National Park Road Trips in a Pacifica, Durango, Grand Cherokee L or Wagoneer

A western park trip is mostly driving. A loop through Utah's Mighty Five, the Grand Canyon and Monument Valley can mean long empty stretches between fuel stops. A California run to Yosemite and Sequoia adds mountain grades and crowded parking. Farther north, Yellowstone, Glacier and Olympic mean long two-lane stretches through Montana, Wyoming and Washington, with fuel and chargers far apart. The right family vehicle is the one that carries everyone and their gear, goes far between stops, and handles the last few miles of dirt without drama.

Six family haulers from Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep are compared here. All figures are 2027 manufacturer specs, and prices are starting MSRP before destination, which changes.

Seating and cargo

Space behind the last row decides how many bags fit when everyone is aboard.

• Chrysler Pacifica: seats seven or eight, with 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 87.5 behind the second and up to 140.5 with both rows folded. Starts at $41,595.
• Chrysler Voyager: seven seats with Stow 'n Go in the second and third rows and the same 32.3 and 140.5 cubic-foot figures. Starts at $41,395.
• Dodge Durango: five to seven seats, with only 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row but 85.1 with the seats folded. Starts at $43,875.
• Jeep Grand Cherokee L: six or seven seats, 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.9 behind the second and 84.6 behind the first. Starts at $41,730.
• Jeep Grand Wagoneer: seven or eight seats. The standard body has 27.9 cubic feet behind the third row, and the long-wheelbase L version has 42.6. Starts at $65,000, or $68,000 for the L.
• Jeep Wagoneer S: an electric five-seater with 30.6 cubic feet behind the second row and 3.0 in a front trunk. Starts at $65,200.

The minivans win on usable space for a family of five or more. A third row in the Durango or Grand Cherokee L is fine for kids, but luggage will need a roof box or a trailer. The Grand Wagoneer L is the only SUV here that fits real bags behind the third row.

Fuel, range and charging

Distances matter more here than anywhere else in the country. The estimates below are rough numbers worked out by multiplying each tank by its highway mpg rating. They are not official range figures, and loaded roof boxes, hills and speed will lower them.

Vehicle	Tank	Highway mpg	Rough range estimate
Pacifica FWD	19 gal	28	about 530 miles
Pacifica AWD	19 gal	25	about 475 miles
Durango (5.7L HEMI)	24.6 gal	22	about 540 miles
Grand Cherokee L (4WD)	23 gal	25	about 575 miles
Grand Wagoneer (4x4)	26.5 gal	21	about 555 miles
Wagoneer S	n/a	n/a	294 miles (EPA)

Chrysler itself quotes up to 532 miles of highway range for the Voyager. The Pacifica uses the same engine and tank. For 2027 the Pacifica is gas only, since the plug-in hybrid was a 2026 model.

The Wagoneer S is the only electric option. Jeep says a 20 to 80 percent DC fast charge takes about 23 minutes, which suits a trip along an interstate. Remote park lodging and gateway towns may have no fast charger, so plan the route around chargers rather than hoping for them.

All-wheel drive and what it is for

Park trips seldom need serious four-wheel drive. They do reward traction on wet roads, snow in the high country and loose gravel. The Pacifica offers all-wheel drive on Select, Limited and Pinnacle, while the Voyager is front-drive only. The Durango has standard AWD. The Grand Cherokee offers 4x4 as an option on most trims and standard on Limited Reserve, Summit and Trailhawk. The Grand Wagoneer comes in 4x4 or, on the base trim, 2WD.

Note that the Trailhawk is offered only as the two-row Grand Cherokee, not the L.

Gravel park roads and ground clearance

Many of the best viewpoints and trailheads sit on unpaved roads, from the dirt approaches around Canyonlands and Capitol Reef to gravel routes in Death Valley. Most are fine for a car at low speed when dry, but washboard, ruts and loose rock are easier with more height under the vehicle.

Here is what the manufacturers list.

• Pacifica: 5.1 inches (FWD) or 5.4 inches (AWD)
• Voyager: 5.1 inches
• Wagoneer S: 6.4 inches
• Grand Wagoneer: 7.4 inches, or 10.1 inches with air suspension in Off Road 2
• Durango: 7.8 to 8.0 inches
• Grand Cherokee L: 8.5 inches, or up to 10.9 inches with air suspension

A minivan can handle a well-graded gravel road slowly, but it is the vehicle to leave on the pavement when a road turns rough. The Grand Cherokee and Grand Wagoneer with air suspension have the most flexibility. The air-suspension Grand Wagoneer comes standard on Upland ($74,100).

Monsoon season brings flash floods to canyon country, so check conditions before driving a dirt road or entering a wash. Park rangers can tell you more than any spec sheet.

Driver-assist features

Long days are tiring, and the assistance that is standard on each vehicle varies.

• Voyager LX lists blind spot monitoring, rear cross path detection, full-speed forward collision warning with active braking and pedestrian emergency braking as standard.
• Pacifica offers the Safety Sphere package ($1,715 on Select and $495 on Limited) with a 360-degree surround-view camera, front and rear park assist and a turn-signal blind spot view.
• Durango adds adaptive cruise control with forward collision warning on GT Plus ($47,475). GT Premium ($50,475) lists lane departure warning plus and blind spot monitoring.
• Grand Cherokee includes adaptive cruise control, Active Lane Management, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection and blind spot monitoring on the base Laredo. Laredo Altitude adds Active Drive Assist. Advanced ProTech Group IV ($495 on Summit) adds night vision with pedestrian and animal detection, which suits dusk drives when wildlife is on the road.
• Grand Wagoneer lists a 360-degree camera on Overland, and night vision is available.

Assist features are an aid, not a substitute for attention on a long drive.

Which one for which trip

For two parents, three kids and a lot of bags, the Pacifica (or the lower-priced Voyager) remains the efficient choice, and the Select with AWD is the one to look at for mountain trips. For a family that wants a bit more height and some towing ability, the Grand Cherokee L is the strongest all-rounder. The Durango suits buyers who want V8 power and a tow rating, though it is tight for luggage with the third row up.

The Grand Wagoneer is the biggest and most expensive option. It makes sense for large groups, and the Wagoneer S is for those who plan their charging carefully.