This post is sponsored by FCA US; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own
Confession: I’m a mom who doesn’t drive a minivan and have always been ok with it until I spent a week driving the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. I have to say it wasn’t love at first sight though. Despite clean lines and a stylish exterior, the Chrysler Pacifica looked absolutely huge sitting in my driveway. My sensible side took over instantly as I wondered how well I’d be able to maneuver it on city streets and the impact of fuel costs on my wallet but once I got behind the wheel, I was a bit smitten. Here are the nine features that I found myself falling in love with over the week that I drove the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica.
Brilliant touch screen located in an easy to reach center stack
Upon opening the drivers’ side door, my eyes were instantly drawn from the gorgeous Nappa leather-trimmed seats to the brilliant 8.4” touchscreen in the center stack. Wonderfully clear and conveniently located, navigation, SiriusXM Satellite Radio, favorite FM stations, and more were right at my fingertips. I’ve tested cars before where the touch screen is just out of reach. Not the case in the newly redesigned Chrysler Pacifica. Everything is less than arm’s length away. What I didn’t love is the gear shift knob and the volume knob on the center console being so close together. Until I found the volume control buttons on the back of the right side of the steering wheel, I feared accidentally throwing the car in reverse to turn the volume up!
Stow N’ Go Seats fold at the touch of a button to provide tons of cargo space
Anyone who has ever wrestled with the seats in their car to get them to fold down will appreciate the Pacifica’s Stow N’ Go Seats. The third row folds into the floor with a touch of a button. The second row captain’s chairs only require a gentle tug for them to fold up into hidden compartments located under the vehicle’s floor boards thanks to the Stow ‘n Go Assist feature. It’s so easy to fold the seats in the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica that I shot this video while folding the seats down!
Tri-Pane Panoramic Sunroof provides amazing views
Car rides are always better when kids can see their surroundings and sitting in the back seats was more enjoyable thanks to the tri-pane panoramic sunroof. Probably one of the most expansive sunroofs in any vehicle we’ve tested, this feature in the Chrysler Pacifica let in plenty of light and made the vehicle seem even more spacious.
Heated steering wheel is perfect for the chilliest days
We had some cold winter days during the week that I drove the Pacifica and I was pleased to get in the car and feel the heat radiating from the steering wheel and through my gloves quickly. It was definitely welcome warmth on chilly days! While I love the chrome trim that encircled the steering wheel from a design perspective, from a practicality perspective, the chrome made the steering wheel have a cold spot right in the center even when heated steering was turned on.
Heated and cooled front seats
In the winter, I always appreciate having heated seats and the kids quickly discovered that they could enjoy toasty buns in their second row captain’s chairs too. I know that the cooled seats are always welcome on hot summer days and could see myself appreciating this feature in the warmer months.
Easily accessible USB ports in all rows keep everyone’s devices charged
Every family packs devices on road trips these days and the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica takes into account the needs of connected families by putting USB ports near each seat. The second row seats have USBs in the backs of the driver and front passenger seat while those in the third row can find their USB ports on the sides of the vehicle, right above the cup holders. Finally. No more squabbling over who needs to plug in more. Now everyone has access to their own plug. Just don’t forget the power cords!
360 Surround View Camera
Have you ever gotten a birds’ eye view of your vehicle in motion? You can when you’re driving the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica! A fully stitched together image is created using four cameras positioned around the vehicle to help keep you and your family safer when you’re driving in reverse.
Remote start
If you’ve ever had to run out on a snowy morning to warm up your car or gone out in the hot summer sun to start the air conditioning to cool down the interior to make it more bearable, you’ll appreciate remote start. Using a certain combination of buttons on your key fob, you can remotely start your car to warm it up or cool it down so everyone can be comfortable immediately upon entering the vehicle.
Ample room for large dogs
Oliver, our 9 year old Yellow Labrador, loves to ride in the car. Weighing just under 90 pounds, he’s no small dog. He occupies a lot of space and thankfully, the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has plenty of room for him, the kids, and whatever cargo we happen to be transporting on any particular day. Oliver jumped in and out of the car with ease thanks to floorboards that were just the right height (he’s hesitant to get in some SUVs that sit higher off the ground), loved standing between the driver and front passenger seat to see out the front windows, sitting in the captain’s chair and poking his head out the side window, and curling up between the front seats and those in the second row to nap whenever we got out of the car. As a dog owner, I love the idea of having the integrated Stow ‘N Vac to vacuum up all the light colored dog hair he often leaves behind.
For more information about the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica, visit the Chrysler website, follow them on Twitter or Instagram, or like their Facebook page.
This post was written as part of the compensated #DrivePacifica campaign but all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and based on personal experience.
