May 16, 2007

Test Drive: 2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Click image to enlarge

Review and photos by Chris Chase

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Photo gallery: 2007 Chrysler Pacifica

Side-by-side-by-side comparison: Chrysler Pacifica vs. Ford Edge vs. GMC Acadia

When the Chrysler Pacifica was introduced in 2003 as an '04 model, it was part of an exclusive club - one populated by vehicles combining a car-like ride height with a body style similar to that of an SUV. Of course, these days, this type of vehicle is all the rage and known by the trendy crossover moniker. So in that sense, you might think that all the crossovers that are arriving in showrooms these days might look up to the Pacifica as a kind of father figure.

Okay, maybe not - but there's no arguing that the Pacifica is a member of the old boys' club in this young segment. Going into its fourth full model year though, it remains to be seen if the Pacifica has what it takes to maintain a profile in this category in the face of strong competition from fellow domestics like the Ford Edge, and the Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave triplets from General Motors. There's also the Mazda CX-9, which shares its basic bones with the Edge.

2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Click image to enlarge

I spent a week with the Ford Edge in February, so getting the keys to the '07 Pacifica, which gets updated styling and a new 4.0-litre V6 and six-speed automatic drivetrain about a month later was a nice bit of timing. More good timing parked a GMC Acadia in my driveway a couple of days before this article was due to be published. Check out my side-by-side-by-side comparison of the Pacifica, Edge and Acadia.

The strakes running the length of the Pacifica's hood - a main component of Chrysler's new design direction - might as well be wrinkles, as this car is showing its age. The drive is vaguely reminiscent of a last-generation Chrysler minivan, which isn't terrible in itself, but not a good fit for a vehicle attempting to maintain its seniority in such a competitive segment.

The ride is comfortable, but that comfort comes at a cost: soft dampers allow residual motions after traversing large bumps, and turns elicit body roll. Admittedly, that's of little consequence in a vehicle that's not built for speedy cornering. The Pacifica shines in a straight line. The new 4.0-litre engine, part of the standard kit in mid-level Touring and top-line Limited models, is quite strong and moves the Pacifica with authority, whether from a standing start or to overtake slower traffic on the highway. The sounds it makes when pressed aren't exactly sonorous, but neither does it sound like the motor out of a John Deere. It feels that way at idle, though, where the V6 transmits the kind of vibrations through the car's body that you'd expect in a four-banger subcompact.

2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Click image to enlarge

Like the 4.0-litre engine, the six-speed transmission is all new for 2007, but it falls short of expectations. Shift quality is inconsistent; while it swaps cogs smoothly much of the time, the tranny often lurches between gears, or when shifting back into first as the car approaches a stop. Flatten the throttle at speed and you get a one-gear kickdown right away, then another about a second later, instead of the instant two-gear downshift that just about any other automatic will knock off when you ask for quick acceleration. But ironically, hard acceleration is the only situation that will get you quick, smooth upshifts every time. Fuel consumption averaged a tick over 15 L/100 km in mostly city driving, which seems to be on par with other mid-sized SUVs and crossovers that CanadianDriver has sampled.

The interior tends toward the lackluster look and feel that's plagued other recent Chrysler Group models, but it's less pronounced here. The fake wood is attractive, and looks alright beside the aluminum-look trim that goes with it.

2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Click image to enlarge

The biggest offenders are the black plastic around the centre stack which looks and feels too cheap to be in a vehicle with a $35,000 starting price; and the top of the dash, which feels like it's made from recycled Nerf footballs.

At least the interior is roomy. The front seats are large and generally comfortable, though they didn't hit everyone's backside the right way. My biggest beef with the driver's seat is that the backrest doesn't come far enough forward, making it hard to find a comfortable driving position without tilting the entire seat forward so that it feels like you're going to slide out and onto the floor. The lack of a telescoping steering column is annoying, but my tester had power adjustable pedals, which mostly made up for that. But why, oh why, does Chrysler insist on using these clunky five-position steering column tilt mechanisms, instead of the "stick-it-anywhere" types used by most other carmakers? The front-seat armrests - they fold up and out of the way - are nice to have but are too hard and not elbow-friendly. The top of the centre console, though a little low for the purpose, is more comfortable.

The pair of seats in the second row offer minivan-like legroom, and headroom in the first and second rows is good. The second row chairs slide fore and aft to create enough space to allow people with legs to sit in the third row, but all but the shortest people will find their heads brushing the headliner back there. Headroom is decent everywhere else, despite the sunroof that comes standard in the Limited model.

2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Click image to enlarge

Getting back to the third row requires folding the second row seats and then flipping them forward to allow access, which is a step too many in my mind. With the third row seats folded, cargo space is generous, and collapsing the second row creates a nice, almost-flat load floor. There's a five-seat version of the Pacifica too, but you can only get it in the base model; Touring and Limited models are six-seaters only. With the rearmost seats stowed away, the Pacifica is a four-seater, with a console - a useful one - in the middle, though the lack of three seats in the second row might be a turn-off for some. A real benefit is the Pacifica's low step-in height, which makes it feel more like a large sedan than an SUV wannabe.

Carrying on with the comfort theme, I liked the high and low settings for the automatic climate control, even if the system seemed to have a hard time keeping the temperature constant when set around the 20 to 21 degree range.

The back-up camera that comes with the $2,195 nav system (one of the more reasonably-priced ones I've come across) is very useful. The camera feeds its images to the nav screen in the gauge cluster, where yellow lines demarcate accurate one-foot increments. The camera, in concert with the backup warning system, makes reversing in tight spots foolproof. Yellow lights in the headliner near the back are perfectly visible while looking over your shoulder; the more lights that are illuminated, the closer you are to an obstacle.

2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Click image to enlarge

When you get about a foot away - closer, perhaps, than some drivers will be comfortable with - red lights come on along with an audible warning. This is one of the more confidence-inspiring systems of its type I've seen, and is perfect for a vehicle that's not only this large, but that also possesses less-than-perfect visibility towards the rear.

At night, visibility to the front isn't as good. While the bi-Xenon headlights are bright, they were aimed way too low on my tester.

The Pacifica incorporates plenty of useful features, and many will be hard-pressed to find fault with it overall, but its downfall is how it handles the basics: the driving experience can't keep up with that of the newer Ford Edge and GM crossovers, and the drivetrain, despite being brand new, feels like it might as well have been around for a decade. I hope Chrysler's got something big planned for a second-generation Pacifica, and soon. Otherwise, this great-granddad of the crossover segment will quickly be overshadowed and possibly forgotten.

Pricing: 2007 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

• Base price: $46,215
• Options: $2,195 (Navigation system, rear back-up camera)
• Freight: $1,200
• A/C tax: $100
• Price as tested: $49,710 Click here for options, dealer invoice prices and factory incentives

Specifications

• Click here for complete specifications

Related stories on CanadianDriver

• Side-by-side-by-side comparison: Chrysler Pacifica vs. Ford Edge vs. GMC Acadia
• Preview: Chrysler unveils three new 2007 models
• Test Drive: 2004 Chrysler Pacifica

Competitors

• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Ford Edge
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Hyundai Veracruz
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Mazda CX-9
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Mitsubishi Endeavor
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Nissan Murano
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Suzuki XL7
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Toyota Highlander
• Buyer's Guide: 2007 Volkswagen Touareg

Crash test results

• www.safercar.gov, www.hwysafety.org

Manufacturer's web site

• Chrysler Canada

Chris Chase is an Ottawa-based automotive journalist.