We returned back from Detroit yesterday after spending the first half of the spring break at my cousin that we hadn’t met in two years. Growing up we were always very close and much time had passed by before this trip so we thought that it would be a good opportunity to see them. We initially planned to fly into Detroit, because well, a) the tickets from DC to Detroit are usually cheap and b) I detest driving long distances. However after my sis and nephew/niece insisted that I bring along doggo with us (they are huge dog lovers), I gave in and decided to drive instead. We decided to book a minivan for the week instead of taking our old SUVs, and it was the best decision we could make. Thanks to some great corporate discounts, I was able to book a minivan from Avis at nominal cost. While I did not know then, we ended up getting the Chrysler Pacifica minivan for the week. I did not know much about this particular minivan (or any minivan in general) and was surprised by how good this minivan was.

The first thing I loved about it was stow-n-go second row captains seating. This meant that I could take out one seat in the second row completely and stow it in my garage, opening up the entire space. In that space I put doggo’s bed, which was great because it allowed our dog to travel like the 4th person in the back instead of him having to sit in the trunk or sit rather uncomfortably on the car seat. This feature alone made half of it worth it. The plug-in hybrid version of Chrysler is zippy, and is very comfortable to drive. Added with latest lane change warning system, blind spot monitors and Apple CarPlay, it just made maneuvering the minivan rather easy. The seats were comfortable as was the ample storage space we had in the back for bags and doggo stuff.

I’ve never done a long drive trip here so I was apprehensive of driving all way in one go without a trial. We decided to break at Pittsburgh to visit the Balaji temple and stayed overnight. I went to a temple after almost 8 years and it was honestly a nice experience in a well done place. Of course my main attraction was the canteen and it did not disappoint. We feasted ourselves on south Indian food, bought some for cousin and did the second part of drive to Detroit to meet them. My brother-in-law who works in auto industry remarked to me that the Pacifica is indeed one of the best minivans on the market and many of its top models have months long wait right now. He showed even more settings and menu items that i did not know myself.

On the way back we decided to do the entire 8 hour drive in one go from Detroit to DC. I was nervous, though the wife had already said she was going to drive half of it since she had liked the car so much. I needn’t have worried. We started at 9 in the morning and were home at 6 in the evening. We took multiple breaks through the drive to eat, get doggo some stretch time and relax. With half a dramamine the doggo was relaxed through the drive, and plus he was right behind as a 4th passenger meant he could just sneak his face in for lots of cuddles and attention during the drive. Apple CarPlay worked flawlessly as well. The plethora of USB and USB-C charging ports in the minivan meant that none of us went without their devices being charged at the same time. The wife liked the minivan so much that she drove more than half the distance, which made my driving even more enjoyable because I had to drive less. Plus, no discomfort, no back pain and no miserable feeling I get in my 2009 MDX after driving more than an hour.

We’ve been wanting to replace our ‘09 MDX with something else, and at this point, the Chrysler Pacifica has jumped to the top of the list for its comfort, drive, and the stow-n-go feature of second row seats. So much so that I now think the stow-n-go feature is a must have feature on my next car, including blind spot assist and Apple CarPlay. I had been looking at SUVs all this while including Honda Pilot, but now with this trip, I am feeling very very attracted to the Pacifica. I have been a staunch German/Japanese car fan but I think I should give a second look to USA cars too! I am going to be sad to let go off this minivan tomorrow.