Compare the2024 Toyota Grand HighlanderVS 2024 Chrysler Pacifica

For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Grand Highlander have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chrysler Pacifica doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Grand Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies 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.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Grand Highlander AWD’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Pacifica doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

Both the Grand Highlander and Pacifica have rear cross-traffic warning, but the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum has Parking Support Brake (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 Grand Highlander’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 Grand Highlander and the Pacifica have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, 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, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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 Toyota Grand Highlander is safer than the Pacifica:

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Grand Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota 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.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are better in initial quality than Chrysler vehicles. With 56 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Toyota higher than Chrysler.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Toyota above average in long-term dependability. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chrysler is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Chrysler vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in overall reliability. Chrysler is ranked 30th.

The Grand Highlander has more powerful engines than the Pacifica:

As tested in Motor Trend the Grand Highlander Hybrid 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid is faster than the Chrysler Pacifica:

On the EPA test cycle the Grand Highlander gets better mileage than the Pacifica running its gasoline engine:

The Grand Highlander has a standard locking fuel door with a power remote release convenient to the driver. 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.

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

The Grand Highlander stops shorter than the Pacifica:

For better traction, the Grand Highlander has larger tires than the Pacifica (255/65R18 vs. 235/65R17). The Grand Highlander XLE’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Pacifica (255/65R18 vs. 245/50R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Grand Highlander XLE has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Pacifica.

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

The Grand Highlander’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (52% to 48%) than the Pacifica’s (55% to 45%). This gives the Grand Highlander more stable handling and braking.

For better maneuverability, the Grand Highlander’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Pacifica’s (38.1 feet vs. 39.7 feet). The Grand Highlander’s turning circle is 2.1 feet tighter than the Pacifica AWD’s (38.1 feet vs. 40.2 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Grand Highlander has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Pacifica (8 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the Grand Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Toyota Grand Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 150 to 200 pounds less than the Chrysler Pacifica.

The Grand Highlander has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .6 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear legroom than the Pacifica.

The Grand Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Pacifica’s (5000 vs. 3600 pounds).

A Trailer Sway Control (TSC) is standard on the Grand Highlander, using the Enhanced Vehicle 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 Grand Highlander Platinum has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer 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 Grand Highlander’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 Grand Highlander the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. On a hot day the driver can lower the windows at the outside door handle or from a distance using the keyless remote. (This window function must be activated by your Toyota service department.) The driver of the Pacifica can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Grand Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Pacifica doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum has standard front air conditioned seats and the Grand Highlander Platinum also has them in the second row. This keeps the passengers comfortable and takes the sting out of hot seats in summer. The Pacifica doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

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