In terms of exterior styling this new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica did raised the bar to all mini vans in the market, and it has a killer SUV-like looks same as the 2015 Kia Sedona. Love the way the seats fold in the hidden storage for legit flat cargo area. Hope FCA did step up their game in terms of reliability cause that's the one holding me back to consider this. Get well soon to your daughter Maddie! I like the way this review goes Steve; together with your family you've done a remarkle job!
Everyone is worried about this - BUT, if you search for "Chrysler Pacifica 3.4 million miles" online you can find articles about the testing regime they put this through. God knows how the interior will survive but the drive train was thoroughly beat on - I think this is one BIG reason everyone says the ZF9 (for the first time in FCA application) feels "perfect" in this car. Also 4,000 miles of a use through Arizona in 120 degree heat while towing and in Michigan in 30 below - I've run across the same write up twice about it so it should be easy to find. No idea how the Plugin will perform in all these scenarios - it also has a new custom FCA created transmission and the Pentastar is downgraded to 230-something horsepower and the electric motor can contribute back up some 30hp or something - so less than the gas (just from skimming articles about it - not sure how much is fact and speculation right now)
I read that article and if they conducted all that testing I'm not sure how well they responded to the results. I purchased a Pacifica three weeks ago. Since the day of purchase the UConnect Theater has not worked. Chrysler says they are working on a software update to fix it. Really? All that testing and they shipped the vehicle with a known software problem and a major system non-functional?
Yikes! I think your feedback is more important than any of us since you actually went out and bought one... besides the software glitch, how has the van been? Really sorry about that, it's a bummer.
Riyad Kalla I like it except for the UConnect Theater problem. The second row seat mechanism allowing the seat to move forward to allow third row access stopped working on the first week. I discovered the problem myself it was a control wire that came off of a mount. I couldn't see where it mounted under the seat so I had to take it to the dealer to fix. When I picked it up they had fixed it but when I asked why it came off no one could answer my question. Most likely not an engineering problem but an assembly problem. I sent an email to Chrysler and asked them about this UConnect Theater not working upon purchase. I wanted to know if they are going to pause my 36 month warranty on this system? I mean who knows how long its going to take to fix this. So far, no response. If Chrysler really believes in their testing than I have to ask...why no 5 yr 60K mile bumper to bumper warranty/100K mile powertrain? To me that would speak more to the quality then anything else. If they did this, they would have the best complete package on the market.
Family is actively embroiled in deciding between the Plugin version of this or 2017 Odyssey - gotta wait for both (fortunately) so just sitting and waiting. Another great review Steve. Was waiting for you to get this car in.
That's high praise (given how many cars you touch/feel/smell) - I'll eagerly await your thoughts on the plugin hybrid whenever it becomes available for review then!
+Billy Sou exactly right - I read one article that said the 2nd row in the plugin gets captain chairs (7 seater only) I'm wondering if they would be plushier and match the front row basically since they don't have to stow.
I'm generally not a fan of Chrysler products but the ingenuity I've seen in impressive. I hope quality of materials used last longer than the warranty.
Now that's one Impressive Mini Van I feel weird calling it a mini van. I thought the Kia mini van was a hit But this Chrysler I think is put together better. I would love to see a back to back and I think the Chrysler would take it with it's stow and go seats and looks like much better quality. But I don't recall hearing the prices. Excellent review Steve!
Looks very cool. One thing that discourages me is the 9 speed transmission. I heard it does not have a very good reliability track. All these toys and features are nice to have, but may become a nightmare once they start to break down.
Agreed on the 9spd ZF unit. That gearbox needs to be retired immediately. Also for the toys, they seem simple enough as most the the folding seats is mechanical & gadgets are inside. Unlike the Germans, Chrysler isn't putting unnecessary tech on places they really don't need to be. However I agree to most part as I don't trust FCA products to stay together for more than ~2 years into ownership. Leasing perhaps?
The only demerit I have would be that there in the Pacifica is that there isn't an AWD option just yet. Rumor has it may be in future model years. Right now, the Toyota Sienna is the only game in town when it comes to AWD minivans.
I love my fourth generation vans. I am sure I would like driving the Pacifica. I do not care for all the technology they cram into all newer vehicles now. My newest van is 2006 limited and the older one is 2004 Touring and both still run well. The 2004 is rusting away though and it is a beater that runs well now. The 2006 has no rust on the painted surfaces and has body paneling on the lower half of the van which helps keep rust at bay. If people took care and washed their cars regularly the vehicle bodies would last longer. I learned this the hard way with my 2004 van. The 2006 van came from an owner that washed it regularly hence no rust on the painted surfaces and very little on the under body.
Steve, how comfortable are the center captain's seats? My friend has an 14' Caravan and I have to be honest, they are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in. I understand the seats take a hit in comfort in order to stow in the floor, but it felt like I was sitting on plywood with a small amount of cushioning!
Well I want to know how stable is the floor in the back due to the stow n go seats. I see after you lift the seats up out if it's hiding cavity. It looks like a hard plastic covering covers the storage hole in the floor. To me seems like it can't hold to much weight. The max weight steps on it and the floor going to give way.
I'm anything but a fan of Chrylser (or FCA in general) but if there is one thing they are good at it is Minivans. Sad that most Americans flock to the 3 row SUV for family duties when a minivan is what they SHOULD get instead which provides 1st class seating to the poor people in the 3rd row and the actual space they want over the compromised 3 row SUV which sacrifices it for a psuedo "off-road" persona when 90% of the time would be spent on-road. The only thing that is stopping me from recommending the Pacifica to anyone even thinking about a 3 row SUV is the reliability of FCA products in general, though CR of the Pacifica seems good so far.
If i needed to buy a minivan, not that i do, i would get a Peugeot 5008. Best looking one on the market if you ask me. But you dont get that in US, too bad for you :P
Not according to recent magazine articles. Comsumer reports has the reliability at the worst of the minivan segment. It ranks last and was not recommended by Consumer reports. The Odyssey is having a ton of problems. Especially electrical. Plus it's ugly.
I'm a first time viewer. I like the the no nonsense review and that you included the family. You just earned a subscriber. Keep up the great work.
Welcome aboard! Thanks for watching.
Best looking minivan I've ever seen. Looks good enough to be a daily driver whether you need a minivan or not. Well done, Chrysler!
Nice of you Steave to include your family. You are a good dad.
Aw, thanks! Family vehicles need more than just my input.
Thanks Steve, what a great review. I can finally buy an American car I can feel pround to own with innovations.
This mini van is amazing.
In terms of exterior styling this new 2017 Chrysler Pacifica did raised the bar to all mini vans in the market, and it has a killer SUV-like looks same as the 2015 Kia Sedona. Love the way the seats fold in the hidden storage for legit flat cargo area. Hope FCA did step up their game in terms of reliability cause that's the one holding me back to consider this.
Get well soon to your daughter Maddie! I like the way this review goes Steve; together with your family you've done a remarkle job!
Everyone is worried about this - BUT, if you search for "Chrysler Pacifica 3.4 million miles" online you can find articles about the testing regime they put this through. God knows how the interior will survive but the drive train was thoroughly beat on - I think this is one BIG reason everyone says the ZF9 (for the first time in FCA application) feels "perfect" in this car. Also 4,000 miles of a use through Arizona in 120 degree heat while towing and in Michigan in 30 below - I've run across the same write up twice about it so it should be easy to find. No idea how the Plugin will perform in all these scenarios - it also has a new custom FCA created transmission and the Pentastar is downgraded to 230-something horsepower and the electric motor can contribute back up some 30hp or something - so less than the gas (just from skimming articles about it - not sure how much is fact and speculation right now)
Riyad Kalla Thanks man for sharing some info, appreciate it!
I read that article and if they conducted all that testing I'm not sure how well they responded to the results. I purchased a Pacifica three weeks ago. Since the day of purchase the UConnect Theater has not worked. Chrysler says they are working on a software update to fix it. Really? All that testing and they shipped the vehicle with a known software problem and a major system non-functional?
Yikes! I think your feedback is more important than any of us since you actually went out and bought one... besides the software glitch, how has the van been? Really sorry about that, it's a bummer.
Riyad Kalla I like it except for the UConnect Theater problem. The second row seat mechanism allowing the seat to move forward to allow third row access stopped working on the first week. I discovered the problem myself it was a control wire that came off of a mount. I couldn't see where it mounted under the seat so I had to take it to the dealer to fix. When I picked it up they had fixed it but when I asked why it came off no one could answer my question. Most likely not an engineering problem but an assembly problem. I sent an email to Chrysler and asked them about this UConnect Theater not working upon purchase. I wanted to know if they are going to pause my 36 month warranty on this system? I mean who knows how long its going to take to fix this. So far, no response. If Chrysler really believes in their testing than I have to ask...why no 5 yr 60K mile bumper to bumper warranty/100K mile powertrain? To me that would speak more to the quality then anything else. If they did this, they would have the best complete package on the market.
Family is actively embroiled in deciding between the Plugin version of this or 2017 Odyssey - gotta wait for both (fortunately) so just sitting and waiting. Another great review Steve. Was waiting for you to get this car in.
LOVE the idea of the hybrid...we might pull the trigger on that one, too. Have to drive it first, though.
That's high praise (given how many cars you touch/feel/smell) - I'll eagerly await your thoughts on the plugin hybrid whenever it becomes available for review then!
+Riyad Kalla Lonely demerit on the plug-in hybrid version of the Pacifica. The stow and go isn't available, the battery pack will be placed there.
+Billy Sou exactly right - I read one article that said the 2nd row in the plugin gets captain chairs (7 seater only) I'm wondering if they would be plushier and match the front row basically since they don't have to stow.
Ahhh, good point. Just rewatched, you are right.
It is better looking than the former Chrysler Town & County and Dodge Caravans which came before this Pacifica and its features are kinda cool.
I'm generally not a fan of Chrysler products but the ingenuity I've seen in impressive. I hope quality of materials used last longer than the warranty.
love this review! thank you to the little girl and mom!
Spoiler alert: I love it!
This was a very good review guys. Wow. subscribing to your channel.
This is getting better everytime a new model comes up
Now that's one Impressive Mini Van I feel weird calling it a mini van. I thought the Kia mini van was a hit But this Chrysler I think is put together better. I would love to see a back to back and I think the Chrysler would take it with it's stow and go seats and looks like much better quality. But I don't recall hearing the prices. Excellent review Steve!
Thanks!
what a really good review!!!
Steve, one of your best reviews, ever. Tell us, does it come with the Pokemon Go app? Inquiring tweens want to know.
Thanks!!! That would be quite dangerous 😂
Nah! See, Mom or Dad would drive them around town looking for Pokemon hot spots, then stop there and collect their monsters.
I think Chrysler has a hit here. Are you paying attention Toyota and Honda ?
Uh what the heck.... this mini van actually kind of looks.... good?
The Pacifica now has Apple Car Play and Android Auto.
Hope the reliability is better with FCA
Looks very cool. One thing that discourages me is the 9 speed transmission.
I heard it does not have a very good reliability track.
All these toys and features are nice to have, but may become a nightmare once they start to break down.
Agreed on the 9spd ZF unit. That gearbox needs to be retired immediately.
Also for the toys, they seem simple enough as most the the folding seats is mechanical & gadgets are inside. Unlike the Germans, Chrysler isn't putting unnecessary tech on places they really don't need to be. However I agree to most part as I don't trust FCA products to stay together for more than ~2 years into ownership. Leasing perhaps?
I heard this 9-sp. ZF didn’t have the problems in the Pacifica as compared with other FCA vehicles.
Billy Sou The 9 speed is perfected for the Pacifica. It works great now just like the 8 speed.
Nice upgrade
The only demerit I have would be that there in the Pacifica is that there isn't an AWD option just yet. Rumor has it may be in future model years. Right now, the Toyota Sienna is the only game in town when it comes to AWD minivans.
My guess is that the hybrid will have an AWD option. Stay tuned.
Nobody buys that AWD Toyota Sienna. Maybe why even vans that used to have AWD dropped it. Like Chrysler/Dodge did.
I love my fourth generation vans. I am sure I would like driving the Pacifica. I do not care for all the technology they cram into all newer vehicles now. My newest van is 2006 limited and the older one is 2004 Touring and both still run well. The 2004 is rusting away though and it is a beater that runs well now. The 2006 has no rust on the painted surfaces and has body paneling on the lower half of the van which helps keep rust at bay. If people took care and washed their cars regularly the vehicle bodies would last longer. I learned this the hard way with my 2004 van. The 2006 van came from an owner that washed it regularly hence no rust on the painted surfaces and very little on the under body.
this is probably the first time i fell in love with a minivan. all others are so boring and so oldies
#TeamMaddie. Great job Maddie. Always a great job Steve.
I have been waiting for this review and they did a fantastic job, as usual. But ahhh, they broke Maddie!
Blame softball! 😂
Your daughter is a sweetheart and very smart! Great review!!
Steve, how comfortable are the center captain's seats? My friend has an 14' Caravan and I have to be honest, they are the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in. I understand the seats take a hit in comfort in order to stow in the floor, but it felt like I was sitting on plywood with a small amount of cushioning!
Steve, are you going to review the new CT6? I've heard that it is really a good, flagship for Caddy.
Well I want to know how stable is the floor in the back due to the stow n go seats. I see after you lift the seats up out if it's hiding cavity. It looks like a hard plastic covering covers the storage hole in the floor. To me seems like it can't hold to much weight. The max weight steps on it and the floor going to give way.
They've had Stow-N-Go for 10 years and I've never heard of the floor crushing down yet. And you know the media would surely be all over that story.
Probably right
wiibaron
Are you serious? LMAO!!
Makes me want to trade my suv for this!
Very nice.
A house on wheels, love it!!!
I'm anything but a fan of Chrylser (or FCA in general) but if there is one thing they are good at it is Minivans. Sad that most Americans flock to the 3 row SUV for family duties when a minivan is what they SHOULD get instead which provides 1st class seating to the poor people in the 3rd row and the actual space they want over the compromised 3 row SUV which sacrifices it for a psuedo "off-road" persona when 90% of the time would be spent on-road.
The only thing that is stopping me from recommending the Pacifica to anyone even thinking about a 3 row SUV is the reliability of FCA products in general, though CR of the Pacifica seems good so far.
Looks nice
they took the look from the 2001 -2007 t&c
Love it!!!
So, are you going to buy it? Because that's what you are going to do. Nice family by the way.
Hope your daughter's arm is okay!!! Thought it was some new stylish kid apparel but then I realized it was a splint!
Thanks! Softball - broken wrist. Week 5 with the cast 🙄
By the way, what's up with your large vehicle expert's wrist?
Broken radius 5 weeks ago from shagging flies in the outfield during softball practice. Getting closer to getting it off!
Nice car but more expensive than the grand caravan, which is why I think they're not going to sell very well.
Sold 8,000 last month which is pretty to just be starting out
No Sunroof for that price??? 😪😪
I think it's a $1500 option, check Chrysler's website.
If i needed to buy a minivan, not that i do, i would get a Peugeot 5008. Best looking one on the market if you ask me. But you dont get that in US, too bad for you :P
Previous model looks crap bit this new one is nice. But they definitely took the design from the kia Sedona.
Your little girl seems professional for her age! Grooming her for the family business?
Thanks!!! Hopefully she's smart enough to do something more worthwhile 😄
Customers at work complain about this and trade them in for Kia
The Honda Odyssey is better
Not according to recent magazine articles. Comsumer reports has the reliability at the worst of the minivan segment. It ranks last and was not recommended by Consumer reports. The Odyssey is having a ton of problems. Especially electrical. Plus it's ugly.