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.
The Mitsubishi Outlander is a recurring name in our Long Term fleet, having tested a previous-generation plug-in hybrid in 2019, and a next-gen non-PHEV just last year. With the new-gen PHEV now available, we couldn’t wait to give it a go.
This is our 2023 Outlander PHEV, decked out in the SEL Premium trim.
Under the hood is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine, assisted by front and rear electric traction motors for standard all-wheel drive. The combined output is 248 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque, with an EV-only range of about 38 miles; 14 more than the last gen PHEV.
The Outlander PHEV is the most powerful Outlander available, which means it would definitely be our choice. Although to be honest, it’s not just about the extra power. Being able to hit a button and quietly cruise on battery power alone is another nice perk of this powertrain. As is the ability to hit the same button and add significant charge back to the battery just by driving on gas-power.
The SEL Premium Package adds semi-aniline leather upholstery with heated front and rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, and a Bose sound system. Most importantly, all SELs come with DC Fast Charging. An unusual feature for a PHEV, it can get the 20-kWh battery to 80-percent in under 40 minutes.
Date: August 2023Mileage: 3000
We kicked off the summer with a new addition to our Long Term fleet, this 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander plug-in hybrid. And after 3000 miles of fun in the sun, we have our first official update.
In the two months since it arrived, we’ve observed an overall 33.9 miles-per-gallon. That’s significantly better than the final tally of 31.4 miles-per-gallon for our 2019 Outlander PHEV long termer.
We attribute some of our newfound success to plenty of due diligence keeping the 20-kilowatt-hour battery juiced up. That’s pretty easy, since our SEL Premium packs DC Fast Charging capabilities.
It’s also easy to slip into EV-only driving. The Outlander PHEV is rated at 38 miles of electric-only range, meaning we can use the battery for most of our local driving and fall back on the 2.4-liter inline-four cylinder for longer and more intensive hauls.
With a decent driving experience and a luxuriously wrapped interior, this Outlander is exactly what we need to fill a minivan-shaped hole in our hearts.
Date: September 2023Mileage: 7,000
It’s been a busy summer for our 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle. We’ve already logged another 4,000, mostly long-distance highway miles on the odometer. With a comfortable, quiet ride and a suite of amenities, we’ve all wanted it as our Road Trip companion.
But those high speed runs up and down I-95 have taken a toll on PHEV gas use. With highway trips quickly depleting the 38 electric-only miles, overall fuel economy has dropped about 10% to 30.2 mpg. Still, that’s just fine, thanks to this 2.4-liter inline-4’s efficient hybrid powertrain.
But, there is more to our Outlander PHEV experience than just saving at the pump.
We’ve raved about the Outlander’s looks both inside and out, but we all know looks only go so far. There needs to be substance behind the appearance. Well now that we’ve put in the road trip miles, we’re happy to report the Outlander holds up as a long-haul vehicle. On vacation my favorite feature was the massaging seats and, granted, they’re not as advanced as we’ve seen in of the high-end luxury vehicles, but they get the job done when back fatigue sets in.
With daily recharging, and shorter fall drives, we expect to see this Mitsubishi’s fuel economy tick up in the weeks ahead.
Date: October 2023Mileage: 10,000
Cooler weather and shorter days are upon us. So, it’s a good time to recap our summer spent with this 2023 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. We’ve tallied another 3,000 miles, bringing our long term test total to just over 10,000 miles.
You may recall a recent dip in fuel economy, attributed to the high-speed, long-distance miles from seasonal road trips, which are not always kind to hybrids. With the change in seasons, our Outlander is spending more time on the plug followed by shorter, mostly commuting trips. And that means better fuel economy, climbing back up to 31.3 miles-per-gallon overall.
As we’ve mentioned before, juicing the 20-kWh battery back up to full is easy thanks to the SEL-trim’s DC fast charging capabilities. Rare for a plug-in hybrid. And now having spent some time trying it, not only does it sound good on paper… it’s a really great feature to have.
And out on the road, things are equally satisfying.
“Ten thousand miles into our test, we are officially over the “get to know you” phase with this Outlander PHEV. And personally, I’ve grown fond of two things: One: the ability to precisely dial in the right amount of regenerative braking on the fly with these steering wheel paddles. And two, the quick burst of electric torque when you stab the throttle.”
Everyone around the office is still impressed with the Outlander overall. It’s versatile, it’s comfortable, and it’s very well appointed. If we could lobby one complaint, the wireless device charger seems to not always jive with our devices. Still, in-vehicle wireless chargers aren’t yet a perfect science.
