Overview & Reviews

The Chrysler Pacifica was one of the original large crossover wagons. In order to combine the driving attributes of a car with the utility offered by minivans and sport-utility vehicles, the Pacifica crossover had four front-hinged doors, an elevated seating position, five- or six-passenger seating and a choice of front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Compared to other crossover wagons, the Chrysler Pacifica was relatively upscale and offered a wide array of creature comforts wrapped in elegantly chiseled sheet metal. Unfortunately, the Pacifica didn't possess particularly great interior packaging. While the first two rows were spacious for occupants, the third row was acceptable only for children and left very little space for cargo behind it when deployed. The rearmost seat does, however, fold flat into the floor in convenient 50/50 sections.

The Pacifica's Mercedes Benz-derived suspension garnered wide praise for its carlike ride and handling. But early Pacificas suffered from reliability woes and mediocre engines in a price bracket where potent and refined powertrains were the norm. Not helping matters were the large wagon's hefty weight and relatively unsophisticated four-speed automatic transmission, both of which took their toll on fuel economy. A significant update for 2007, however, brought about a new V6 engine, a new six-speed automatic for most models and updated styling.

Most Recent Chrysler Pacifica

The Chrysler Pacifica debuted for the 2004 model year, at which point it was offered only in base and Limited trim levels. The original base model was relatively well-equipped, but it was offered with fewer features and a lower price when the Touring trim level slotted in above it in 2005. At first, Pacificas were powered by a 3.8-liter V6 with 210 horsepower and 240 pound-feet of torque. Reviewers faulted the gruff engine, which was barely up to the task of battling the Pacifica's formidable mass, especially on fully loaded all-wheel-drive models. Given that early 2004 Pacificas also had some well-known repair issues, we'd play it safe and restrict our search to 2005 and newer models.

A 3.5-liter V6 with 250 hp and 250 lb-ft became standard on all but the base front-wheel-drive model in 2005, and the 3.8-liter V6 was eliminated for 2006, leaving the 3.5-liter unit as the sole available engine. For 2007, the 3.8-liter mill returned in the base front-wheel-drive model, this time rated at 200 hp, and a 4.0-liter V6 replaced the 3.5-liter V6 in all other models. The 4.0-liter engine cranked out a respectable 255 hp and 265 lb-ft, and it was teamed with a new six-speed automatic transmission (the base engine continued with the old four-speed unit). All Pacificas were rated to tow up to 3,500 pounds.

Base 2004 Pacificas featured two-row, five-passenger seating and were fairly comfortable, thanks to niceties such as dual-zone climate control, a power driver seat and a load-leveling suspension. Starting in 2005, Touring models received additional standard features, a much longer options list and six-passenger seating via the addition of a two-passenger third-row seat and the replacement of the regular second-row bench with two bucket seats and a center console. The 2005 base model, meanwhile, lost some standard accoutrements and was priced lower going forward. The best-dressed and most luxurious Chrysler Pacifica was the Limited, which featured cleaner styling, bigger wheels and a long list of luxury features, including an upmarket audio system and a power liftgate.

In Chrysler Pacifica reviews, our editors found the crossover wagon's strengths to be its exceptional comfort for four, sedanlike driving characteristics, top-notch safety scores and upscale interior. The 3.8-liter engine is to be avoided, but the 3.5-liter and 4.0-liter V6s are decent performers. Downsides include a lack of legroom in the third row and a lack of overall utility when compared to the top available minivans.

User Reviews:

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  Great car - the Pacifica - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Lilia Pointon - November 26 - 2:26 pm

  The Pacifica drives great, it drives like a small car, very agile. Its comfortable for long distance driving and its great having a third row of seats when we have out-of-town guests. The rear is very spacious and we can basically load anything in the back. We even loaded 45 packs of wood laminate flooring.

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  Best Ride Ever! - 2008 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Kimberad - November 25 - 6:51 pm

  Rides like a car with the extra room of an SUV. Sits up higher so I can see better in traffic, parks in parking garage at work with ease! Fabulous vehicle - with lifetime powertrain warranty - I will keep this forever!

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  My Lady "P" - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Falvielisa - November 22 - 7:56 pm

  It has been over 10 years since I have had this much fun, driving a car. My husband purchased my Pacifica in Sep 04. He purchased the model which had all the options I wanted. The adjustable gas pedal allows me to drive with a safe distance between me and the driving wheel; the rear seats allowed my parents to ride comfortably on a long road trip-no leg cramps for my mother. My second favorite option is the liftgate-remote control, hands free. Comes in handy when shopping. Having the controls on the wheel has allowed me to keep my eyes on the road, while I adjust the volume or change CDs. Within 10 minutes of driving, my husband, the passenger, falls asleep. The Pacifica is a true joy

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  Pacifica--Wagon, SUV, Van? - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Crash - November 18 - 1:56 pm

  I purchased our Pacifica 14 months ago. I am impressed with the car overall. The ride and build quality are some of the best on the market. It handles well on dry, wet, and icy roads. Comfort on long and short trips is outstanding. The car is basically a Mercedes with a Chrysler wing logo on it. In 14 months, I have only had to have the car worked on twice (power seat module and HVAC blower fan motor), other than normal service. I am disappointed with the car not retaining its value, based on the Edmunds Used Car values.

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  Great vehicle - 2007 Chrysler Pacifica
  By stephanie - November 18 - 8:11 am

  We traded in a 04 Altima for the Pac. It was great car and really good on gas which I miss but we needed more room so we went to the Pacifica which my wife was looking at for a while anyway. She wanted 3rd row and I also wanted 4wd so I wouldnt have to worry about her on snowy days. The ride is al ot quieter than the Altima and smoother. A lot more room for are 2 girls. I love the looks inside and out. I was skeptical about the leather but so far I love it. The get up and go is great. like I said the mileage is ok but I have a Nissan Titan that gets about the same as the pac. The kids love riding in the way back and are always asking me to turn the radio up and go faster which gets me introuble with the wife.

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  The Ultimate Road-trip Machine - 2017 Chrysler Pacifica
  By minivanman - November 9 - 4:12 pm

  This is by far the best van I’ve ever owned. I opted for a fully-loaded Limited so it’s also the priciest. I currently own a 2016 Odyssey and previously had a Chrysler TC and Kia Sedona. Drive: Overall, the Pacifica handles very well. It has the Advanced Safety Tec and the default settings for the lane departure are helpful without being obnoxious as is the adaptive cruise. Leaving the park assist on can be annoying though because it sometimes beeps when stopping behind another vehicle at a red light or driving close to an ATM (you can quickly turn it off with the push of a button). I expected the van to have a blind spot camera that would activate when changing lanes given the price range, but it does not—just the lights on the side view mirrors that light up like in my old TC. I had to drive the van back from a 120 mile trip through snow storm and it handled well. While driving in the white-out conditions, I wished it had AWD, but the Sienna is still the only one with that feature. The snow covered the external sensors and the lane markers on the road so lane departure and adaptive cruise could not function. A heating system for the sensors might be a good idea to deal with these issues. The rear backup camera is low res—lower than my mid-trim Odyssey and when you’re paying a premium, you don’t want a fuzzy image. The ride is fairly quiet, but I expected it to be quieter given how Chrysler touts the noise dampening features. The unconventional gear shift knob is fine, but it stresses my wife out because she’s afraid that she might absentmindedly shift the car to park when trying to adjust the radio volume. Interior: The interior is very comfortable with lots of storage throughout. In my previous vans, I’d get annoyed when my wife reduced the center console to a counter for her massive purse. The Pacifica addressed this with a space in front of the console big enough to accommodate a spare tire or her purse (but just barely). The three glass panel roof is great and gives the already roomy van a very open feel. I like being able to shift the second row seats up with car seats in place to allow easier access—especially for adults—to the third row. A warning to morons like me, don’t try to shift the second row seat while your toddler is seated lest you meet the business end of the aforementioned massive purse. It’s nice that the third row passengers have controls to recline the seats, but it would be nicer if both sides of the third row had USB charging ports. I’m the last person to advocate for kids to have their faces in screens, but I’m even more opposed to hearing my kid piss in my ear about how it’s not fair that his sister can charge her device while he can’t. Also, if you have the vacuum, that side of the third row has no cup holder (the other side has two). Basically, the third row passenger sitting on the driver’s side gets screwed. I like being able to kick under the sliding doors and tailgate to open them when my hands are full, but you can’t kick to close when you’re unloading your cargo/toddler. The second row stow is the one thing I’m glad that was carried over from the earlier Chrysler vans. I love using the compartments for extra storage when taking long road trips so the main cabin is less cluttered. The lack of this feature made the hybrid version a nonstarter for me. Tech: The nav system is ok if you’ve never used one, but the nav screen looks 10 years old. I’ve always opted out of getting nav when I had a choice because I assumed it would be inferior to Google Maps or Waze on my phone. The Pacifica’s nav only confirmed that practice. Otherwise, the UConnect Infotainment system is very good. It’s fairly intuitive and takes a few minutes of playing around to figure out how to control everything. It would be nice if the theater allowed you to play two different DVDs on the two screens, but that’s not too big a deal. I like being able to play movies off a USB drive that plugs into a port next to the DVD player. You can play different movies off the same USB on the two screens. mp4 format does not appear to be supported, but it plays avi files fine. I was able to use my Roku mini (both screens have a usb for charging and HDMI ports) to watch streaming content by tethering to my phone. I believe you can pay extra to have the van itself serve as a wireless hotspot, but it’s only 3G. I ordered an HDMI lightning cable for my iPhone and will see if I can mirror to the second row screens. Bottom Line: While it may seem like I’m critical in pointing out deficiencies in the Pacifica, I am extremely pleased with it and have no regrets (so far). I got this van to do more road trips with my family and I am certain that we will travel in more comfort and have more fun than in any other minivan on the market.

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  Replaced the Explorer/Use E.C. Rated Oil - 2005 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Matt V - November 8 - 3:26 am

  Had WET battery replaced by the dealer five days after purchase with a "maintenance free" GEL battery by Chrysler. Every other component has worked as promised. Very pleased with this car. At 5,000 miles I Changed the oil to synthetic 10-30 Castrol SYNTEC Energy Conserving and have improved mileage from 15.5 to 17 for basic town trips. 22-23MPG depending on 65-70mph trips. Anything above 70mph will drop it down to 19-20mpg. Hauling 2,000lbs brings the mileage down to 15MPG. So far, this has outperformed the 97 "Full Time" 4x4 Eddie Bauer Explorer we had. It received 17MPG average with 18 max on the highway. Insurance is HALF! It handles better and does not wobble over a curb.

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  LOVING IT!!! - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By Pacifica Galxx - November 8 - 2:00 am

  I just got my new Pacifica, I love it, it has all the extra features and they rock..the dvd sound system rates right up there with the best movie theaters. I am a former PT Cruiser owner and loved it, with the pacifica I dont miss it at all.

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  Beautiful Car - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By agarton - November 3 - 12:09 pm

  This car is so awesome! I need a minivan with our 3 small children, but I did not really want one. This vehicle drives like a Town Car. I could not believe how smooth of a ride it is. I dont know how I ever lived without the DVD system! Its very nice to have a separate sound system for the adults. The third row is still comfortable enough for long trips, and the third row cup holders are a nice touch. Others complain about the visibility, but you just need to be able to drive with mirrors. The navigation system is great. I cant wait to take a long trip now! Before, I would not have considered making a long trip with 3 small kids packed into a sedan.

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  Bought used with 12,000 miles - 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
  By LacPac - November 2 - 11:02 am

  Bought this car 30 months old with only 12k miles. Currently have 32k. Only replacement was front control arms, pretty common on Chryslers. Mileage improved a few months after installing K&N air filter. Gets better mielage when you keep your speed under 70 on the highway. You can actually achieve 24 mpg if you keep it at 60-65. Also running synthetic motor oil. Fabulous highway car....feels very solid. No problem pulling a pop-up camper, but make sure you buy the wiring harness from Chrysler. Always by OEM parts when it comes to electrical or youll have issues down the road.