"With one or two adults onboard, the 3.5-liter V6 feels adequate in most situations," Road Test Editor Erin Riches wrote in the logbook. "Had there been additional people and luggage, I doubt that it would have felt as strong as it did. Acceleration around town is just fine, as is its ability to execute passing maneuvers on L.A. freeways, thanks largely to the sharp, well-timed downshifts from the four-speed automatic transmission. The Pacifica's reserves got a little thin when climbing grades and whenever it was required to get right up to a 70-to-75-mph cruising speed when merging onto a fast-moving interstate. The transmission was frequently shifting in and out of overdrive to maintain speed on uphill grades. This kind of behavior would be nothing unusual to most people, but when the window sticker reads $41K, you expect a vehicle to have more than adequate power. In general, the engine works harder than most. While I enjoyed its hearty growls under heavy throttle, those give way to a coarse (for this price bracket, anyway) drone as the engine revs to keep pace on hills."
