2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Date: February 2017
Mileage: 2,900

It’s only been a little over a month, but we’ve already seen a lot of scenery in our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica Limited minivan. The odometer rolled past 2,900 miles during our annual winter testing trek to Savannah, Georgia. Naturally, there’s plenty of room for a road trip, and stow-and-go seating makes changing from people to cargo a breeze. 

The rear seat entertainment system came in handy while traveling down I-95. But, after 10 hours one staffer longed for a little more front passenger seat comfort. 

The 287-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 has great power for passing. And, we averaged 22.7 miles-per-gallon. 

The Chrysler Pacifica has won numerous awards, including our own. Now, we’ll see if the accolades continue as we spend the rest of 20-17 behind the wheel.

Date: March 2017
Mileage: 5,000

We’ve put another 23-hundred miles on our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan, over 5000 total. And, it’s a comfy ride, no matter where you sit. Second and third row seat support are greatly improved over the last Town & Country we drove.

Just about everything about the Pacifica works like a premium vehicle; the stow-n-go seats, the power sliding doors and hatch, the Uconnect system, and radar cruise control. It’s pretty quiet inside too, until you drive on coarse asphalt. Then it’s like a boom box.

We wish the heated steering wheel warmed up all of the rim’s surfaces. The outer fabric gets toasty… but the hard inner ring stays ice cold. 

A third row power seat did get stuck. An errant floor mat in the storage well triggered a sensor. As that could have been a child, this safety feature worked great.

Mileage from the 287-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 stands at 22.9 miles per gallon, although we saw over 28 during interstate cruising.

Date: May 2017
Mileage: 8,000

We’ve put another 28-hundred miles on our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan. That’s over 8,000 total in just three months, with consistently high marks for comfort, roominess, and versatility. 3 crew members, their luggage, camera and lighting equipment packed into the Pacifica for a-thousand mile road trip… no problem. 

This time around mileage from the 287-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 was 20.7 miles per gallon, although our overall average is a solid 22.1.

Date: June 2017
Mileage: 10,820

We’ve reached the halfway mark in our year with the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The wheels have rolled 10,820 miles since it arrived. We continue to be impressed with the chassis and powertrain. They’re easily the smoothest combination of any minivan we’ve tested yet. 

The Uconnect system remains a strong point. The ride is confident and comfortable. Stow and Go seats are easy to use, but when they’re all out of the way…we notice more road noise… which is to be expected with such a big open space.

This time around mileage from the 287-horsepower V6 was 22.9 miles per gallon… which is our best so far. Overall we’re seeing 22.3.

Date: August 2017
Mileage: 13,000

Our 2017 Chrysler Pacifica sure is handy for summer road trips.  We’ve put over 13-thousand miles on the odometer in just 7 months.

The 287-horsepower V6 9-speed combo continues to provide plenty of power with smooth shifts. Front row seat comfort is great, with a good rating for 2nd and 3rd rows.

Chrysler’s unique second and third row stow-and-go seating feature turns out to a bigger plus with every trip, with numerous cubby holes for the odds and ends that accumulate on every vacation. 

And, with our mercury hitting 100, the A/C handles the heat in just a few minutes. 

Fuel economy touched 28 miles-per-gallon on interstates, with our overall average of 23-point-2 miles-per-gallon.

Date: October 2017
Mileage: 20,000

Now that the weather is cooling, we have a lot of memories and another 66-hundred miles of summer road trips behind us in the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. The odometer has rolled more than 20-thousand miles since it arrived.. 

No matter how much we use it… the seats remain comfortable for long trips… and it’s easy to find the perfect driving position. 

Hauling big loads is a breeze too… and both the second the third row stow and go seats add a level of convenience no other minivan comes close to. But that big empty space can get noisy. 

We love the impressive power from the 287-horsepower V6 9-speed combo. 

We’ve raved about the Uconnect infotainment too, but lately we’re noticing some glitches. It freezes up now and again. However, the camera system, especially the 360-degree Surround View, works great.

We averaged 24-point-3 miles per regular gallon this time, our best so far. Overall we’re seeing 23-point-5. 

Date: December 2017
Mileage: 23,000

Almost 23-thousand miles have rolled by for this 2017 Chrysler Pacifica minivan. It’s still proving very comfortable, and this big box on wheels maneuvers with confidence through traffic.

The 287-horsepower V6 and smooth 9-speed automatic make a great combo for long trips. With cooler weather, the stow and go seats make it easy to load up supplies for home improvement projects. While the Surround View camera takes the guess work out of parking in tight spots. The leather interior is holding up better than a lot of other long terms. One of our taller staffers did say that he’d like more legroom, and there’s certainly plenty of space for it.

This time around mileage is our best so far: 26.2 miles per gallon, bringing our overall average up to 23.8. 

Date: February 2018
Mileage: 26,677

It’s hard to believe our time is up with our stylish 2017 Chrysler Pacifica. It’s a fantastic minivan, delivering all the practicality we hoped it would, along with premium comfort. 

With our top of the line Limited’s odometer at 26,677-miles, we averaged 23.7 miles-per-gallon from its 287-horsepower V6 and smooth 9-speed automatic powertrain. 

Issues were few; the U-Connect screen locked up a few times, and seats folded it can be like a boom box inside. But no other minivan comes close to the convenience of the second row Stow-and-Go seating.

In a world awash with SUV’s and crossovers, the Chrysler Pacifica is an enjoyable, reliable, and highly versatile choice. 

Specifications

  • Engine: 3.6L V6
  • Horsepower/Torque: 287/262 lb-ft.
  • Trim Level: Limited
  • Price as Tested: $49,155
2024 Mazda CX-50

2024 Mazda CX-50

Episode 4328
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Long Term Updates

Date: January 2024


Mazda has always been sort of a niche brand relative to other automakers like Toyota and Honda. Well recently Mazda’s focused a little less on “zoom, zoom” and a little more on “room, room”. This 2024 Mazda CX-50 is a prime example of that philosophy and its the newest member of our long term fleet. So, let’s dive into the details.

Specifically, this is a CX-50 2.5 Turbo Premium Plus. As you may have gleaned, power comes from a turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. It sends 227-horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Power is boosted to 256-horsepower and 320 lb-ft on 93 octane gasoline.

All-wheel drive is standard for all CX-50s. Here those wheels are 20-inchers and they span quite a bit further front to back than paired with the CX-5. That means the CX-50 has a bit more room inside and, here in Premium Plus trim, an upscale feel. That comes via 10 and a quarter inch infotainment screen, heated front and rear seats, as well as a full color head-up display.

Adding up the cost of the Turbo Premium Plus package and a $450 charge for it’s Zircon Sand Metallic paint, this CX-50 stickers for $45,740 after destination.

We’ve only just begun our long term test on this CX-50 but we’ll have an update soon.

Date: March 2024Mileage: 3,000


This week, we’re kicking off some extended test time in this 2024 Mazda CX-50 2.5 Turbo compact crossover.

Sporting Zircon Sand Metallic paint over a Terracotta interior, our CX-50 sounds pretty fancy, and it is. Premium Plus trim means 20-inch alloy wheels, leather-trimmed seating for 5 with heating elements for front and rear passengers, lots of fine stitch work, panoramic moonroof, and a 10-inch infotainment display are all included.

The engine is just as special, the turbo version of their 2.5-liter I4 which outputs 256 horsepower with 93-octane fuel to a six-speed automatic transmission, with standard all-wheel drive.

Crazy as it sounds, an automatic transmission with only six gears is borderline retro at this point, but it operates so smoothly with the CX-50’s 4-cylinder turbo, one could easily be fooled into thinking it’s an eight-speed. But there really aren’t any tricks here. Just good old-fashioned engineering on a tried and true powertrain.

We’ve already put a quick 3,000 miles on the odometer with a trip south to our winter testing grounds and our early fuel economy average of 25.2 miles-per-gallon is right on the Government’s Combined Rating.

Mazda seems to have thought of everything with this CX-50, even including a comprehensive Roadside Assistance Kit complete with jumper cables.