2024 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2025 BMW X3

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica maintained its contemporary appeal despite not undergoing frequent redesigns. Its smooth exterior styling, with a modest grille, offered a refreshing alternative to the flashier Toyota Sienna and the SUV-like Kia Carnival. The Pacifica's design cleverly concealed sliding-door tracks, providing a clean look without the need for additional styling features. Available in various trims, including the base Touring and the luxurious Pinnacle, the Pacifica featured standard LED lighting and optional packages like the S Appearance and Road Tripper, which added unique exterior and interior elements. The interior of the Pacifica was distinctive, with a minimalist dashboard that integrated controls seamlessly. The Pinnacle trim boasted luxurious touches like brown Nappa leather upholstery and quilted stitching, although some interior elements felt less premium due to the use of plastic materials.

The 2025 BMW X3, with its redesigned seductive appearance, showcased a long and tall hood, athletic proportions, and expressive 21-inch wheels. The Arctic Race Blue paint, combined with gloss black M Sport details and Calm Beige upholstery, enhanced its visual appeal. Inside, the X3 featured a simple yet spacious cabin with a BMW Curved Display housing a digital instrument panel and touchscreen infotainment system. The front seats offered power adjustment and heating, while the rear seats were less comfortable, especially for taller passengers. The cargo area provided 31.5 cubic feet of space, with practical features like a lightweight cargo cover and additional storage under the load floor.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine, delivering 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, providing peppy acceleration and a towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The minivan's chassis tuning prioritized comfort and stability, making it a quiet and refined choice compared to rivals like Honda, Kia, and Toyota.

The 2025 BMW X3 30 xDrive featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Despite its weight, the X3 achieved a zero-to-60 mph time of six seconds, thanks to its eight-speed automatic transmission and xDrive AWD system. The X3 also included a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, enhancing responsiveness and fuel efficiency. For those seeking more power, the X3 M50 xDrive offered a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with 393 horsepower. The X3's sport-tuned suspension and performance tires provided an engaging driving experience, although the ride quality could be harsh on imperfect roads.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica offered ingenious Stow ‘n Go seating, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating large storage bins. The Pacifica accommodated seven passengers with standard bucket seats and a 60/40 split-folding third-row bench seat. An eight-seat configuration was available with the Touring L trim, but it couldn't be combined with Stow ‘n Go or AWD. The Pacifica provided ample passenger space, with competitive headroom and legroom compared to other minivans. Cargo space was generous, with 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, expanding to 140.5 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded. The Stow ‘n Vac built-in vacuum cleaner was a convenient feature, although the raised center console's storage area was challenging to access.

The 2025 BMW X3's interior felt spacious, with a simple dashboard and a BMW Curved Display. The front seats offered power adjustment, heating, and comfortable Veganza artificial leather upholstery. However, the rear seats were less comfortable, especially for taller passengers. The cargo area measured 31.5 cubic feet, with practical features like a lightweight cargo cover, netted storage, and a temporary spare tire. The 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat allowed for versatile cargo and passenger arrangements.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica came standard with a 10.1-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The instrument cluster featured analog gauges with a 7-inch digital display. The Pacifica offered up to 12 USB-C ports, built-in navigation, and a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system. The Uconnect Theater system provided rear-seat entertainment with touchscreens, wireless headphones, and Amazon Fire TV connectivity. The FamCam allowed parents to monitor rear-seat occupants, although an intercom system was not available.

The 2025 BMW X3 featured the BMW Curved Display with iDrive 9 software, offering a Quick Select user experience. However, creating profiles and accessing BMW Digital Services proved challenging during testing. The system occasionally froze, and the default Guest profile lacked access to certain features. Despite these issues, the navigation system with augmented video provided accurate directions. Wireless Apple CarPlay connectivity worked flawlessly, offering a reliable alternative to the native infotainment features.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, with five stars in frontal and side crash tests and four stars in rollover tests. The IIHS named it a 2023 Top Safety Pick, although it missed the highest award due to low 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 front park assist.

The 2025 BMW X3 earned a four-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with four-star ratings for the driver and front passenger in frontal-impact crash tests. The standard Active Driving Assistant suite included forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-keeping assist, and active blind-spot monitoring. The Premium Package added adaptive cruise control, Steering Assistant, and Parking Assistant Plus. The Parking Assistant Professional Package offered semi-automated parking tech, while the Driving Assistant Professional Package included hands-free Traffic Jam Assistant and other advanced features.