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2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle with all-wheel drive, shown in Velvet Red exterior color option.

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The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle features the most advanced all-wheel-drive (AWD) system in its class.

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The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle includes Platinum Chrome 20-inch wheels and Platinum Chrome on all exterior surrounds, moldings and badging.

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The class-exclusive Uconnect Theater rear-seat entertainment system with two 10.1-inch seatback touch screens features 13 games for the 2022 Chrysler Pacifica, such as chess, Concentration, Chrysler Says and backgammon to keep both adult and child passengers entertained.

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The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is the first North American vehicle to feature the all-new Uconnect 5 system, which features an all-new standard 10.1-inch touch screen that delivers the largest standard touch screen in its class.

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The 2022 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle model offers the most luxurious interior in its class, with Caramel Nappa leather seats featuring quilted seat side bolsters and perforated seat inserts and seat backs on all three rows.

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Our last experience with the all-wheel drive version of the Pacifica minivan from Chrysler came almost two years ago during the winter. Driving in the snow gave us an excellent chance to really see how this vehicle would do in the harsh Utah weather.

It performed so well that we were excited to spend some time in the heat of the summer with the 2022 version of this best-selling minivan. It proved to be a great people mover during a trip to Ogden with Craig’s mother, Pat, and her sister Kathy one Sunday afternoon.

Having a minivan made is much easier for them to get in and out of the vehicle, and it proved very comfortable as they had their own conversation in the back and we had our own up front. With the tri-zone climate control, they were perfectly happy to take control of their environment, making the more than 160-mile drive pleasant for all.

After returning home that evening, we discussed how it was just like having kids along for the ride, except we didn’t get a chance to use the included video system in the van. Maybe if we had put a movie on, they would have been quieter in the rear of the van!

Since Chrysler’s invention of the minivan way back in 1984, the company has continued to lead that segment of the market and has created what we think is one of the best family haulers on the market today. Each year, there are more safety and other features added that contribute to Chrysler’s ongoing dominance with the Pacifica.

As our kids’ families have grown, both our sons have become increasingly interested in seeing any minivan we have because there is so much space in them. When you include AWD, it makes the package very attractive here in Utah.

That is one thing that really makes minivans great: their ample amount of storage room. Chrysler points out that there is enough room for 60 gallons of milk in the new Pacifica. One evening, we got a strange call from one of our sons wanting to know if we had eaten yet. It turned out to be merely a ruse to get us all out in the new Pacifica and see how we fit with our grandson and granddaughter in their car seats.

The ruse worked as we were happy to give the Pacifica a try with six of us inside on a journey out for dinner.

One of the first and best family features our son JaCoby discovered was the new FamCAM that comes in the Pacifica. This shows all of the rear occupants and allowed him to zoom in on any one of them. It was able to show our granddaughter Monroe in her rear-facing car seat in great detail as well as our grandson Madden in his front-facing car seat. How great would that be for a mom when she was alone with the kids in the minivan and could keep an extra eye on them at all times?

Deanne was quick to point out that the rear third-row seats were very comfortable and would recline automatically with the press of button. This would either be great for the kids or something that makes Mom crazy. They would also stow and go automatically using buttons located in the rearmost part of the van.

A really cool new addition this year is the ability to sync the Pacifica with your Amazon Fire TV account, therefore allowing a seamless transfer of content from the television inside your home to inside the van. No more having to bring along the DVD player or iPad for entertainment; it just comes right to the minivan!

This system is dependent on keeping the vehicle’s Wi-Fi active, which is not a bad thing as it also allows other devices to be hooked up.

The center captain’s chairs could be folded into the floor of the van very easily, and with all the seats down, Dad could use the van to fetch and haul a full-sized sheet of plywood from the hardware store.

The Pacifica is also equipped with the new version of the Uconnect 5 system, which comes complete with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This worked seamlessly with our phones. We could also keep two phones connected via the Bluetooth system, allowing each of us to answer our phone if needed.

There is a total of 12 USB ports located throughout the van, making it easy to keep everyone’s device charged.

Our test ride came equipped with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine that provided a very nice 287 horsepower, keeping the minivan engaging and spirited during the drive. Even our son JaCoby was coming around to the notion that it may a good addition to his family by the end of our ride and dinner.

There are many safety features that come on the Pacifica. (It would take too long to list them all). Suffice it to say, it is one of the safest in the segment.

The new Pacifica would be a perfect addition to any family with kids and a great way to get them and all their stuff around in comfort and safety.

Base price: $51,545

Destination charge: $1,595

Price as driven: $57,552