2017 Town 'n 'Cifica...err Pacifica

[vi edit]

Not bad Chrysler. Not bad at all.

http://www.autoblog.com/2016/01/11/2017-chrysler-pacifica-minivan-detroit-official/

My wallet puckered up thinking how stupid expensive the hybrid version is going to be. Will we see a $50,000 minivan? If they can keep the price somehow in control...these things should do well.

Looks great. Hybrid drivetrain gets you 30 miles of around town scooting. Perfect for daily grind where vans really get brutal economy. And they hit it on the bells and whistles and creature features.

 

[PottedMeat]

Will we see a $50,000 minivan?

heh an odyssey with all the options is like ~$45k+... almost there

Why it chose to bring back the name of a lackluster part of its mid-2000s history, though, is anyone's guess.

was the pacifica a popular name or something? all i remember was that it was weird lookin'

 

[Dice144]

Wow, it does look nice inside. Maybe I am getting old...

 

[Demo24]

Yeah I'm pretty impressed with it. Checked off basically every box it needed to, to be refreshed and competitive again. Not a huge fan of the corporate face on it, but the rest is nice. Curious to see what kind of MPG ratings it gets.

The handsfree door opening is a rather good idea.

 

[nakedfrog]

As soon as I saw the title, I was thinking "The Pacifica is still around? But why?"


20" $@#%ing wheels?

 

[ElFenix]

phev with 30 miles range probably would have covered 98% of the trips my mom ever used her minivans for.

20" $@#%ing wheels?

cuz venzas, arcadias, highlanders, and other minivans pretending to be SUVs have them.

 

[vi edit]

The Pacifica really sort of started the plus sized crossover craze back in the mid 2000's. It's name is associated with crossover and according to Chrysler it also has the image of being an "upscale" vehicle that has "particular pricing brackets". They also really wanted to de-associate with the Town & Country name. Minivans are sooooooo uncool. They want to rebrand.

Hybrid versions appear to come with 17" wheels with an option for 18". That's fairly standard any more. One thing that sort of sucks is the battery packs displace the stow and go seating spaces. Can't fold them into the floor with the hybrid.

 

[Pocatello]

I'm impressed with how much this van can carry with the seats fold down flat. Americans are crazy for SUVs, but minivans make much more sense to me, or station wagons.

 

[monkeydelmagico]

Kept the stow and go. Good call. Looks fine, seems really low to the ground for how long it is. Big rims suck on a minivan, just added cost and NVH.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Meh, it looks like every other minivan.

 

[Beer4Me]

It's a Chrysler...

 

[SSSnail]

It will sell well, in communist China.

 

[thomsbrain]

The plug-in hybrid is a great feature. If you think about it, minivans are THE target audience for that kind of powertrain. Lots of short trips through the day, all city, lots of idling time running the A/C outside schools or soccer practice, frequently parked at home or the shopping mall (most have chargers these days). Still ready to do road trips to Disneyland.

The only caveat is are Chrysler buyers the same as hybrid buyers? Because most people who would specifically want a hybrid wouldn't be caught dead in a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product, and most people who would want an Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product wouldn't be caught dead in anything with an electric motor. If Toyota or Honda built it, people would be fighting over them.

 

[NutBucket]

Kept the stow and go. Good call.

Does anyone else find the stow and go seats quite uncomfortable? Seems to to keep the seats thin and collapsible then really had to skimp on comfort.

 

[djnsmith7]

I'm not a fan of Chrysler products. Had a Cirrus years ago & it wasn't a remarkable vehicle.

I'm shocked that I like the overall aesthetics of this vehicle. Looks like they're really trying to step up their game.

thomsbrain, I agree with your sentiments regarding the average hybrid buyer. Most wouldn't go near a Chrysler product. I wonder if this vehicle will change some of those opinions.

 

[SparkyJJO]

FWIW my parents had a 2006 Pacifica and it was not a bad vehicle at all. Mostly trouble free aside from a couple fairly minor things.

 

[nerp]

My 2012 Dodge has been the most reliable car I've ever owned. This looks pretty damn sweet. The MPG in Hybrid mode looks impressive.

 

[vi edit]

Does anyone else find the stow and go seats quite uncomfortable? Seems to to keep the seats thin and collapsible then really had to skimp on comfort.

Eh...with minivans half the time it's kids in carseats, the other half it's kids sedated by ipads or cartoons on the overhead screens. Either way they don't give a shit about comfort. Have you seen the awkward positions that kids can fall asleep? Comfort is not a big deal to kids and when Mom or Dad can shove half a locker room worth of crap into the space where the seats would fold it's even bigger of a win.

 

[The J]

The only caveat is are Chrysler buyers the same as hybrid buyers? Because most people who would specifically want a hybrid wouldn't be caught dead in a Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product, and most people who would want an Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep product wouldn't be caught dead in anything with an electric motor. If Toyota or Honda built it, people would be fighting over them.

I'd be interested in seeing this hybrid powertrain in the 200 (C AWD), but I'm odd.

 

[CA19100]

It's still a Chrysler. Never again will I buy one of their unreliable products.

 

[Kaido]

That's pretty awesome. 30 electric miles plus a 287 HP engine, removable back seats, good entertainment system, and luxury driver's area. Throw in AWD & I'd buy one

 

[Kaido]

Actually, they need to pull a page from Tesla & make the chassis of the car out of batteries. No reason why you shouldn't utilize that enormous floor space, especially with how tippy minivans are - it'd give it some additional stability by keeping the center of gravity lower, not to mention way better electric range.

 

[NutBucket]

Eh...with minivans half the time it's kids in carseats, the other half it's kids sedated by ipads or cartoons on the overhead screens. Either way they don't give a shit about comfort. Have you seen the awkward positions that kids can fall asleep? Comfort is not a big deal to kids and when Mom or Dad can shove half a locker room worth of crap into the space where the seats would fold it's even bigger of a win.

That's a proper seat!

 

[Kaido]

That's a proper seat!

They have those in the redesigned Kia Sedona too...I took a nap in one at the dealership once

 

[NutBucket]

Exactly. I guess I'm in the minority that would rather remove a comfortable seat then simply stow an uncomfortable one...at least for the middle row.