With the new Pacifica, Chrysler claimed they would repeat what they did with the PT Cruiser. Create an all new kind of vehicle. Not a car, a truck or van, but something completely new... Well...

There's nothing really new here. What you see is a good old fashion station wagon. And there's nothing wrong with that. Even when it's jacked up a bit, it still isn't a minivan or an SUV. Let's call things what they are. The Pacifica is the modern version of the American station wagon . Now sitting a bit higher, and with All Wheel drive available..

The shape is very pleasant, and because of the size, pretty impressive. But for 2004, there's nothing really modern about it. It does look old next to a Nissan Murano for instance.

The quality of the interior is pretty nice. Not outstanding, but nice. Some elements still have a clunky or busy look. Like the way the console meets the dashboards. The cut line between the 2 colors is very awkward. And not really pleasant to look at.

But the fake wood looks OK, and there isn't too much of it. It is mixed with a very nice aluminum finish, kind of like in the VW Touareg.

Start the engine, and it is so quiet, it's hard to tell it is running at all. But once you get going, if you push it, you can really hear it! And it doesn't sound smooth nor refined. But there is enough power most of the time, so you don't have to push it too often. It's amazing to feel and hear the difference with similar engines from Nissan and Toyota. These guys seem light years ahead in refinement and smoothness...

The suspension is very comfortable, without being too soft. And the car doesn't seem to lean in turns. But it does feel heavy, all the time. So it never feels very fast.

It does take a little bit of guess work at first to figure out how to access the 3rd raw of seats. But it's actually pretty easy.

But it's not a Minivan. And you have to squeeze into these seats. Once back there, you're OK. But it's not fun to do on a regular basis. The point is, kids won't mind. They'll even see it as fun. And there is still quite a bit of room for the trunk.

The power seats controls are one of the details where you can notice the Mercedes influence in the Pacifica. The other Mercedes parts are in the rear suspension. Too bad the Mercedes engine was not available...

A year before it came out, Chrysler introduce the Pacifica "Concept". They actually already had designed the production version. That "fake' concept was just a teaser of things to come. The only differences are just details. But actually, they do make the production Pacifica much less interesting. Why did they change the headlights? Why are the rear view mirrors black on the production car? And why, oh why did they get rid of the great glass/panorama roof. Mercedes offers it on the $26 000 C class coupe. Surly they could squeeze it as an option on a $32 000 Chrysler...

Yes, that's right, $32000 is about average for a well equipped Pacifica. But if you do some internet shopping (you should). That price can easily come down to under $27000. And at that price, a pretty much loaded Pacifica is a great deal! It is roomy, comfortable, pretty good looking and seems very solid. The engine , although not as great as a Japanese V6, is actually OK. And best of all: it is NOT an ugly SUV!

So, I really recommend it if you need to carry up to 6 people. If you need less, a good car is still a better choice. If you need more, you might have to get a Minivan... Sorry...

If you want to find out more about this fine, station wagon, why don't you click HERE.