Pacifica

From Mopedia

Review: 2007 Chrysler Pacifica AWD by Geoff Gariepy 24-AUG-2007

Introduced for the 2004 model year, the Pacifica was the Chrysler brand's first entry into the crossover SUV category. Labeled by Chrysler as a "Sports Tourer", it is really a rebodied Chrysler minivan with SUV pretensions.

Pacificas were originally offered with Chrysler's excellent 3.5L V6 engine producing 250HP. Later, the 3.8L engine from the Chrysler minivan at 200HP was also introduced. With the upcoming upgrade to its minivan siblings, the 2007 version of the Pacifica now offers a 253HP 4.0L V6 (@6000 RPM, 262lb-ft peak torque@4200RPM) with six-speed AutoStick transmission.

I recently accepted the keys to my 2007 AWD Touring model in Cognac Crystal Pearl Coat from the Thrifty rental clerk at Denver International Airport in Colorado, and pointed its nose towards Colorado Springs on I-470. With an approximate MSRP price of $28,060, this 29S-package vehicle was equipped with the 4.0L V6 and six-speed automatic transmission drivetrain combination, and a leather trimmed interior in Light Greystone. Standard on all Pacificas is Chrysler's Electronic Stability Program (ESP) which attempts to maximize the available road friction in adverse conditions. The interior amenities included Sirius satellite radio, automatic climate control, 10-way power adjustable driver's seat and 8-way adjustable front passenger seat, rear air conditioning and cupholders up the wazoo. Also present were the convenient Homelink(TM) built-in garage door opener feature, and an overhead console cubby for sunglasses. The center console provided cupholders which were adequate for pop cans and bottles but too small for large bottles of water.

After a few tense moments backing this whopper out of the rental car parking lot while peering through a gunslit rear window, I entered the expressway and slapped the throttle down to the floormat. The six speed transmission snapped quickly through the first four gears, and then held fifth gear until I let off at 90MPH. Acceleration was adequate and roughly comparable to a 3.8L long wheelbase minivan. As I navigated my way through the Colorado night at super-legal speeds, the Pacifica responded well to brake and steering inputs, although the brakes seemed very grabby at first until I grew used to them.

Immediately familiar were all of the standard driver controls. Apparently, some of the switchgear was lifted from the previous (WJ) version of the Jeep Grand Cherokee, since it shared the same exact layout of the lighting controls on the turn signal stalk, and wiper controls on a separate stalk at the three-o'clock position. The rear view mirrors were readily adjustable using the familiar four-way switch mounted on the driver's door, near where the power seats controls were also found. Power window controls featured automatic down and up travel -- unusual but handy -- and the brake and accelerator pedals were located precisely where you would expect. The remote keyless entry fob is integrated into the ignition key, and, oddly, included a button for an automatic tailgate power opener that was not actually installed on the vehicle.

More complicated, and needlessly so, was the automatic climate control. Determining how to set the driver's side temperature was fairly intuitive, as were the settings for the automatic fan speed control. Far less intuitive was configuring the passenger side temperature versus the rear air temperature. To be honest, I'm not sure I figured that out after living with the vehicle for a full working week.

One other unfortunate control design aspect was the placement of the cruise control switches on the steering wheel. Although they conform to the standard Chrysler layout, which places the on/off and set switches on the left side steering wheel spoke, and the accel/resume, cancel and decel switches on the right, the actual shape and position of the switches themselves make them nearly impossible to find and use in the dark. One nice feature about the speed control is that the display near the odometer reads, separately, "cruise" and "set" -- the former to indicate that the system is powered on, and the latter to indicate that it is operating at a preset speed. However, during a passing attempt on a hill, I noticed an odd behavior: the electronically-actuated throttle did not respond to the first half of its travel while the cruise control was engaged. With traditional throttles, the accelerator pedal goes towards the floormat when the system engages, so when you depress it further from its resting position, you get an immediate increase in power. The electronic throttle lacks this feedback -- it's resting position is the same whether the car is parked or set to cruise at 80MPH. So when you step on the gas to accelerate, you apparently have to go through some "dead travel" with the pedal until the computer decides that you want more power.

As seems to be more and more common among current Chrysler products, the ignition key is mounted on the dash, forsaking the more usual position on the steering column. Although aesthetically pleasing in its placement, it suffers from a delayed reaction to a full twist of the key to the start position, which quite honestly seems unnecessary and poorly designed.

Short trips back and forth between the hotel and office revealed the Pacifica to be a perfectly reasonable commuter vehicle, although it's quite apparent heft and bulk do require a bit of getting used to, especially when backing into or out of a parking space. The rear window is entirely too small, or the rear end is entirely too large, take your pick, for safe backing up.

The EPA estimates the Pacifica at 16MPG City/24MPG Highway. I observed approximately 18MPG in mixed highway and city driving. My vehicle had approximately 13,000 miles showing on the odometer after six months of service, so I assume its engine was completely broken in. (3.8L FWD versions are rated at 18 City/25 Highway.)

The front and second rows of seats are both comfortable and supportive. The third and rearmost row of seats, however, is best left folded flat into the cargo carrying position. These rearmost seats are both difficult to enter and egress despite the fold and tumble feature of the second row seats. As a further disincentive to using the third row of seats, there is inadequate head room for all but the shortest adults. Pacifica's third row is pointless unless you're hauling children.

On the third day I had the vehicle, I made an impromptu trip to the top of Pike's Peak via the highway route. If you're not familiar with Pike's Peak, it is said to be the most visited mountain summit in the United States. It scrapes the sky at 14,110 feet, making the drive is a significant challenge for any vehicle upwards or downwards, and so it seemed an excellent test for this crossover sport utility vehicle.

In short, the Pacifica acquitted itself fairly well on the drive, however there was one important issue that I have to complain about. The folks that maintain the highway recommend that you use second and third gears in the upbound direction, and first and second gears in the downward direction. Although it is possible to accelerate the Pacifica to over 35MPH while holding first gear using the AutoStick, you cannot force a downshift back into first from second gear unless you are moving well below 10MPH. In other words, for a steep downhill descent, you are forced to use the brakes to decelerate immediately before entering a slow hairpin curve, since second gear doesn't have enough compression braking, and first gear is unavailable. Given that you can travel at 35MPH without overspeeding the engine in first gear, this is unreasonable. On those rare occasions in which I actually did manage to re-engage first gear without coming to a complete stop, the downshift sent a shudder through the entire driveline, causing the car to buck almost violently. As mentioned before, on ordinary highways the six speed's shifts are smooth if not indistinguishable, and work reasonably well to keep the 4.0L six near the meaty part of its powerband during hard acceleration. Pike's Peak is an extreme test, however a significant portion of North America is hilly and mountainous, so I would have expected better performance from the transmission than I received.

Even without the availability of first gear at all times, the Pacifica accelerated adequately in second gear at high (over 10,000 feet) elevations, although it required wide open throttle on some of the steeper portions. Had there been additional adults in the car, they might have had to either satisfy themselves with a much slower ride up, or be subject to the noise resulting from being locked into first gear because giving in and upshifting to second meant first wouldn't be readily available again. Incidentally, heavy use of first gear resulted in relatively high fuel consumption for the ~40 mile trip of roughly 3/8ths of a tank.

Incredibly, from a handling and braking perspective, the 4,700lb Pacifica couldn't have dealt with the mountain any better. After a spirited romp halfway back down, there is a mandatory stop where a park ranger performs a brake temperature check using a pyrometer. With judicious use of first gear, and use of the brakes only as necessary, my front rotors checked in at 97C, which elicited a look of pleasant surprise from the ranger. The Pacifica handled the hairpin curves with confidence unexpected in a vehicle this wide, and one never worried much about driving over the unguarded edge of the road even in the presence of opposing traffic. The ESP did kick in momentarily during a velocity soaked 90-degree turn in the upbound direction which transitioned unexpectedly to a washboarded surface, however it's nannying influence was not noted during the entire rest of the trip.

As far as engine serviceability is concerned, Pacifica is rather less than outstanding in the category. The 4.0L V6 is shrouded by an enormous engine cover. It is easily removed, however. Access to accessory drive belts appears to be difficult but not impossible from above, as is the case with the Chrysler minivans. Fortunately, the dipsticks for the engine oil and transmission fluid are easily accessible, and it would appear that at least a routine oil change is well within the capabilities of the average do-it-yourselfer. Frankly, it was perhaps the least attractive, least interesting engine compartment I have ever peered under a hood to see; perhaps this is simply due to Chrysler's intended target market for the machine.

The styling of the Pacifica is clearly a love it or hate it matter. To my eye, it looks more like an enormous station wagon than an SUV, although its roofline is very close to being the same height as a Jeep Grand Cherokee's in the rear. The rear window is much too small as mentioned previously, although outward visibility is generally good otherwise. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that the driver does not sit as high up as the driver of a minivan, which means that your view on the roadway ahead is much more like that of a typical sedan than an SUV. This is not nearly as commanding a position as the overall bulk of the vehicle would suggest, and it becomes almost inexcusable when one considers the approximately 4,700 pound curb weight that's part of the deal. Why should a station wagon weigh in at well over two tons?

In the end, all vehicles are designed to appeal to specific segments of the market. The wise manufacturer hopes to address a niche that is under-served by the competition. Pacifica is clearly oriented towards people who otherwise would be buying minivans, but don't like the negative stigma associated with those vehicles. In my opinion, a minivan is an infinitely more practical vehicle, offering similar performance at a much lower curb weight with better fuel economy, better interior space, a better driver's seating position, and a somewhat lower cost depending on equipment. Pacifica is a comfortable vehicle with a semi-luxurious interior. It seems to be reasonably well built and fairly priced and offers acceptable performance. However, as a people hauler a minivan clearly outpaces the Pacifica, and there are certainly SUVs with far more capable drivetrains and off-road capability. As a compromise between the two, Pacifica fails to impress on either of these two tasks. If you need a minivan, get one. If you need an SUV, get one. If you need neither, but don't want a car, perhaps the Pacifica is the vehicle for you.