Live thread: One week with a 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle

I saw one of these in a company garage a few weeks ago.  Definitely nice.

My big question - how difficult is it to remove the center seats?  If I replace my current GC with one of these, removing those seats would be the first operation. 

First impressions: Yeah, it’s nice. Unless you’re really going to tow or go off road, why an SUV over this? Why are so many people afraid of minivans? 

This is super-easy to get in and out of whether talking about the front or rear doors. It drives like a sedan. Did I mention that it’s just easy to get in and out of?

Ian F (Forum Supporter) said:

I saw one of these in a company garage a few weeks ago.  Definitely nice.

My big question - how difficult is it to remove the center seats?  If I replace my current GC with one of these, removing those seats would be the first operation. 

We’ll report back. 

I had one as a rental a few months back.  Not the high end package, but it still had leather.  The transition from hybrid to ICE was awesome.  I've noticed on some pure ICE cars that have start/stop, there is a brief delay when you go from pedal to gas while the motor starts up again.  The Pacifica gave instant electric power while the ICE was firing up so there was zero lag.  It was a PHEV, but we weren't anywhere with a charger, so I didn't get to try that.  We had electric power whenever it made sense to.
We got caught in bumper to bumper traffic on the way home for about an hour and we were on electric the entire time.  The gas mileage was excellent for (like 34) for something of that size.

Wife and I both decided a hybrid would be in our future if we ever buy another car.

Only complaint was the seats seemed.... wrong.  By the time we got home from a 4+ hour drive, I was hurting.  People are shaped different, so I don't think it's a knock on the car. It just didn't work for me.

Stow and go seats are still the bomb.

-Rob

The Concert Coach (our 2012 Chrysler T&C Limited equivalent of this Pacifica) will realistically never wear out.  But if it ever needs replacement, the hybrid Pacifica is high on our list.

David S. Wallens said:

First impressions: Yeah, it’s nice. Unless you’re really going to tow or go off road, why an SUV over this? Why are so many people afraid of minivans?

Because they've been told to be.

Of course, the minivan's Achilles' Heels are the two items you mentioned.  They are a real concern.  But outside of those requirements (or even likelihoods), the only real objections to the minivan are image-based.

And when most people seem to be driving SUVs to avoid the "domesticated suburbanite" stigma, why haven't SUVs developed the same stigma?

In reply to Duke :

Exactly on the “because we have been told.” 

What if the OEs started fitting factory portholes, Cragers and side pipes?

Just drove it to dinner. Yeah, the transition from ICE to electric is seamless. You can hear a little click or something when switching over–radio was off–but you can’t feel it.

So easy to get into, so easy to park. If you needed an XXL daily, this platform could be your droid. 

JG’s picking it up soon. 

rob_lewis said:

Stow and go seats are still the bomb.

Yes, but the bummer is that the bins the seats fold into is where the hybrid battery lives, so no stow-n-go on the hybrid.  We bought a 2021 Pacifica, and did not consider the hybrid because of this.  We are constantly folding the middle seats for one reason or another.

Yes, I know that the Stow and Go floor bins are where the batteries are located, but... 

Are the second row  seats in the Hybrid the same seats as the non-Hybrid?  Meaning can the hybrid seats fold but there is nowhere for them to go?  
Or, are the seats different?  I have a S&G van and I consider the second row seats to be a comfort compromise.  My analogy is that they are comfortable like good patio furniture that is intended to be folded.  However, they are not comfortable like a good living room furniture.  I'm hoping the hybrid then gets a seat w/o compromise and more "living room-like".

In reply to John Welsh :

I know in the earlier minivans the non-S+G cars got more comfortable second-row seats.  Some people seek them out in salvage yards or swaps. 

I can only imagine that is the case here, too, but I do not have empirical knowledge of that.

I'm in for the full write up; replacing my wife's T&C next year and this is where I'm looking.