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Comments
The gasoline I purchased in Richmond at the start of the trip was 89 octane from a chain-type (franchise?) gas station called "Wawa". I'm fairly certain this is a mostly mid-atlantic to south-eastern US chain. I don't know who their supplier/distributor might actually be.
The fuel purchased for the start of the second leg of the trip was Sunoco 87 octane. Gasoline was about 10-12 cents per gallon more expensive in Western Pa and that's the biggest reason I went with the 87 octane, and the other reason of course was as an experiment.
I didn't look for anything at the time on the pump regarding ethanol, but now that you have mentioned it I'll look when I fill up to leave Michigan on Friday. I'm on fumes right now in my Mother-In-Laws driveway so I'll have a empty tank to fill up with for the trip back to Western Pennsylvania. I'll post up Road Report #2 on Friday night (eastern time) or Saturday morning.
Happy Holidays!!!
Too Michigan has gasoline quality standards. You'll see signs on some of the pumps about if you have problems with gasoline purchased there, contact 800 number and they will test the gasoline. That prevents a station owner from filling up with substandard gas at their station to sell to an unsuspecting public. Ohio has no such testing rules. Most other states have something in place.
I suspect you're seeing winter grade effect in your fuel and you're in a fairly new car. The octane requirement is susposed to maximize at about 5000 miles as compression improves then drop slowly through the life of the car. You might want to run 89 most of the time, especially nearer sea level.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
This is part two of the Virginia - Michigan Christmas Trek / Pacifica maiden voyage break-in journey.
Back to the Octane puzzle once again. Well, I've used at least 5 brands and two octane grades on this 1400+ round mile trip in the Pacifica.
Here's the shakedown: (according to trip computer)
Left warm and sunny Richmond, Va. with a tank of 89 Octane from WaWa's - mileage to Pittsburgh over hilly terrain, 22.5-23.0 mpg.
Left cold Pittsburgh for Northville and gassed up with 87 octane from Sunoco - mileage on mostly flat terrain, 19-19.5 mpg.
Left COLD Northville Mi for Pittsburgh with a full tank of Shell 89 octane - mileage on flat terrain was back up to 21.0-21.5 mpg.
Departed MILD (50's) Pittsburgh with a full tank of BP (British Petroleum) 89 octane - mileage on mostly downhill (so to speak) terrain, while HEAVILY laden with Christmas booty and a LARGE box lashed to the roof rack (glad I had it) was back DOWN to 19.5 at BEST. This could have been better but several factors weighed in. First, I sat in at least 2 (45 minute) delays due to traffic, and the box I had on the roof rack increased wind resistance I'm sure.
So, it looks like 89 octane purchased in an area that is geographically warm is best for increased mileage?
Doing the math on one particular leg yielded a manual calculation of 16.5 mpg based on trip odometer and having used about 1/2 of a full tank of gas. I'm not sure I believe the trip computer.
Average speed over the duration of the entire trip was 70-72 miles per hour.
Now for some driving impressions. Overall, the Pacifica was very comfortable and very well behaved from a handling perspective, generally speaking.
I'd have to put forth the opinion that the Pacifica is most at home at about 55-62 mph. Pushing this heavy beast at 70+ miles per hour (loaded with 2 adults, two kids 14 and 10, and a lot of luggage) makes for a slightly more challenging driving experience. I say this for a couple of reasons, first being that hauling this vehicle down from 70 mph in a "near" panic situation produced what I felt were fairly "mushy" (but not frighteningly so) stops. This is to say that I felt there was some "softness" to the feel of the brakes from 70 down to 10-15. There was also some "hopping" to the steering that I wasn't too happy about. Additionally there was some mild "diving" of the nose.
Our old 2000 Sienna minivan while similarly loaded didn't seem as soft in these situations.
Also on the hit list was that due to the start-and-stop nature of several of the traffic jams we sat in I had an opportunity to pay attention to the shifting of the transmission in this unusual driving environment.
I was a little surprised to feel some thumping and mild revving of the transmission as it seemed to be unable to consistently make up it's mind as to what gear it wanted to be in during low speed creeping. It was particularly noticable after getting up to speed (65-70) for short bursts, and then coming to crawling speeds of 10-15 mph. I'm not sure what to make of this, but for now, I'll chalk it up to break-in jitters.
When I needed power for passing it was there, but the Pacifica seemed stingy about dishing it out. There didn't seem to be the instant power I'm used to getting from other high-horsepower (220-250+) engines. It almost felt like what used to be called "Turbo-Lag". Engines with turbo chargers used to suffer from this. Since the Pacifica isn't turbocharged (At least I don't think it is) I can't say this. It could have been the load we were carrying however.
None of these issues would at this point stop me from buying the Pacifica if I was still considering it as a family vehicle and knew about these things prior to purchase. I think these are largely refinement issues and design maturity issues.
Not having driven any "formal" SUV's for a trip like this I have no basis for comparison as to whether these are normal types of things when dealing with a 4400+ pound vehicle.
As a side note, I did see in total 15 other Pacificas in the 1400+ mile trip. I saw only 3 Murano's and 2 FX-45's. I saw several Pilot's and a few MDX's.
Here's my personal rating scale after this long trip:
1-poor to 10-excellent
Gas Mileage - 6 (maybe 7)
Interior Comfort - 9
Interior features - 9
Interior noise - 6 (only during hard acceleration)
Handling - 7
Handling (braking only) in panic situation - 6
Cargo space - 6 (compared to a typical minivan)
Horsepower - 6 or 7
Safety - 10 (Based on crash data, and a personal friends experience who was involved in a "total" loss situation in a Pacifica vs tractor trailer accident)
Styling - 9 (Dudes, I really like the way this vehicle looks)
As Forrest Gump would say.... "That's all I have to say about that". I may post up some more things in the future. I hope this helps folks. I tried to be as objective as possible and thought I would share.
Take care everyone.
I have the same equipment (and the same engine) in my 300M. On certain repeated 200 mile (each way) trips, I can predict within 2/10 of a mile what my gas mileage will be going and coming.
I make this 200 mile trip up highway 5 in Central California on occasion. The terrain is very flat for most of the trip. The trip north generally yields about 1 1/2 less mpg than the trip south. Both trips start off at sea level, have an extensive flat portion, and end at sea level. @ 80 mph I get about 25.8 mpg going north and 27.3 going south. The difference could be prevailing winds or a few more hills.
It doesn't take much to reduce your average. A 45 minute non-moving delay will severely hamper your average. If you get delayed near the beginning of your measured trip, just watch the readout as your average mpg plummets by the minute!
I have a 8.5 mile freeway trip to work. When there is little traffic, I can get over 32 mpg on the trip to work. However, I struggle to get 22 mpg on the trip home (all at 70mph). Although the trip to work is generally slightly downhill, it really affects the gas mileage a lot more than you would expect!
Note I'm not in a Pacifica AND the mileage really drops with the short uphill/downhill slopes in part of KY. The longer grades don't seem to bother the mileage as much.
How much difference does the weight make on performance? I can tell the difference with LeSabre 3800 when 5 adults or 3 adults and trunk/rear seat full of luggage and "stuff" for travel.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
was thinking of putting on snow tires just to have one heck of serious grip in winter. hit an ice patch on the highway a few weeks ago.. it squirmed around but nothing that was a surprise or shock. unfortunatly nothing grips ice unless you go to studded tires or Blizacks
I put 17,000 miles on the OE tires before installing Dunlop Snow Sport M2 winter tires. Another good choice is the Michelin Pilot Alpin.
There are very few winter tires in the correct size for the Pacifica.
For those who have never driven on a good set of dedicsted winter tires, you would be amazed what a difference they make.
We have fitted winter tires to both cars for as long as I can remember. The cost usually offsets the need to replace the OE tires for as long as we keep the vehicles.
Come to find out (after reading them) there are two types of Pacificas. Early build and normal build. The manuals do not explain when the normal build started but mentions it in the tire pressure monitor pages.
basically there are two types of monitors.
1. early build version which you need magnets to retrain them after new tires or tire rotation. the early build also uses the compass module to send it's signals to.
2. the normal build version sends it's signals to the SKREEM system which is the secure key remote..... system. To retrain these monitors, you just drive a few miles.
My pacifica was built 11/11/03 and has the new x2 keyfob so I am wondering if this is a sign of a *normal* build versus early build
If anyone knows when the early buld stopped and the normal build started, please let us know.
Thanks
Site 8)
I do have the retrain option on the computer menu when I STEP thru the functions on the dash.
What I'm reading here says the pressure can be anything and the system retrains after a few miles? IS there anything else to do to make them retrain. He has the 2nd system mentioned -- not the magnet type.
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
I mean decision, not actual purchase.
Just curious, because I bought it at my first test-drive. My girl friend did not quite like it before test-drive, but she was sold when first saw it.
After 2000 miles we still love it, and so far it suits all of our needs.
The center panel is a little too fancy, but still intuitive enough to use.
Love the PAC,
I just started looking for a new ride. I've had Honda Accords for the better part of 10 years, and have never had a single problem. I may well just lease a new one, but I at least want to see what else is out there. I'd like some more space, and the Pacifica is one of the few larger/SUV/minivan/whatever vehicles that appeals to me. There are many limits as to what I can consider -- I'm about 6'8", so I need lots of head and leg room! Anyone tall who's purchased a Pacifica care to share their experiences?
Also, does anyone have any ideas as to what incentives might replace the $3000 (plus holiday cash) that's to expire today or monday? I won't be ready to step up for three to four months -- wish it would have been now, because of the fabulous deals that have been available and that would have made it much easier to step up in price range!
(1) It never ceases to amaze me how much the buying experience varies from dealership to dealership. There are about seven Chrysler dealerships within 45 minutes of where I live (most are small town dealers). I've been to all of them to check out their inventory of Pacificas (before I learned they're all on the net... oops!), four of them during business hours.
Dealer #1 was incredible. They were fairly shorthanded going into the holiday, but the very friendly salesman took a few minutes to go over the features, available options and the like, he asked what I'd be looking for (base model, probably), he tracked down some keys and said 'here, take it for a spin'. No hassles, no pressure, just good info. He was also the only dealer to have actual Pacifica literature (I asked at each place), and knew all about the vehicle, including some things that I'd found on this site.
Dealer #2's salesman wasn't busy, and was nice enough. He went over his demo vehicle (it was pretty well loaded) in extreme detail, which was OK if unnecessary. Didn't suggest a test drive, ask what I was looking for or anything like that. Didn't deal with my request for literature. Did take down my info, so I'll be hearing from him.
Dealer #3 was extremely busy, and several of the people I talked to said they were moving all sorts of vehicles today, because of the expiring incentives and they were having a sale. Anyway, I finally got passed off to someone, who hunted around and scrounged up a pre-release brochure. Nothing further - no info, no test drive offer, nothing, so I bailed.
Dealer #4 was busy, but this visit was pre-holiday and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. They had a Pacifica inside, so I could poke around, but after about 20 minutes, I just left.
Can you guess who I'll be going to see if a Pacifica is the decision? (Oh, and as a bonus, they had what I'd want -- FWD silver base model with dark grey interior -- in stock, most of the others only had a couple fairly loaded models).
(2) I'll also be interested to see how many changes they make in the '05 -- Did I read right here that there'll be no more sunroofs (no loss for me), maybe a 2nd row bench (no thanks), etc?
Sorry if I bother anyone with the long posts.
Thank you all for your help,I will write more after I actually get to see the car!
Pam S.
Just can't say enough about the way this car drives. It holds the road and turns on a dime in a parking lot. I still get lots of looks and people asking what kind of car is that.
My tire monitor say it will reset after you reach a speed of 20 mph.
Love this site!
Bye
On the Pacifica, you've got $3,000 cash back, or (this is new), $2,000 cash back plus 0.0% for 36 or 48 months. Lease cash incentive is $3,000.
This is great news for anyone (like me) who's still a couple months away from getting a new ride!
I am the Girl Scout Cookie Mom for my daughter's troop, and today I had to pick up her troop's initial cookie order.
With all seats folded, I easily fit 65 cases in the rear and front passenger seat. I'm guessing that if I really packed it carefully and used every inch of space I could have gone as high as 70 cases.
Loaded with all that sweet cargo (the smell of 20 cases of Thin Mints is overpowering!), I didn't notice any acceleration issues with the heavy load.
"I just leased an 04' Pacifica, base model for $309 per mo., 0 down, 39 months, 12k per year"
That's a sweet deal. Could you provide more info? What was the MSRP and APR? Would be good to know when I go shopping. Thanks!
Wish me luck!
Base Cap Cost $27820
Cap Cost Reductions $3500
Adjusted Cap Cost $24320
Residual $15648
Term 39 Months
6% Tax
I think APR works out to about 4.15%, which is OK, might be better.
$308.99 per Month, and they also threw in 3 years free oil changes.
It looks fantastic....inside and out.....but come on.
Best Regards,
Shipo
That looks like a really good deal you got. Chrylser is still offering a $3000 rebate until 3/31 and I'll get about $2000 on a trade in. If I can start at invoice it should work out really well for me. Thanks!
going from one dealer to another and letting them outbid each other. I told them that "dealer X" is offering me a lease for $315 on the base model, what's the best you can do, if I bought the vehicle today? The lowest lease I could get was $309 with 0 down, and I didn't think I could do much better, so I took it. 1 week later Chrysler offered another $500 incentive, over the holidays, so I might have done a little better.
$27820 was invoice, right? How did you get the $315 from other dealers? One would think a dealer wouldn't negotiate just for a quote...
I actually started with a newspaper ad from the first dealer who quoted a $345, 0 down lease on a step -up model with a lot more options. I went in with the ad and asked them what the comparable deal would be on a base model with no options, and he quoted $315. I went to the second dealer and told them dealer 1 quoted $315 for a 39 month lease with 0 down and free gas for 2 years (I think gas was limited to $150 Yr). I told him I would rather keep the business with a dealer close to home, what is your best lease deal if I bought the car today? They came back with the $309 per months and free oil changes for 3 years.
I've heard that Pacifica sales have picked up recently, so they may not be as flexible with the deals right now, but I can't really confirm that.
We have 20,000 miles on ours, including several trips, mountain driving, and high speeds. Never did I feel there was insufficient power. More would be good, but it's definitely OK.
Horrible drive over, winter storm and bad accident on 401 in Canada held us up, but our AWD Pacifica handled it well (albeit with 4 winter tires).
The 2005 Chrysler 300 was on display, and available to crawel around in. I was disappointed!
The car felt cheap, and was missing many of the niceities of the Pacifica.
One Hemi-powered 300C on display, with no Nav or DVD player, stickered for $36,000! Guess Chrysler hasn't learned!
What was really great was the Chrysler ME Four Twelve supercar ... a real show stealer!
I may well end up purchasing a Pacifica from a dealer in another part of the country and would like to know what I ought to do on the drive home!
Thanks for any info!