Pacifica offers more for less

By RICHARD WILLIAMSON
Thursday, November 09, 2006
To boost sales of the 2007 Pacifica, Chrysler is raising the power and lowering the price of the high-profile wagon.

Introduced in 2004 as a blend of car, minivan and sport utility vehicle, the Pacifica was identified internally as the "Handsome Protector," a bulked-up but stylish set of wheels whose primary targets were married women, ages 35 to 50, with a median household income of $85,000.

Unfortunately, the Pacifica, sold in both front drive and all-wheel drive, ran into some of the same problems at the fuel pump as its less frugal sport utility cousins. Through September, sales were down 10 percent for 2006, though September's introduction of the 2007 model brought a sharp, 24 percent rebound.

At a base price of $24,890, the 2007 Pacifica comes to market with a price tag about $1,300 lower than last year's model. And Chrysler execs say that upgrades in standard equipment sweeten the deal even further.

"The new 2007 Chrysler Pacifica offers consumers $2,700 better value than its predecessor," said David Rooney, director of Chrysler brand marketing. "We were able to lower the price on Pacifica models an average of $1,300 while adding an average of $1,400 in standard content across the lineup, and as high as $1,800 on select models."

New to the Pacifica is a 4-liter V6 engine that produces 253 horses and 265 foot pounds of torque, a slight step up from the previous generation's 3.5-liter, 250-horsepower V6. In the new generation, a 3.8-liter, 200-horsepower V6 replaces the 3.5-liter that was the only engine offered in the 2006 model.

Sold in three trim levels _ base, Touring and Limited _ the Pacifica's prices rise from $24,800 in the front-drive base version to $36,205 for the all-wheel-drive Limited version. All-wheel drive adds about $3,000 to each trim level.

The review car, a front-drive Touring edition, carried a base price of $27,980 that rose to $31,095 with options.

It's not hard to fall in love with the Pacifica's blend of sophisticated styling, exceptional comfort and lusty performance. The 253-horsepower engine provides potent takeoffs, while the new, six-speed automatic transmission glides smoothly and swiftly through the gears.

As mentioned, fuel economy is the Pacifica's Achilles' heel. Even without all-wheel drive, the V6 consumed unleaded at the rate of 16 miles per gallon in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for a whopping annual fuel bill of $2,091. A V6 with automatic should be able to travel 19 or 20 mpg in city and 28 on the highway.

To serve as an alternative to the minivan, the Pacifica offers three rows of seating, with each row designed for two passengers. In terms of access and roominess, the Pacifica can't really compete with the Dodge Caravan/Chrysler Town & Country. But soccer moms might enjoy some ego points from driving the Pacifica.

Parents should not sacrifice any safety points with the Pacifica. Standard equipment includes front and side-curtain air bags, Electronic Stability Program and traction control with brake assist.

The 2007 model offers two new interior colors, Pastel Slate Gray and Khaki/Light Graystone, a revised two-tone instrument panel and door trim, stain-resistant, odor-resistant, anti-static fabric on Pacifica and Pacifica FWD Touring versions. Also for 2007, a CD/DVD/MP3 radio replaces the CD/cassette radio as standard equipment.

Standard on all Pacificas are power windows with one-touch up, power heated fold-away mirrors, load leveling and height-control performance suspension, 17-inch steel wheels, 12-volt front and rear power outlets, 140-amp alternator, rear window defroster and wiper/washer, speed control, second-row 65/35 split fold-flat seats and 92.7 cubic feet of cargo space.

The Touring version adds six-passenger seating, automatic temperature control with air filtering and dual-zone control, HomeLink universal transceiver, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power 10-way driver seat and four-way front passenger seat, rear courtesy reading lamps, sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors, body-color door handles and vehicle information center. The Chrysler Pacifica Touring all-wheel-drive model is equipped with standard leather seating.

Step up to the Limited and you get heated front- and second-row seats, luxury leather-trimmed bucket seats, ParkSense rear backup system, AM/FM/CD/DVD video/DVD audio/MP3 radio, six-disc, in-dash CD/DVD changer, automatic headlamps, fog lamps, power-adjustable pedals with memory, power heated, foldaway, auto-dim mirrors, power liftgate, power moonroof, memory settings for seats, mirrors and radio, 19-inch chrome-clad aluminum wheels, wood and leather-wrapped shift knob, and Tire Pressure Monitoring system.

WHAT'S NEW: More power, lower price, more standard equipment, styling updates.

PLUSES: Performance, comfort, safety.

MINUSES: Fuel economy, rear window visibility.

BOTTOM LINE: Unique alternative to minivan and sport utility.