Thanks to you for all of your personalized minivan videos thru the years. After two year wait I finally took delivery of new 2023 Sienna Platinum AWD with just $895 in aftermarket alarm required addon (although it had abiut $3.5k in factory/port installed oem accessories). I had rented a PHeV Pacifica couple of years ago and liked it even more than the Sienna especially with panoramic sunroof and caramel interior in Pinnacle trim. We also rented gas versions during our recent Hawaii vacation. But I just couldn’t get over the quality ratings and issues reported on Consumer Reports and Facebook Groups, forums and TH-cam. As much as I loved the Pacificas, I’m glad I didn’t buy one when they were asking my for big markup; dealers can’t now sell them and are giving big discounts now. Honda Odyssey was tempting with smaller price tag even in Elite trim and incentivized finance rates. My math told me paying premium for Sienna wouldn’t save me enough in gas to justify Sienna higher cost. And Honda had cushier interior even though it’s outdated. But it didnt have AWD, had spotty reliability record, and I was disappointed after seeing your Honda 2024 update video to see that there was no refresh for 2024 - not even a mild refresh. Sienna I still had to pay msrp plus that dumb alarm, but I got AWD and Toyota quality. And I could feel cool as you with your minivan.
100% agree with Kirk. The V6 non-hybrid Pacifica is quite nice and doesn't have any of the problems he mentioned. Actually not easy to find the non-hybrid Pacifica in dealer inventory at the moment. Nobody wants the hybrid I suppose.
I ran this van as a Florida rental for 6 days. Had 4 adults and 4 kids in it. I ran it every day to go to parks, restaurants, outlets, etc. I don't have the exact miles because I didn't care. I didn't plug it in anywhere or overnight. It cost me $18 to fill it back up and I returned it back at the Airport. I didn't understand how that's possible, still dont.
I rented it in Denver and drove to Vail across the Continental Divide, to and fro. Add in some trips to Edward’s and Eagle, total driving was about 300 miles. I used 9 gallons.
2021 PHEV Owner here. There are alot of feedbacks that can only be gained after the first 15k miles on the road. Like any plugin hybrid, you will get the occasional "Service Hybrid/charging System" warning message on dash. You can still operate the van with that message but failure to reset the charging fault can lead to short somewhere in the transmission and the high voltage battery charger. It is mostly caused by turning the van on ACC mode or faulty charging adapter. Cannot discount water intrusion or anything weather related... The rotary shifter can sometimes glitched out by locking in park. I will have to depress brake pedal a few times to get the electronic to sense it and release the parking lock. Also, like any electronic shifter, when you shut off the van when transmission is still in D, it will put it back to P and shut off. The 2nd row leg room cannot be (massively) improved like how the long sliding rails on the Sienna and Carnival. The 2nd row, however, is somewhat easier to remove than the Odyssey's magic slider. Cannot escape the FORM (fuel refresh) mode; at least a quarter tank worth of (new) gas must be introduced every 90 days...it will not go back to the EV mode until this is done. If the coolant is below 45F, it will start the gas engine as it does not have the electric heater like how Toyota does hybrid. Thus, it must warm the battery with the ICE heated coolant. The liftgate is motorized (just the left strut) and the close liftgate button is not on the liftgate itself but on the left D pillar. So, mind your head. Like any electronically boasted brakes, half the time I will get too little/much braking in the same pedal distance. Average adaptive cruise performance. The van will come to a complete stop and hold brake but you will need to gas it or press Resume to go again. The sliding door needs slightly more force than an elevator door to cause it to auto-reverse. EV only distance will suffer in highway speed. The onboard charger is prone to overheating during the Texas summer and the radiator fan will be turned on. Ok. I am lucky since I am leasing it and got a "normal" build on a Tuesday van.
Bought the L touring because a I got a real good price. I traded in an RX350 which was a real nice car, and the Lexus dealership was excellent, but Chrysler leaves a lot to be desired. After around 900 miles the engine kicked on with full charge which was weird. It does that because they want the gasoline to be freshened up which the never told me would happen. When sitting at a light and in gas mode it seems to switch back and forth from electric to engine makes the car seem to jerk a little which was disturbing. It also at a low speed seems to have little lag when you push and release the gas pedal too. The brakes work very good on mine. Gotten used to it and like the handling even better than the Lexus and like sitting up instead of in when driving. Also, like the openness of the cock pit much better than the Lexus. I didn't want full electric yet but as the battery technology gets better and less expensive, I will definitely go to that as driving on electric is so much better than gas around town doing errands. I'm getting $6500 rebate and a $3000 write off so I couldn't turn this deal down and will live with it for at least 3 years. Again, the dealership was not very good about giving me a loaner when they had it to install the updated recall, but Lexus was great in every way.
Now the 2025 refreshed sienna platinum is out, having tested it, how would you compare the Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle with it in terms of cabin and ride comfort? Which is more suitable as to drive clients around town? WOuld love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
The Pacifica is the nicest looking minivan. It’s also so comfortable and nice to drive. The non-hybrid version has that Stow-N-Go feature which is awesome. I looked at the Sienna and it’s not nearly as nice. It feels super bland and full of plastic. However, the Sienna has a better reputation and resale value. It makes it difficult to choose.
2020 Pacifica Hybrid owner here. The 9 speed ZF transmission in the gas only version is even worse. So bad, that Honda used to use the same transmission and now fits their Odyssey with their own designed 10 speed.
The only real comparison for this van is the new Lexus TX 550 h+. Smooth V6 engine, 3 row seating, and real usable electric range. Only problem is that the Lexus costs $20k+ more than this van.
I know you dont want to pay for it, but the AT&T service wouldn't be terrible, you could have netflix or something playing without needing a dvd. I bet there's a way in the software to opt out so that screen doesn't pop up.
The other thing that’s not good about the Pacifica is that the vehicle can’t be really completely recharged by just using the engine. You have to really plug it into the house to be able to get the battery back to full charge. There’s no option to have the V6 charge up the battery in a reasonable amount of time.
I’ve rented the plug-in hybrid a few times and the v6 a few times. It’s a nice car. Sore point was the infotainment system would crash every few days and only be remedied by turning off the vehicle. I think I’d pay $35-40k for a new one which is about $15k less than dealers are parting with them so no dice
These are okay to rent, less okay to lease and absolutely a no-go to own. Rental companies age these out at 20k miles at auctions for a reason. They're worse than a Chevrolet Malibu.
I JUST rented one from enterprise with 48,000 miles. Was amazing. 4th time I have. Every time I do it’s 40,000+ miles. So not sure where you get your info
I own a 2017 blue ray is mint. Sound system is good. But like he said. Don't own. 215000km 14 randome electrical problems dealer screwed me of My extended warranty and would not help. Baby drains over night at randome some days. Power doors only work if the van runs. Left rear video screen is black while driving with lights on at night. Ext I do love it. Tones of power. Good on gas but it's going to be a pai. To find all those electricL faults.
OK phev minivan in warm climates, but not good in cold climates because the heater is not a heat pump thus makes the engine kicks in. So there is no way to be fully electric in cold weather
@@KirkKreifels OMG!! LOL. Congrats. No wonder you get excited by big SUVs and Wagons. I could never afford anything over 2 here in Toronto. A bloody average downtown house is 1.8-2.5 million. We have 2 girls....that's enough. 12 going on 18 and 15 going on 25.... hahah
@@KirkKreifelsif you end up at 7 like my brother, just time it to where the oldest leaves for college in time to not run out of seats (8 passenger sienna in his case) 😂
Your price commentary is way off: first: this qualifies for the entire $7500 tax credit plus more in many states ($2k more in cali). 2nd: Siennas are STILL being sold for 5-10k over MSRP, whereas this Van is being sold for ~5k+ under MSRP, meaning total savings of 12-15k off of MSRP making it WAAAAAAAAY (~15k) cheaper than a sienna and even the gas pacifica in many cases (nevermind the fuel savings).
Any way you put it, Chrysler vehicles are of terrible quality, transmission issues, electric issues, engine problems. Getting $7500 or $12k in savings and the car will be falling apart as soon as you leave the dealership it's Not savings at any rate. It's not a matter of savings, it's a matter of quality and reliability. Toyota or Honda , the rest is just pretending to avoid reality jijijiji
This should’ve been a Dodge Grand Caravan. Love the design better than the Sienna and Odyssey, but it probably won’t last as long. And hello kiddos! Edit; And the idea it’s the only car Chrysler now makes.🤯RIP 200 and 300.
This car drinks gasoline like you drink beer😂. The hybrid is just for eye-catching sale tactics. I would rather buy used Toyota Seinna or Honda . Besides that, you can't drive much to snow or 25° degree hills. It will slide down completely. I'm renting it now, that's why I could point out those con. Thank you
HELL NO!!! Chryco can't build cars!!! Growing up we had 3 of these... disposable. Fit and Finish and materials won't be good or last. Reliability (or lack there of) will also be a problem. Resale of Chrysler is also no-where near Toyota!!
Thanks to you for all of your personalized minivan videos thru the years. After two year wait I finally took delivery of new 2023 Sienna Platinum AWD with just $895 in aftermarket alarm required addon (although it had abiut $3.5k in factory/port installed oem accessories).
I had rented a PHeV Pacifica couple of years ago and liked it even more than the Sienna especially with panoramic sunroof and caramel interior in Pinnacle trim. We also rented gas versions during our recent Hawaii vacation. But I just couldn’t get over the quality ratings and issues reported on Consumer Reports and Facebook Groups, forums and TH-cam. As much as I loved the Pacificas, I’m glad I didn’t buy one when they were asking my for big markup; dealers can’t now sell them and are giving big discounts now.
Honda Odyssey was tempting with smaller price tag even in Elite trim and incentivized finance rates. My math told me paying premium for Sienna wouldn’t save me enough in gas to justify Sienna higher cost. And Honda had cushier interior even though it’s outdated. But it didnt have AWD, had spotty reliability record, and I was disappointed after seeing your Honda 2024 update video to see that there was no refresh for 2024 - not even a mild refresh.
Sienna I still had to pay msrp plus that dumb alarm, but I got AWD and Toyota quality. And I could feel cool as you with your minivan.
Kirk, Your ongoing commitment to sliding doors is admirable.
I bought my 2023 Chrysler Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid on 12-9-2023. I have only one concern- I wish the side-view mirrors were larger
My buddy has this van. Had to put a transmission in it already after two years. Bought it new in 2021. Haha
Thats why you don't buy a Chryco!!
Freaking underrated review. Very much appreciative.
100% agree with Kirk. The V6 non-hybrid Pacifica is quite nice and doesn't have any of the problems he mentioned. Actually not easy to find the non-hybrid Pacifica in dealer inventory at the moment. Nobody wants the hybrid I suppose.
These things are great to rent, but I'd rather buy the Sienna or the others
I ran this van as a Florida rental for 6 days. Had 4 adults and 4 kids in it. I ran it every day to go to parks, restaurants, outlets, etc. I don't have the exact miles because I didn't care. I didn't plug it in anywhere or overnight. It cost me $18 to fill it back up and I returned it back at the Airport. I didn't understand how that's possible, still dont.
It had a full battery when you picked it up 🙂
I rented it in Denver and drove to Vail across the Continental Divide, to and fro. Add in some trips to Edward’s and Eagle, total driving was about 300 miles. I used 9 gallons.
2021 PHEV Owner here. There are alot of feedbacks that can only be gained after the first 15k miles on the road.
Like any plugin hybrid, you will get the occasional "Service Hybrid/charging System" warning message on dash. You can still operate the van with that message but failure to reset the charging fault can lead to short somewhere in the transmission and the high voltage battery charger. It is mostly caused by turning the van on ACC mode or faulty charging adapter. Cannot discount water intrusion or anything weather related...
The rotary shifter can sometimes glitched out by locking in park. I will have to depress brake pedal a few times to get the electronic to sense it and release the parking lock. Also, like any electronic shifter, when you shut off the van when transmission is still in D, it will put it back to P and shut off.
The 2nd row leg room cannot be (massively) improved like how the long sliding rails on the Sienna and Carnival. The 2nd row, however, is somewhat easier to remove than the Odyssey's magic slider.
Cannot escape the FORM (fuel refresh) mode; at least a quarter tank worth of (new) gas must be introduced every 90 days...it will not go back to the EV mode until this is done.
If the coolant is below 45F, it will start the gas engine as it does not have the electric heater like how Toyota does hybrid. Thus, it must warm the battery with the ICE heated coolant.
The liftgate is motorized (just the left strut) and the close liftgate button is not on the liftgate itself but on the left D pillar. So, mind your head.
Like any electronically boasted brakes, half the time I will get too little/much braking in the same pedal distance.
Average adaptive cruise performance. The van will come to a complete stop and hold brake but you will need to gas it or press Resume to go again.
The sliding door needs slightly more force than an elevator door to cause it to auto-reverse.
EV only distance will suffer in highway speed.
The onboard charger is prone to overheating during the Texas summer and the radiator fan will be turned on.
Ok. I am lucky since I am leasing it and got a "normal" build on a Tuesday van.
Why do I like watching videos about a class of vehicle we don’t get in Europe?! Must have too much time on my hands 😂
I’ve seen this exact minivan in Poland like 10 times. And was only there for 3 weeks
Bought the L touring because a I got a real good price. I traded in an RX350 which was a real nice car, and the Lexus dealership was excellent, but Chrysler leaves a lot to be desired. After around 900 miles the engine kicked on with full charge which was weird. It does that because they want the gasoline to be freshened up which the never told me would happen. When sitting at a light and in gas mode it seems to switch back and forth from electric to engine makes the car seem to jerk a little which was disturbing. It also at a low speed seems to have little lag when you push and release the gas pedal too. The brakes work very good on mine. Gotten used to it and like the handling even better than the Lexus and like sitting up instead of in when driving. Also, like the openness of the cock pit much better than the Lexus. I didn't want full electric yet but as the battery technology gets better and less expensive, I will definitely go to that as driving on electric is so much better than gas around town doing errands. I'm getting $6500 rebate and a $3000 write off so I couldn't turn this deal down and will live with it for at least 3 years. Again, the dealership was not very good about giving me a loaner when they had it to install the updated recall, but Lexus was great in every way.
Can’t wait for the Honda Ridgeline Refresh video!
We need Sienna plug in with V6 from Lexus TX.
That would be a $100k van I fear
Oh my goodness yes. Or even a Highlander with that powertrain.
I fricken love our 2022 Sienna XLE AWD. Just wish it was a little higher.
@@americandude3825Buy American!
Now the 2025 refreshed sienna platinum is out, having tested it, how would you compare the Pacifica Hybrid Pinnacle with it in terms of cabin and ride comfort? Which is more suitable as to drive clients around town? WOuld love to hear your thoughts. Thanks.
The Pacifica is the nicest looking minivan. It’s also so comfortable and nice to drive. The non-hybrid version has that Stow-N-Go feature which is awesome. I looked at the Sienna and it’s not nearly as nice. It feels super bland and full of plastic. However, the Sienna has a better reputation and resale value. It makes it difficult to choose.
2020 Pacifica Hybrid owner here. The 9 speed ZF transmission in the gas only version is even worse. So bad, that Honda used to use the same transmission and now fits their Odyssey with their own designed 10 speed.
Not interested in the vechicle but wanted to like the video due to the awesome thumbnail. 😊
Our odyssey sucks gas (23 mpg) but it’s a beast.
It’s a V6…
The only real comparison for this van is the new Lexus TX 550 h+. Smooth V6 engine, 3 row seating, and real usable electric range. Only problem is that the Lexus costs $20k+ more than this van.
I know you dont want to pay for it, but the AT&T service wouldn't be terrible, you could have netflix or something playing without needing a dvd. I bet there's a way in the software to opt out so that screen doesn't pop up.
The other thing that’s not good about the Pacifica is that the vehicle can’t be really completely recharged by just using the engine. You have to really plug it into the house to be able to get the battery back to full charge. There’s no option to have the V6 charge up the battery in a reasonable amount of time.
Plug in hybrid lol
That’s what a plug in hybrid is
You mght want to make sure your children are belted in back there. Or turn the camera so we can't see them?
Excellent
I’ve rented the plug-in hybrid a few times and the v6 a few times. It’s a nice car. Sore point was the infotainment system would crash every few days and only be remedied by turning off the vehicle. I think I’d pay $35-40k for a new one which is about $15k less than dealers are parting with them so no dice
it's under 40k with current incentives/reductions + the 7500 tax credit
You still like it?
Yikes those finger prints lol
These are okay to rent, less okay to lease and absolutely a no-go to own. Rental companies age these out at 20k miles at auctions for a reason. They're worse than a Chevrolet Malibu.
I JUST rented one from enterprise with 48,000 miles. Was amazing. 4th time I have. Every time I do it’s 40,000+ miles. So not sure where you get your info
@@jessebmusic I go based off of what I see at auctions and what dealer techs tell me.
I own a 2017 blue ray is mint. Sound system is good. But like he said. Don't own. 215000km 14 randome electrical problems dealer screwed me of My extended warranty and would not help. Baby drains over night at randome some days. Power doors only work if the van runs. Left rear video screen is black while driving with lights on at night. Ext I do love it. Tones of power. Good on gas but it's going to be a pai. To find all those electricL faults.
My Chevy Malibu is 12 years old and runs great
@@jessicaschreyer1 you're lucky.
OK phev minivan in warm climates, but not good in cold climates because the heater is not a heat pump thus makes the engine kicks in. So there is no way to be fully electric in cold weather
Great video! Thanks!!
its because you're not subscribed to internet in the car, that's why.
I am just afraid it will break down for no reason.
You need the new Crown Estate😂
How about save money and don't go with the pinnacle.
OMG bro you have 4 kids? I saw 2 booster seats and 2 car seats.... as a dad I'm getting dizzy thinking about having 4 kids.... LOL.
#5 is coming! :D
@@KirkKreifels OMG!! LOL. Congrats. No wonder you get excited by big SUVs and Wagons. I could never afford anything over 2 here in Toronto. A bloody average downtown house is 1.8-2.5 million. We have 2 girls....that's enough. 12 going on 18 and 15 going on 25.... hahah
@@KirkKreifelsif you end up at 7 like my brother, just time it to where the oldest leaves for college in time to not run out of seats (8 passenger sienna in his case) 😂
Your price commentary is way off: first: this qualifies for the entire $7500 tax credit plus more in many states ($2k more in cali). 2nd: Siennas are STILL being sold for 5-10k over MSRP, whereas this Van is being sold for ~5k+ under MSRP, meaning total savings of 12-15k off of MSRP making it WAAAAAAAAY (~15k) cheaper than a sienna and even the gas pacifica in many cases (nevermind the fuel savings).
Any way you put it, Chrysler vehicles are of terrible quality, transmission issues, electric issues, engine problems. Getting $7500 or $12k in savings and the car will be falling apart as soon as you leave the dealership it's Not savings at any rate. It's not a matter of savings, it's a matter of quality and reliability. Toyota or Honda , the rest is just pretending to avoid reality jijijiji
Some nice qualities but the dash is so old looking. It's ugly.
So.many.little.people....
Sienna is minivan king imo ... Chrysler is FCA poor reliability 👎. They may look pretty but in the long-term they will be garbage
This should’ve been a Dodge Grand Caravan. Love the design better than the Sienna and Odyssey, but it probably won’t last as long.
And hello kiddos!
Edit; And the idea it’s the only car Chrysler now makes.🤯RIP 200 and 300.
You can't do Toyota/Lexus content and then suddenly bring out Trashlyer, that ain't how it works.
This car drinks gasoline like you drink beer😂. The hybrid is just for eye-catching sale tactics. I would rather buy used Toyota Seinna or Honda . Besides that, you can't drive much to snow or 25° degree hills. It will slide down completely. I'm renting it now, that's why I could point out those con. Thank you
Overpriced junk
HELL NO!!! Chryco can't build cars!!! Growing up we had 3 of these... disposable. Fit and Finish and materials won't be good or last. Reliability (or lack there of) will also be a problem. Resale of Chrysler is also no-where near Toyota!!
That will last 2 years max. Chrysler =POS.