2025 Ford Explorer vs 2024 Chrysler Pacifica

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica maintained its contemporary exterior styling, despite not undergoing a refresh or redesign for several years. Its smooth lines and modest grille offered a refined alternative to the flashier designs of competitors like the Toyota Sienna. Chrysler's decision to keep the sliding-door tracks hidden contributed to the Pacifica's clean look, avoiding the need for additional styling features. Available in various trims, including the base Touring and the luxurious Pinnacle, the Pacifica offered a range of wheel sizes and optional packages to enhance its appearance. The interior of the Pacifica was equally distinctive, with a minimalist dashboard design that integrated controls seamlessly. The Pinnacle trim featured luxurious touches like brown Nappa leather upholstery and quilted contrast stitching, although some interior elements felt less upscale.

The 2025 Ford Explorer, with its refreshed design, presented a sleeker and more ruggedly handsome appearance. The restyled front end gave it a wider look, while new LED taillights and a variety of wheel designs added to its appeal. Inside, the Explorer's updates significantly improved its ambiance, with competitive materials and design. Ford reduced the number of available trims, focusing on four key options, including the sporty ST-Line and the luxurious Platinum. During a driving event in Michigan, the ST-Line trim impressed with its RWD configuration and additional packages, offering a stylish and comfortable ride. The Explorer's interior featured comfortable seating, especially in the front and second rows, although the third row was less accommodating for adults. Overall, the Explorer's design updates and interior enhancements made it a strong contender in the midsize SUV segment.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, producing 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive available on higher trims. The Pacifica's V6 engine, known as the Pentastar, had a long history in the Stellantis lineup and provided sufficient power for smooth acceleration. It also offered a maximum towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The minivan's chassis tuning prioritized comfort and stability, making it a refined choice compared to rivals. However, some weight transfer was noticeable during acceleration and deceleration.

The 2025 Ford Explorer offered two EcoBoost engine options. Most trims featured a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine with 300 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. The performance-oriented ST trim came with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, delivering 400 horsepower and 415 pound-feet of torque. All Explorers had a 10-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, with an optional four-wheel-drive system. The Explorer's turbo four-cylinder engine provided quick acceleration, and the 10-speed automatic offered decisive shifts. The ST-Line trim, with its larger wheels and performance brakes, delivered a delightful ride and handling experience. The Explorer's performance capabilities were further showcased during an autocross and slalom exercise, highlighting the ST's sport-tuned suspension and powerful V6 engine.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica featured the innovative Stow 'n Go seating system, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating additional storage space. The Pacifica offered a standard seven-seat configuration, with an optional eight-seat setup available on the Touring L trim. However, the Stow 'n Go system was not compatible with certain seating configurations. The Pacifica's passenger space was competitive, with ample headroom and legroom in the first two rows. Cargo space was generous, with 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 87.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and 140.5 cubic feet with all seats folded. The Stow 'n Vac built-in vacuum cleaner was a convenient feature, although the raised center console's storage area was less accessible.

The 2025 Ford Explorer accommodated six passengers in its standard configuration, with an optional second-row bench seat increasing capacity to seven. The ST-Line trim offered comfortable front seats with heating and power adjustments, while the Premium Package added features like ambient lighting and massaging front seats. The second-row captain's chairs were equally comfortable, with manual rear side window shades for added convenience. However, accessing the third row was challenging for adults, and the seating was less comfortable. The Explorer's cargo space was competitive, with 16.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 46 cubic feet behind the second row, and a maximum of 85.8 cubic feet.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica came equipped with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, SiriusXM with 360L satellite radio, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The instrument cluster featured analog gauges with a 7-inch digital display. The Pacifica also offered up to 12 USB-C ports, built-in navigation, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Uconnect 5 system was intuitive and user-friendly, although accessing the 360-degree camera view required navigating through menus. The rear-seat entertainment system included dual 10.1-inch touchscreens, wireless headphones, and Amazon Fire TV connectivity. The FamCam interior camera allowed parents to monitor rear-seat passengers.

The 2025 Ford Explorer introduced the Ford Digital Experience, featuring a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel and a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The Explorer was equipped with Google Built-in, Amazon Alexa Built-in, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, and SiriusXM 360L satellite radio. A 5G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot was available, along with web browser apps for internet access. The Ford Digital Experience was user-friendly, with excellent Google Maps integration and responsive Google Assistant. The Explorer also offered B&O sound systems by Bang & Olufsen, with the ST-Line featuring a 10-speaker setup and the Platinum and ST trims boasting 14 speakers and 980 watts of power.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica received a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named it a 2023 Top Safety Pick, although it missed the highest award due to lower scores in certain crash tests and middling ratings for headlights and front crash prevention tech. Standard safety features included blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and rear park assist. Optional features included a 360-degree camera system and park assist.

The 2025 Ford Explorer came standard with Ford CoPilot 360+, which included adaptive cruise control with lane-centering assist and other advanced driving assistance systems. The ST-Line trim and higher featured Ford CoPilot 360 2.0, adding a surround-view camera system and BlueCruise, Ford's hands-free highway driving system. BlueCruise performed well during testing, although it occasionally struggled with tighter curves and heavy traffic. The NHTSA had not fully rated the 2025 Explorer, but it received five-star side-impact and four-star rollover resistance ratings. The IIHS had not published ratings for the 2025 Explorer at the time of review.