One-eighth of a tank, or about 2.5 gallons.
On a week when I was busier than a two-tailed hummingbird and piled up more than 200 miles running errands to every corner of the county, all the 2020 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid asked in return was about four bucks for gas.
And it's as big as and as well-appointed as a nice living room, comes loaded with technology, and is eligible for a $7,500 tax credit? Tell me again why you would never buy a minivan?
Agreed, it's old-school. It's been nearly 35 years since Lee Iacocca saved Chrysler by putting a big box on a car body and giving America something easy to drive and comfortably hold the family, the dog, and enough luggage for a 14-day vacation.
It was such a hit in the '80s that competitors quickly hit the market. To be honest, Honda and Toyota built better minivans. They were more powerful, more reliable, and better assembled. Interior parts didn't fall off the way they did in my '83 Plymouth Grand Voyager, which was big enough to carry the whole infield to tournaments across the South. It had nearly 200,000 miles on it when traded-in.
The latest iteration of the Pacifica matches Odyssey in Sienna in performance. Sixty mph comes in about seven seconds and it drives like a well-sorted, full-sized sedan. Steering is crisp and linear and the van is planted and steady-going down the highway.
Plug it in
Technically, our $50,230 tester was a PHEV, which stands for plug-in hybrid electric.
So we did. Every evening we plugged the standard 120-volt charger into an outlet in the garage. The next morning, the Pacifica was ready to go 29 miles on electric power alone. An optional 240-volt connection can recharge it in 2 hours.
The electric system is backed by a proven Pentastar 3.6-L V6 tuned to run on the fuel-sipping Atkinson cycle. The EPA estimates that with the two systems, the Pacifica will achieve about 30 mpg, which is close to what we saw on the days when we kept going past 29 miles.
Combined, the V-6 and two-motor hybrid drive deliver 260 hp, but you would swear it is more because the electric motors deliver instant torque which makes for smooth and powerful acceleration. Horsepower asserts itself at high speed/.
The actual fuel economy, of course, will depend on driving habits. If you typically do not drive more than 30 miles a day, a tank of gas might last all year. The EPA calculated that the average user will see about 82 mpg. This notoriously lead-footed driver got roughly 65.7 mpg.
Of course, it is not just fuel economy that makes hybrids attractive. They are quieter and the hybrid system reduces the workload of multiple systems like the engine, brakes, exhaust, and cooling systems.
If you have an infield, or soccer team, or gymnastics squad of your own, this is the greenest vehicle there is.
Length matters
121.6 inches is a key number.
That's the wheelbase of Chrysler's minivans and it is critical to two factors, driving comfort and interior volume.
You remember the formula for volume from middle school, length x width x height. Because a vehicle must fit into a standard highway lane, engineers can't do much about width, but a longer chassis affords both greater width and height while maintaining stability.
Chrysler's minivans have a longer wheelbase than most SUVs. A Chevy Blazer's, for example, is 112.7 inches and a Tahoe is 116 inches. A Ford Expedition's is 122.5 inches.
Fold everything flat and the Pacifica has 197.3 cubic feet of cargo space from behind the front seats to the rear door. A Suburban, by comparison, has 121.7
Best cabin award
The Pacifica Hybrid uses all that space to craft an interior worthy of a business jet. Our tester came with attractively stitched and comfortable leather seats throughout. There are places for things everywhere, drawers, cubbies, underfloor bins.
The optional, 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment screen is the easiest to use. Period. We remain surprised that other manufacturers struggle with confusing and distracting interfaces.
In the rear, it's easy to keep the hooligans occupied with a dual-screen entertainment system and fast-charge USB ports all over the place.
For 2021, Chrysler is introducing FamCAM, a system that will allow the driver to monitor and even zoom in on children in rear-facing seats.
Safety nearly first
Chrysler redesigned its minivan platform for 2020 and one nice result was top scores in independent crash testing. The lighter, stronger platform is also why the latest iteration drives so nicely.
The very latest in driver-assist technology is available but not standard all models. Even our next-to-top-of-line Limited model required a $995 package to get dynamic cruise control with stop-and-go, which the competition makes standard on entry-level models.
To be fair, the same package includes a long list of gee-whiz goodies, such as auto high beams, a 360-degree camera, rain-sensitive wipers, parallel park assist.
Taken as a whole, the equipment level is reminiscent of the old Chrysler Imperials. Still, one might think that if one is targeting soccer moms, offering the safest vehicle on the planet might be a good place to start.
Bottom line
Yes, yes, we know everyone prefers beefy and macho SUVs, but the climate is changing.
If you ever wonder about the condition of the planet that you're leaving the munchkins in the rear, or if doing your part ever comes to mind, Chrysler is waiting with a vehicle that is lavishly equipped, a pleasure to drive, perfect for kids, as safe as they come, inexpensive to operate, and many times cleaner.