2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited: Will a minivan save Chrysler’s bacon — again?
Price: $47,480 as tested (the Limited trim starts at $42,495, plus $1,995 for Advanced SafetyTec Group and the same for UConnect Theater Package)
Marketer’s pitch: “Street Smart” with Jim Gaffigan. Mr. Driver’s Seat thinks he’s funny.
Conventional wisdom: A minivan? How boring.
Reality: A change in the family unit.
Family time: Mr. Driver’s Seat, Mrs. Passenger Seat and Sturgis Kid 4.0 had the chance to cross Pennsylvania in some new family-oriented vehicles. This week we look at the Chrysler Pacifica minivan, and next week, the Mazda CX-9 crossover.
What’s new: Everything. FiatChrysler has introduced the Pacifica as a new version of the practical-as-Dad, gets-no-respect minivan.
Surprisingly, many people I talked to still remember the 2004-2006 Pacifica, the strange-looking three-row wagon that never hit it big, being not an SUV or crossover. Chrysler is probably less than pleased to hear that.
Outside: The vehicle looks a little sportier and lower-to-the-ground than the Sturgis Family Sienna; the front-end styling borrows heavily from the Dart-200 look.
Inside: This is what the minivan is all about, and the Pacifica has plusses and minuses.
The seats appear luxurious and inviting in their cocoa brown leather trim. But upon further review, Mr. Driver’s Seat and the passengers find they’re the kind of seats one sits ON, not IN. Even the 2011 Sienna’s cloth seats offer more softness. They’re also a bit on the small side, as minivan seats tend to be.
Still, comfort felt premium. We crossed the state for a total of 500 miles of driving, and not a wince was expressed among Mr. Driver’s Seat, Mrs. Passenger Seat and Sturgis Kid 4.0.
Up to speed: The Pacifica’s 3.6-liter V-6 engine creates a strong 287 horsepower, and that provided about as much motivation as the Sturgis Family Sienna, which I’d say is quite a bit. I had no problems with pulling out or keeping up with traffic, even over the Alleghenies.
Shifty: The nine-speed automatic transmission was a paradox: It was so quiet and smooth that I could not tell what gear it was in, so I couldn’t judge how much force to use on the accelerator at some points. When I left it in cruise control, it handled itself with great aplomb.
The dial control takes some adjustment, and I’ve grown to like it just fine, but the first manufacturer to offer a truly shiftable transmission in a minivan will win my undying devotion.
On the road: The steering feels loose — no sporty touches at all — but not vague. I knew where the Pacifica would head. Unfortunately, serious understeer meant it wasn’t heading into a turn as far as I hoped at all times. But we got used to each other.
Smooth is the word of the day here, though. The ride absorbed many of the smaller bumps and fissures.
Friends and stuff: Converting the seats to “stuff” mode could hardly be easier. A button collapses the third row into the floor. The middle row captain’s chairs require a bit more effort — including sliding the front seats all the way forward — but are in no way difficult. Total cargo capacity behind the second row is 140.5 cubic feet, slightly less than the Sienna’s 150.
When the middle row seats are upright, a pair of cubbies allows for extra storage under the floor.
Play some tunes: The sound system provided excellent full range audio. A-plus, among the best I’ve heard in a long time. Operation is standard Chrysler fare, which I find user friendly.
Fuel economy: I averaged 24 mpg in a lot of long trips. It fell to 22 for some of the shorter trips, but both are good numbers for a minivan. I can’t wait to try a hybrid when they come out.
Where it’s built: Windsor, Ontario
How it’s built: Consumer Reports doesn’t have a lot of data on this model but predicts its reliability will be fair. Note that the Town and Country is built there and its reliability has been “black dots all across the reliability scores,” according to my review of the 2014 T&C.
In the end: It appears FiatChrysler has given the American family a strong contender for the next minivan.
Next week: The 2016 Mazda CX-9.
Scott Sturgis, a freelance auto writer, can be reached at mrdriversseat@gmail.com.
First Published: September 16, 2016, 4:00 a.m.
