We had the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan for one week. We wish it was longer. Here’s what we liked:
All of it.
Quick note: This post is sponsored by FCA US; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
We’re a DIY family and always have a project going—from design and pallets to tablescapes, decks, dog houses, and finished basements. And the daily life of the grocery store, shopping for gifts and drop-offs at the airport.
From a DIY standpoint, I had pallets in this bad boy minutes after Chrysler dropped it off for a project Theresa wants to kick-off asap. 45-inches x 45-inches stacked easily.
From bins and phone slots, on-ramp pick-up to the sensational Stow-N-Go seating to remote starting—to an on board vacuum…Supper-Swoon…this well-designed machine is a pleasure to operate and use alone or packed with family in all three seating rows. It’s more than driving. It’s about a machine built for the way we live.
It didn’t hurt that the key fob looked a little like an old school Star Trek phaser, which we set to ‘awesome’.
While we only had the Chrysler Pacifica for a week, I know from the zillion product reviews I’ve done from boots and gloves to drills and table saws that usually small things hint at the bigger story. Example: This porthole beats the blind spot. What a comfort! I used this window every time I turned onto my street.
The seats give ‘comfortable’ a new meaning.
Why? Because they are comfortable to sit in.Jack and Theresa loved them for scooting around town. They feel good driving. The Chrysler uConnect driver interface is awesome for heating—or venting—them. But I love them mainly because they fold so vastly out of the way that the Chrysler Pacifica is a stereotype-breaker. It truly puts the van in minivan.
The seats fold down easily. They fold down fast. The rear seats are push-button. It takes about 8-seconds for them to disappear, leaving a DIY family with the square footage needed for drywall, plywood, lumber, bulk gardening supplies like bark mulch—or in my case: All of it. Plus a ladder.
And, driving home from the home center, I did not notice the 400 or so pounds loaded in the back. So whether you’re working on your own place or helping a friend or family member, this good-looking minivan works. Something I’d happily recommend after this 7-day test drive.
Whether it’s sporting goods or groceries—paper officially beats plastic for our family—or whatever, the in-floor compartment the 3rd row seat stows into is one of my favorite features. I’d use this 39 times a week.
They shouldn’t sway your decision as much as engine performance, traction, and fog lights (the Chrysler Pacifica we drove comes with fog lights…swooning again), but the minivan comes with amble cup holding and storage. Well-designed. Easy access. Plenty of places to plug in a USB.
The brief evolution of the Chrysler Pacifica: 2007, crossover; a really nice car. 2017, good-bye Town & Country minivan, enter the low-profile, big action Pacifica minivan.
For men keeping their macho in tact, this isn’t a masulinity-screeding orb soccer sideline machine from the past. Stately color selections, tinted windows, 20-inch rims, and—most of all—a low-profile design that makes me question the term ‘minivan’.
The roof window is just enormous and terrific. I’d love to drive in the snow and see it slip-streaming over the car.
These are the little things that tell the bigger story. If the floor mats are dialed-in, it’s usually a sure bet the bigger stuff—powertrain, mileage, aerodynmaics, park-assist—have also been well-attended to. I wish we had the vehicle longer so I could get deeper into it.
I didn’t have time to play with the hands-free door opening system or park-assist or cruise control but I did have time to fall in love with the Stow-N-Go floor mats.
Jack-Approved!
By pressing the Lock and a Function, you can disable that Function. I managed to lock one of the passenger doors. Jack unlocked it by pressing the Function and the Unlock buttons at the same time. Also, this fob fits nicely in a drawer, pocket, wherever. Nice. Like the entire Pacifica experience.
