INDIANAPOLIS — Chrysler Group brands have long histories of offering cheekily-styled cars and trucks with humorous names. Think Duster, Grabber, Road Runner, Scat Pack and Lil’ Red Truck. Yet, the most appropriate of all may be a Chrysler Pacifica mini-van named “Road Tripper” with graphics package and all. It’s more than just an amusing name.
Refined luxury style
Chrysler already styled one of the best-looking mini-vans, but this one has the refined class of a Chrysler 300 John Varvatos edition. Granite mirror caps, 20” wheels, trim and badging articulate sophistication while the Stow n’ Place roof rack is ready for duty. Trailer sway damping, wiring harness and 2” receiver add a boat or camper to the trip. Orange Chrysler logos in the wheels and striping around the Road Tripper door badges add a touch of whimsey that’s also appropriately sporty.
Luxury worthy of fashion designers continues inside. There are granite accents everywhere, but also black leather seats, 13-speaker Alpine audio with 506w amp and Blu-ray DVD player. Heated and ventilated front seats, heated second row captain’s chairs and a heated steering wheel add comforts. Stow n’ Go seats that fold flat into the floor, large cubby under the console and a built-in vacuum cleaner add convenience. Add in a dual-pane sunroof for perfection. If families truly want a comfortable road trip that can be cleaned in a jiffy, this is their ride.
They’ll also find all of the technology they want. Chrysler’s infotainment system is super simple with crisp graphics and intuitive icons for media, navigation, climate and phone. Redundant buttons are below for key radio and functions for the tri-zone automatic climate control. Connect devices via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Everybody stays safe, too, with adaptive cruise, automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning and rear park assist with auto stop. An integrated parallel and perpendicular parking system can wedge the Pacifica almost anywhere. A head-up display would make it even easier to drive.
Driving is believing
You can buy a Pacifica plug-in hybrid with 32 miles all-electric range — enough for most daily commutes and weekend errands — but this one came with just a 3.6-liter V6 that sends 287 horsepower to the all-wheel-drive system through a nine-speed transmission. That’s adequate power to carry a larger family and all its stuff, but probably not enough to lure HEMI owners. That’s OK because the Pacifica also gets a relatively frugal 17/25-MPG city/highway. Hybrids like the Pacifica plug-in and Toyota Sienna do considerably better, but that’s comparable to three-row crossovers.
It drives better than you think too, behaving more like a large Fiat than a small bus. I’ve driven Pacificas everywhere from California’s Pacific Coast Highway to Indiana highways, most recently to my parents’ house for the holidays, and still think the best seat is up front. Nobody would guess it goes without an independent suspension because it handles curves like a sedan, rumbles over rough pavement without drama, and its long wheelbase soaks up long miles on the interstate without disturbing anybody’s movie. Crossovers are cool, but it’s hard to beat driving a mini-van on long trips, and this one is not a complete bore on twisty two-lanes.
Let’s not pretend the Chrysler Pacifica Road Tripper is a special package on one of Chrysler’s iconic muscle cars because RT does not stand for Road & Track, but subtle styling touches, luxury accommodations, peppy power, trailering abilities and nimble handling make it a dream for long family vacations. It’s not cheap, though. Pacificas start at $38,020 but rise to $54,895 for this attention-grabbing family hauler. Also consider the Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna and Kia Carnival.
Storm Forward!
Send comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com; follow him on YouTube @AutoCasey.
Likes
- Exterior styling
- Refined luxury
- Agile handling
Dislikes
- No head-up display
- No dual-pane roof
- Non-hybrid fuel economy
2023 Chrysler Pacifica Road Tripper
Seven-passenger, AWD Mini-van
Powertrain: 3.6-liter V6, 9-spd trans
Output: 287hp/262 lb.-ft. torque
Suspension f/r: Ind/Trailing arm
Wheels f/r: 20”/20” alloy
Brakes f/r: disc/disc
Towing: 3,600 lbs.
Fuel economy: 17/25 mpg city/hwy
Assembly: Windsor, ON
Base/as-tested price: $38,020/54,895
