2008 Chrysler Pacifica - Quality Review

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While the overwhelming majority of reviewers felt the 2008 Chrysler Pacifica made for a comfortable ride, a few complaints--particularly involving body roll and bounciness--stand out.

The Chrysler Pacifica is quite roomy, providing "first-class travel," according to Car and Driver. The 2008 Chrysler Pacifica is wider than the Chrysler minivan, has four "conventional" doors, and merges the sedan and minivan. However, this merging has come at the cost of some of the interior space normally associated with vehicles of this type: "tight legroom in the third row means it is best used for small children only," Edmunds warns.

The other seating is ample, with room for five on the Pacifica LX base model and room for six in the Touring the Limited models. Both second- and third-row seats fold flat to optimize versatility,

Kelley Blue Book notes that you should "look elsewhere" if you're seeking "V-8 power or the tall ceiling and overall interior space of a SUV or minivan." This car may be spacious, but it's not that spacious. If you really need the room of a minivan, you're probably better off getting a minivan. However,
Kelley Blue Book raved about the Pacifica's interior, noting that "plastic trim has been kept to a minimum, and what plastic there is has a rich, high-quality feel." However, Cars.com does not agree, having had serious problems with the vehicle's "build quality."

"Gaps in the dashboard panels, center storage bin and door locks" stood out like a sore thumb to the Cars.com reviewers, who noted that such obvious design flaws are "not what you want in a car that costs 35 large."

But they were not down on all of the 2008 Chrysler model's quality. In fact, the "electroluminescent gauges and door-mounted seat controls [felt] genuinely upscale" and the "simulated wood and aluminum trim" were found to be "inoffensive."

TheCarConnection.com sees the 2008 Chrysler Pacifica as an overall quality success. And where it lacks in roominess, i.e., that pesky third row, it makes up for in high-class comfort.