What's in the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica's Limited Trim?

CARS.COM — The all-new Chrysler Pacifica thumped its top competitors in a matchup of minivan proportions last year, ultimately earning our pick of the litter among all 2017 models. But much of our experience in the Pacifica — including our comparison winner — came from the top trim level, the Pacifica Limited. By contrast, the van we’ve owned since December 2016 is the Touring-L Plus. That’s one trim level below the Limited.

Related: 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid: Real-World Fuel Economy

What did we miss? We found a Pacifica Limited at the 2017 New York International Auto Show to reacquaint ourselves with the differences. Here are the major features that aren’t available on anything except the Limited:

• Mirror up. Heated, power-adjustable side mirrors are standard on every Pacifica, but the mirrors on Limited models have a bevy of other features: power folding and automatic dimming, puddle lamps, redundant turn signals and an automatic tilt-down adjustment when you shift into Reverse.
• More glass. Standard on the Limited, a panoramic roof has panels over the first and second rows with a sliding feature for the first-row panel. The second-row panel doesn’t retract — a feature some competitors offer — but Chrysler has a fixed glass panel over the third row, which brightens up the space for any wayback passengers. It’s not the only three-row car to offer this, but the availability in a minivan is notable.
• Holy cowhide. Leather is standard once you get to the mid-level Pacifica Touring-L, with perforated leather in the Touring-L Plus. But the Limited gets a premium grade of cowhide. It felt plush at the auto show, but so does the leather in our long-term Pacifica. We’d have to get them side by side to tell the difference; all the non-hybrid Pacifica minivans at the show were Limited grades.
• Power-folding seats. Our Pacifica’s third row folds manually into the floor, but it’s a power operation on the Pacifica Limited. It’s a cinch, motoring up or down with one touch of a button. Anyone who often carries third-row passengers will enjoy a bonus: Once they’re out, drivers can flip the third-row head restraints down via dashboard controls to open rear visibility.
• Ventilate away. You can get heaters for the first two rows and the steering wheel in lower trims, but the Limited is the only variant with the additional perk of ventilated front seats.
• This sucks. Chrysler’s Stow ‘n Vac in-car vacuum cleaner is exclusive to the Limited model.
• Material upgrades. Higher trim levels aren’t always about more features and better upholstery. In the Pacifica, the Limited trim adds dashboard stitching and padding, the latter on both the upper dash and a middle portion that snakes around the center controls. Lesser trims have hard plastic in both areas but a consistent finish, so the upgrade isn’t immediately apparent. The mid-dash padding is useful: Your inboard knee often rubs against a dashboard outcropping below the center controls, and that stretch is hard plastic in our Touring-L Plus. The Limited model has padding there. Your knee will thank you; we only wish Chrysler didn’t restrict it to the $43,000-plus Limited.