4 hours ago, regfootball said:

i wonder if someone will develop one of those rear of cargo box gate type things that extend out the back of the bed when the tailgate is down.  People who had explorer sporttracs and chevy avalanches had them a lot of the time.

Friend has one in an old Ranger. I think they suck- in the way half the time there's a load, because you can't always plan on what you are getting/find by the side of the road.  If you take it out, they you have to fit it in your garage somewhere.

I mean I would trust strapping things like a quad down, but that takes time to do; messing with straps. If you could close the gate you could drive it up in there, throw the ramps in and be off 5 seconds later.

That brings ramps to mind- if a bicycle doesn't fit, where do ramps long enough to drive an ATV in go???

Edited July 14, 20196 yr by balthazar

I continue to be in love with this van for road trips. Loving the mpg and smooth v6. A huge as a whale vessel loaded with pudgy midwesterners and still pull 30 mpg?   Sweet air channels!

It continued to crush the mpg for the whole trip. It sat at 30.0 right until we parked it. 

 

I tried for the very very first time today after 28,000 miles, the adaptive cruise control. I had not even used it once until now!  So my first impressions. I think it’s going to be handy. A bit slow to react for acceleration at times, but overall nice. Less tapping up and down on the normal cruise and it’s easier to settle in and draft a string of cars while not having to throttle brake so much. 

My initial verdict, it’s going to be difficult to not use it all the time now and I’ll want it on my next vehicles  

 

 

Edited August 12, 20196 yr by regfootball

You had adaptive cruise all this time but never used it?  It's magical!  It really reduces fatigue for me on long trips.

 

It's sad... you're getting about the same mpg I get on a highway trip with my tiny little underpowered Encore. 

On another trip today in the pacifica after spending 600 miles in my malibu yesterday   

The adaptive cruise is a MUST HAVE! don’t want another car without. Totally missed having it in the Malibu yesterday on that trip .  

the mpg today. Even better. 270 mile sample.

 

Edited August 20, 20196 yr by regfootball

On 8/19/2019 at 8:03 PM, regfootball said:

The adaptive cruise is a MUST HAVE! don’t want another car without.

Same. 

The exception for me will be if I find a nice used Avalanche... then I'll just deal. But then the second car has to have adaptive.

Yes I can see exceptions for a good used car or if the price to get it just becomes ludicrous. 

I passed on a really nice used sportback regal a few months ago it was an essence but it didn’t have blind spot monitor and I probably should have gotten it anyways. It didn’t have adaptive cruise either. 

9 hours ago, regfootball said:

Yes I can see exceptions for a good used car or if the price to get it just becomes ludicrous. 

I passed on a really nice used sportback regal a few months ago it was an essence but it didn’t have blind spot monitor and I probably should have gotten it anyways. It didn’t have adaptive cruise either. 

GM isn't the place to shop if you want adaptive. It only comes on the very top trims... oftentimes not even available in a model.  If you want adaptive, you need to go Japanese or new Ford. FCA is in between, making it optional without forcing you into a high trim first. 

1 hour ago, Drew Dowdell said:

GM isn't the place to shop if you want adaptive. It only comes on the very top trims... oftentimes not even available in a model.  If you want adaptive, you need to go Japanese or new Ford. FCA is in between, making it optional without forcing you into a high trim first. 

GM needs to fix that STAT.  Something like adaptive cruise control should actually come standard.

1 minute ago, riviera74 said:

GM needs to fix that STAT.  Something like adaptive cruise control should actually come standard.

Standard Adaptive cruise is a Toyota thing currently.  It seems like Ford and Nissan are not far behind on it. 

A friend told me the other day some relatives got a new MKC.  They weren’t really needing a new vehicle but they wanted something newer with some of the latest safety features and stuff like that. I do think those sorts of features drive sales. 

Marketing does continually strive to instill ‘need’ in consumers, so; yeah.

I don't know.. Once you use it, the marketing doesn't matter when the product rocks. 

True... in a few cases.

Will say that until I got my new head unit in the SS and backup camera, I never really thought of needing a backup camera, but since having it, I have used it in places where I know I would not be in as tight as I can now with it. Love the backup camera for garage parking in the city.

3 hours ago, balthazar said:

Marketing does continually strive to instill ‘need’ in consumers, so; yeah.

Forgot to add the part where they did get the new vehicle. It works I guess

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

Will say that until I got my new head unit in the SS and backup camera, I never really thought of needing a backup camera, but since having it, I have used it in places where I know I would not be in as tight as I can now with it. Love the backup camera for garage parking in the city.

The surround view camera is awesome   Particularly my others in the family who can’t park straight or within the lines. 

Edited August 22, 20196 yr by regfootball

2 hours ago, dfelt said:

Will say that until I got my new head unit in the SS and backup camera, I never really thought of needing a backup camera, but since having it, I have used it in places where I know I would not be in as tight as I can now with it. Love the backup camera for garage parking in the city.

100% agree. 

I actually find its better to use that backing out of a parking lot because it sees out around the vehicles next to me that are blocking my vision. I don't pull out all willy-nilly with it, but it is very helpful. 

I really like having the backup camera w/ my Jeep...thick pillars and small side and rear windows make backing out of parking spaces challenging..

Wife's Malibu has a rear view camera- neither of us use it. 
Son's Sonic (he's 22) has a B-U camera, he doesn't use it.
It would be quite useful for backing up to a trailer, but other than that I don't find them particularly beneficial.
- - - - - 

Edited August 23, 20196 yr by balthazar

I use the backup camera in the Buick, but it isn't a necessity for me.... I can reverse plenty fine in my Toronado.   But I just spent 8.5 hours on the highway yesterday traveling to Long Island NY and adaptive cruise is really a killer app for me since I do those sorts of trips regularly.

@balthazar might you be around on Monday?

I should be-kinda laid up/ kinda popped one knee Wednesday.

2 hours ago, balthazar said:

I should be-kinda laid up/ kinda popped one knee Wednesday.

?

Never used Adaptive until 28k? Ha!

Daily...everyday...use it. Love it. And the Pacifica and Pentastar 3.6L...smooth, creamy, powerful efficiency...

Electronics, safety features, infotainment, etc. are so much better integrated in FCA vehicles vs. GM. Blind spot that's useful, visible and audible, great gauges, UConnect...

Edited September 8, 20196 yr by caddycruiser

9 hours ago, caddycruiser said:

Never used Adaptive until 28k? Ha!

Daily...everyday...use it. Love it. And the Pacifica and Pentastar 3.6L...smooth, creamy, powerful efficiency...

Electronics, safety features, infotainment, etc. are so much better integrated in FCA vehicles vs. GM. Blind spot that's useful, visible and audible, great gauges, UConnect...

Used the ACC on the van again today. Awesome. The uconnect works well and I love the big blind spot monitors. Gauges too. As you describe all works nicely. 

Edited September 9, 20196 yr by regfootball

Well, for the third time a tire on the van had an object in it causing a slow leak so I went to get it fixed today. This time it could not be patched. We’re at 33,000 miles and I had intended to get separate snows for the winter since the hot garbage Michelin premier all seasons, which have poor tread wear and not a lot of that promised wet and snow weather grip were sort of already out of spec.  Since it’s a leased vehicle I had been afraid of wearing out the tires before we turn it in (our previous town and country had different michelins that still had lots of life in them at 46,000 when we turned that in) the dealer service guy pointed out these 

https://www.toyotires.com/tire/pattern/all-weather-tire-celsius-variable-conditions

There’s been some hype on these ‘all weather’ tires like these being better in winter than a typical all season.  And you can leave them on all year.  Ok, sounds appealing since I may get rid of this next year.  Also they are priced very well.  I know they are not a higher tier brand but all things considered I will give them a try.  I am not expecting blizzak performance in winter but the tread has some nice grooves and sipes and is very deep.   Also the rubber feels like it should not turn hard when super cold.   This ended up being about 350-450 bucks cheaper than good Michelin all seasons.   There was a new all weather Goodyear tire available but even that was 250 bucks more.   The service guy said he had them on his wife’s car and said they were good (is that true?lol)

Let’s see how these ‘all weather’ tires do. 

Up until Quebec made winter tires mandatory, I always had all seasons on my car. 

Now that I drive with winters...in the winter, I dont think Ill ever go back to all seasons for the winter. 

And my Acura got some of those electronic beeping and chiming safety devices. I turn those off myself as the Acura TL is pretty OK with the blind spot angles and the ass of the car aint too high either.  I drive the old fashioned way, I use my eyes and ears and brain to guide me.   (Not a knock on those who prefer electronic safety devices).

The wife's Fusion has none of those things and like the Acura, the Fusion does pretty darned good as well with the blind spots and the vision sights so no electric safety aides  are really needed.

When Ive had rentals lately, back-up cameras have been available, and I didnt seem to be using them. Actually, I tested out the cameras and while reversing,  I could get the car(s)  and SUVs (Explorer,Edge,Escape, MDX) closer  to a wall without back-up camera help than with actually looking at the screen with the camera on...and I got within a centimeter without hitting the wall with all the cars and SUVs...

I was actually afraid that the picture on the screen was closer than what was pictured. In other words, I trusted my eyes more than the electronics...

I did learn to park a full sized Chevy cargo van without side windows and with just the side mirrors and 2 small square windows waaaay out in the back doors when I first learned to drive...

Sure, I shared with you folk how I wrecked two cars when I was 21 in a matter of months and lucky to be alive, but none of that matters...

Edited November 21, 20196 yr by oldshurst442

So, the debate began today....wife wants smaller vehicle but admits the utility of the Chrysler van is amazing.

So, we'll see how this progresses as our lease is up early next year...there is always pull ahead.

An interesting unknown, Chrysler has touted the all wheel drive as new for 2021 model year....BUT there are actually 2020 'launch edition' ALL WHEEL DRIVE Pacifica's already out ....... 2021 adds the option of a real console and armrest.  Not the fold down skinny seat armrests.  BUT will it be too EXPENSIVE to get that real armrest?

Toyo Celcius 'all weather' tires we put last winter on the van have driven as well as the OEM Michelins.  The Michelins were touted as amazing tires in the wet and snow with long tread life.  The tread life sucked and the wet and snow performance was average.  The Toyos due to 'all weather' design were quite good in snow; not as good as a full winter tire but with deep tread and sipes, better than an all season.

But still, this van has been amazing.  No issues (knock on wood).  Comfortable, great gas mileage.  Pulled about 28 mpg on a recent highway trip and it averages about 23 mpg in normal city driving.  I am sure mpg with AWD drops some, but it would still be very good for such a large vehicle.  Whether we end up with a Pacifica or something else like a Blazer or Traverse or Enclave or Atlas / Cross Sport / Explorer / XT5 / XT4 / 2021 Envision..... I can vouch that this Stellantis is quite good for the family segment.

Here's some recent vacation pics....

Edited September 12, 20205 yr by regfootball