Eric's Autos: 2024 Chrysler Pacifica
It is now.
Even more so, arguably, because of the standard V6, which has gone from being something ho-hum ordinary five or so years ago to something almost exotic, as V12 were when V8s were once pretty commonplace.
At The Curb
It's still a minivan, but the Pacifica tries hard to not look like minivans used to. It's sleek rather than boxy, without compromising the functionality that makes a minivan what it is.
At just over 203 inches long, the Pacifica has about the same footprint as a full-size sedan but is vastly more practical, because it can carry up to eight people in three rows of seats and because even with all three of its rows occupied, it still can carry about twice as much cargo behind its third row, where there is 32.3 cubic feet of space available versus the typical 15-16 cubic feet of cargo capacity in a full-size sedan's trunk.
The space available is also configurable to accommodate passengers or more cargo. By folding the second row into the floor, you have 140.5 cubic feet of flat and open space to work with, which is space enough to carry things that most crossovers can't -- assuming you could manage to load them. This is much more difficult with crossovers because they're higher off the ground.
The Rest
The '24 Pacifica hasn't changed much since 2017, which was the model year when the current version came out. That was seven years ago, which is a long time for any model to remain on the market without a major makeover. If there is a '25 Pacifica, expect major changes, including the likely replacement of the currently standard V6 with a standard hybrid-electric setup of some kind, probably with a small four-cylinder engine in lieu of the current V6.
The Bottom Line
This may not only be your last chance to get a Pacifica with a V6. It may be your last chance to get a Chrysler.
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Eric's latest book, "Doomed: Good Cars Gone Wrong!" will be available soon. To find out more about Eric and read his past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
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