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nyt syndicate
Perhaps my deep-seated need to be helpful is a result of growing up in Minnesota. Certainly, crossovers and sport utility vehicles are the vehicles that families want. Minivans have lost their allure. My northern sensibility pines to tell you, however, that there's something magical about vans for making life easier.
Buy whatever you want as long as you're happy (we Minnesotans are nonjudgmental). But as a parent and someone who has driven more than 800 vehicles, I have a duty to share how supremely useful and roomy vans are for hauling the brood. Sliding doors don't ding other cars. Many minivans can haul full sheets of plywood, or maybe an ice-fishing house.
But my goodness, automakers hardly made them fashion-forward (looking at you, Odyssey and Quest). Chrysler's new Pacifica, on the other hand, is like the men of Lake Wobegon: good looking. A surprising number of people, lured by the style, queried me about it. Informed that it replaces the breadbox-inspired Town & Country minivan, one woman responded:"It's pretty. I'm glad it's not a van anymore."
It is indeed a van, and it does van things very well. The loaded Limited version I'm driving finds parking spots and guides itself in. Cross rails store in the roof rack, always ready for action. The van brakes automatically if something crosses your path while backing up. A built-in vacuum and kick-to-open tailgate and side doors are optional.
Only Chrysler vans get middle-row Stow 'n Go seats that tuck easily into the floor. When the seats are not in use, the cavity can hold toys and sports gear. And the chairs are more comfortable now. You can order seating for eight, but the extra seat is not Stow 'n Go.
That eight-seat setup makes the Pacifica supremely useful. Pacifica's powertrain is a 3.6-liter V6 with 287 horsepower connected to a 9-speed automatic. Seems as if Chrysler engineers finally got the transmission's calibration right. All-wheel drive is not offered. A plug-in hybrid Pacifica with an electric-only range of 30 miles is coming this fall. It eliminates the Stow 'n Go seating because the battery fills those wells.
The Pacifica moves briskly, even loaded with Duluthians. It's so quiet that parents can use a civilised tone when saying,"I don't care who started it, settle it between yourselves." Vehicles in this class are hardly sports cars, but Chrysler nailed the driving dynamics. The Pacifica's fuel efficiency is on the higher side for its class at an EPA rating of 18 city, 28 highway. I got 22 mpg.
An extra $2,000 buys adaptive cruise control and auto braking with pedestrian detection. I turned off the lane keep assist, which is unusually aggressive and distracting.
The cabin is handsome, and a blizzard of storage nooks and an elegant user interface help with organisation. The only amenity the middle row lacks is a fridge. An optional entertainment system has built-in games, including Sudoku, an easy brainteaser for your above-average children, right?
The middle-row seats don't need to be removed to get to the back, where two Paul Bunyan-size adults will fit comfortably, three for shorter distances ” a claim that few SUVs can make. Even so, eight small suitcases can be wedged behind the third row.
Even base models starting at less than $29,000 have the foldable seats, plenty of power and crisp design. The Pacifica gets its name from a crossover discontinued about 10 years ago, and the name change is appropriate for this impressive think-outside-the-box effort. It's perfect for families, Minnesotan or not.
