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Comments
Revka
Hatchbacks & Wagons Host
Lee B.
The Jade Green looks great, but the blue/oyster interior with it looks out of place. How was it in person?
Third row seats, one picture looked crammed, the other looked spacious. Loose panel? Preproduction possibly? Those show cars take a beating.
Did you post frequently on Sequioa site prior to its release?? Your name rings a bell.
Dollar for Dollar the Sienna is intriguing. They are preparing an AWD version. It could get pricy?? We'll see. Pictures looked nice.
Full article (mentions pacifica):
http://www.auto.com/reviews/iwiric21_20030121.htm
Interesting light reading.
For that kind of money, CAN 43K to 46K, you can buy an loaded Honda Pilot, loaded Highlander, loaded Murano, even an 02 MDX. I dont know who would buy this thing with that price.
After seeing it and sitting in it I've taken it off my short list. The quality seemed very good for the three they had at the show. The 3rd row seat is as good as the MDX 3rd if you've sat in it. It's small. The front and 2nd row's weren't that bad and the seats were very comfortable. It's just that I need seating for a minimum of 7 if not 8. The six passenger version at the show won't cut it for me. It it does for you then I think you'll be impressed with it.
Right now the new Sienna seems to be what I'm going to get. I haven't totally ruled out the new Quest but it's not looking good...literally.
Of course if you can wait MB is coming out with a new "touring" in a couple of years. I bet we see more spy photos this year and maybe a better concept at next year's show circuit.
By the way what are you going to do with your ML?
Now I see other manufacturers trying to increase their prices out of proportion.
You know what can be had for $38K? - RX300. MDX.
MDX concept was great looking but came in much more concervitive. The new Murano follows that styling. That truck is very attractive, wide and good v6 performance. First belt driven tranny!
Third row seat in pacifica looked a bit more than MDX size. I think what is missing from alot of the comps is the fact this thing is a lot bigger than most people think. This thing is 18 inches longer than the rx300, and 11 than MDX. 8 inches in width than the RX and 2 than mdx.
For those whom have seen it in person, what is your impression of interior dimensions and exterior size?
The Tourag V8 at 40k is a good price level. Pricing V8 aviator, ML, and x5 are higher in price.
What will determine my choice will be the increased interior space over the midsize luxury brands. Other than the Aviator, there are not any 2nd row captain seating in a suv. This is a minivan thing or a Full size suv thing.
Car companies are usually pretty good about demographic studies to justify Mega dollar investments in a new vehicle. If they miss, its generallly not by much, and if the demand is not there the market will set a price. Discounts and eventual equipment package changes can also change going forward if they don't dial it in the first year.
Remember the Cheverolet Monza? ITs introduction in 1975 was as a personal sporty car with very smooth body work. Great looking, but too similar to the camaro and was over priced. Chevy really missed on this one and by 1981 it was reworked so many times it morphed to be a generic economy car. The citation with its 5 doors was another big miss by chevy. IT reworked the body only and it became the Celeberty. It was a huge success!
The midsize luxury and near luxury SUV is a crowded area right now for offerings. The pacifica stands alone and can grab a decent market share. Chrysler still owns 40 % of the Minivan market. If they can covert just a handful of those whom may be leaving the minivan market will make a pacifica a very successful offering. With new offering next year in a reworked Durango, Chrysler will continue to grab those minivan converts. The demographics of minivan sales should continue to decline as that age segment adjusts.
Also, how much off road capcity do we need? My ML has all kinds of goodies to go places I have no desire to ventrue in. The 4runner is a great example of a truck evolving into that kind of off road capacity, while the Highlander is more tame.
Automobile industry is still one of the most interesting. They can get us to spend more and more money every 4 years. Wow!
Mercedes has wonderful transmission on the ml that could work? Is the 300 also a 4 speed? How does it work in the car?
It works pretty well. Sometimes it gets confused in stop-and-go traffic. But so does my Acura TL-S' tranny.
My 300M had vicious pull at 80mph in 3rd gear, up to 110mph, then 4th gear kicked in and it was a sweet spot again.
A 5 speed auto should be better. But a lot depends upon how well the gearing in the auto matches the torque and hp curves in the engine.
A well engineered engine 4 speed auto match beats a poorly engineered engine 5 speed auto match every time.
Chrysler has yet to list the final Specs, this being common practice on new introductions.
Check out:
http://www.allpar.com/model/cs.html
Anyone know about the sunroof? The concept showed a double sunroof. New models coming out like the maxima also show some neat new configurations. Remember the 60's VisTa Cruiser by Oldsmobile. It was the Cutliss wagon with a higher roof line starting in the middle row with about 4 small glass panels. I am not sure what this did for structural integrity, but it was the 60's, seatbelts were options!
Deductive tax laws make those stats interesting.
My Grandfather had a Vista Cruiser. I loved that car. The little panels were tinted dark green in his.
I agree...if you add up all the features, you won't find anything else anywhere near the price.
Sorry couldn't resist!:)
Jack
SequoiaSaurus
Jack
SequoiaSaurus
Login as a guest, accept the agreement, select Chrysler Group on the left, and beneath that, Chrysler Vehicles.
I found this site searching for Pacifica Info. There's lots of interesting content. The commercials are sweet.
Jack
Maybe these will tickle bargamon heart!
Drive & Love
Actually, the only one I saw was During the superbowl with her driving the Crossfire. Which by the way looks like a retro 300 coupe from the 50's, the gullwing.
Bye the way, pacifica and Sienna will have 5.1 surround systems, Im still running a dolby logic in the den! Pretty sad when the family trucksters have a better system than in the house.
Amazing questions on the sienna board, some very lazy people!
Supposedly DC is going to make a convertible within 2-3 years. It's going to be beaut.
Jack
http://www.chrysler-stampa.com/CSI/fotoprodotti/Pacifica/Pacifica- - .html
I think it will be fun to plug the Nintendo Gamecube into the aux A/V ports so the kids can help Godzilla defeat Rodan on long trips
Drive & Love & no "he crossed my line!"
http://store.sae.org/automag/electronics/11-2002/
Would be nice to have radio controls.
I love the DVD with the inputs on the dash. can bring in a mp3 player, or other harddrive portable system for video. Ps2 also for the kids.
END QUOTE
Ruski, VW by no means started the pricing trend we are currently facing, and in fact offer far more for the money than the other cars you mentioned. First of all, the high-pricing trend was started by the SUV-lookalikes you mentioned, namely the RX300. The RX is based off of a Camry chassis and driveline, yet was priced in the mid-$30K region. The profit margin to Toyota for this vehicle was astounding...more than $13,000! Others joined the fray, like the Accord-based MDX (based off of the Odyssey which is based off the Accord), and prices of both started pushing $40K.
Meanwhile, the Passat W8 is based off of a standard Passat which has a profit margin of roughly $4,000, and they added a one-off 8-cylinder engine, AWD, and several Audi features to the car. The list on the W8 goes about $38,000, with roughly the same profit margin as the base Passat.
I own both an MDX AND a W8 Wagon. The W8 has far more feature content, and significantly greater build quality than the MDX...including better stereo, more powerful engine, bi-xenon headlights with washers, heated mirrors and washer nozzles, power folding mirrors, 4-way adjustable steering wheel, indirect lighting, memory seats and mirrors with key-fob control, and real wood and leather. You say you could get an MDX or an RX for the same price as a W8, but the W8 will give you far greater features, and will accelerate, handle, and brake significantly better than either, will be much safer in an accident, has the same interior room and cargo room (in wagon form), and is built better to boot. And since neither the MDX or the RX are off-road vehicles, my AWD W8 Wagon has virtually the same off-road capability with much better on road capability.
Back to subject: The Pacifica looks like a significant upgrade for Chrysler, with better engineering and build quality since Daimler took control. The car is attractive, and fits into the current trend of making station wagons look more like SUVs to satisfy the American public who is brainwashed into thinking "SUV" is a better thing than "Wagon" or "minivan".
I look forward to checking one out in person, as it looks like one of those cars which will appear even nicer in person than in pictures.
Does anyone know exactly when the Pacificas are slated to hit the showroom floors?
Someone who likes something different than you shows a difference in taste, not a conspiracy by the power elite.
I agree that people like what they like, and that noone is forcing them to prefer one design over the other. However, the marketing push for SUVs and the fact that many manufacturers are producing more of them, result in most Americans buying one even though it does not serve their needs as completely as many other vehicles might.
I never thought of it as a conspiracy...simply a way to make more money. Manufacturers can rake in significantly more cash by making their Accords and Camrys look like trucks, because that is what people want. Yet these vehicles are not trucks, and cannot perform like the older, original SUVs once did. I am NOT anti-SUV, as I owned two myself. I loved them...they served my purposes in 1990-1997, which included towing a boat, and off-roading several times a month throughout the Southwestern United States where I was living at the time. Trips to Moab, Panamint, Durango, Death Valley, Pismo, the Mohave trail, and the Tahoe area were significant offroad excursions which could only be handled by 4 or 5 vehicles sold in the United States at this time. Since I moved to flat Florida, there is no more off-roading to be done, hence the move to better handling, sportier AWD wagons.
Back on the point - no matter how brainwashed Americans may or may not be, I still endorse the manufacture of these crossover vehicles. Some of the "tough" design elements are humorous to me, as a former off-roader, and the advertisements which often lead buyers into believing they could take their MDX or Pacifica up the Rubicon trail are a little ridiculous, but at the same time I would much rather the soccer moms gabbing on the phone and single commuters drive a Pacifica or RX300 than a 4 ton Excursion! Makes all of us who don't have a 4-ton behemoth feel much more at ease.
There is a public perception that larger is safer. I doubt very much that the auto companies created this perception. The Brits in 1912 thought the Titanic was safer because of its large size. The Trojans in the 9th Century BC thought Troy's 8' thick walls would keep them safe.
Unfortunately it was still on the display turntable only. The model/spokes person told me that there was a rule (who's?) that if the car was not available at the dealership that it must stay as a display unit only. Plus, this was the concept car version with the glass ceiling.
She also told be that it had already been abused and that someone had broken the rear lift gate. If you looked close you could tell that it wasn't quite complete. For example the tailpipe and a loose cord were being held up by a quick tie. That probably won't be the case in the production model. :-)
In person I found the car to be well proportioned. I was afraid the glass would appear too short as it went further back, but it looked fine. I'm glad they changed the door handles from he concept version. My only concern is the cost. Starting in the low thirties puts it out of my range. Too bad, as I had my sights on one.
It would have been great to be able to sit in it and experience it first hand. But a few short weeks the dealers should have some.
The Crossfire had been there, but I was told it was wisked off this week to make a commercial in Las Vegas.
Three were available, and the crowd was all over them.
My only concern is what what features will be optional, and at what cost. I hope to order one to replace my '01 300M.
Thanks for the info.
When the seats are folded, a panel can be swung over from the back of the left seat to fill in the console gap.
THis way you can negotiate at your own pace.
If this is not doable, then perhaps you can "rent" a car for a month at a reasonable cost at a chrysler dealership until your car comes in.
Bench: The capt. chairs is a unique feature. Next year they may be a lower price variant and to save cost I would assume they would use a bench seat.
http://www.car-truck.com/chryed/buzz03/b011303.htm
Drive & Love & wait
The word from the local Chrysler rep is that all production cars are "pre-spec". meaning loaded with whatever Chrysler wants to build.
These will be shipped to dealers, arriving late Feb, early March.
No word yet on when Chrysler will accept customer orders.
My 300M lease was up today, I extended for 1 month to see whar happens with the Pacifica.
Hell of a way to run a railroad!
I plan on using it primarily for business but will also have 2 kids and wife in it (and occasionally a nephew or grandparent) at times and occasionally drive some co-workers to lunch. It would be nice to seat these five people in the first and second rows. I wonder how easy it will be to use the third row?
I've been considering a Murano (I've cooled on this now) or Highlander, but want to wait to see how the Pacifica stacks up.
But I do hope you can easily get to the third row. I can't imagine a carmaker, today, making the third row difficult to get to.
I see this as major attractive feature.
It appears we are in the quiet period. soon pricing and orders can be taken.
I wonder if pacifica is reviewd in March car mags?
I have yet to get mine.