Long road trips tend to generate inane conversations. One such discussion, which ensued on my family's recent spring break trip to the Florida Keys, reminded me of the scene in Stand by Me in which the film's coming-of-age characters pondered what sort of animal Goofy, the Disney character, was supposed to be.
As we drove south in a 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, I started the debate by asking, "What kind of vehicle is this?"
"It's a sport utility," my mother insisted. To which I countered, "No, it's a station wagon." My daughter was emphatic that the Pacifica is not a wagon, so I argued that it is a minivan, which is how she categorizes another hard-to-place Chrysler, the PT Cruiser.
If our fellow travelers had included the DaimlerChrysler engineers or designers who developed the Pacifica -- they were asked to come up with the Next Big Thing, beyond the minivan and the SUV -- they would have insisted it is a "sport tourer." That is a label the company also applies to two other soon-to-come vehicles -- the sporty Dodge Magnum and luxurious Mercedes-Benz GST.
It is certainly safe to call the Pacifica a crossover, for lack of a better term, one of the new wave of vehicles that mix characteristics of -- take your pick -- sedans, wagons, vans, SUVs, sports cars and pickups. The Acura MDX, BMW X5 and Lexus RX 330 are conceptually similar, as are the Infiniti FX45 and the Cadillac SRX that will arrive this summer.
Chrysler marketing executives estimate that 2.7 million buyers shift in or out of sport-utility vehicles, minivans and sedans every year. It is among this group, they say, that the Pacifica will find its buyers.
So the important question is not what the Pacifica is, but how well it fulfills its purpose: to be a cool alternative to the minivan that can also substitute for a sport utility. Our Florida trip -- with two adults, two children and eight bags of varying size -- put the new Chrysler to the test.
We began our road trip at the Fort Lauderdale airport, which was the only place all week where the silver test car received the slightest bit of attention. Having read about the Pacifica, a group of car-savvy older men gathered around. They found it attractive and were dazzled by the power liftgate. But they thought the price (US$37,510 as tested) was a little steep.
I agree that the Pacifica is attractive and classy. I thought so when it was shown as a design study two years ago at the Detroit auto show.
Safe and secure
The Pacifica's design inspires alliteration: to me, it seems solid, substantial and secure, with a strong presence. And it is surprisingly large: 25cm longer than Chrysler's short-wheelbase minivans. The safe-and-secure message is driven home by the expanse of metal along its sides -- in profile, the car is one-third glass and two-thirds sheet metal.
Chrysler expects the Pacifica to perform well on government crash tests. The body structure is solid, and the track is wide for stability. Safety features, in addition to dual-stage front air bags, include a knee bag for the driver and a curtain bag that runs the length of the cabin.
The Pacifica sits lower than either a minivan or SUV, making it easy to get in or out. Yet the seats are rather high, providing the Road Commander feel that many people like in SUVs. The Pacifica has three rows of two seats each; the front two rows are divided by consoles.
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