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2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Long-Term Update | Winter vacation

DESTIN, Fla. — You know you want a minivan. Wait, you say. That's not me. I'm not old enough. Or I don't have that many kids. Or ... No. You want a minivan. And after multiple family vacations and weekends in Autoblog's long-term 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, I'm happy to explain why. Let's break it down. — The functionality is off-the-charts. From the multiple ways you can open and close the doors to the sheer volume of stuff you can load into them, minivans are leaders in user experience. — The cargo volume is immense and usable. We were able to simply pack up our lives and go to Destin, Fla., for a week on the Gulf. Two adults and a 1-year-old had plenty of space and creature comforts for the drive from Michigan. We moved the passenger seat forward so there was a mini pod in the second row where my wife and baby spent most of the time. During a brief spell from driving, I nestled back there for a bit, sipping coffee and playing cards on the seat-mounted entertainment screen. — In back, our manifest was prodigious. A cooler. A beach blanket. Beach chairs. Three large suitcases. A Pack 'n Play. A baby chair. Food. Boxes of wipes and diapers. A stroller. Beer and wine. Jellycat. Way more things that I've forgotten. It was also the maiden voyage for our Britax Boulevard ClickTight carseat, which fit securely. Installing a carseat easily is one of life's simple joys. The 2018 Pacifica Hybrid lists 197.3 cubic feet of cargo volume, and we used most of it. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. — We did have some space left over, which was actually more impressive to me. When three people can drive across the country with everything they need for a week and then wonder what else they maybe should bring, that speaks volumes (I know) to the usability of the cargo volume. On an earlier trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, we took all of this stuff plus a golden retriever, her crate, her food and camping gear. And still had room left over. — The Pacifica has a 24.3-inch lift-over height, which means it's easy to load. You can put the seats down and still reach far into the cargo hold. That's the beauty of minivans. Our family has a three-row SUV that you have to stretch to load and unload. We thought we wanted an SUV. We didn't realize we actually wanted a minivan. — And therein lies the inherent beauty of minivans.

FCA fibbed on sales according to internal report

Following last week's news that Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is under investigation by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission for allegedly fudging sales figures, a new report in Automotive News says an internal investigation at FCA uncovered misreported sales. According to the AN story, 5,000 to 6,000 vehicles from various FCA brands were reported sold by dealers, but no customers existed for those cars. FCA sales chief Reid Bigland has already put a stop to the practice. One potential reason for the practice was to maintain the company's month-to-month sales increase streak, currently at 75 months. In April, FCA added a lengthy disclaimer to its sales announcements: "FCA US reported vehicle sales represent sales of its vehicles to retail and fleet customers, as well as limited deliveries of vehicles to its officers, directors, employees and retirees. Sales from dealers to customers are reported to FCA US by dealers as sales are made on an ongoing basis through a new vehicle delivery reporting system that then compiles the reported data as of the end of each month. "Sales through dealers do not necessarily correspond to reported revenues, which are based on the sale and delivery of vehicles to the dealers. In certain limited circumstances where sales are made directly by FCA US, such sales are reported through its management reporting system." FCA did not provide comment to Automotive News. Click through for the full story and more details. Related Video: Earnings/Financials Government/Legal Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM sales Sergio Marchionne FCA USDOJ reid bigland

Are old airbags killers?

Takata airbags may not be the only ones with some very serious problems. A new report from TheDetroitBureau.com claims that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened its second investigation into bad airbag inflators, and this time, they aren't from Takata. The focus of this latest case is on the airbag inflators in some 500,000 older Chrysler Town and Country minivans and Kia Optima sedans, all of which come from ARC Automotive. While the Takata case looks at problems stemming from the engineering and production process, the ARC investigation focuses on the age of the inflators. As TDB explains, airbag inflators are essentially what the military refers to as shaped charges, sort of like Claymores (for fans of the Call of Duty series). In combat, they blow up in a specific direction, protecting those behind the explosion, although in the case of airbags, the explosion "[creates] a precise rush of hot gases" that inflate the bags. NHTSA's worry is that with the increased average age of today's vehicles, years and years of being bounced, jolted, and shaken about and exposed to often-radical temperature changes have altered the nature of the explosives in these vehicles, causing too big of an explosion. "It may be a reasonable assumption that as these things age they deteriorate." – Analyst George Peterson "It may be a reasonable assumption that as these things age they deteriorate," analyst George Peterson told TheDetroitBureau.com. NHTSA boss Mark Rosekind backed up aging angle. "Cars are lasting on the road a lot longer than ever before," Rosekind told TDB, adding that seals could start breaking down. "Is aging now an issue? That's part of the investigation going on." NHTSA has only identified two "incidents" so far, although according to Center for Auto Safety Director Clarence Ditlow, there's genuine concern that there could be additional unidentified cases. "Could we have missed more? That could be the case," Ditlow told TDB, citing the misidentified deaths in the Takata investigation. Ditlow was quick to point out that, even in older vehicles, airbags are much more likely to protect than harm. "No one is saying you should disable your airbags," the safety advocate told TDB. "You're far more likely to be helped than hurt by one if they go off." At least one automaker, meanwhile, has already been advised of the investigation by NHTSA and is checking its airbags.