snow Driving

Things We Don’t

1. Game Glitch

The Uconnect Theater system’s all-encompassing rear-seat entertainment setup may seem like a luxury, but if you’re depending on it to keep your kids occupied on a long haul, it quickly becomes a nonnegotiable. While it may merely have been a new-software gremlin, Geiger notes in her review that her family had the games glitch out on them even after a hard reboot, so they were forced to … watch DVDs. (It was worse than it sounds.)

2. Orwell Enough Alone?

As we noted, the FamCam is mostly a win for Minority Reporting minors, but the camera placement is such that it displays the backs of second-row riders’ heads and a direct overhead view of the third row — hardly optimal angles for capturing the best guilty face.

3. Not So Accommodating for Car Seats

Necessitating a deceptively tight squeeze through stiff upholstery, installing car seats requires more muscle than you might expect in this otherwise kid-tastic vehicle.

4. Hybrid Hitches

There’s much to appreciate about the hybrid powertrain available on all Pacifica trims (like achievable gas mileage estimates), but you will have to make some trade-offs. The hybrid’s firm ride and stiff, stubborn regenerative brakes cut down on some of the aforementioned driving comfort. There’s no more Stow ‘n Go for the second-row seats; while they’re removable, they’re also heavy and awkward to handle.

Related Video: 2021 Chrysler Pacifica First Look

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