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An Oakville Beaver Automotive Feature · To advertise in this section call 905-845-3824 or Fax 905-337-5568 B EST W H EELS WKl )AY. II LY J( x O · Pa*|e <18 2004 Chrysler Pacifica could be "The Next Big Thing" At the launch a few months ago of the Chrysler Pacifica, DaimlerChrysler marketing guys were talking about "the Next Big Thing." That's the way they see the Chrysler Pacifica and the Chrysler Crossfire sportscar. In the footsteps of the Chrysler minivans and then the PT Cruiser. Pacifica/Crossfire are seen as launch vehicles for the next chapter in the com pany's string o f "segment busters." Pacifica and Crossfire repre sent the first product to ben efit from the merging of Chrysler and D aim ler-B en z thinking. While the Crossfire is wonderful to look at and Jim Robinson even more so to drive, the weight of how well this blending has taken place is riding firm ly on the shoulders of the Pacifica. Categorizing Pacifica is not easy to do. It's not a minivan. although it looks like one. It's not a SUV. although it has some of the attributes. It doesn't really fall into the catchall "crossover" seg ment either. DaimlerChrylser says the Pacifica has created its own niche called the Sports Tourer. In the "pocket guide" its gives its salespeople, DaimlerChry sler compares the Pacifica to Acura MDX, Lexus RX 330 and Volvo XC90. For my mind the nearest competitor is the Chrysler Town and Country Limited minivan. But when you get inside Pacifica, especially the all-wheel-drive with just about every option, it feels more like a large luxury sedan thanks to the third row of seats. In terms o f creature com fort. Pacifica is more like a leather-lined first class cabin on a high-speed train. Pacifica is not about hauling a 4X8 sheet of plywood. It is about transport ing up to six people with lots of legroom and a generous interior volume of 4.425 litres (156.3 cu. ft.). Both the rear bench seats and the" second row captain's chairs fold to make a fiat cargo floor. With just the back seats folded there is 13 cu. ft. of space that grows to 43.6 cu. ft with the second row folded as well. Power is Chrysler's sturdy 3.5-litre V6 producing 250 hp and 250 lb./ft of torque. Available in front-wheel-drive as well as the AWD tested here, the transmission is a four-speed automatic AutoStick that allows the driver to choose manual sequential shifting. Mercedes experience shows in the suspension that starts with front and rear cradles to better isolate road distur bances from the passengers. At the front this is done with hydro-elastic power train mounts attached to the frame through four very large rubber mounts. Four more rubber mounts are used on the rear cradle. At the front, struts, coil springs and asymmetrical lower control arms are used while the rear has a ver sion of the five-link independent sus pension found on the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. 1 reviewed the technical attributes of the Pacifica several months ago on these pages, so this column will con centrate on the real world and just where the Pacifica fits in. While the side windows with a slop ing line that falls towards the rear belies the fact, the Pacifica is a big vehicle. Sitting up on 17-inch wheels, you soon realize the height of the seat cushion is right at the level of your hips as you get in. Falling down into a rear seat to hav ing to step up and climb over the bolster of the front seat, as you fim4 in some SUVs. is not an issue here. Entry and exit is all very civilized. In my case it had to be civilized, as we took a family trip in the Pacifica n meaning my wife and I and two very tall children with all their gear. The base AWD Pacifica is $45,995 and is really loaded with power every thing including a power rear hatch and power adjustable pedals. There are no less than four 12-volt DC power points, full floor console with storage boxes for front and second row seats plus another storage box under the front passenger seat. The driver and front seat passenger get power adjust seals with the driver also having power lumbar, something my wife as co-pilot appreciated on our jaunt to visit friends. This w eek's tester came in at $52,385 not counting the $995 shipping charge. Finished in a nice almond colour, the challenge was to fit enough luggage for a four-member family into the Pacifica along with food, four loudspeakers (for my friend's house addition), and the usual load of snacks, drinks and Gameboys. This time we had the $1,140 option al rear seat DVD system with wireless headphones. Not having a DVD player yet ourselves, this was uncharted hightech territory for us and one the kids jumped into with both feet, fretting over what movies to rent from Blockbuster for the trip. Finally it was Sponge Bob on the way down (mom driving, dad snoozing) and Sweet Home Alabama on the way back. I guess 1 should have looked at the instructions, but after several fumbled starts, we learned to get sound through the headphones while running the radio speakers on mute. Believe me, 1.5 hours of Sponge Bob screaming through the interior of the car probably would have put me over the edge. On the way back I drove and mom and #1 daughter watched the movie. Interestingly, mom got motion sickness and #1 son had complained o f feeling queasy the day before. Lesson learned if you're not used to this kind of movie watching, having a Gravol on board Klllll HIIRTIIV Above: Looking vaguely like a m ini van, the 2<M M C hrysler Pacifica is what D aim lerC hrysler calls a sports to u rin g vehicle th at com bines M inivan seating space with luxury ea r appointm ents. Right: The full pow er re a r liftgatc reveals full seating for up to six adults with lots of room left over for luggage o r even a push lawn mow er. might also be in option. But the DVD player system worked wonderfully well, so no complaints. However that could not be said for the $1,885 Navigation System with GPS. Trying to drive from my friend's business in a small southwestern Ontario town to his farm home. I tried to take a shortcut and got lost. I turned on the Nav System and it did not show the road I was on. or the one dissecting it. I turned it o il and retraced my steps and then took the long, but previously traveled, way. Evidently the digital mapping is not done in all rural areas. Other options fitted included at $995 power sunroof, and $900 Infinity Intermezzo Surround Sound System. With the ability to play CDs. tapes, and good old AM/FM. the r eproduction of music is unblemished. The $770 for the High Intensity Discharge headlights is money well spent as these blue/white lights throw out an amazing amount of illumination at night. Also included was $540 for the optional polished aluminum 17-inch wheels. $165 for a full spare and the $35 whimsically named Sm oker's Group which you and I call the cigarette lighter and ashtray. After we off-loaded the four speak ers. the return journey's challenge was to load all of us. and a push lawnmower (traded for the loud speakers), that is part of my good wife's return to the good old days of fitness via grass cut ting. This required a little seat juggling, as mom was sitting in the middle seat to see the movie. But by putting a few things, including a 20-kilo bag of bird seed in the front seal, there was room and comfort for all. When the family was engrossed in their movie. I was driving with the sound system off at highway speeds. It was here that the work on canceling out sound intrusion could be appreciated. There was no engine sound. The usual slap of the tires on uneven pavement or a rush of wind around the outside mir rors ranged from hushed to inaudible. Considering that we had a full load of people and "stuff" along with the curb weight of 2.121 kg, the Pacifica should have been a handful in the han dling departmem. Yet it tracked as true as a large luxury sedan, which in a way. I suppose it is. Despite ihe load, and where it was placed going to and from during our trip, the handling w>as kept on an even keel thanks to the standard self-levelling rear suspension. Not only does this result in a smoother ride, but it also maintains proper headlight aiming. something 1 hadn't considered before in cars with self-levelling rears. While it is much more nimble (despite its size) around town than a normal minivan. it actually has more room than most full-size luxury cars. Perhaps this is what DaimlerChrysler is trying to get at with their contention that Pacifica is truly carving out a whole new segment in the auto industry. Just now entering show rooms from a world-class production facility in Windsor, a lot of how this vehicle is greeted will rely on the build quality. On that, you can depend on the good men and women of the CAW who are proving Ontario builds the best cars in the world. From my time with it. the Pacifica more than delivered the promise of world-class handling and leading-edge technology. They were right about the minivan and right about the PT Cruiser, so let's hope DaimlerChrysler has got it right again and this really is the Next Big Thing. THE 0FF-LEASE VEHICLE Sponsored by Chrysler Financial Canada SUPER SALES V * /o S P E C IA L Financing available for this event only, up to 36 months, 1998 and newer pre-owned Chrysler vehicles! O.A.C.* E Sale ends Saturday, July 12/03 *See dealers for details. 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