Pacifica

[Lloyd Parker]

They'd have a pile of shit. You've got to be kidding. AWD in a sedan is useless. The extra mechanicals does not pay for itself in terms of performance when you count the extra space, weight, up-front cost, and down-the-road maintenance costs.

Generally awd in a passenger car is sold on the basis of safety and winter ability, not performance. See Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Volvo, ...

 

[Steve (archive)]

C. E. White wrote:

I may be dense, but as far as I can tell, the Pacifica is a mini van - just squished down a little bit and with conventional doors instead of sliding doors (like the older Mazada MPVs).

You've just defined a "Station Wagon." But that's become a dirty word among marketing types, so they're trying to bill cars like the Pacifica, Murano, and Lexus RX as "SUVs". Phooey on that, they're station wagons.

The only way a Pacifica would "grown on me" if it cost a whole lot less and had a lot better performance.

While those things would be nice, I like it because its not as tall and ungainly as a minivan. Power can always be added to future versions, I'm just glad that its a) made it to production and b) apparently has the same excellent build quality that the PT Cruiser became known for, at least according to most reports.

 

[Steve (archive)]

For what it's worth, the Murano has a CVT...

That doesn't help its ugliness any, though. What it needs is styling- especially on the front end (at least I think that's supposed to be the front, but people might be driving 'em in reverse so they look better.)

 

[Steve (archive)]

RPhillips47 wrote:

If you had a choice between the pending LX-based 300C and the 2-door RWD concept shown at the 2000 Detroit Auto show, which would you choose?

My favorite was actually the 4-door (the two rear doors were almost invisible) Charger concept car. THAT was a beautiful design.

 

[MoPar Man]

That doesn't help its ugliness any, though. What it needs is styling- especially on the front end (at least I think that's supposed to be the front, but people might be driving 'em in reverse so they look better.)

The Murano does look like it's missing a front bumper.

 

[Art Begun]

The $6k off is for loaded models.

Agreed.

I still like this car and am wondering if I should of purchased one. I'm glad I didn't only because I would've paid top dollar for it. Art has already found that there are offering up to 6K off the sticker.

Ken

the

 

[Art Begun]

Someone should design a add-on fiberglass front like they did for the original beetle.

"RPhillips47" wrote:

"MoPar Man " wrote:

>Give me the current 300M in RWD.

I'll take the next one (300C) with Hemi V-8, RWD and better styling.

 

[Ted Mittelstaedt]

"Steve" wrote:

You've just defined a "Station Wagon." But that's become a dirty word among marketing types,

Yup, The Brady Bunch and National Lampoon's Vacation were able to kill that car design.

Ted

 

[NJ Vike]

Is there any other kind ;-)

Ken

The $6k off is for loaded models.

 

[Art Begun]

The list price for cars at the dealer were from around $32k to $40k. The $6k off sticker ad brought their example down to $29500 and said there were 12 similar ones to choose from so I presume that is the best price you could take one home for.

 

[MajorDomo]

That may be the best selling price buy you could hardly 'take one home' for that amount. The 'drive home price,' the price one should really use to compare deals, is the actual amount you must pay for any vehicle. The total cost of it acquisition. That cost can vary widely from brand to brand and dealer to dealer, EVEN on the same vehicle!! The 'drive home price' includes the selling price, state taxes (and local taxes if any) license fees, transfer and registration fees, dealer added profit like 'documentation fees' and the interest if you finance or lease. Dealer make money on the interest as well. Those items can add many thousands of dollars to the purchase price. In other words the cost of the car you buy is NOT the selling price but the total of you payments if you finance, or the total amount of your check if you do not. Dealers can discount the 'selling' price to whatever you think it should cost, as long as they can add it back into the deal by taking it off you trade or pumping up the 'cost and fees' at delivery. My one son recently was looking to replace his 2001 Accord and priced three vehicles, no trade. All fully loaded V6's. MSRP for a Sable was $24,800, Accord $28,200 Camry $29,700 each with an invoice about 15% less. The drive home price for the Sable was $8,600 LESS than the Accord and $9,400 LESS than the Camry. He bought the Sable. A dealer can easily discount the selling price down to what you think it should, be as long as they can add it back into the deal by taking it off your trade or in the 'Costs and fees.' We called them smoke and mirrors add ons, when I was in retail. The lower the selling price off MSRP the higher the fees added on. Any time a dearer is offering a price below invoice, his actual cost of the vehicle, walk away you are being conned. NO dealer will sell below invoice, period. He can't stay in business on 2 or 3% holdback.

mike hunt

Art Begun wrote:

The list price for cars at the dealer were from around $32k to $40k. The $6k off sticker ad brought their example down to $29500 and said there were 12 similar ones to choose from so I presume that is the best price you could take one home for.

"NJ Vike" wrote:

> Is there any other kind ;-)
>
> Ken
>
>
...

 

[Lloyd Parker]

Is there any other kind ;-)

Will be shortly. A lower content model and a 4-seater (no third seat) are both coming.

 

[NJ Vike]

Hmm,

Should be interesting.

Ken

"Lloyd Parker" wrote:

In article <h14Za.3877$>,
"NJ Vike" wrote:
>Is there any other kind ;-)

Will be shortly. A lower content model and a 4-seater (no third seat) are both coming.

>
>Ken
>
>
>"Art Begun" wrote:
...

 

[Steve (archive)]

Steve wrote:

The Murano does look like it's missing a front bumper.

It looks like its missing a front end.

And the rear end looks like it belongs on a completely different vehicle.

The Infinity treatment of the same chassis comes off WAY better... but then it looks a lot like a Pacifica.

 

[Steve (archive)]

Yup, The Brady Bunch and National Lampoon's Vacation were able to kill that car design.

And the minivan has even worse "imagery" associated with it. At least an Olds Vista Cruiser, Chrysler Town&Country, Pontiac Grand Safari, or Ford Country Squire could be had with enough big-block power to run almost as fast as a Roadrunner... Those wagons were hand-me-down cars when I was in school, and it really pissed off the guys who had brand new Camaros (this was 1978 when a Camaro was slower than a Dodge Lil Red Express, remember) when some poor kid with Mom's old Grand Safari with a 455 would toast them at a traffic light.

 

[Neil Nelson]

[snip]

Those wagons were hand-me-down cars when I was
in school, and it really pissed off the guys who had brand new Camaros (this was 1978 when a Camaro was slower than a Dodge Lil Red Express, remember) when some poor kid with Mom's old Grand Safari with a 455 would toast them at a traffic light.

Or worse yet, an AMC Matador ;-)

 

[Steve (archive)]

[snip]

Those wagons were hand-me-down cars when I was
in school, and it really pissed off the guys who had brand new Camaros (this was 1978 when a Camaro was slower than a Dodge Lil Red Express, remember) when some poor kid with Mom's old Grand Safari with a 455 would toast them at a traffic light.

Or worse yet, an AMC Matador ;-)

Hey, you could stuff an AMC 401 in a Matador and it still looked exactly like it had a 360. One of the classic "sleepers" of my era. Awful ugly, though...

 

[Neil Nelson]

Steve wrote:

> Or worse yet, an AMC Matador ;-)

Hey, you could stuff an AMC 401 in a Matador and it still looked exactly like it had a 360. One of the classic "sleepers" of my era. Awful ugly, though...

It's the "ugly" part that hurts the most.

There was a big AMC meet in Kenosha last year, one of our local Mopar club shows was at the dragstrip close by to Kenosha. The temperature was about 98* with humidity in the 90+% range, I'm sitting in the stands watching three guys from Texas with AMC Rebel "Machines" clicking off high 11, low 12 second ETs. I guess someone forgot to tell them that those weather conditions were good for killing your ET by a second and a half...

 

[Robert John]

IMHO this station wagon is way over priced. The cost would have to be substantially lower for me to even consider a little bit. Good luck, Bob

"C. E. White" wrote:

Steve wrote:

> Alex Rodriguez wrote:
>
> > In the past couple of weeks I've seen a fair number of these on the

road.

> > From a distance it looks like a regular Chrysler min-van. Up close it
> > looks like a mini-van that someone chopped down 6 inches or so.
> > -----------------
>
> Its a station wagon. So is the Murano and its Infinity equivalent.
>
> Fine by me, I like them a lot better than minivans (although the
> Murano's stying makes it among the ugliest cars I've ever seen).
>
> The Pacifica is really growing on me, at least styling-wise. I'd love to
> see this class of car drive the minivan out of the market.

...

just

squished down a little bit and with conventional doors instead of sliding

doors

(like the older Mazada MPVs).

The only way a Pacifica would "grown on me" if it cost a whole lot less

and had

a lot better performance.

Regards,

Ed White

 

[James C. Reeves]

I agree they're a bit pricey. Perhaps the need a more scaled back base model or a less costly Dodge version.

| IMHO this station wagon is way over priced. The cost would have to be | substantially lower for me to even consider a little bit. | Good luck, | Bob