2023 Chrysler Voyager

The Chrysler Voyager name wasn't new when it reappeared in the USA after a four-year hiatus as a 2020 model; it is essentially a Pacifica with fewer features and older exterior styling and fewer features. With the starting price of the 2023 Chrysler Voyager pegged at just over $35k, only the Kia Carnival offers a cheaper entry into the minivan club. The Voyager is a simple, pared-back package without bells and whistles, focused on getting the job done with minimal fuss. There is a single LX trim in the range, and it's powered by an old-school naturally aspirated V6 gas engine with 287 horsepower. At one point, millions of minivans plied US roads, but today, they have fallen out of fashion in favor of crossovers and SUVs, so the only Voyager rivals left are the Kia Carnival, Honda Odyssey, Toyota Sienna, and the Voyager's in-house sibling, the Pacifica. Since last year, the car has only been available to fleet buyers, so the Chrysler Voyager minivan we review here isn't sold to the general public anymore.

The Chrysler Voyager LX's MSRP is $35,495. To put it into perspective, the cheapest Pacifica touring trim will cost nearly $2,000 more and the Kia Carnival LX just over $1,000 less. This price is exclusive of the $1,595 destination charge.

Minivans aren't built to handle like sports cars and so it proves with the Voyager. That said, it bowls along nicely, with well-damped suspension and a comfortable ride, it just doesn't offer any excitement with its lack of steering feedback, soft brake pedal, and generally top-heavy feel typical of a minivan. It will hang on gamely if you tackle a corner, but it's not made for that and feels out of sorts indulging in such antics. Settle into a cruise at the speed limit and you find what it's all about, as it can transport a full complement of passengers in comfort from point A to point B - the very reason for its existence. The engine won't set the drag strip on fire and is probably more than adequate for its intended use, being kept nicely in its usable powerband by the nine-speed automatic transmission.

The Voyager is probably best at what a minivan should be for the typical fleet buyer - a versatile, practical, and comfortable people mover with lots of space and few frills. The Kia Carnival, with its SUV looks and more modern design, might clinch it for a private buyer, but its small third row and fixed second-row seats will see the Chrysler pull ahead for hard-working fleet duty at an unbeatable price. Better get your order in, because soon the Voyager will be discontinued, and then you'll have to go for the more expensive Pacifica, or a rival.

There's a single trim and it's devoid of features, so we'd consider at least adding the Safety and Premium Group package to equip ours with the minimum number of driver assists that we'll need to make moving people around a little bit more stress-free and safer. Other than that, the Voyager should be left as is to make the most of its value proposition.