I am shopping to replace our 2001 Olds Silhouette minivan with 143,000 miles. The last kid left the house and the dog died. The Chrysler Pacifica has been recommended however I know nothing about this vehicle. Tell me about it.
Used and new, the predicted reliability is worse than average. It has been discontinued in 2008. It wasn’t one of the best ones. Chrysler itself may be discontinued soon. If you have enough money, even Consumer Reports shouldn’t deter you. As they say, there are better choices.
Consumer Reports Works For Me When Buying Vacuum Cleaners, TV’s, Coffee Makers, …
I totally quit using them for cars. They keep recommending foreign cars that I have no dealers for within 100 mile radius of my home. Also they were in a long-running fight with Chrysler and I was getting some questionable information. They rate some of the best cars I’ve ever owned (or possibly that anyone could ever own)as “Used Cars To Avoid.” Part of the problem, in my opinion, is the “trouble spots” rating in their reliability ratings. This info is from surveys. Very minor issues can be lumped with major issues. A defective spark plug can equal a rod coming through an engine block, ecetera.
Vacuum Cleaners, TV’s, Coffee Makers are tested by C.R. experts. They have machines that pull on Fruit-Of-The Loom undies, like 6 million times, until they fail from fatigue, etcetera. Their car reliability info comes from car owners, some of whom don’t know a spare tire from a turn signal and even if they do, a squeaking A/C belt can equal a blown A/C compressor with shrapnel penetrating an engine block.
I wonder if pjschlarb found her/his 2001 Olds Silhoutte minivan with 143,000 miles a “Used Car To Avoid” while racking up those miles? Should that be the case, why would they want another “Big 3” vehicle that Consumer Reports abhors (my opinon)in most cases?
I take any of their car recommendations with a grain of salt. They have probably done more harm to the Big 3 than any other single entity. Also, it’s your business and right to say, “Chrysler itself may be discontinued soon.” However, this kind of fear mongering does not help a struggling U.S. industry and is probably not appreciated by the millions of folks employed by the industry and not by some car owners, like me.
America, what a country, including my wonderful Dodges and Pontiacs and Chevy! Also, a special thanks goes out to anyone who helped create them! I’m pulling for you!
P. S. Do I have any qualifications to comment? I am no expert, but please note that I have owned Volkswagens, have worked for Volkswagen and Mazda, been a service writer, body shop manager, parts department manger, and have extensive driving experience in VWs, Mazdas, Dodges, GM cars, and other assorted vehicles. I have loved cars from all of these fine companies. I have some mechanic certifications (not a master) and do my own maintenance and repairs. I have subscribed to CR. for decades, buying it 5-years at a time.
Since your kids and dog are gone, I am puzzled why you want to replace your Sihouette with a similar bulky vehicle. If I was that liberated, a user-friendly, smaller vehicle with great handling would be my choice.
A Mazda 6 or Honda Accord would be my choice. But there are many others. If you are only doing Urban driving, a Mazda 3, Mini Cooper, or similar compact vehicle would be fun and econimical.
Agree with other posters that the Pacifica, if you could still get it would be a poor choice for reasons of reliability, as well as the future of Chrysler being really in doubt.
WOW all of these “do not buy” comments from people who have little direct perrsonal experience with Pacifica or Chrysler… I own an 04 Pacifica… Purchased new… drive it every day for the last 250,000 YES 250,000 miles only two mechanical issues 1) gas guage problem at 180,000 miles (fixed for $200) and a broken lifter at 210,000 miles ($300 repair)
I personally like Chrysler (and Dodge) vehicles, drive one myself, but why would you want to buy a bigger, more powerfull car than you now have??
We have talked about “expected reliability”.
I assume you want to know more about the car itself. The Chrysler Pacifica is a Minivan that is dressed up as an SUV/Wagon. I believe engineering-wise it is based on the other Chrysler/Dodge Minivans. It seats 7 and drives - well - like a Chrysler Minivan. Tha can be good or bad, depending on your taste. Probably not too bad if you liked your Silhouette to begin with. Some may say it has a cushy ride. Others may say it corners like crap and has overall sub-par handling. I fell in love with it when it was release because of its design-departure from the minivan theme. I quickly fell out of love with it when I had it as a rental car for 3 days in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.
Just some subjective impressions.
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My Consumer Reports “unreliable” “used cars to avoid” GM and Chrysler cars that I own and love, have also needed very few repairs. I would buy each of them again in an instant. I like CU, but in my opinion, their car reliability ratings are “used car ratings to avoid”. Not only that, but most of their recommended models have no dealer support anywhere near where I live. That won’t work.
I don’t know, and probably shouldn’t comment, but I don’t think it is built on the minivan platform. The first one I saw was rear wheel drive, It might have been AWD, and the engine was not crosswise.
I just googled this and the info varies. Some people say it’s based off the Town & Country platform, some say it’s its own. But for the original poster that does not matter anyway. It’s a mix between a wagon, a minivan and an SUV that seats 7.