The 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid flies under the radar as one of the most competent vehicles available.
The minivan has long been touted for its practicality, and now as we try to maintain social distancing, it becomes even more so. Could the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Limited be the perfect quarantine car? With its acres of leather-wrapped interior space, placing a passenger in the furthest reach of the third row might just be enough to satisfy the CDC-recommended 6-foot gap we ought to keep. Of course, that's only hypothetically speaking.
We recommend driving separately for your necessary travel, which is a joy in the Pacifica Hybrid Limited. From behind the wheel, the Pacifica Hybrid Limited is a surprisingly nimble competent road-going machine, feeling very car-like despite its 4,987-lb curb weight. In corners, the Pacifica isn't necessarily racer, but it's well composed and predictable, and dare we say, somewhat fun? When it's time to get up to speed, the Pacifica's 260-horsepower hybrid powertrain is no slouch. The electric motor provides instant torque and the gas-powered carries the van the rest of the way up to speed.
As for the time spent running errands or making that occasional cross-state haul to your family in rural Colorado, the Pacifica Hybrid Limited is the place to be. It's hard not to be charmed by its spacious, leathery interior, fancy tech gagets—like rain sensing wipers—and its plush ride. But the real heroes are the seats that fold completely into the floor, and the van's fuel economy.
Rated at a combined 30-mpg, the Pacifica Hybrid limited achieves a level of efficiency better than a Subaru Forester. What's more, the Pacifica Hybrid Limited has another trick up its sleeve; if plugged in the night before, it can go 32 miles on electric-only power. According to a recent study from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, the average American drives on average 29.2 miles per day—or well within the Pacifica's electric only range. And should you need more, there's always the gas engine.
If there are any complaints I had with the Pacifica over the few days that I drove it around the Denver metro area, it's that there's no all-wheel-drive option (currently only front-wheel) but I'm told that will change in 2021, along with new exterior styling. I also feel like some of the interior plastics could be revised, but that could be said about most vehicles sub-$50K.
Speaking of price, the top-of-the-line Pacifica Hybrid Limited starts at $45,795—not bad for a vehicle that offers 140.5 cubic feet of cargo space (if needed), room for 7, and can get to practice and back without using any gas.
