2021 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2021 Chevrolet Traverse

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica underwent a mid-generation refresh that included a revised exterior. New standard LED headlights flanked the Pacifica’s new hexagonal grille, giving the front end a more muscular aesthetic compared to the elegance of previous years. The rear featured a new all-LED taillamp running the width of the model, with the Chrysler wing badge at its center. Chrysler also introduced six new wheel designs and the S Appearance Package, which added darkened features and black accents.

Inside, the Pacifica differentiated itself from competitors like the Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona by balancing practicality with premium touches. The Pacifica Pinnacle trim, in particular, stood out with its comfort, soft-touch materials, and classy finishes. The flat dashboard, anchored by a 10.1-inch touchscreen, combined with Piano Black plastic trim, wood accents, and real metal surrounds, made it the poshest new minivan on the market. Quilted leather seats, suede center row pillows, and Beber floor mats completed the upscale look. The Pacifica also featured well-weighted doors and advanced sound-deadening technology for a quieter ride.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse had a more generic SUV exterior with a tall roof, chunky wheel arches, and a big grille. However, Chevy used styling details to give individual trim levels their own identities. The RS model had blacked-out trim, while the High Country model featured chrome accents. The Traverse shared a platform with the Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6 but aimed for a more blue-collar feel. The interior had restrained styling, with an optional Dual SkyScape two-panel sunroof as a standout feature. Materials in the RS trim were fairly good but not quite worthy of the $50,000 MSRP.

The Traverse's highway road manners impressed with a quiet cabin, bump-absorbing suspension, and precise steering. However, it lacked agility on twistier roads. The AWD system, which had to be manually activated, could send up to 50% of torque to either front wheel or 85% to either rear wheel. The Traverse also offered off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica offered two powertrain options: a traditional 3.6-liter V6 engine with 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, and a V6 hybrid engine paired with a dual-motor electrically variable transmission and a 16-kilowatt-hour battery, achieving 260 horsepower from the engine and 198 horsepower from its motors. The base Pacifica Touring and Touring L came standard with the V6 engine, while the Limited and Pinnacle trims offered either AWD or the hybrid powertrain. The AWD system, new for 2021, activated on-demand based on various driving conditions and deactivated to improve fuel efficiency when not needed. The Pacifica Hybrid had an all-electric range of over 30 miles and a total range of over 500 miles, delivering 82 MPGe and 30 mpg combined. The traditional V6 Pacifica achieved 19 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined, with slightly lower numbers for the AWD version.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Traverse's V6 powertrain didn't feel particularly strong off the line but provided sufficient power for highway merging and overtaking. The nine-speed automatic transmission performed well overall, though with occasional rough shifts. The Traverse excelled in highway road manners, combining a quiet cabin with good body control and precise steering. However, it lacked agility on twistier roads. The AWD system, which had to be manually activated, could send up to 50% of torque to either front wheel or 85% to either rear wheel. The Traverse also offered off-road and tow/haul drive modes, with a 5,000-pound maximum towing capacity.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica was designed with family life in mind, offering spacious seating and ample storage. The front seats were spacious, with a padded center console lid replacing armrests. Power-sliding rear doors, three-zone climate control, power windows, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, Stow ’n Go bucket seats with in-floor storage bins, and a Stow ’n Go third-row bench seat were standard. The second-row seats had under-console storage, and the third-row seats offered plenty of legroom. The Pacifica Pinnacle provided best-in-class total storage of 227.6 liters.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse offered seating for seven or eight, with headroom and legroom in all three rows above average. Heated front seats were standard on the RS trim, with ventilated front seats and heated outboard rear seats available on higher trims. The Traverse excelled in cargo space, offering 23.0 cubic feet with all three rows in place, 57.8 cubic feet with the third row stowed, and 98.2 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. A power liftgate was optional on the LT Cloth trim and standard on higher trims, with a gesture-activated liftgate on the Premier and High Country models. However, the Traverse was stingy on interior storage options compared to minivans.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica featured Uconnect 5, a modern and customizable infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The second-row in-seat entertainment system remained an option, with additional games for 2021. A six-speaker sound system was standard, with 13-speaker Alpine and 19- and 20-speaker Harman Kardon options available. The Pinnacle model included FamCam, an interior monitoring camera with rear-facing child seat view, split-view display, and zoom-to-seat feature.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse came with a standard 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, and Bluetooth. Higher trims offered an 8-inch touchscreen, navigation, 4G-LTE WiFi hotspot, and a Bose 10-speaker audio system. The Traverse retained analog controls for audio volume and climate control, and its analog instruments were supplemented by a small LCD screen. The Traverse also featured a rearview camera mirror and an optional HD surround-view camera system. USB ports were standard for all rows, with wireless phone charging available on the Premier and High Country models.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica came standard with 97 safety features, increasing to 100 on the Pinnacle trim. Key safety technologies included forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beams, advanced brake assist, third-row lock out, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. The Pacifica received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA.

The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse received top “Good” scores in all IIHS crash tests and a “Superior” rating for front-crash prevention tech. However, it received “Acceptable” and “Poor” headlight ratings and an “Acceptable” rating for LATCH child-seat anchor ease of use. The NHTSA gave the Traverse a five-star overall safety rating, with four stars in frontal and rollover crash tests, and five stars in side-impact crash tests. Chevy offered less standard driver-assist tech than competitors, with many features only available as optional extras.