Chrysler Pacifica resembles a wagon but works as a fancy car
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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LA JOLLA, Calif. -- On palm-fringed Prospect Avenue in La Jolla -- the ritzy seaside enclave of suburban San Diego where super-rich residents steer mega-bucks car candy with labels like Ferrari, Porsche and Lamborghini -- we observe that more than a few of the sidewalk shoppers pay unusual attention to our vehicle with their heads turning and fingers pointing as we roll by.
What these spectators see is a new kind of car that looks like nothing else on the road.
It's large -- as long as the biggest sedan and equally wide, with a prominent hood and broad grille consuming the face between corner clusters of projector-style headlamps.
It has lots of doors.
There's a pair of portals on each flank below what looks like one extremely long and narrow window stretching from the windshield clear back to the tail.
Also, a top-hinged liftgate at the rear swings high for access into the cargo bay.
The profile vaguely resembles one of those big American mid-century station wagons, although the stance of this contemporary car seems like it's hiked much higher than the vintage wagon and the beltline atop side doors rises much taller.
Inside there are three rows of seats with individual buckets for rows one and two and a split bench in back that cradles two comfortably or three in a pinch.
Layout of the large cabin mimics the plan of an old station wagon, but it's also similar to the cab of a modern minivan or even a three-seat sport-utility vehicle.
And the overriding concept behind this design seems to merge attributes of the station wagon, minivan and SUV.
Chrysler builds it as a 2004 model under the badge of Pacifica.
Consider it a new crossover vehicle -- the platform comes from a conventional full-size sedan (Chrysler's 300M flagship) and the body resembles either a high-hiked station wagon or dropped-down SUV but the function combines traits of the wagon, sport-ute and minivan.
Chrysler even coined a new car category for Pacifica, calling it a Sport Tourer.
The sport end of the title stems from performance characteristics and the driving manners of a tautly-tuned sports sedan.
The tourer title comes from the European tradition of calling a wagon-type vehicle the touring model.
End result becomes a vehicle with practical attributes of a wagon but the fun-to-drive nature of a sports sedan.
Chrysler is making two versions of Pacifica, one oriented with front-wheel-drive (FWD) and the other with on-demand all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction.
First to market is the Pacifica AWD packing premium equipment plus luxury gear for the MSRP of $32,300.
Following later will be the Pacifica FWD with its MSRP chipped down to $30,550.
Beneath the aerodynamically smooth hoodline, Pacifica AWD packs a progressive 3.5-liter V6 with single cam configuration and four valves in each cylinder.
Specific tuning boosts the output to 250 hp at 6400 rpm, with torque skewed to 250 lb-ft at 3950 rpm.
This Chrysler engine delivers dynamic power yet still can operate on regular-grade 87 octane gasoline. It also earns respectable fuel economy figures -- 17 mpg for city driving and 22 mpg on the road.
The plant teams with an electronically-controlled automatic four-speed transmission.
To animate the action, Chrysler adds an AutoStick, which brings shift-it-yourself choices like a manual stick only without having to ply a clutch.
Rack the console-mounted shifter lever back to AutoStick mode, then push it to the right to move up the gear box one step at a time or tap it to the left to run down the gears.
The suspension, independent at all four wheels with a multi-link arrangement in front and five-link design in back, produces a smooth ride quality.
That long wheelbase and wide track forge a road stance that's impressively stable, even when tortured through a tight set of turns.
Of course, Pacifica's AWD system enhances tire grip.
The center differential viscous coupling combined with an open rear differential splits the engine's torque between front and rear wheels infinitely depending on wheel slip, with anywhere from zero to 90 percent of the power directed to the wheels up front.
Then factor in Pacifica's load-leveling rear suspension mechanism, which adjusts to varying weight for passengers and cargo to optimize the ride quality.
For safety, Pacifica contains multiple air bags, from frontal air bags for the two front seats and a small air bag tucked below the dashboard to shield the driver's knee to vast side curtain-style air bags that extend above the side windows and cover all three rows of seats.
Chrysler's designers aimed to create a first-class experience for passengers riding in Pacifica's cabin.
Good feelings begin when entering the compartment.
Whereas a typical tall SUV requires the passenger to climb aboard and a low sedan demands a step down plus the resultant body flop, Pacifica's chair-height seats seem just the right level so you can slip aboard laterally without needing to climb up or step down.
Each bucket seat feels quite comfortable in spacious quarters that appear outwardly expansive, thanks in part to Pacifica's optional glass skylight that extends the full length of the roof.
The cabin contains first-class equipment, including first and second row center consoles with seat-mounted armrests, power controls for the front buckets and a comprehensive memory for the radio and driver's seat plus outside mirrors and adjustable pedals, dual-zone climate controls and a 150-watt sound system with CD deck.
Options reach to leather seats, heat elements inside the first and second rows of buckets, power controls for the sunroof and liftgate, a navigation system integrated into the instrument panel, Infinity surround-sound 385-watt audio system with six-disc CD changer and a DVD video entertainment system.
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| 2004 CHRYSLER PACIFICA VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Hybrid sport-tourer wagon
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| Model Options: |
Hybrid sport-tourer wagon
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| Wheelbase: |
116.3 inches
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| Overall Length: |
198.9 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.5-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 AutoStick
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| Drive: |
FWD
AWD
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc
FWD: ABS/TCS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front)
+ 1 (driver's knee)
+ 6 (side curtain)
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| Gas Mileage: |
17/22 mpg
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| MSRP Price: |
FWD: $ 30,550, AWD: $ 32,300 |
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