You know, in times like these, consumers like you could really use a break. Sure, inflation’s slowed, but everything still costs more than we’re used to, so some new budget options would be great. Well, say hello to the 2025 Chrysler Voyager, which promises to be — wait a sec, why on earth does it cost $350 more than a base 2024 Pacifica yet have styling from 2016?
Yes, Chrysler seems to be weaseling its way around a slight price hike by bringing back an old Plymouth nameplate. The new base-model Pacifica is the Voyager, and you can tell by the fact that equipment levels are similar to those of the base-spec 2024 Pacifica Touring. Same 10.1-inch touchscreen infotainment system, same active safety features, even the same wheels. The Voyager does add leatherette upholstery and a bigger center console from 2024’s Pacific Touring L trim, but at the same time, standard heated seats aren’t mentioned in the press release, so who knows how big of a feature jump we’re actually looking at?
Actually, do you know what doesn’t carry over from the 2024 Pacifica Touring? The entire front end. Yes, the Voyager gets the headlights, bumper, and grillework from the old 2017 Pacifica, along with the taillights, making this new van look like an old van. Oh, and don’t even think the model name is new to Chrysler either because the Chrysler Voyager was available for retail customers earlier in this generation of vans.
Chrysler claims that the Voyager is “a budget-friendly option under $40,000 with a starting U.S. manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $39,995 (excluding destination charge).” Frankly, that’s a bit of a stretch for two reasons. Firstly, is it really such a budget-friendly option when you can walk into a Stellantis dealer and buy a 2024 Pacifica Touring for less? Secondly, nobody gets to skip out on the destination charge, so let’s call the price what it really is — $41,690 including freight.
If you’re doing the math, that’s $2,555 more than a 2024 Toyota Sienna LE, $1,795 more than a nicely equipped 2025 Kia Carnival LXS, and only $205 more than a Kia Carnival Hybrid, the latter of which will pay its own premium back after just a few fill-ups. Sure, second-row stow-and-go is incredibly practical, but is it worth this sort of premium on a van that dates back eight years if we’re talking start-of-production?
Don’t let any of this marketing hoopla distract you from the fact that the cheapest Chrysler minivan is now $350 more expensive than it was for the outgoing model year. Possibly the richest line in all of this is in the media release, stating “Chrysler remains committed to the minivan segment Stellantis created more than 40 years ago with a full minivan lineup for 2025.” That’s a whole lot of words to say that Chrysler only sells two vehicles and they’re technically the same damn vehicle. Come on, Stellantis. Chrysler deserves better.
(Photo credits: Chrysler)
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$2555 more than a Sienna? And they expect to sell more than ZERO? WTF?
They…already did this.
They have been selling the Voyager to the rental companies for years under the Chrysler moniker. You could only get used ones until now it sounds like. I imagine they are hoping the rental companies do not cross shop here I imagine.
What they should do is keep the Voyager around but make one as a replacement for the Ram C/V cargo van! Take out all the seats, rubber vinyl floor, bam! $32,995.
Not like all the tooling and such isn’t already paid for on a van that has been around for almost 10 years!
I own a 2012 Ram C/V that I use for my side hustle selling at specialty swap meets. It’s great for what I use it for – easy to drive / park, holds a ton of stuff (I get a lot of “did you really fit all that stuff in there?), and it was cheap to buy – I got it as a 3 year old off-lease from Enterprise with 25,000 miles for $13k.
I’d love to see them bring it back. With Ford killing the Transit Connect, Ram killing the Promaster, Nissan killing vans entirely, and Mercedes killing the Metris, there are no vans out there smaller than a full size Chevy Express or a Transit-type van. It feels like there is some room out there for a small/mid-size van, and even if it’s a small market, they are already 90% there,
It’s clear that the Stellantis doesn’t know what it’s doing and is idiotically clinging to the idea that they can continue to get COVID-shortage margins indefinitely.
I predict they will continue to have excess inventory problems until they get in touch with reality the hard way.
Lol was this announced specifically as a middle finger to the Chrysler descendant and his open letter to Stellantis?
Just ask Deadpool… you want the Kia Carnival.
Minivans are such a ripoff now, and I don’t even care about them. This is hilarious
While I think it’s crazy that you can’t spec out a cheaper one, I don’t think the current offerings are that poorly priced. I doubt you can price out a 3 row CUV or SUV for cheaper.
Honda and Toyota no, but some of the larger 3-row crossovers do start 2-3k less in their base trims, and can still edge out less when you match them closer for features. A Palisade SEL is a few hundred less, a Traverse LS maybe at least a grand less.
I just never thought I’d see a Toyota minivan with a base price thousands less than one from Chrysler.
Moreover the Sienna comes standard with the Hybrid. My uncle’s 2023 LE averages 28 MPG which is fantastic for a heavy minivan with a Braun conversion.
But you definitely feel it’s lacking on power versus the previous gen Sienna and the Pacifica/Voyager. The Sienna LE also feels super cheap inside. You really want to step up to an XLE to feel the same kind of amenities as the Voyager while keeping the great fuel economy, resale and reliability.
I’ve always liked the previous front end more. Great having it back.
No surprise from a company built on badge engineering- A few years back they marketed a “Lancia Voyager” minivan!
Does this one clunk like my 2017 Pacifica over bumps? I’m running out of suspension components to replace while trying to get rid of the clunk and the shopping cart wobble under certain conditions.
Check your strut nuts. Specifically the shock nut (the center nut that compresses the spring on the plate)
https://www.aa1car.com/library/strut_exploded_view.jpg
Especially if the struts are shared with lighter vehicles.
I had that exact same mystery clunk on my Mazda5 and it took quite a bit of sleuthing to finally discover the shock nut had backed off to be juuuust loose enough to unload the strut on compression such that it rattled while unloaded and banged on rebound. Annoying AF but super easy to fix once the culprit was identified.
At rest the nut might be under enough spring pressure to feel properly tourqued by touch. Best guess as to why is the strut is shared with the lighter Mazda 3 which compresses the spring less so torque that works for the 3 is a bit too low for the 5
It’s worth confirming the the nuts are torqued properly. Worst case you’ve eliminated another possibility with no monies spent and the only price a few minutes of your time. Best case you’ve fixed the problem with no monies spent and the only price a few minutes of your time.
The nuts were tight as of me replacing the strut mounts about a month ago. One of the weird design choices on the Pacifica is the relation of the driver’s side strut mount to a drain for the scuttle and the driver’s side wiper arm. They put a rubber cap on the strut mount to keep the water out,but if that cap comes off, the strut mount fills with water and deteriorates. That happened in my case, but while the new strut mount helped, it didn’t fix this particular issue.
OK, it was worth a shot.
I’m waiting for parts so I can do inner tie rods. With the struts themselves seemingly okay, they are the last components of the front end that I haven’t replaced yet.
Good luck!
If that doesn’t work maybe replace the struts. There might be something internal that you can’t see on inspection.
Possibly. My inspection consisted of jouncing the suspension and see if the spring motion was dampened. It was
Check your shocks, if they’re the cheap Monroe ones that can cause a hard to find clunk.
The struts and shocks are original, and at least the fronts were good when I inspected them when I recently replaced a rusted strut mount.
40k seems like a lot for the “let the kids beat the shit out of the interior” one.
Inflation..
Get better kids.
Inflation…
Too late, the return window already closed.
That’s more than 40K too.
As a child of the 90’s, it is hard to describe the school yard prestige that kids had if their parents had a nice minivan. When field trip time came around, there was a fierce battle to ride in a Town and Country, Villager or Safari rather instead of the lesser Camrys and Legacy Wagons that dominated the parental fleet.
10 years into #vanlife, the big three have managed to fumble a truly compelling offering in the mini-van segment. Stellantis, now is your time. This is a greenfield segment in the US for something truly awesome. There is white space for an offering that starts at $35k for fleets and runs to $75k for luxury livery.
A new Sienna starts at ~$37k, so it’s not far off. And even a base model is pretty well equipped. Odysseys used to start for about that price, but they dropped the base trim with the EX-L becoming the new base trim. And I don’t blame them; I know I’d much rather pay a few thousand more to get leather and the other goodies on the EX-L variant.
You will never, ever, ever find a new Sienna anywhere near 37k. The cheapest LE I can find is 42k, 100 miles away from here. And it’s basically bereft of any features you would want.
Maybe in other parts of the country discounts can be had, but you’re more likely to pay at or above MSRP for a Sienna around here.
You can keep your leather. I prefer mouse fur.
My uncle’s LE Sienna was $40K last year. The $37.5K MSRP doesn’t include shipping and handling so it ends up being $39K. And I assure you it’s not pretty well equipped.
Plastic steering wheel, small-ish screen, hard plastics everywhere and itchy seat fabric.
If I had to rent I’d probably pick up a Voyager for the better feeling interior, but step up to the XLE trim if I wanted to buy a Sienna. That’s $3K well spent over an Stellantis product
“Junk In The Frunk”, is that the same as “huge… tracts o’ land”?