I was quite impressed with its smooth ride, which absorbs most road roughness quite effectively thanks to a fully independent suspension setup consisting of MacPherson struts up front and an automatic load-leveling, five-link design at the rear. One disappointing suspension note, and the only one, pertains to the audible thumping generated by the front suspension arrangement. It wasn't an outrageous annoyance by any stretch, but only acceptable if the Pacifica expects to run with the premium crowd its pricing would suggest.
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| I was quite impressed with the Pacifica's smooth ride, which absorbs most road roughness quite effectively. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
On the other hand, quite faultless is the Pacifica's composed handling. Its rack-and-pinion steering is definitely on the low-effort side, with road-feel suffering as a consequence, yet cornering prowess remains on the high side with minimal body lean accompanying a tour through the twisties. But don't expect rapid acceleration out of a turn or when passing slower traffic.
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| My top-shelf tester was powered by the more technically advanced, 3.5-litre (215 cu in) 250-horsepower SOHC V6. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press) |
The base engine propelling a Pacifica is a 3.8-litre, (231 cu in) 210-horsepower OHV V6, which I have not had the opportunity to test. My top-shelf tester was powered by the more technically advanced, 3.5-litre (215 cu in) 250-horsepower SOHC V6. Even with its 40 horsepower advantage over the base mill, it had to work fairly hard to move the Pacifica's maximum curb weight of 2,176 kg (4,788 lb) with any sort of vigour.
