By Dan Neil

I have a friend, a great sturdy Son of New England, hard-minded and penny-wise, nobody's fool. Ezra Dyer, a columnist for Car and Driver, is an exceptional person who, five years ago, bought an exceptional car: the Chrysler Pacifica Plug-In Hybrid. Whereas many who buy PHEVs fail to, you know, plug in, Ezra dutifully recharges the family car every night, yielding about 33 miles of all-electric range the next day, if you pedal it right.

"Over five years [and 40,000 miles] I've spent less than $2,000 on gasoline," says he, with the glee of an embezzler.

If you're like Ezra, the Pacifica PHEV could practically zero out your family's annual consumption of gasoline while providing all the comforts of a plush and premium seven-seat minivan. Twenty-inch cast aluminum wheels, 20 audio speakers, 17 charging outlets, USB ports and cup holders are among many supernumerary distinctions.

Alas, so few are like Ezra. Many owners will neglect to plug in regularly and when that happens the thrift runs backward. During my two-week test, whenever the battery reached 1% and the big V6 took over, the efficiency plummeted, from an EPA-estimated 82 mpg-e (stipulated) to average around 30 mpg.

That's still better than the standard Pacifica, which uses a version of the same, naturally aspirated 3.6-liter DOHC V6 (287 hp) paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. Its fuel economy is pretty dismal -- an EPA-combined rating of 22 mpg. On the other hand, the PHEV version costs $8,605 more.

Insert eyeroll here. Spit take if you got 'em. Come on, Chrysler. At those rates Ezra would be a little old lobsterman before he broke even on fuel costs.

Of course, those numbers don't include the $7,500 EV federal tax credit that is currently available but could be gone by the time you finish this sentence. From a policy perspective, I'm in favor of discontinuing credits for all but the most robust PHEV and range-extended EV technologies. But from the consumer's perspective, absent the credit or other in-kind relief, the PHEV's 8 grand upsell is like a finger in the eye. This machine has barely changed in nine years. Our test model was actually a 2024 model year, being carried over to 2025.

Are they even trying to sell these things? Not in great numbers, no.

The Pacifica is the only product Chrysler has on the market, notwithstanding its bare-bones twin, Voyager. Chrysler's owner, the troubled Euro-based conglomerate Stellantis, has indicated future products are in the pipeline, including a revised Pacifica in 2026. But it's also quite possible the century-old brand will cease operations.

If, as expected, the tax credit goes away, I feel sure the Stellantis's captive credit operation will offer $7,500 discounts on lease transactions, but that's like discounted highway robbery.

There are other, not-exactly-hidden costs associated with the PHEV. The standard Pacifica has a maximum towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The PHEV is not rated for towing.

"What's up with that?" Ezra demanded, like a Red Sox superfan razzing players at Fenway.

It's slower. With the two electric motors cooperating to help reduce lag and latency in the driveline, the PHEV's throttle response is smoother and sweeter, free of the low-speed, pause-and-lurch behavior common to legacy transmissions. But the electrically variable transmission doesn't do much for holeshot acceleration. Nor does the additional quarter-ton of mass. As a consequence, the PHEV is a trifle slower to 30 mph (3.1 seconds vs. 2.7 for the regular Pacifica) and to 60 mph (7.3 vs. 7.8 seconds), according to Car and Driver. Really. I know a guy.

The unkindest cut of all: To accommodate the 16-kWh battery pack, the PHEV sacrifices Chrysler's trademark Stow 'n Go seating on the second row that allows the seats to be folded under the flat cargo bed. That hurts.

Still, I would prefer the PHEV over the alternative and so would Ezra. Why? First, because drivability -- the overall refinement, quiet and cabin isolation -- is vastly improved with the electrics onboard and feels somewhat creaky and archaic without them.

In any event, the chasm of price between the two and the impossibility of payback -- I didn't even count the costs of installing Level 2 charging at home -- make the Pacifica PHEV a nonserious conversation.

You know who is really keen on PHEVs these days? My readers. To many the PHEV solution -- or an extended-range EV (EREV) -- seems an obvious and practical alternative to full electrification. In their pivot back to internal-combustion, many automakers are counting on hybrid and PHEV technology to help meet increasingly strict emissions standards in every global market.

But PHEV systems have a unit-cost problem, in that they require not one but two complex power systems with a lot of code between them. One component, the battery, is particularly pricey. Legacy carmakers can be counted on to pass those costs on to consumers, who may not have any tax credits to soften the blow.

The cost of overhead doesn't end at the showroom door. A PHEV will have comparable service intervals and required dealership visits expected with any internal combustion engine, plus whatever needs arise from the PHEV side. Added complexity typically increases the number of possible failure modes. Not that I'm expecting much trouble from the Pacifica.

It drips. Our Pinnacle arrived in scintillating Red Hot Pearl metallic and black-over-tan upholstery, with tarty, nappa-leather seat jackets with contrasting piping and embroidered quilting. It sported a suede headliner, a panoramic sunroof, and diamond-quilted suede pillows for the rear seats, la-tee-dah.

This one's got all the connectivity candy, including Apple and Android, Amazon Fire TV built in, Uconnect Theater with streaming apps, 4G hotspot. I trust you all will be very comfortable.

If you buy, please enjoy, and above all, be like Ezra.

2024 Chrysler Pacifica Pinnacle PHEV

Price, as tested: $61,685

Powertrain: plug-in hybrid configuration, with naturally aspirated 3.6-liter V6, two integrated AC synchronous motors and stepless hybrid transmission, 16-kWh, 360V lithium-ion battery, 6.6-kW charger, front wheel drive.

Power/torque: 260 hp/235 lb-ft at 3,700 rpm

Length/wheelbase/width/height: 204.3/121.6/79.6/69.9 inches

Curb weight: 5,010 pounds

0-60 mph: 7.8 seconds (Car and Driver)

EPA fuel economy: 82 mpg-e, combined

Cargo volume: 32.3/87.5/140.5 (behind 3rd/2nd/1st row)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

January 17, 2025 12:15 ET (17:15 GMT)

Copyright (c) 2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.