Compare the2024 Chrysler PacificaVS 2024 Chevrolet Traverse Limited

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Pacifica are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Chevrolet Traverse Limited doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Chrysler Pacifica has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Pacifica has standard Rear Park Assist with Stop that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

Earlier warning of stopped traffic, traffic signals, dangerous road conditions, weather, or accidents, can keep driver's safer and prevent crashes. The Pacifica offers optional Emergency Vehicle Alert System, a system that seamlessly communicates important warnings to the driver about impending danger, if they're available. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer a system that can receive automated systems from other vehicles.

The Pacifica has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Traverse Limited’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Pacifica has standard Rear Cross Path Detection, helping the driver avoid collisions. Chevrolet charges extra for Rear Cross Traffic Alert on the Traverse Limited.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Chevrolet Traverse Limited:

	Pacifica	Traverse Limited
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	168	216
Neck Compression	56 lbs.	77 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	196	333
Chest Compression	.4 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	25%	35.2%
Neck Stress	117 lbs.	128 lbs.
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	51 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Chevrolet Traverse Limited:

	Pacifica	Traverse Limited
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Abdominal Force	149 lbs.	161 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	134
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Chrysler Pacifica is safer than the Traverse Limited:

	Pacifica	Traverse Limited
Overall Evaluation	ACCEPTABLE	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Neck Tension	335 lbs.	446 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.94 in	1.3 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	5 MPH	6 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	848 lbs.	1116 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head Injury Criterion	83	189
Neck Tension	112 lbs.	134 lbs.
Neck Compression	67 lbs.	201 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Pacifica is 3.4% to 6% less likely to roll over than the Traverse Limited.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Pacifica the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 98 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Traverse Limited last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

The Pacifica’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Traverse Limited’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Pacifica has a standard 180-amp alternator (220-amp - Pacifica optional). The Traverse Limited’s 170-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running on electricity gets better mileage than the Traverse Limited:

			MPGe
Pacifica
	FWD	Hybrid Electric Motor	87 city/77 hwy
Traverse Limited
			MPG
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy

On the EPA test cycle the Pacifica running its gasoline engine gets better mileage than the Traverse Limited:

			MPG
Pacifica
	FWD	3.6 V6 Hybrid	29 city/30 hwy
		3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/28 hwy
Traverse Limited
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy

The Pacifica Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 32 miles. The Traverse Limited can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Pacifica Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chrysler Pacifica higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Traverse Limited (6). This means the Pacifica produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Traverse Limited every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Pacifica Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Pacifica	Pacifica AWD	Traverse Limited
Front Rotors	13 inches	13.8 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	13.4 inches	12.4 inches

The Pacifica stops much shorter than the Traverse Limited:

	Pacifica	Traverse Limited
70 to 0 MPH	164 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Pacifica’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Traverse Limited’s optional 55 series tires.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires available on the Pacifica can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Pacifica has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Traverse Limited’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Pacifica’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Pacifica is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Traverse Limited.

Passenger Space

The Pacifica has .1 inches more front legroom, .9 inches more front hip room, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear legroom, 7.9 inches more rear hip room, .8 inches more rear shoulder room, .5 inches more third row headroom, 3 inches more third row legroom, 1 inch more third row hip room and 3.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Traverse Limited.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Pacifica’s middle and third row seats recline. The Traverse Limited’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Pacifica’s cargo area provides more volume than the Traverse Limited.

	Pacifica	Traverse Limited
Behind Third Seat	32.3 cubic feet	23 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	87.5 cubic feet	57.8 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	140.5 cubic feet	98.2 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Pacifica easier. The Pacifica’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 24.3 inches, while the Traverse Limited’s liftover is 30.6 inches.

The Pacifica has standard Stow ’n Go second and third row seats (except Hybrid for the second row), which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Pacifica. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Pacifica’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Traverse Limited’s (3600 vs. 1500 pounds).

Optional Trailer Sway Control on the Pacifica (except Hybrid/Touring) uses the Electronic Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Pacifica’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Traverse Limited does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Pacifica Limited/Pinnacle’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 Traverse Limited’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Pacifica’s standard sliding doors can be opened with less than three inches side clearance. The Traverse Limited’s standard rear swing-out doors are bulky and make loading in tight spots difficult.

The Pacifica’s power side sliding doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the van. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The Pacifica’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Traverse Limited’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Pacifica’s headlights were rated “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the Traverse Limited’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Pacifica to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Pacifica has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Traverse Limited LT Leather/RS/Premier/High Country.

The Pacifica has a standard center folding armrest for the middle row passengers. A center armrest helps make middle row passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer a middle row seat center armrest.

The Pacifica (except Touring)’s optional ParkSense Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Traverse Limited doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Pacifica owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Pacifica will cost $230 less than the Traverse Limited over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Pacifica is less expensive to operate than the Traverse Limited because it costs $709 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Pacifica than the Traverse Limited, including $232 less for a water pump, $254 less for fuel injection, $101 less for a fuel pump, $338 less for a timing belt/chain and $120 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chrysler Pacifica and the Chevrolet Traverse Limited, based on reliability, safety and performance.

Motor Trend performed a comparison test in its May 2018 issue and they ranked the Chrysler Pacifica Limited first. They ranked the Chevrolet Traverse Limited RS AWD fifth.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Pacifica as the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Traverse Limited has never been chosen.

The Chrysler Pacifica/Voyager outsold the Chevrolet Traverse Limited by 1659 units during 2022.

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