Theme Park and Beach Week Family Haulers: Pacifica, Durango, Grand Cherokee L and Grand Wagoneer

A family trip to Orlando, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head or the Gulf side of Florida has a predictable shape. Five or six hours on I-95, I-75 or I-4, a trunk full of strollers and beach chairs, kids who need something to watch by hour three, and a parking garage with narrow lanes at the end. The right vehicle is the one that handles the load, the long highway stretch and that last tight space without drama.

This comparison looks at five Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep family haulers. Prices are starting MSRP before the destination charge as listed in November 2026, and they change.

What a beach-and-park week actually requires

Seating gets the headlines, but cargo behind the last row decides the trip. A seven-seater with every seat in use may have room for little more than a couple of backpacks. The numbers below separate space behind the third row from space behind the second, because that gap is where packing arguments start.

Two other things matter more in the Southeast than elsewhere. Afternoon thunderstorms are routine in summer, so a wide sliding door or a power liftgate with adjustable opening height is a real comfort. And salt air along the coast is hard on exposed metal, so plan to rinse the underbody after beach days regardless of what you buy.

Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager: the packing and parking winners

Chrysler lists the 2027 Pacifica from $41,595 for the LX, with the Select at $43,645, Limited at $48,095 and Pinnacle at $54,910. Cargo space is 32.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 87.5 behind the second and 140.5 with both rows folded. The Stow 'n Go seats in the second and third rows fold into the floor on the LX, Select and Limited, which makes it the easiest of the group to turn from seven-seater into a cargo van.

Power sliding side doors are the big advantage in tight beach-town and theme-park lots, because the door opens without swinging into the next car. A power liftgate with adjustable opening height is standard on every trim. Seven people ride on every trim, and the Select can be had with eight-passenger seating for $695.

Screens are an add-on. The Theater Group, available on the Pinnacle for $1,395, adds seatback video screens, a Blu-ray player and Fire TV built in. The Family Tech Group, $1,395 on the Select or $1,895 on the Limited, adds a FamCam interior camera, a 115-volt outlet and a third-row USB port, but Chrysler does not list seatback screens in it.

The Voyager is a 2026 model priced from $41,395, with the same cargo numbers and seven seats. It is front-drive only, tows 1,500 pounds when equipped, and comes with three-zone automatic temperature control standard. Chrysler's 2027 announcement describes the Pacifica LX as the former Voyager, so check which one a dealer actually has.

Durango: the V8 with a tow rating

Dodge lists the 2027 Durango from $43,875 for the GT with the 5.7-liter V8, and all-wheel drive is standard. The third row is the tight spot: 17.2 cubic feet behind it, 43.3 behind the second row and 85.1 with both folded. That is about half of the Pacifica's space behind the last row, so a full load of people leaves little room for beach gear without a roof box.

What the Durango offers instead is towing. Dodge rates it at 7,200 pounds as standard and 8,700 with Tow 'n Go, useful for a boat or a camper for the week at the beach. Second-row captain's chairs are a $1,715 option on GT Plus and above. The EPA rating is 14 city and 22 highway for the 5.7-liter, and Dodge recommends mid-grade fuel.

Dodge's 2027 option list shows no factory rear-seat screen package for the Durango, so plan on tablets.

Grand Cherokee L and Grand Wagoneer: more room, more money

The Grand Cherokee L seats six or seven and starts at $41,730, which Jeep prices $2,000 above the two-row model on each shared trim. Cargo space is 17.2 cubic feet behind the third row, 46.9 behind the second and 84.6 with both folded. The Rear-Seat Entertainment Group, available on the Summit for $1,995, brings 10.1-inch rear screens and Fire TV. Summit itself starts at $63,130 in the L body, so the screens sit at the top of the range.

The Grand Wagoneer is the roomiest by a wide margin. It starts at $65,000, and the long-wheelbase L starts at $68,000. It holds 27.9 cubic feet behind the third row on the standard body and 42.6 on the L, with 70.8 behind the second row on the standard body. It seats seven or eight, with the eight-passenger package at $795. Three-zone temperature control is standard, and four-zone comes on the Summit. Rear screens are a $2,595 option on the Limited, Overland and Summit families, but not on the base trim.

The cost of that room is parking. The Grand Wagoneer is 216.1 inches long with a 40.2-foot turning circle, or 228.1 inches and 42.2 feet for the L.

Side by side

Range figures below are rough estimates worked out by multiplying tank size by the highway mpg rating. Real trips with luggage, hot-weather air conditioning and traffic on I-4 will come in lower.

Model	Starting MSRP	Seats	Behind 3rd row	Behind 2nd row	Fuel tank	Rough highway range
Pacifica (FWD)	$41,595	7 or 8	32.3 cu ft	87.5 cu ft	19 gal	About 530 miles at 28 mpg
Voyager	$41,395	7	32.3 cu ft	87.5 cu ft	19 gal	About 530 miles at 28 mpg
Durango	$43,875	Up to 7	17.2 cu ft	43.3 cu ft	24.6 gal	About 540 miles at 22 mpg
Grand Cherokee L (V6, 4WD)	$41,730	6 or 7	17.2 cu ft	46.9 cu ft	23 gal	About 575 miles at 25 mpg
Grand Wagoneer L (4x4)	$68,000	7 or 8	42.6 cu ft	n/a listed	30.5 gal	About 610 miles at 20 mpg

Picking by trip

For a family that mostly drives to the coast and parks in crowded lots, the Pacifica is the practical choice: the most space behind the third row for the money, sliding doors, and an optional screen package. Choose all-wheel drive only if you need it, since Chrysler rates it at 17 city and 25 highway against 19 and 28 for front-drive.

Pick the Durango or the Grand Cherokee L if you also want an SUV body and a tow rating, and accept less room behind the last row. Pick the Grand Wagoneer when seven or eight adults need space and luggage together, and the budget and parking can handle it.

Whichever you shortlist, check hurricane-season evacuation routes and tolls on your own route using official state sources before you go.