"Pacifica alters transportation trends for families"

"Under the hood is a version of the tried-and-true 3.5-liter V-6 engine. This capable engine produces 250 horsepower and 250 foot-pounds of torque, establishing the Pacifica as a vehicle that can have the power to pass slower-moving vehicles as well as cruise up those torturous mountain passes. Combining this V-6 with the four-speed automatic transmission that is equipped with AutoStick manual shifting mode adds sport to this sport tourer."

This doesn't sound like the 2004 Pacifica we had for 2 years. It was a very nice car but it was a tank- the 250hpV6 was very weak for the car. Passing and going up inclines is not as easy with this car as the writer would have you believe. I liked the car though but we ended up getting a Town and Country after the lease was up. The main reason we didn't keep the Pacifica was because we had another child and with 2 car seats strapped to the middle seats you could not access the third row because there is a console between the bucket seats.

Scott

Except for a superior suspension the Pacifica has less to offer than most minivans.

and mine is in the shop all the time

I was thinking the same thing.

IMO, the 3.5 is noisy and unrefined. It isn't quick in my M so I assume it isn't good in the Pacifica either. Too bad because I liked the Pacifica.

What possible vehicle could the writer have owned to make such a remark?

Quite a lot of auto reviewers do not disclose what assistance they are getting from the factory. Try for example just calling up an auto company and telling them your writing a review and you want to take one of their primo models out to the racetrack for a day to test drive it, and see what they say.

The way it works in the industry is the auto companies call up writer X and say "we have a new model we throught you might like to review" they then show up a week later at the front door of the writer, give him a vehicle they have had ample time to "prep" then come back a week later to retrieve the car and hand him a diskette with a prewritten review on it, that he can use for "assistance" in writing his review.

If he's a lazy-ass he can have a review generated in minutes on his computer and then send it in to his editor, and walk off with a cool $500 or so for his 5 minutes of time. Plus he's got the use of a car, which he pays no gas for. Plus he's got anything else he has a mind to ask the factory for. Tickets for sporting events, you name it. And it's not like the editors of these publications don't know what's going on either.

Take a good look at the advertisers of most road and track type of magazines. Then look at the good reviews. Note any coorelations. You will figure it out eventually.

Ted

I don't know what 3.5 YOU are driving, but even my first-gen iron block

3.5 is a wonderful powerplant. If anything, the 2nd-gen has too "dead" of an exhaust note in the rental Magnums I've had. I'd like a little more melodic sound than too much muffling.

As for the Pacifica, though, they need to get over it. Its JUST a stinkin' minivan with normal doors (in other words, a breadbox on wheels) and not even a real normal-height wagon like the Magnum. Its a step in the right direction but doesn't go near far enough. The Magnum is a much better vehicle. The CG of the Pacifica couldn't be more than an inch lower than the CG of a Caravan. That "German sports car" in the article must have been a clapped-out Karmann Ghia! :-)

this person obviously didn't try using the third row seats, otherwise they would not be praising the vehicle so much. The third row seat is unusable by adults. If you need cargo and passenger capacity, the mini-van is the way to go.

---------------- Alex

Wow, that brings back memories? Isn't it amazing some of the crap that got sold. The other day I saw a VW Thing. Remember those?

I've heard the Pacifica reviewed as having the worse features of a wagon and minivan in a single under-powered vehicle. I'd say that seems pretty accurate. It does have a nice interior quality wise and a superior suspension to the Chrysler minvans.

I didn't.... until you had to go and bring it up :-p

There's a guy in my neighborhood that just started driving, daily, a restored Karmann Ghia. It even has the original style wheels and really skinny tires. That is a sight to behold on a cold frosty morning, I'll tell you.

Having owned 3 VWs I believe I know what you are saying. Hanging one's head out the window to drive does wake one up though.

A look at it's weight tells the story. It must be solid though!