Chrysler Pacifica

xineann

(from the service manager at my dealership) that Chrysler supposedly has adopted a European approach to production, and that if there is a modification that needs to be made, they shut down production for a time in order to make any modifications.

I have no idea if this is true or not, or what "modifications" warrant this, but that is what I was told.

It was also my understanding that the rebate was good through Jan. '04, but again, I am certainly not an authority.

xineann

Although the headlights add $500, the full sized spare only adds about $160. That is not bad, as that is just about what it will cost to replace a tire with the equivalent, and quite frankly, I think the full sized spare is worth it (I do not have it, and wish I did).

I had similar upgraded headlights on my previous car, don't have them on the Pac, and to be honest, I miss them, I do notice a difference. I'm sure that the extra expense digs in, but if you are getting a decent deal on the car and the buy out on your lease, it might be worth considering.

coloradosue

Thanks for the info, xineann. My guarantee for the rebate was in the instance that my car was delivered after the Early January date. The rebate is good through early January 2004, but there is an additional $500 cash bonus, for $3500 total, right now through Dec 1st (according to the Chrysler Website). I am wondering if I should go ahead and buy one now from the available vehicles vs. waiting for my order. If the production line is shut down and my order is delayed into late January or February, I would rather settle for some options I wasn't interested in and get my Pacifica sooner. Either way, I am REALLY looking forward to my new Pacifica!

xineann

If you can get something close to what you ordered (by the way, if your dealer doesn't have the car you want, they should be able to trade with another dealer that does), I'd buy one off the lot and get the extra $500. I don't know what it is like where you are, but here in San Diego, there is a high inventory. I was able to get exactly what I wanted off the lot.

Good luck!

alisac

No, Ramzey, I don't mind you asking.

All in Canadian funds, the MSRP of the vehicle is $51,625 - this is the AWD with all of the options except the Navigation system and the laminated glass. The negotiated price is $48,473. Term is 48 months and the interest rate is 4.8%. Residual now is 46% which translates to an optional buy out at $23747.50. (Was supposed to be 48% based on pre-Oct. 7th program - the one I got screwed out of).

Lease payments are $659 plus tax - which are over 15% here - so monthly payments would be $762.57. Based on US exchange rate today, that is $580.13 - tax included.

Had I gotten it as I was supposed to - without the headlights and the spare, and at the residual rate of 48%, my payments would have been $731 a month.

No, there are no negatives from my old lease in the deal as my current car is a Mazda from a different dealer.

ColoradoSue - I have done a bit more sniffing around, and word is that they will likely NOT reopen the 2004 Pacifica line in January, but will shift to the 2005. Of course, no guarantees - this too could change. When I ordered the car at the beginning of October - my dealer had no clue that production was ending for the rest of the year...

ramzey28

Thanks for the info...It just seems high to me but I know things are different in Canada but they advertise it here for the base awd 33k US funds for 329 a month for 39 mos with 1k down. I got a 35k awd for 370.00 a month with no money at signing 39 mos. That was before the 3k rebate here.

ramzey28

The Pacifica has only a 3k rebate for purchase or lease til Jan 04. The 3500 is on other models like the Town n Country. Still a great deal..

coloradosue

The rebate is 3K on a buy or lease until January 04, but I had seen ads in the newspaper about a bonus $500 through Dec 1st, and I found it on the Chrysler Pacifica website. They are calling it the year end sales event. Here's the website link.

http://www.chrysler.com/best_values/pacifica.html?context=pacific- a-index&type=promo3
  
I heard that my Pacifica is supposed to ship on Dec 1st with delivery within 10-14 days after shipment. I ordered the features I wanted and it falls in between a loaded model and a base model AWD. I decided to stick with my order and see if it really does ship next week. I sure enjoy browsing the Pacifica websites while I wait!

ramzey28

I looked there...click to see offers, put your zip in and scroll to Pacifica, its 3k...it is misleading due to the Pac picture above it.

bjbird2

I just leased an 04' Pacifica, base model for $309 per mo., 0 down, 39 months, 12k per year. The dealer also gave me four free oil changes per year for 3 years. The Pacifica and Crossfire also provide loaners when the car is being serviced.
I researched for 2 months, and I thought this was a good deal, I could not find ANYTHING else even close to the Pacifica for the monthly payments. That includes buying used vehicles up to 3 years old. I just could not find another vehicle that offers as much for the $$ as the Pacifica. I looked at all kinds of SUVs, trucks and wagons. Chrysler quality has improved considerably since my last vehicle in 96'. The seats are very comfortable, and the Pacifica is very tight and quiet.
I also own a Passat which has been a real joy to drive, but the Pacifica is a positive surprise.

ramzey28

FWD or AWD Base Model?

bjbird2

FWD. I talked with a friend who lived in Syracuse, NY. He has driven in some of the worst snow conditions, and he claims that FWD will work very well in snow if you have adequate ground clearance. So I thought I'd save the price of AWD. Lower price, lower weight, better mileage, less maintainance.

pud2

Hi to you all!
My wife and I just recently "discovered" the Pacifica, and took a test drive in one a few days ago.
Absolutely love it!
Now to the dilemma part..... We are right in the middle of moving to a new home we had built, and so it will be several months before we can financially swing the Pacifica.

I was told Chrysler has shut down the assembly line until early next year, and then production will resume with MAYBE the 2005 model Pac....
Does anyone here, have any idea what(if any)changes will take place on the Pacifica?? Anyone here have an "Inside ear" on planned changes?

We will pretty much have to wait to get ours,
I understand the deals right now are great, but we just cannot pull off a new mortgage AND a new car note at this time!
I'm hoping we will get a nice auto,but won't have to pay through the nose in a few months!! 8-)

Look forward to any rumors you may have heard!!

fsmmcsi

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just announced new test results 11/30/03, and the Pacifica was rated a Best Pick, with all Good ratings, except for an Acceptable on structure due to movement of the instrument panel and floor in the 40MPH offset crash. The federal government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) rated the Pacifica their top rating of five stars in all categories.

Chrysler is missing the boat if they do not heavily advertise these outstanding results.

The IIHS and NHTSA web sites have photos and discussion of the results.

pssimon

Regarding all these wonderful accolades being thrown at the Pacifica... I'm glad to see it. I've had one since July. Did you see the NBC National news earlier in the week? I think it was the Insurance Institute that did a study on the crashworthiness of the bumpers of SUVs and the costs associated with hitting a pole at 5mph. To my chagrin, the Pacifica was in the Poor, not even marginal category, with over $2800 worth of repairs associated with that kind of hit. Seems the bumpers are worthless (according to them). The high cost was because the bumper didn't absorb the hit, allowing the hatch/back/trunk (not sure what to call it <G>) door to be damaged by the vertical pole! Was not a very comforting story.

ms_mayor

Its been snowing since early morning here in NJ, and I just got back from running an errand. Roads in my neighborhood are snow covered, about 2-3 inches of slushy mess and main roads are snow-covered and slushy as well.

I have a FWD model, and am happy to report that with the standard-issue Michelins, the car performed beautifully. No problems at all accelerating from a stop; no slippage or fishtailing (had that all the time in my Volvo). Ride was smooth and sure-footed, and traction-control kicked in once or twice, momentarily, but I never felt the car slip at all. The computer must be set to pick up wheel-spin at its slightest.

All in all, very happy with the handling in snow despite not being an AWD.

ramzey28

Anyone else with snow stories and how their Pac did, especially the AWD version. Im supposed to get 9-15 inches and will report back on how it handles, if possible.

ramzey28

Took it out this morning with about 3-4" on the road, handled very impressive. Actually better then my truck in 4wd. Can wait to try it at 6-9" tonight.

mrl11777

of dumbells out today and tonight wrecking their 4WD vehicles and learning the hard way that 4WD gets you going, but physics takes over from there when it comes time to stop.

jmelchio

Hi all,

  We are looking at the Pacifica to replace a minivan. Has anybody put a car seat in the third row? We need to get 4 car seats into the car, so I will have two car seats in the third row all of the time.

  I was curious if anybody has used the third row for cars seats, how they fit, how hard it is to access, etc.

  Any information you have will be appreciated.

  Thanks.

mrl11777

You can fit them in the back row. Getting kids in and out of them back there is another question. A real minivan (not a flattened one) would probably be a more sensible choice.

rcf8000

A minivan is also more appropriate if you need any luggage space behind the third row.

ramzey28

aren't in the market for a minivan or are tired of them. (Or cause the minivan market deprecation factor is huge right now --good luck trying to resell one). The car seats fit well in the 3rd row. Only one has a tether strap holder. Getting in and out really depends on how far back the front car seats are (Drivers and Passengers). And for everyone that is says it looks like a flattened minivan needs to get a grip. Then most of the crossovers and some suv's all do. Why people can't accept this car for what it is..is beyond me.

mrpacified

Weekend storm put down 23" in our town (Westwood, MA) so I got a real sense of how our AWD Pacifica would perform in deep stuff. I admit, the standard bearer is my Audi TT Quattro, which is just about the perfect snow car if it had another 3" of clearance - very low center of gravity, great snow tires (Nokian "Q's") and perfect handling and brakes. The Pacifica did well on the Michelins AS tires, but would have been mountain worthy with actual winter tires. Let's face it, controlling all that weight is an issue, but the ABS and AWD transfer worked beautifully. My sense is that the Pacifica's relatively low center of gravity compared to large SUV's and Minivans gives it a real snow handling edge. If you're in serious winter weather often, you should consider a set of winter tires, otherwise, this is a far better and safer vehicle for snow driving than most anything else its size.

kalathiparambi

believe me, four car seats will not work. i've got a booster and a car seat in the 3rd row and another car seat in the 2nd row drivers side. this still gives me access to the 3rd row using the passenger side with the seat upright. if the 2nd row seats have car seats in them i.e. cannot be folded up then getting to the back is very tough - unless your kids are big enough to step on/over the 2nd row center console and strap themselves in.

hope this helps.

jmelchio

Thanks for all of the inputs. I have 4 yr. old triplets, and a 6 year old. The 6 year old is in a booster seat, so her seat can fold.

I know a minivan is the best answer, but neither myself nor my wife really want another one.

We just moved to the northeast, so we definitely want something with AWD. My wife doesn't really want an SUV either (too big, drive like a truck, etc.), which is why we started looking at Pacifica.

I'm not sure if the dealerships in the area are ready for it, but we may end up taking all the kids/car seats for a test drive in the Pacifica.

Thanks again for the input. It's a big help.

ramzey28

Take one home, I took one home to make sure I wanted one. I came out of a Town and Country and was not sure if we could make the next step. The Dealer was great. Had it for about 12 hours. We bought one, and love it. It sounds like this is exactly what you are looking for. We said the same thing you are saying. The Pac fit all the needs. The AWD worked great in this weekends storm. You can get about 6k off right now. Not sure where in the Northeast, but Carlons in Concord NH makes some great deals. PS..with the kids, get the DVD Player!

kmb424

Hello.. Im new to this site. My hubby and i went last night to look at the Pacifica. I loved it. However, I have read a lot of the post on the "problems" board and I notice that there is a lot about Stawling and Clicking in the Dash Board. Not to mention, my husband said that when he test drov eit.. it stawled on him. Now im scared to buy one. Can someone please give me some insight? Thanks a lot!

bjbird2

I just leased a Pacifica, and we drove 1200 miles in the first 4 days with absolutely no problems (a Thanksgiving trip). We like the Pacifica very much, and I say, go for it, while you can still get very good deals. When everyone discovers this vehicle, and Chrysler gets their marketing and advetising directed toward the right demographic, the deals will not be so good.
I think the problems you see posted are in the minority. People that have problems are going to vent their frustrations more than the majority of us who are very happy with our vehicles.

ramzey28

No car is perfect, just look under other brands in these message boards. Even Japanese brands have issues. Like others have said, you will here more bad then good on message boards. Just read the reviews, and epinions. They are all very good. I enjoy mine and have not had any real issues, still only 2 months old. I looked for one built in Sept or later. The pre-aug. models did have some other issues mentioned on this board. There were some fixes with the post-aug models. For example, the fuel clip recall and the engine software upgrade. All fixed on the post-aug. models. I think for the price and for what you get--the Pac is a great choice. I leased cause I think the deprecation factor will be big even knowing its a great car. Most everything above 29k has a large deprecation factor even foreign cars. Americans due fair worse, though. Obviously I would not purchase the one that you drove that stalled. I kept mine for about 12 hours and drove about 100 miles before I decided to make my deal. They were ok with it, they wanted to sell a car. Buy before Dec 31st, I think the pressure is on.

pssimon

I have had my Pacifica since July. It has over 10,000 miles on it which included a trip from NJ to FL). ALL of the miles have been pain free. I have had NONE of the major problems that have been listed here. My biggest problem was a wheel well problem that was a double sided sticky tape issue. Finally resolved. I have not had the noisy dash, the stalling, the disappearing temperature control display issue, or even the poor radio reception that some have commented on. So far, from my experiences, hindsight would tell me to do it again!

Hope that helps.....

russklass

Almost 17,000 miles, and 7 months, on ours, and the only real problem was a bad front wheel bearing.
It's still tight & quiet, and all systems are working as advertised.
We have the Nav system, 5.1 sound system & rear seat DVD entertainment system.
We're anxious to see what the AWD can do in a Buffalo winter!

kmb424

Thanks everyone for replying back about my dilema. As for when it was made, they are going to order it from the factory so I can get exactly what i want, so obviously it will be recently built. And you are right about only hearing the bad things about vehicles. We also have an Expedition and a know a lot of people who hate them. I love mine. I hope to make my decision by the end of the week. Thanks again!

wesley1der

Yark Auto has 30 Pacifica for lease, $2,995.00 inception money, $185.00 per mo, for 24 mo. Is this a good deal or not?

ruski

downpayment is a bit high (for my tastes), monthly is quite low though. I wonder if one can reshuffle it a bit and decrease downpayment and increase monthly payments (usually every $1,000 of downpayment is worth ~$30 per month).

And how many miles per month do they allow?

tom_

russklass - you say you have the nav system. how do you like it? i think the pacifica is the only one that has it behind the steering wheel - what are your thoughts on the location?

thanks

twoof1

$185.00 per month for a 24 month lease?? Something smells fishy.
Are you sure about those numbers?
How is the vehicle equipped?
What is the sticker price?
What is the Cap cost?
What is the residual?
What is the money factor?
How many miles are they allowing?
These are the questions that need to be answered to properly assess a lease.

wesley1der

Pacifica lease: Car Advertised with Keyless entry, CD player, Aluminum Wheels, & Power Package. Also says it includes $3,000.00 lease cash. Doesn't give mileage.

ramzey28

Could have had other rebates that might not apply. Also it probably is a FWD model, with that the deal would be close to 200 a month except you rarely see chrysler do under 36 mon leases...could be a mis-print?

twoof1

$185.00 per month for a 24 month lease seems impossible even for a used Yugo! Seriously it would have to be a $15,000.00 car for the lease numbers to even come close to that. Must be a typo. Maybe $385.00 per month?

ramzey28

With 3k down and 3k rebate on a FWD, it could be possible but there is obviously some other fine print.

russklass

Nav systems just a few years ago were useless.
The latest are quite good, but not perfect.
My experience:
The system often takes you the simple, but long way. Always double check with a mapping program like Mapquest to corroberate the route. I often foree a recalculation if I think my route is better.
Ironically, it knows some little-known short cuts, but not some obvious ones.
The in-cluster display is a little on the small side, but easy to use.
Forget polarized sunglassed with this, and most, nav displays.
I love it for business trips to places I have never been before. It finds the most obscure destinations!
This week, it got me back to the hotel from the most difficult-to-navigate mall I have ever seen, in Fairfield, NJ.

ms_mayor

Russ, I live in NJ and believe me, navigating just about anywhere north of Trenton is a nightmare even if you live here. (grin)

610bob

kmb424 and others. Have had my pac since July, nearly 8k miles traveling central and northern CA. AWD, Intermezzo System w/o DVD. No problems with audio system. Good handling and smooth ride w/adequate power. AutoStick works well. Have had minimal problems (heater control) fixed by reprograming computer. Took "pssimon" info about dbl-sided tape on the loose wheel/fender liners. All in all, very pleased with this car.

wesley1der

Lease advertised by Yark Automotive Group in Toledo, Ohio. They are the largest dealer in N.W. Ohio. I sure don't know but it's in their add in the Toledo Blade.

mrl11777

Is your tinfoil hat a mite too tight?

stever

The troll post has been removed from this discussion - and about 25 others. Sheesh...

Steve, Host

ravage1

Hi Gang,

I thought I'd post my current (as we speak) experience driving our (new) AWD Pacifica from Richmond Va, to Northville Michigan.

First things first. When we left Richmond, I filled up on 89 Octane and being that this is a BRAND NEW vehicle and not broken in I was pretty pleased to get about 22.5-23.0 miles per gallon on the highway. This was up and down quite a few hills, especially once we hit Western Pennsylvania. The ride was comfortable and quiet, with the exception of a good amount (but not unbearable) of engine noise when pushed hard for passing or climbing a steep grade while heavily loaded. This is the same experience many folks have had as well so no real surprises here.

Bumps and road noise were minimal and all things considered this feels like a damn solid automobile. Oddly, in the 600+ miles over several interstates I saw only 2 other Pacificas. One parked, and on on the road. However, in Michigan near my Mother-In-Laws I did see 2 more parked within 2 blocks of each other in the same neighborhood. To be fair, the only other car I consider to be a direct "competitor" to the Pacifica is the Murano and I saw exactly 2 of those on the way.

Second, as other people have noticed, I too did detect a TINY amount of "static" or noise when certain CD's were played in the CD player. Not all CD's just a few I made. This too wasn't all that big of a problem and was fairly easily ignored.

As far as cargo space is concerned, even with the 3rd row folded flat, we didn't have as much space behind the 2nd row of seats (once removed) as we did with our 2000 Sienna Minivan. However, I didn't buy the Pacifica for its cargo space, but it was a little disconcerting at first to discover the our usual yearly load of luggage and presents for Christmas were just BARELY able to fit. We did manage however. I don't like roof mounted luggage carriers because I think they are ugly and frankly if you have that much junk to haul, go rent something huge.

The really strange part was when we finally started the 2nd leg of our journey to Michigan after stopping overnight in Pennsylvania. I filled up on 87 octane instead of 89 octane. I fully expected that since the terrain changed dramatically from mountains and hills to nearly completely flat (and I used cruise control for the majority of the trip) that my highway gas mileage would easily break 24 miles per gallon. Oddly, my mileage went DOWN to 19 mile per gallon. This figure and the prior numbers are from the trip computer which was reset at the beginning, and the the start of the 2nd leg of the trip. As far as I can tell the only two variables were the terrain and the octane of the fuel (89 and 87 repsectively). Can anyone shed some light on this strangeness?

I'll post up more information as I get it. My last Chrysler was a 1985 Laser, and it was unquestionably the biggest piece of junk to ever roll off an assembly line. I swore I'd never buy another Chrysler product as long as I lived, so to be driving a Pacifica is a bit of a personal sacrilege. Having said that, I'm going to try to remain objective about this vehicle. So far so good. Stay tuned for Pacifica Road Report #2.

pud2

Ravage1,
now THAT is the kind of info that makes this forum so great!
Just the knid of info needed for one to make informed decisions on a auto....
The bit about the octane/terrain/milage does cause one to wonder...anyone have any opinions??
Thanks again, please continue to keep us informed on the Pacifica's "break-in trip"!

             Pud2

imidazol97

ravage1
What brand of gasoline did you buy for the 87 octance in PA? Was it a name brand station that doesn't blend in ethanol? In some states they don't tell you on the pump and your federal government has mandated ethanol sometime in the future to help feed money to the big farm/ethanol plants producing it from corn who donate money.

2 possibilities:

You bought a brand of gasoline with an ethanol blend. It's been my opinion the ethanol blend does NOT deliver as many miles per gallon--negating the usual lower price by 1 or 2 cents per gallon (the tax on the gas is 5 cents less but they only lower the price by 1 or two -- hence more profit).

Second -- the gas you took on in VA was blended for medium temperatures. The gas you bought in PA was blended for winter. The winter fuel has higher volatility to give better starting. But that mixture has lower energy overall giving lower mileage. OTH summer blend will give trouble starting. For example try using premium for several tanks and you'll notice harder starting, some radio repair show experts claim, due to its lower volatility.