[Red MC]

This site is a great resource. I found this place a few months back while searching around for Pacifica hybrid info. My wife and I have been looking for a new three row vehicle on and off for months, and we keep coming back here for research.


After test driving the Pacifica, it was easy to scratch all the other minivans off our list. But we're really having a terrible time deciding between a Touring-L Plus and a Mazda CX-9.


One of the biggest sticking points is AWD. We live in New Hampshire where it snows, and we like to ski. So the question we're trying to answer is how often are we really going to use the extra space of the van vs. how often are we really going to need the AWD?


I would be interested in hearing anybody's experiences with the Pacifica in the snow.

 

[DRZ]

I can't speak for the Pacifica (yet) in the snow and ice, but my daughter recently moved to White River Junction, Vermont (right near the border of New Hampshire) and she was having trouble with the hilly terrain there in her FWD Chrysler Tn. & Country during the winter months... I went on Tire Rack and purchased her a set of (4) General Altimax Arctic tires with the carbide metal tip studs already installed in them for $550.00 including shipping. She thanks me every time they get a heavy snow storm (which is quite frequently there) because she never worries about getting stuck anymore... even climbing icy hills. The studded tires obviously also greatly reduce the stopping distance on slippery roads. Just another idea that might help make the Pacifica a better functioning vehicle for you there in the New Hampshire Winter months...

 

[generaltso]

I live next door in Vermont, so I know about driving in the snow. I too was concerned about the lack of AWD in the Pacifica since it's been a lot of years since we've had any vehicle without it. There's no question that AWD will give you better traction, but the Pacifica with good snow tires really hasn't had any issues this winter. Even after the 30" blizzard a couple weeks ago, the Pacifica handled admirably. Switching back and forth between the Pac and my AWD Cherokee hasn't been nearly as big of a difference as I was expecting.

In terms of space, the CX-9 can't come close to the Pacifica. But everyone's need for space is different. If you have kids, especially young ones, it's hard to beat the convenience of a minivan.

 

[Mike]

I don't have our PacHy yet but I'm in Ontario Canada and needless to say we get snow. We're actually getting another 15cm tonight actually! (6" I think? Imperial is gibberish to me.)

Anyway, my in-laws have AWD and we sometimes borrow one their cars but I grew up with FWD and we still have only a FWD car at our house. I honestly don't notice much of a difference between the AWD and FWD in the snow for day-to-day driving. If you have a decent set of snow tires - which you probably should if you live where it snows - it shouldn't be much of a problem at all having a FWD as your only car. That's what we've always had and that has been our experience. I'm not worried about the PacHy in snow at all. Sure there are differences between FWD and AWD that can come up in extreme situations but in real world driving, between our in-laws cars and my cars, the only noticeable advantage is maybe they can accelerate from a dead-stop a little bit faster. Braking is the same in the snow for both. AWD doesn't help you slow down any better than FWD because all cars have brakes on all wheels. And most if not all new cars have pretty good traction control now so really during cruise AWD barely has an advantage on the road there either. It really just comes down to acceleration, which in a snow storm who cares?! So your struggle for grip takes maybe 3 seconds longer as you accelerate away from a stop sign...meh. Even in very hilly places like where our cottage is we haven't had any problems.

If you go off-roading sure, AWD is definitely better. But most people never ever do that, especially with a minivan. And no the road to a ski hill doesn't count as off-road, it's plowed. Most people drive their SUV's on plowed or soon-to-be-plowed roads for the entire life of the vehicle so they are really just paying for a tiny bit better acceleration from a stop light in a snow storm when it doesn't matter much anyway, and they also get to enjoy an always higher fuel burn! yay...

When we get proper wallops of snow (30+cm) here - which happens a lot - I take pleasure in passing all the SUV's in my Golf Wagon while they slowly crawl around the roads like lumbering turtles. People tend to drive SUV's WAY more gingerly than what is called for in bad weather for some reason. It may be they are less confident because the handling is usually a bit sloppier? I don't know. I would have thought they'd be all like "power!!!" "AWD FTW!!!" but no. The Pathfinders, Escapes, Suburbans and RAV4's and stuff just slowly crawl around while my nimble FWD Golf-freakin'-stationwagon carves them up.

Also, Mazdas rust and fall apart very quickly. My brother has bought two of them so far and yeah, he marvels at how my Golf still has all it's bits and no rust after three whole years! Crazy Germans and their fancy engineering and non-rusting metal stuff...

 

[MrPerception]

Also, Mazdas rust and fall apart very quickly. My brother has bought two of them so far and yeah, he marvels at how my Golf still has all it's bits and no rust after three whole years! Crazy Germans and their fancy engineering and non-rusting metal stuff...

Maybe the older Mazdas when they were owned by Ford. Haven't seen any issues on any of the newer ones.

 

[Gravitydrop]

Also been driving the PAC in pouring rain on hilly road and no issue especially on L mode.

 

[Gohawks1224]

This site is a great resource. I found this place a few months back while searching around for Pacifica hybrid info. My wife and I have been looking for a new three row vehicle on and off for months, and we keep coming back here for research.


After test driving the Pacifica, it was easy to scratch all the other minivans off our list. But we're really having a terrible time deciding between a Touring-L Plus and a Mazda CX-9.


One of the biggest sticking points is AWD. We live in New Hampshire where it snows, and we like to ski. So the question we're trying to answer is how often are we really going to use the extra space of the van vs. how often are we really going to need the AWD?


I would be interested in hearing anybody's experiences with the Pacifica in the snow.

I just traded in my 2011 Mazda CX-9. If you have more than three kids, get the Pacifica! Yes, losing out on the AWD does suck (a little) but the ease of getting everyone AND THEIR STUFF in the car makes up for it. Trust me when I say this or in the words of Trump, "Believe Me!"

Oh yes, I briefly toyed with the idea of trading in my CX-9 for a 2016 CX-9 which would have cost me the same price as the 2017 Pacifica.

 

[Gohawks1224]

Also, Mazdas rust and fall apart very quickly. My brother has bought two of them so far and yeah, he marvels at how my Golf still has all it's bits and no rust after three whole years! Crazy Germans and their fancy engineering and non-rusting metal stuff...

I live on an island north of Seattle.. surrounded by salt water. I have had two Mazdas in the last 6 years (one for my wife and one for me) and had absolutely no issues with them. At 60K, still had OEM tires and brakes even. Only changed oil as required.

YES the older mazdas, the Tribute specifically, was recalled for rust issues but... it was RECALLED for rust issues and Mazda fixed it.

Likewise, my now turned in for the pacifica 2011 Mazda CX-9 had ONE recall on it... for a potential lower control arm rusting out. Again, Mazda recalled it and replaced ALL of them, regardless if it had rust or not. Mine did not.

Simply put, Mazdas are not the throw away cars they use to be from the 90s to early 2000s. If I didnt have kids, I would get a Mazda with confidence... either the CX-5 or the CX-9.

 

[shawnee]

One of the biggest sticking points is AWD. We live in New Hampshire where it snows, and we like to ski. So the question we're trying to answer is how often are we really going to use the extra space of the van vs. how often are we really going to need the AWD?

Assuming your driving is typical of most, including ski trips, the number of times you will need AWD is most likely zero. Sure AWD might make getting around a little easier when the snow piles up a bit on roads or parking lots but a FWD vehicle with a good set of snow tires will get you where you need to go. In fact, if you just plan on using the all season tires on an AWD vehicle, I think a FWD with snow tires will perform better. The rubber compound used in snow tires is far superior for traction in cold temperatures than all season tires.

I don't have experience with the Pacifica in snow but I did drive a Honda Odyssey for 10 years with a good set of ice/snow tires. There was never a time when I could not get where I needed to go and I live in snow country (120" average per year with over 200" just a 1/2 hour drive north).

If you must drive in deep snow, not typical for most, then ground clearance becomes more important. In that situation the CX-9 with 8.8" ground clearance will perform better than the Pacifica at 5.1".

IMO, there are many other more significant selection criteria than FWD vs. AWD such as available space and its functionality, comfort, reliability, affordability, etc. Marketing has done a good job of convincing us that AWD is a safety feature we can't live without. But when I look around while driving through a snow storm I see a lot of FWD vehicles in the crowd and they are moving along with everyone else.

 

[Red MC]

Thanks for the replies.

We have two young kids (age 1 and 3) and aren't having any more, so the third row of seats is just for occasional use. Taking grandparents along when we go to the beach, zoo, etc. with the kids. Or just consolidating cars if we go out for a family dinner. That sort of thing. My wife has fantasies of going on a weekend camping trip with her parents, but I'm not sure how realistic that is or whether I want to facilitate that. If we had 3+ kids the Pacifica then the decision would be a no-brainer.

Regarding snow, I agree the obvious solution is snow tires. I was honestly hoping to avoid that. I haven't driven a vehicle with snow tires in over 20 years and all I remember was that they were LOUD. And the cost and inconvenience of mounting and balancing four tires twice a year is not that appealing. We've thought about buying a separate set of wheels to keep the snow tires permanently mounted, which would make swapping them a trivial exercise I could do in the driveway. Has anybody done that?

I guess we have been spoiled by the AWD in our 2007 Outback XT. We've had nothing but all-season tires on it, and we've driven halfway up mountains in the middle of heavy snowstorms to get to our slopeside rental, while friends in other vehicles got stuck part way up. We've had friends call us for help to schlep them and their stuff up the mountain. Twice. One of these friends drives an Odyssey and the other was driving a Saturn wagon (but after that experience they bought an Outback ). We also live on a hill and sometimes we can't make it up it in FWD cars, requiring a 15 minute detour to avoid the difficult part.

Otherwise we're pretty enamored with the Pacifica. We obviously considered the AWD Sienna, but my wife hated driving it. Same with the Odyssey. And we ruled out the Quest and Sedona on paper. The Pacifica was the only van option that didn't trigger a "minivan stigma" response from her. And surprisingly, the only three-row vehicle we've driven that's more car-like is the new CX-9.

Thanks again.
Dave

 

[Red MC]

Thanks for the replies.

I agree that snow tires on a FWD vehicle are going to offer better all-around performance in snow than all-season tires on a AWD vehicle, especially when it comes to braking. But I think we've been spoiled by our 2007 Outback XT. In 10 years we've had nothing but all-season tires on it and with prudent driving we've never had any trouble in snow. We've driven halfway up mountains in the middle of snowstorms to get to our slopeside rental, and a couple times we've had to schlep our friends and their stuff up the mountain because their vehicle couldn't make it (an Odyssey and a Saturn wagon). We also live up a hill and the shortest route to/from our house has occasionally been impassible uphill and treacherous downhill in my FWD cars while my wife's Subaru made easy work of it.

I should have mentioned we have two young kids (1 and 3) and don't plan to have any more, but we frequently wish we had more seats to carry grandparents around on day trips to the beach, zoo, etc. Or just to consolidate cars when the extended family wants to go out for dinner. So we think we could get by with the space of a medium-sized three-row crossover like the Mazda, but a minivan will certainly make life easier and minimize packing tetris and the taking out and installing of car seats.

On test drives, the Pacifica was the only van that drove somewhat car/wagon like. Not quite like the CX-9, but not bad at all. And in the Limited trim, the comfort and materials and finish satisfy my wife's desire for something premium. Again, not quite to the degree of the Mazda but not bad at all. The only difficulty at the moment is that it's quite hard to find a Limited in our area in the color she likes with Uconnect theater and the advanced safety group. We've found one within 100 miles, but it's at a dealer we've been strongly warned away from. The dealer we've been working with, who we would like to buy from, has been unable to locate our magic combination.

 

[shawnee]

We've thought about buying a separate set of wheels to keep the snow tires permanently mounted, which would make swapping them a trivial exercise I could do in the driveway. Has anybody done that?

RedMC,

I purchased a separate set of wheels for the snow tires on my Odyssey. I chose steel wheels along with a inexpensive set of wheel covers. They actually looked pretty good. This saved the OEM aluminum wheels from the winter road salt and grit. The place I bought the snow tires from offered free change overs. I did that for several years but then just did it myself in my garage as I could get it done quicker than the time it took to drive to/from the tire shop.

BTW, did any of the folks you had to rescue have snow tires on their FWD vehicles?

 

[generaltso]

Regarding snow, I agree the obvious solution is snow tires. I was honestly hoping to avoid that. I haven't driven a vehicle with snow tires in over 20 years and all I remember was that they were LOUD. And the cost and inconvenience of mounting and balancing four tires twice a year is not that appealing. We've thought about buying a separate set of wheels to keep the snow tires permanently mounted, which would make swapping them a trivial exercise I could do in the driveway. Has anybody done that?

Snow tires have come a LONG way in the last 20 years. The best studless snow tires today do as well as studs on ice but are are super quiet and don't handle much different than all seasons on dry roads. Having separate wheels for winter makes it much easier to swap them yourself at your convenience. That's what I've been doing for years.

http://www.pacificaforums.com/forum...n/5338-switched-over-winter-wheels-tires.html

 

[johnheiam]

I live in an area that averages about 100" of snow a year, and we like to X-C ski which means driving to remote parking lots right after a snowfall. I used to put snow tires on my Subaru and leave all season on my minivan, but driving the minivan was scary after being in a car with snow tires. Few people get in accidents because they can't accelerate, but many accidents occur because you can't stop. New snow tires are nothing like the old ones. My Michelin X-ice snow tires are as quiet as my summer tires, and have amazing traction on ice and snow. I use a shop that stores my off season tires for free, and does the switch over for me. It costs a few bucks for mounting and balancing, but it is a handy time to get some things done on the car I have been putting off. I have been in a few situations where my FWD van with snow tires couldn't make it up a steep snow covered hill (backing up sometimes works), but that was on two ski trips in ten years. To me, the biggest issue with the Pacifica is the 5" of ground clearance. I drive down two tracks to get to canoe accesses and I foresee the small ground clearance as giving me problems.

 

[Red MC]

How many miles are you guys getting out of your snow tires?

If I go with this I would probably buy a set of winter wheels just for the convenience of changes.

shawnee - I don't think our friends had snow tires either when they got stuck

 

[shawnee]

How many miles are you guys getting out of your snow tires?

I never kept track of the miles on the snow tires but guess that they were run 3,000 miles per season and I got 5 seasons out of them. I place a lot of importance on good tires for handling so replaced them before tread gets down to minimum.

 

[generaltso]

How many miles are you guys getting out of your snow tires?

This is highly dependent on what kind of snow tires you get. I used to use Blizzaks, but I could only ever get 3 seasons out of them before the winter compound was gone. Now I'm using Michelin Latitude X-ice Xi2 tires, and I'm on season number 6 with them. I'll decide when the season is over, but right now, they look like I can probably get a 7th season out of them.

The way I look at it, for every mile you put on the snow tires, it's one less mile you'll put on the all-seasons so those won't need to be replaced as soon. Even with my AWD vehicles, snow tires are a no brainer in my opinion.

 

[1984 Sheepdog]

If you want a minivan you with AWD, why not get the Sienna? I also preferred the way the Pacifica drove (biggest reason I bought it over the competition), but the sienna was still a very nice car.

 

[Red MC]

We definitely considered the Sienna. Not just because of AWD, but also the reputation for reliability and longevity. We got as far as a test drive, but my wife did not like the way it drove. Too much like a traditional minivan with a lot of body roll, and she wasn't happy with the responsiveness to throttle inputs, and it didn't seem like it wanted to downshift unless you floored it. I didn't take a turn behind the wheel. One downside to the Sienna AWD is the run-flat tires. I know a few owners and they told me to get a spare wheel & tire, carry it in the back, and put on regular tires as soon as the run-flats wear out which is around 20k miles on average.

Thanks to everyone for answering my questions about the snow. We've decided on a Pacifica Limited, now we're just chasing down the particular color combination and packages we want, which is turning out to be pretty difficult.

 

[Red MC]

Done. We bought a Pacifica Limited in velvet red with black/mocha interior.