DRIVER’S JOURNAL
Day 1: From the outside, the Pacifica appears more like a sportier crossover than passenger van, with sharp body lines and a forward stance. The whole interior lit up with a bright, inviting light. The evening was on the chilly side, so I located the seat-heat function. Magically, the seats and the steering wheel gradually provided warmth. I found these items could be pre-programmed for auto-activation on startup. When I finally drove up and parked in the driveway, I spent the next hour playing with all the automatic doors and devices.
Day 2: Started the day taking advantage of the remote start with a simple push of a button on the fob. It is fairly impressive to see how you can control so many functions using the key fob, such as opening and closing the sliding side doors and rear hatch, as well as locking and unlocking, and a panic button. It also contains a pop-out key in case the fob battery fails. I lowered the second- and third-row seating to create a very large cargo area, capable of holding full-sized sheets of plywood.
Day 3: Found an opportunity to load up some passengers this evening. We piled into the Pacifica and headed to the mall for some shopping. The kids were happy to have heated seats and passengerdedicated environment controls. The hands-free, large sliding doors on either side made it easy to get in and out with bags.
Day 4: This 3.6-L V6 engine delivers plenty of power and has a quick response when you decide to pass. And at 1,500 r.p.m., the engine seems like it’s idling while cruising at 100 km/h. The on-board computer has been displaying fuel consumption at around 10 to 11 L /100 km.
Day 5: I like how quickly the seat, steering wheel and interior warm up on my early-morning commute to work. The sound system is clean and rich. I was also able to connect my BlackBerry cellphone to the audio for hands-free dialing and talking. My mother and I headed out to Costco this evening. She is soon to turn 80 and commented as she stepped up into the Pacifica how easy it was with the step height and the use of a hand-hold on the door pillar for support. She found the passenger seat very comfortable.
Day 6: The Pacifica handles very well on the highway and has a stable and smooth ride. All the windows up front provide ample visibility for sightseeing as well as monitoring traffic. The panoramic sunroof also lets loads of natural light into the vehicle compartment. With the use of all the safety automation, I felt the trip was less strenuous.
Day 7: Woke up to a full-out snowstorm. What better true Canadian challenge to the performance and reliability of a vehicle than spending the day driving in winter conditions? Although the streets were covered with snow and ice, I found the Pacifica held its ground. I was a little surprised when checking Chrysler’s website that there is no all-wheel-drive option, even in the Limited package.