We’re a couple months into our Chrysler Pacifica Limited loan, and I’m beginning to see why the minivan is a perennial parental favorite. Occasionally, I’ll get a different vehicle for the weekend, and more often than not I end up missing the baby-friendliness of the Pacifica.
Most four-door vehicles these days are fit for baby duty, but having sliding doors makes getting a baby seat in so much easier. For one, you have a much wider opening to work with, and two, you don’t need to worry as much about door clearance. Conventional hinged rear doors have to swing out far enough for you to fit the car seat through the gap, which can be tricky if you’re parked in a tight space. In a minivan, that’s less of a problem as the doors slide straight back and protrude less than a foot from the body when open.
I also love the Pacifica Limited’s standard remote start feature. We enjoy a mild climate here in Southern California, but it does get hot every now and then. On those days I love that I can start the car from inside the house a couple minutes before we leave to give the air conditioning a head start. Starting the car remotely can make a big difference in how the cabin feels when you get in, and I’m sure my son appreciates not being sweatier than he needs to be. I can see remote start being even handier in places that have actual weather. Chrysler also offers a subscription-based Uconnect app that does the same thing, but so far I haven’t been able to get it to pair with the van.
Although the van is usually cool enough after a few minutes idling with the A/C on, it seems only the front HVAC vents turn on with remote start. The rear zone A/C doesn’t power on until you get in the car and push the ignition button. It’s a minor grievance, but it would be nice to have more airflow in the back before clicking my son in.
Another feature that has proven unexpectedly useful is the Stow ‘n Go second-row captain’s chairs. There have been at least two occasions when Kai needed his diaper (and everything else he was wearing) changed in the car. I could have changed him on the seat, but I didn’t want to risk getting the leather upholstery, um, messy. Folding one of the seats down into the floor creates a flat surface that’s perfect for laying down a changing pad and doing what a dad’s gotta do. You could also fold down the rear bench, but the cargo area would need to be empty first as the seat stows in the well where your stroller and other items would normally go.
I plan to cycle through some minivan alternatives in the coming months to see if a large crossover would be just as easy to live with, but so far the Pacifica’s practicality has outweighed any stigma that comes with driving it.
Read more about our long-term 2018 Chrysler Pacifica:
The post 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Limited Long-Term Update 1: Just So Handy appeared first on Motortrend.
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