blacksmith
Well-known member
- Joined
- May 27, 2016
- Messages
- 89
Minivans are perfect for parents raising children. No other type of vehicle makes life easier quite like a minivan does, thanks to the handy sliding side doors, the roomy seating, and cargo carrying capabilities that not just rival but eclipse even the largest of SUVs.
The problem is that minivans typically supply as much style as the box on wheels that they are, and when you’re run ragged by kids, commutes, and crazy schedules, you just don’t want to drive something that looks the way you feel. Drab. Exhausted. A shell of your former vibrant and effervescent self.
Fear not, fellow mommies and daddies. Chrysler understands, and given that it created the minivan back in the early 1980s, it ought to. Granted, during the past decade Chrysler did little to change perceptions of the boring, soulless minivan, foisting upon us the uncompetitive snoozefest that was the Town & Country. But now, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has arrived, and it is terrific.
With family visiting from out of town, I figured the time was right to put the Pacifica to the test. For most of hundreds of miles spent covering ground from San Diego to Santa Barbara, I had people placed into each of the three rows of seats. There were runs to the beach. Runs to the airport. Runs to college campus tours. Runs to California theme parks and museums. And the new Pacifica took it all in stride, making a hectic week so much easier.
Design: 8.7 rating
Kia’s Sedona remains my favorite minivan from a design standpoint, both inside and out, but the Chrysler Pacifica is a close second. It has genuine style, especially when loaded up in Limited trim like my test vehicle ($47,280 as tested, including the $995 destination charge).
While sitting at the local car wash, getting the Pacifica spruced up for a photo shoot, a Toyota Sienna Limited painted a nearly identical color was parked right behind the Chrysler, nose to tail, clearly underscoring just how stylish the Chrysler really is. From the shapely curves and creases to the upswept rear windows and wraparound back glass and taillight elements, the Pacifica is an appealing minivan. The Limited’s 20-inch aluminum wheels look terrific, too. I’m not a fan of the downward curve connecting the profile character line to the rear bumper, but otherwise I think Chrysler nailed the exterior design.
The problem is that minivans typically supply as much style as the box on wheels that they are, and when you’re run ragged by kids, commutes, and crazy schedules, you just don’t want to drive something that looks the way you feel. Drab. Exhausted. A shell of your former vibrant and effervescent self.
Fear not, fellow mommies and daddies. Chrysler understands, and given that it created the minivan back in the early 1980s, it ought to. Granted, during the past decade Chrysler did little to change perceptions of the boring, soulless minivan, foisting upon us the uncompetitive snoozefest that was the Town & Country. But now, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has arrived, and it is terrific.
With family visiting from out of town, I figured the time was right to put the Pacifica to the test. For most of hundreds of miles spent covering ground from San Diego to Santa Barbara, I had people placed into each of the three rows of seats. There were runs to the beach. Runs to the airport. Runs to college campus tours. Runs to California theme parks and museums. And the new Pacifica took it all in stride, making a hectic week so much easier.
Design: 8.7 rating
Kia’s Sedona remains my favorite minivan from a design standpoint, both inside and out, but the Chrysler Pacifica is a close second. It has genuine style, especially when loaded up in Limited trim like my test vehicle ($47,280 as tested, including the $995 destination charge).
While sitting at the local car wash, getting the Pacifica spruced up for a photo shoot, a Toyota Sienna Limited painted a nearly identical color was parked right behind the Chrysler, nose to tail, clearly underscoring just how stylish the Chrysler really is. From the shapely curves and creases to the upswept rear windows and wraparound back glass and taillight elements, the Pacifica is an appealing minivan. The Limited’s 20-inch aluminum wheels look terrific, too. I’m not a fan of the downward curve connecting the profile character line to the rear bumper, but otherwise I think Chrysler nailed the exterior design.