No one walks into a bar, tosses the key to a minivan on the counter and hopes someone asks what he’s driving. But to the extent that a minivan can be a sleek and handsome symbol of personal style, Chrysler’s refreshed-for-2021 Pacifica is probably the one. Particularly this luxed-out $55,000 Pinnacle version with its tasty biscuit-hued quilted-leather boudoir, I mean interior.

A minivan—a box with wheels at the lower corners—is highly space-efficient; to schlep the most people or cargo within a given wheelbase, this is it. Sit down inside, in the first, second or third row of seats, and you’ll see what I mean. The enormous electrically assisted doors and tailgate make access easy, too. And note the matching throw pillows in the Pinnacle’s back seats. Nice touch, that. 

Capacity and comfort aside, however, a desirable minivan also must be satisfying to drive. This one is. The Pacifica’s 287-horsepower gasoline V-6 and 9-speed automatic transmission are carryovers from previous models, but the only knock against them might be yesterday’s efficiency numbers: 17 to 25 miles per gallon. 

(Chrysler also offers a plug-in hybrid Pacifica that squeezes another eight to 10 miles out of each gallon of gas and can travel more than 20 miles on electricity alone.) 

I may be imagining this, but the all-wheel drive seems to keep both ends of this Pacifica nicely focused on the job. All-weather capability is a plus too.

Instead of a gearshift lever, there’s a large knurled knob on the lower shelf of the console with P-R-N-D-L settings. It’s out of the way but easy to find and use. Equally accessible is the electric e-brake switch, a button just below the shift knob. Jab it to set the brake; jab it again to release the brake. (Shifting into gear and nudging the throttle also releases the brake.)

Underway, we find about every imaginable driving-assistance, safety and connectivity feature, too. This is not an inexpensive vehicle, but Chrysler really applied its value-for-dollar yardstick here. 

The “living room on wheels” is comfortable and airy-feeling with fishbowl visibility in all directions, including skyward and (through a 360-degree camera) on-screen. If I were to nitpick, I’d want the seat heaters to automatically switch on and then adjust themselves so my fanny doesn’t overheat. I’d also ask for a steering wheel without a metal insert that stays icy while the rest of the wheel warms up. (A first-world problem, yes.)

These days, $50,000-plus for a car is not unusual. But it is possible to get a ’21 Pacifica with all the functional bits, less the Pinnacle’s deluxe trimmings, for well below $40,000. And for less than $30K, Chrysler still offers the 2020 Voyager minivan as a “budget-friendly” alternative. But you’ll want the Pacifica.