CARS.COM — Minivans are known for their people- and stuff-hauling chops, not their fuel efficiency. Opting for one forces families to choose convenience over gas mileage — but not with the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid. The segment’s first plug-in hybrid minivan is EPA-rated to get 33 miles of electric-only range and 32 mpg in combined city/highway driving as a hybrid. How do those numbers compare to the gas model’s? We took a Pacifica Hybrid and a regular gas-powered Pacifica on a 122-mile drive loop to find out.
Related: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: Real-World Fuel Economy
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid model gets power from a 3.6-liter V-6 engine, an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack for a combined rating of 260 horsepower. The regular model uses a similar 3.6-liter V-6 and is good for 287 hp and an EPA rating of 18/28/22 mpg city/highway/combined. After plugging in the Pacifica, we got a full charge after two hours on a 220-volt charger and hit the road. During our drive of Chicago-area stop-and-go traffic as well as higher-speed highway driving, the Pacifica Hybrid went 32.3 miles on electric power and returned overall mileage of 28.8 mpg compared with the regular model’s 24.9 mpg. To get this number, Chrysler uses a calculation that factors in the gas fuel economy as well as the electric energy used and converts it to miles per gallon.