2025 Hyundai Santa Fe vs 2024 Chrysler Pacifica

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 keep the sliding-door tracks hidden above and below the door frame contributed to the Pacifica's clean look, avoiding the need for additional styling features to camouflage them, as seen in the Honda Odyssey. The Pacifica was available in various trims, including the base Touring, Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle, with LED lighting standard across all models. The S Appearance and Road Tripper Packages added unique exterior and interior trims, enhancing its visual appeal.

Inside, the Pacifica's dashboard boasted a minimalist, sculpted design with well-integrated controls. The Pinnacle trim, the most luxurious version, featured brown Nappa leather upholstery with quilted contrast stitching and small pillows for the second-row seats. However, some interior elements, like the rotary shifter, felt less premium, and the shifter's proximity to the volume knob occasionally led to confusion. Despite these minor drawbacks, the Pacifica's interior remained distinctive and functional.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe, in its fifth generation, showcased a chunky, boxy design with a long wheelbase, flat hood, and snub nose. The pixelated H-shaped LED headlamps aligned with Hyundai's design aesthetic, offering a modern touch. While the front design was commendable, the rear proportions felt mismatched, with taillights positioned lower than ideal. Each trim level had specific wheel sizes, ranging from 18 to 21 inches, and the off-road-focused XRT trim added chrome and black exterior accents.

Inside, the Santa Fe accommodated seven passengers, except for the top Calligraphy trim, which featured second-row captain's chairs. The interior offered a range of seating materials, from basic cloth to luxurious Nappa leather. While the fit and finish were generally good, some squeaks and rattles were noticeable during testing. The inclusion of physical dials for HVAC temperature was appreciated, though the fan speed buttons were less user-friendly. Overall, the Santa Fe's interior provided ample space and comfort for passengers.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica was powered by 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, while all-wheel drive was available on the Touring L, Limited, and Pinnacle trims. The Pacifica Hybrid, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, was also an option. The V6 engine, known as the Pentastar, had a long history in the Stellantis lineup and provided sufficient power for the minivan, allowing for a maximum towing capacity of 3,600 pounds. The chassis tuning prioritized comfort and stability, though some weight transfer was noticeable during acceleration and deceleration.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe featured a standard 2.5-liter turbocharged engine, producing 277 horsepower and 311 lb.-ft of torque. It offered both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options, except for the XRT trim, which was exclusively AWD. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission handled shifting duties. While the Santa Fe felt stable in corners with responsive steering, turbo lag was noticeable during acceleration, and the transmission occasionally delayed downshifts. The XRT trim included 30-inch all-terrain tires and 8.3 inches of ground clearance, enhancing its off-road capabilities. However, it wasn't designed for rugged rock crawling, making it suitable for graded dirt roads with minor obstacles.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica offered the innovative Stow 'n Go seating, allowing second-row seats to fold flat into the floor, creating large in-floor storage bins. This feature was standard, but its packaging required strategic option choices. The Pacifica accommodated seven passengers with second-row 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 Pinnacle and Limited models featured a power-folding third-row seat and a power liftgate. The Pacifica provided competitive passenger space, with ample headroom and legroom in the first two rows. 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 available on select trims, offering convenience for cleaning.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe's base SE trim offered essential features like a hands-free liftgate and dual-zone climate control. The XRT trim added heated front seats, a sunroof, and a 115-volt outlet for off-road accessories. The top Calligraphy trim included heated second-row seats, a heated steering wheel, ventilated front seats, and a premium audio system. The Santa Fe boasted the most third-row legroom in its class, with adjustable second-row seat cushions. Cargo space was competitive, with 40.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 79.6 cubic feet with both rows folded. The rear opening was widened to 50.2 inches, accommodating larger items. Most trims could tow 3,500 pounds, while the XRT trim had a towing capacity of 4,500 pounds.

The 2024 Chrysler Pacifica featured a 10.1-inch touchscreen with the Uconnect 5 infotainment system, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth, SiriusXM, and Amazon Alexa compatibility. The instrument cluster included 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 dual 10.1-inch touchscreens, wireless headphones, and Amazon Fire TV connectivity. The FamCam interior camera allowed parents to monitor rear-seat occupants, though an intercom system was absent.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe came with a 12.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with the top trims featuring a digital gauge cluster of the same size. The system was user-friendly, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. Upper trims offered Amazon Music, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and Hyundai Pay. Charging options included multiple USB-C ports and wireless charging for two phones. The Santa Fe also featured a digital key and an available fingerprint scanner for added security. The Bluelink app provided remote connectivity, and over-the-air updates ensured the latest software.

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, though 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, rear cross-traffic alert, 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 park assist.

The 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe offered a comprehensive suite of standard safety features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, parking sensors, forward-collision avoidance assist, lane keeping and following assist, and safe exit assist. Higher trims added features like rear parking collision avoidance assist, side park distance warning, and Highway Drive Assist. The NHTSA gave the Santa Fe a four-star overall safety rating, while the IIHS rated it as Good in most categories, with Acceptable scores for headlights and LATCH.