Compare the2023 BMW X7VS 2023 Chrysler Pacifica

The X7’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Pacifica doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The X7 has standard Active Head Restraints, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Head Restraints system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

The X7 has standard Post-Crash Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the X7. But it costs extra on the Pacifica.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the X7’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Pacifica doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the X7 and Pacifica have rear cross-traffic warning, but the X7 has Cross Traffic Warning with braking function (automatically applies the brakes) to better prevent a collision when backing near traffic. The Pacifica’s Rear Cross Path Detection doesn’t automatically brake.

The X7’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the X7 and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The X7 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Pacifica’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The X7’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Pacifica’s (12 vs. 5 years).

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the X7 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Chrysler doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Pacifica.

The battery on the X7 is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the X7’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Pacifica’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the X7’s reliability 26 points higher than the Chrysler Pacifica and 54 points higher than the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that BMW vehicles are better in initial quality than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in initial quality. With 100 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chrysler is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chrysler is rated below average.

The X7 has more powerful engines than the Pacifica:

On the EPA test cycle the X7 xDrive40i gets better fuel mileage than the Pacifica 3.6 DOHC V6 AWD running its gasoline engine (21 city/25 hwy vs. 17 city/25 hwy).

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the X7’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Chrysler only offers a regenerative brake system on the Pacifica Hybrid.

Both the X7 and the Pacifica have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All X7s have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The Pacifica Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

The X7 has 5.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 16.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The X7 has 2.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Pacifica’s standard fuel tank (21.9 vs. 19 gallons).

The X7 has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Pacifica. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The X7’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Pacifica doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the X7’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Pacifica:

The X7’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Pacifica are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the X7 has larger standard tires than the Pacifica (F:275/40R22 & R:315/35R22 vs. 235/65R17). The X7’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pacifica (285/45R21 vs. 245/50R20).

The X7’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Pacifica’s standard 65 series tires. The X7’s optional 275/35R23 front and 315/30R23 rear tires have a lower 35 series front and 30 series rear profile than the Pacifica’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the X7 has standard 21-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Pacifica. The X7’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels optional on the Pacifica.

The X7 has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the X7 flat and controlled during cornering. The Pacifica 4x2 suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The X7 offers active sway bars, which help keep it flat and controlled during cornering, but disconnect at lower speeds to smooth the ride and offer greater off-road suspension articulation. This helps keep the tires glued to the road on-road and off. The Pacifica doesn’t offer an active sway bar system.

The front and rear suspension of the X7 uses air springs for a smoother, controlled ride than the Pacifica, which uses coil springs. Air springs maintain proper ride height and ride more smoothly.

The X7 has a standard driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Pacifica’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The X7 has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The X7’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The X7’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (49.4% to 50.6%) than the Pacifica’s (55% to 45%). This gives the X7 more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the X7 has a 3.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pacifica (8.7 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the X7 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The X7 has 1.8 inches more front headroom and .3 inches more rear headroom than the Pacifica.

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the X7’s second and third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Pacifica doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The X7’s rear cargo window opens separately from the rest of the tailgate door to allow quicker loading of small packages. The Pacifica’s rear cargo window doesn’t open.

The X7’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pacifica’s (5950 vs. 3600 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Chrysler Pacifica is only 3600 pounds. The X7 offers up to a 7500 lbs. towing capacity.

While the Pacifica Hybrid is not recommended to tow, any X7 can tow a minimum of 5950 pounds.

A Trailer Stabilization Control is standard on the X7, using the Dynamic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. A trailer sway program costs extra on the Pacifica and isn’t available on the Pacifica Hybrid/Touring.

The X7 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Pacifica uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the X7 is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Pacifica. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that BMW service is better than Chrysler. J.D. Power ranks BMW 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 58% lower rating, Chrysler is ranked 31st.

Unlike the driver-only memory system in the Pacifica Touring L/Limited/Pinnacle, the X7 has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The X7 has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Pacifica doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The X7’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Pacifica’s standard rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window closes automatically.

If the windows are left open on the X7 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle or from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Pacifica can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the X7 has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Pacifica doesn’t offer cornering lights. The X7 also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The X7 has standard heated front and optional heated second and third row seats, which keep the driver and passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Chrysler doesn’t offer heated seats in the third row of the Pacifica.

The X7 offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Pacifica.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW X7 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Pacifica doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The X7’s Parking Assistant Plus can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Pacifica’s automatic parking system requires operating the brakes and transmission to safely park and it doesn’t offer remote control parking.

Consumer Reports® recommends the BMW X7, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chrysler Pacifica isn't recommended.