2024 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2025 Mazda CX-5

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica maintained its contemporary appeal despite not undergoing frequent redesigns. Its smooth exterior styling, featuring a modest grille, offered a refreshing alternative to the flashier designs of competitors like the Toyota Sienna. Chrysler's decision to avoid dressing up the Pacifica as an SUV, unlike the Kia Carnival, contributed to its clean and uncluttered look. The hidden sliding-door tracks further enhanced its sleek appearance, eliminating the need for additional styling features to camouflage them, as seen in the Honda Odyssey. The Pacifica was available in various trims, including Touring, Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle, with options for different wheel sizes and appearance packages. The interior of the Pacifica was equally distinctive, with a minimalist and sculpted dashboard that seamlessly integrated controls. The Pinnacle trim, in particular, featured luxurious touches like brown Nappa leather upholstery and quilted contrast stitching, although some elements still felt less premium due to the presence of plastic materials.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 stood out in the small SUV class with its graceful curves and timeless design, which had remained unchanged since 2017. Its exterior styling exuded an understated elegance, making it easy to mistake for an entry-level luxury SUV. Inside, the CX-5 impressed with its refined materials and a layout that balanced traditional analog controls with modern digital trends. While it lacked the massive infotainment touchscreens of some rivals, the CX-5's physical buttons and knobs enhanced usability. The interior featured soft-touch materials and high-quality plastics, reminiscent of last-generation Acura or Lexus models, giving it a more upscale feel compared to competitors like Honda and Toyota.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was equipped with 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, while all-wheel drive was 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 peppy acceleration. It also offered a maximum towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The chassis tuning prioritized comfort and stability, making it a quiet and comfortable ride compared to rivals. However, some weight transfer was noticeable during acceleration and deceleration, reminiscent of older Chrysler models.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 offered two engine options: a base 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 187 horsepower and 186 pound-feet of torque, and a turbocharged version producing 256 horsepower and 320 pound-feet of torque. Both engines were paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive was standard across the range. The base engine provided adequate power, while the turbocharged model delivered quicker acceleration, reaching 60 mph in about six seconds. The CX-5's sporty driving dynamics, combined with its sure-footedness and minimal body roll, made it an engaging choice for those who valued performance. However, the firmer ride quality was noticeable on rough surfaces, though it remained acceptable for most passengers.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica featured the innovative Stow ‘n Go seating system, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating large in-floor storage bins. This system dictated the use of second-row bucket seats, resulting in a seven-seat configuration. An eight-seat option was available with the Touring L trim but couldn't be combined with Stow ‘n Go or all-wheel drive. The Pacifica offered competitive passenger space, with nearly identical headroom to rivals and slightly more third-row legroom than the Kia Carnival. 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 both rows 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 Mazda CX-5's interior design and refinement were commendable, but it fell short in terms of practicality and space compared to some competitors. While rear headroom was sufficient for adults, the Toyota RAV4 and Kia Sportage offered slightly more. The CX-5 excelled in rear legroom compared to the RAV4 but lagged behind the Honda CR-V and Kia Sportage. Cargo capacity was 30.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats, expanding to 58.1 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded. Although the cargo area was wide and flat, it couldn't match the capacity of the CR-V and Sportage. The CX-5 featured moderately sized cupholders, door pockets, and a deep center armrest bin for smaller items.

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 praised for its intuitive interface, although a shortcut for the 360-degree camera system would have been appreciated. The rear-seat entertainment system, Uconnect Theater, included dual 10.1-inch touchscreens, wireless headphones, and Amazon Fire TV connectivity. The FamCam rear-facing interior camera allowed parents to monitor rear-seat occupants.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 featured a 10.25-inch infotainment display mounted atop the dash, controlled via a dial on the center console. This setup, reminiscent of older BMW and Audi systems, allowed for easy operation while driving. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were available, with wireless connectivity in the midrange Premium Plus trim. The CX-5's analog gauges felt slightly outdated, but the Premium Plus trim and above included a head-up display projecting speed and other information onto the windshield. The base trim featured a four-speaker audio system, while the Signature model boasted a 10-speaker Bose premium system. Remote vehicle monitoring and control were available through a smartphone app, with a free service for the first year.

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. It was named a 2023 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), although it missed the highest Top Safety Pick+ award due to low scores in updated 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 front park assist. The new Emergency Vehicle Alert System provided warnings about nearby emergency vehicles or road hazards.

The 2025 Mazda CX-5 earned five-out-of-five stars in all NHTSA evaluations except for rollover protection, where it received four stars. The 2024 model, identical to the 2025 version, received the highest "Good" scores in all IIHS tests and a Top Safety Pick rating. Standard safety features included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Premium Plus trim added adaptive headlights, a head-up display, a surround-view camera system, and parking sensors. The Turbo Premium package included traffic jam assist, while the Turbo Signature trim featured a driver attention monitor and rear automatic braking. During testing, the safety systems operated smoothly without false alarms or glitches.