Test drive Chrysler Pacifica 2003 - 2006 Minivan

Chrysler Pacifica AWD

What cars are honored with the greatest praise of specialists? Fast, aggressive, giving the driver there are a lot of sensations and emotions, cars-warriors. And this is understandable. But there are not so many real drivers, and most drivers and especially passengers are more important than calm and comfort without any aggression. For this, the majority are just the calm car car cars.

Good outside

Chrysler Pacifica, sorry for the pun, the most typical pacifist. Moreover, his calm, flexible disposition manifests itself literally in everything. One glance at this car is enough to accurately determine its character. It resembles PT Cruiser with proportions, only made on a half -year scale, however, in detail it is more restrained, without protruding wings and other retroums. And Pacifica only benefits from this, it looks more proportional, if you like, even exquisite, as far as it can be exquisite a car with a typical American design. The dimensions and they seem American. Visually, it does not know to full -sized Americans, which the Yankees consider EXCURSION or SUBURBAN class machines. But at the same time, ordinary sedans and station wagons, even American ones, look small next to Pacifica. But there is another size known from the Second World War. There was such a jeep - Dodge 3/4, and although these numbers indicated the carrying capacity, its size was also just three quarters, between the truck and Willis. Large wheels on 17 -inch discs, a decent clearance, a long wheelbase, a high body - everything says that there will be no closely in Pacifica, and on the road it should feel confident, and it does not have to be covered with even asphalt.

Spacious inside

What is American comfort? First of all, the ability to freely sit on any of the chairs and so that everything is always at hand - and Coca -Cola and Hamburgers. And so as not to shake, otherwise the cola will spill. It would be nice to watch the TV, otherwise the road is long, you’ll get tired of chewing a hamburger. Pacifica in this sense is almost the perfect car. A six -seater salon allows at least four of its inhabitants to be comfortable. The seats of the third row is smaller, a person with a tall of 190 cm does not have enough space for the head, and the seat pillow is short. But people of a small place will be quite enough. The second row is already Full Size, full size. There are only two seats here, they stand separately from each other, between them there is a kind of continuation of the central console with boxing for trifles, adjusting the microclimate in the rear seats zone and blowing deflectors. The distance to the front seats is more than sufficient, each of the rear seats moves in the longitudinal direction, and they are adjusted to the back tilt. And the opening television screen is built into the ceiling.

The front passenger seat has four electroregies, the driver’s - as many as ten. Moreover, the servo drive buttons are carried on the front doors and made in the form of seats, so it is not difficult to understand the algorithm of their work, especially since they are in sight, and not somewhere in a narrow gap between the door and the seat pillow. Such a solution is familiar with Mercedes S-class, which is understandable. By the way, he also borrowed the instrument panel. The middle of the speedometer scale is made black, and on the glass in front of it from under the visor of the dashboard, the image of the on-board computer display is projected. Very comfortably. As for the ergonomics of the driver’s workplace, there are no complaints, especially if you remember the ideology of the car. In addition to the seat settings, the position of the steering wheel is adjustable in height, and the pedals - by departure. Next to the buttons depicting the seats, there is another on the door, with which the pedal can be moved to yourself or from yourself. True, if the steering wheel is moved to the upper position, the distance between it and the visor panel of the devices will be reduced literally to a few centimeters and with intensive operation of the steering wheel, the fingers will all the time touch the visor. But again, the intensive work by the steering wheel is not at all for this car - the mentality is not the same. If we talk about the quality of the interior decoration and materials, then here everything is again American. Each seam, joint, a stitch, no one brought to the ideal how it is done in expensive European cars, but you will not notice any negligence. Normally, in a word.

With strong muscles

Under the hood, the Pacifica is familiar by model 300m V-shaped 6-cylinder engine with a volume of 3.5 liters and a capacity of 250 hp. The gearbox is an automatic 4 -band with a manual switch Autostick. A big plus of the version of the version that came to us is an all -wheel drive transmission, although monopoly modifications are also offered. The front suspension is an independent two -leaf, the back is five -leafed, the fruits of close cooperation with Mercedes are also traced here. The rear suspension is able to save the clearance permanent regardless of the load of the car. In terms of security - both active and passive - the car is also in order: ABS, track control for monopodulatory versions and electronic drive control for all -wheel drive versions allow you to feel more confident in extreme situations. And the front and three -stage lateral airbags, laminated side glasses that protect those sitting in the cabin from cuts, a well -calculated power structure of the body are designed to reduce the likelihood of injuries in the accident. The efforts of the developers were not in vain: according to the result of the NHTSA Chrysler PASICAA Crash test, five stars were awarded in a frontal collision. So the non -aggressive appearance and the peaceful mood created in the cabin are not at all a sign of weakness, everything is in order with the health of the car, it is just like that.

A little with a lazy one

In the city, an automatic transmission paired with a powerful decent engine is perhaps the best combination. The four -band automatic machine is worthy of praise: it works quickly and smoothly, almost instantly and without jerks switching down when the gas pedal is pressed, and as soon as the need for intensive acceleration disappears and the driver reduces the pressure on the pedal, the box immediately switches up, saving fuel and riding the sitting behind The steering wheel and passengers from excess noise. The gear shifts selects the shifts very correctly, and the switching itself occurs almost imperceptibly. The engine is enough under any circumstances, but, despite 250 hp, you should not even try to achieve rapid acceleration from Pacifica. Sharp jerks are not about him.

Even with full gas, the car manages to accelerate smoothly. In a word, Coca-Cola is unlikely to be knelt down. But with visibility, things are not as good as I would like. Due to the large size of the cabin, it is not possible to discern in the inner mirror, and the outer mirrors, although they fit perfectly into the overall design of the car, could be larger than the size. Even the aspferic surface of the right mirror does not save - a decent dead zone remains on the right. For example, on the Moscow Ring Road you need to be more careful, otherwise you can accidentally meet with funny guys who could not dodge the rebuilt Chrysler. But forward the visibility is excellent, and not least due to a high landing. This is a huge plus in the city, because the situation manages to see several cars forward and the time to make a decision remains much more.

On a suburban highway, it is also better to adhere to a calm rhythm of movement. The reason is primarily in the suspension and steering. Soft shock absorbers and springs are not able to restrain the vertical buildup of the body already at a speed of 120 km/h, and completely empty steering finally calms the awakening in the soul of a real driver demon. You have to be calmer, you do not need to rush. Go your hundreds, relax and enjoy. Noise insulation at a good level, only when the irregularities are passing into the salon, deaf blows are transmitted, and even in calm mode you can’t even hear the motor, only the tires on the asphalt rustle. But if it should be pressed on the gas pedal, the box will immediately switch to one, or even two gear lower and the motor, as if stung, will respond from under the hood with a tearful dry metal ringing. This is also familiar with another 300m. An empty steering wheel does not particularly strain in direct areas, since Pacifica is excellent for the exchange rate stability, but on the bends of the road, the situation is different.

Firstly, the reactions to the turn of the steering wheel are a little belated, and secondly, it is simply impossible to feel with your hands how much they turn the steering wheel. As a result, it is impossible to smoothly prescribe a gentle arc even with a calm rhythm of movement, you have to correct the trajectory and not relax all the time. Actually, here everything is American - no one, as they say, lick the characteristics of handling. In general, it’s good, it doesn’t shake, the car does not shy off the road, behaves adequately? Well, fine!

The work of the gearbox encouraged an interesting thought. It seems that four steps are not enough, now five, six, or even seven. But here the motor is enough and four, the saved half a seconds do not solve anything during acceleration, but the 4-band box switches much less often, making the movement of the car even more smooth. In the general concept of Pacifica, this option fits the best as possible, and besides, such a box is cheaper. Its only minus is the engine braking mode. If you switch to III from the IV transmission, the brake moment may be not enough, and almost up to the limiter on the II motor will be screwed to the II motor. If the box had more steps, everything would flow more smoothly and efficiently.

Are there many pacifists?

Officially, Chrysler Pacifica does not come to us, and in gray dealers its cost exceeds $ 60 thousand. Against the background of prices for other cars of a similar scale, this is a lot, but not so many. Another thing is that for this money you can buy a more spacious minibus or a more familiar and aggressive SUV. But on the other hand, on Pacifica, as they say, it is not ashamed to come to negotiations (somehow not in our way on a minibus), and meet partners at the airport, and roll around the city (the rear seats in Pacifica are more spacious than in the extraordinary people). In a word, the question remains open. And Pacifica sales volumes in Russia will depend on how many people who are able to pay the mentioned amount for the car do not consider brutality an attractive feature. In the end, the Pacific in English is also Pacific, but this does not prevent people from treating it respectfully.

Some technical characteristics of Chrysler Pacifica AWD
(manufacturer data)
Dimensions, mm: 5052x2014x1689
Base, mm: 2954
Front/behind, mm: 1676/1676
Engine type: gasoline V6 24-valve
Working volume, cubic meter. See: 3518
Max. Power, L.S./rpm: 250/6400
Max. moment, nm/rpm: 339/3950
Drive: for all wheels
Transmission: automatic 4-band
Brakes: Disco ventilated
Tires: 235/65 ZR17
Max. Speed, km/h: no data
Acceleration time 0-100 km, s: no data
Fuel consumption (ERA), l/100 km: no data
Back volume, l: 87
* With fully folded seats.
Leonid Klimanovich
 
 
 
 

Source: Avtopanorama magazine