TTAC Consumer Clinic: Minivans And The 2017 Chrysler Pacifica

In keeping with my current life stage, a bunch of my friends own minivans. Three of my four siblings have each owned multiple minivans. I own a minivan.

And this week, the test vehicle at GCBC Towers is this FCA Canada-supplied 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited, with a not-at-all limited array of options. As-tested, U.S. market pricing for this Pacifica climbs just beyond the $50K marker to $50,270.

Honda Odysseys top out below $46,000; Toyota Siennas below $49,000. FCA, however, wants the new Pacifica — which adopts the name of a failed crossover that died eight years ago — to be perceived as the automaker’s premium player. Buyers who want a value-oriented FCA van continue to have the Dodge Grand Caravan as an option, at least for the time being.

But we wonder if it’s a tenable position in the long-term; if, when FCA’s Windsor, Ontario assembly plant finishes its Grand Caravan run, the Chrysler brand can maintain the automaker’s longstanding dominance in the minivan sector.

Rather than simply formulate a cohesive opinion in TTAC’s hyperactive Slack chat, we took questions to the people. We didn’t want to do a Pacifica consumer clinic with this van — we know that a few minutes inside this luxuriously equipped example would produce a handful of Wows and Oohs and Aahs. Rather, we decided to find a minivan baseline.

With five questions in hand, I approached eight individuals: two Toyota Sienna drivers, one driver of a Honda Odyssey with which the TTAC faithful will be familiar, four Dodge Grand Caravan owners, and the current owner of a three-row Kia Sorento whose four previous vehicles were minivans from Ford, General Motors, and Chrysler.

Income levels vary. Six of the eight respondents own other vehicles. They live in different parts of the continent. There are 24 children and five dogs represented by the parental participants.

This is not a scientific survey, but more than the strict yes/no answers to TTAC’s questions, the details provided by our eight minivan owners are useful and insightful.

What Was The Leading Factor In The Purchasing Decision Of Your Current Van?

Not surprisingly, Marcus, a Toyota Sienna-driving father of four, said, “Having two friends with older Siennas, I was impressed with the reliability,” and labelled longevity as the leading factor in his purchase. Another Sienna owner said the van’s broad three-seat second row was the big reason for purchase, while Steffani, the primary Odyssey driver, said the cost/quality combination topped the list of reasons.

If You Had No Personal Financial Limitations, What Is The Maximum Price You Would Pay For A Minivan?

Don, the father of two (almost three) and owner of two Schnauzers, said that if price were no object, he wouldn’t be in a minivan at all but rather, “We would probably be in an Navigator or Suburban.” On the other side of the equation, Matthew, very pro-minivan a father of four, would simply buy the most expensive version of the best van available if he could. “Why not get the best one?” Other vehicular styles don’t enter into the running.

Do You See A Difference In Terms Of Prestige Between Dodge And Chrysler?

Another criticized the Chrysler as the cheaper option and said when she and her husband purchased their Grand Caravan the Town & Country didn’t even earn a second glance. The other five respondents all answered this question with a no. A Chrysler is a Dodge is a Dodge is a Chrysler.

Word Association: What’s The First Thing That Comes To Mind When These Four Vehicles Are Mentioned?

First, the Odyssey. The Odyssey owner said, “Longevity.” Of the Odyssey, the Kia Sorento driver said, “love.” One Grand Caravan owner considered the Odyssey’s camera setup to be appealing, another called the Odyssey high-class, and another gave credit to the Odyssey’s alleged “good looks.”

As for the Sienna, the Odyssey driver thought first of Toyota’s “good advertising,” crediting the old Swagger Wagon campaign. Durability, quality, reliability, and boring were the four one-word responses.

Aside from the “poor quality” label linked to the Pacifica by its Chrysler marque, most respondents had no opinion on the Pacifica because they had heard absolutely nothing about it. One Grand Caravan owner said, “It looks small.”

News for the Kia Sedona wasn’t so great, either. Unproven, fear, and auto shop visits were answers from three of our minivan owners. One Grand Caravan owner slapped the Sedona with a backhanded compliment, calling it “workable.”

The loyalty inspired by the Toyota Sienna with one of our two Sienna owners was noteworthy. He had nothing to say regarding the three competitors, but of his own van, he said, “Buy.”

Will Second Row Stow’N’Go Seating Be A Major Factor In The Purchasing Decision Of Your Next Minivan?

Andrew, the father of three with full Stow’N’Go seating in his current van, says, second row Stow’N’Go, “will be a significant factor but price will dictate in the end.” Rachel, our former Grand Caravan owner and mother of five, had Stow’N’Go but never used it and considers it useless. And Janna, another current Grand Caravan owner, says, “Who needs a truck when you have Stow’N’Go?”

[Images: © Timothy Cain/The Truth About Cars and FCA]

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures. Follow on Twitter @goodcarbadcar and on Facebook.