I can sounds the haters now. “You traded one of best available athletic sedans in years … for a minivan? What kind of vehicle admirer are you? ”

Yes, it’s genuine that I willfully cut my yearlong period in the 2018 Kia Stinger GT short-lived by about six months( it’s now chaperoned by Jonny Lieberman; fret him on Instagram if you want more updates ). But candidly, I study I could do a lot worse than our new long-term 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Limited. Let me back up a little bit. This past May, my bride and I welcomed our first child into the world: a perfect child boy with spectacular fuzz identified Kai. A midsize four-door fastback like the Stinger could have probably done the family occasion just fine, but I, like many first-time mothers before me, get with the overkill alternative. Sure, it’s behavior more vehicle than I requirement, but choosing a minivan calms any suspicion I might have over whether all of our( principally his) nonsense will fit.

But even if my transportation involves hadn’t changed, I happen to like how the Pacifica drives. Although it’s no 365 -hp sport sedan, it’s weirdly satisfying to drive for something that’s not ought to be jaunty. I genuinely enjoyed the Pacifica when I first scrutinized it in 2016, and now I get to see if supplementing an newborn, his stroller and other required child paraphernalium, and two designates of doting grandparents or friends with newborns of their own changes that assessment in any way.

We went with a range-topping Limited simulate, which comes with such touchstone peculiarities as Nappa leather upholstery, heated and chilled front seats, dual power-sliding rear openings, a influence liftgate, a massive Tri-Pane panoramic sunroof, and the all-important Stow ’n Vac onboard vacuum-clean. To that are currently affecting rig directory, we lent the $995 Advanced SafetyTec package, which includes front and rear parking sensors, a surround-view camera plan, parallel and perpendicular parking assistance, adaptive sail assure with full speed array, forward conflict warning with vehicle braking capability, lane keep encourage, and automated high-beams. We too shed in the $1,995 UConnect Theater rear amusement parcel, which includes dual flip-up touchscreens, a Blu-ray player, and two primeds of wireless headphones, because who doesn’t want to curdle their first kid? Those options fetched our tester to a luxury-car-rivaling $48,430.

Our Pacifica benches seven because we chose the second-row captain’s chairs instead of a three-seat bench, and because we wanted the versatility of Stow ’n Go benches, we didn’t opt for the plug-in hybrid simulate. Like all non-hybrid Pacificas, our minivan is powered by the revered 3.6 -liter Pentastar V-6, which impels 287 hp and 262 lb-ft of torque. That power is routed to the breast pedals through a nine-speed automatic, a transmission that has caused headaches for both FCA and Fiat Chrysler proprietors in the past. We’ll see if the nine-speed is any better after a few years of development.

Kai( 2 months) loves staring out the Pacifica’s gigantic slipping doorway openings.

Over the course of this loan, I hope to offer a parent’s perspective on the Pacifica. I’ve once abused the LATCH parts in the captain’s chairs to attach a newborn auto sit, and I expect within the next year I’ll be hunting for Cheerios in and under the seats with the vacuum-clean. A loaded Pacifica builds for a is an excellent ride, but how many of the above fancy boasts does a brand-new parent really necessitate? Is a minivan best available option for young families, or would a crossover piece as well? And finally, will swapping a Kia Stinger for a Chrysler Pacifica be one of my life’s biggest miss or a sacrifice I’d merrily make again? I’ll let you know in 12 months.

2018 Chrysler Pacifica Limited

BASE PRICE $45,440 PRICE AS TESTED $48,430 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, FWD, 7-pass, 4-door van

ENGINE 3.6L/287-hp/262-lb-ft DOHC 24 -valve V-6

TRANSMISSION 9-speed automated

CURB WEIGHT( F/ R DIST) 4,580 lb( 56/44%)

WHEELBASE 121.6 in

LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 203.8 x 79.6 x 69.9 in

0-60 MPH 7.3 sec

QUARTER MILE 15.6 sec@ 89.9 mph

BRAKING, 60 -0 MPH 119 ft

LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.82 g( avg)

MT FIGURE EIGHT 27.4 sec@ 0.63 g( avg)

EPA CITY/ HWY/ COMB FUEL ECON 19/28/22 mpg

ENERGY CONS, CITY/ HWY 177/120 kW-hrs/ 100 miles

CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.87 lb/ mile

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