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2018 Honda Odyssey bests Pacifica, Sienna in minivan crash, LATCH tests

Honda has a lot to be proud of following the latest round of passenger small-overlap crash testing by the IIHS. The safety organization tested the 2018 Honda Odyssey, 2018 Chrysler Pacifica and 2018 Toyota Sienna, and the Odyssey managed the best rating of "Good." The Pacifica followed behind with an "Acceptable" rating, and the Sienna brought up the rear with just a "Marginal." Both the Pacifica and Sienna lost points because the structure around the passengers collapsed to differing extents, leading to parts of the structure intruding into the passenger compartment. The Pacifica didn't intrude enough to harm passengers, with each injury area still having a Good rating, but the Sienna's structure intruded far enough to potentially harm the leg and foot areas, leading to an Acceptable rating in those specific areas. In addition to the small overlap crash test, the IIHS evaluated all three minivans for LATCH child seat anchor ease of use. Once again, the Odyssey aced the test with a Good+ rating, which is awarded for both ease of use and offering multiple anchor point options. The Pacifica and Sienna swap the crash test ratings, with a Marginal for the Chrysler and an Acceptable for the Sienna. The Odyssey and Pacifica can both brag that they're Top Safety Picks, and they'd get Top Safety Pick+ awards if they weren't hampered by headlights that only get Acceptable ratings. The Toyota Sienna fails to earn the regular Top Safety Pick award because both small overlap tests yielded results that were too low. Only one other minivan tested by IIHS has the Top Safety Pick rating, and that's the Kia Sedona. It earns an Acceptable rating in LATCH usability, and its headlights actually earned a Good rating. It hasn't undergone passenger-side small overlap crash testing yet. If it fares well, it could get bumped up to a Top Safety Pick+ rating. Related Video: Image Credit: IIHS Chrysler Honda Toyota Safety Minivan/Van consumer toyota sienna chrysler pacifica IIHS Top Safety Pick

2019 Chrysler Pacifica and Dodge Grand Caravan 35th Anniversary Editions debut in Chicago

Just ahead of the 2019 Chicago Auto Show, FCA revealed a pair of special editions to commemorate the 35th anniversary of the original Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager. The 2019 Chrysler Pacifica, Pacifica Hybrid and Dodge Grand Caravan 35th Anniversary Edition models will make their full debut this week sporting special badging and paint. Since the original 1984 models debuted, Chrysler has sold more than 14.6 million minivans around the world. Chrysler introduced the original Caravan and Voyager in late 1983. The pair shared much with Lee Iacocca's storied K-platform. K-based models such as the Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon helped turn around Chrysler's fortunes in the early '80s. Likewise, the Caravan and Voyager were a huge success and provided the template for modern minivans including the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna. The Pacifica and Grand Caravan 35th Anniversary Editions both come with an all-black interior featuring Cranberry Wine accent stitching on the seats, steering wheel, door trim, instrument panel bezels and door handles. There's also a 35th Anniversary logo on the floor mats plus badges on the grille and liftgate. The package is available on Pacifica Touring L, Touring L Plus and Limited trims, including hybrid models. An optional S package (blacked out trim) can be added to any 35th anniversary Pacifica. The anniversary package can be added to Grand Caravan SE and SXT models. The anniversary package will be available sometime this summer.

Junkyard Gem: 2002 Chrysler PT Cruiser with 5-speed manual transmission

Before we get started on today's Junkyard Gem, let's talk about what I mean by the word "Gem" in this context, because I've been getting a lot of hate mail from readers foaming at the mouth with rage because I dared to refer to such cars as the Pontiac Sunfire or Subaru Tribeca by that name. When I say "Gem" I mean it in the historical sense, not because I think a particular vehicle is a generally superior machine. OK? Now we can talk about a real junkyard rarity: a PT Cruiser with a manual transmission. Chrysler sold PT Cruisers in Europe and Japan, where manual transmissions are preferred, and the 5-speed manual was the base transmission in the North American-market PT Cruiser all the way up until the 2009 model year. However, most American and Canadian PT Cruiser buyers proved willing to spend the extra money to get an automatic transmission, because... well, PT Cruiser. I found this car in a wrecking yard in the San Francisco Bay Area, which is such a hotbed of amateur racing and restoration of old British and Italian sports cars that perhaps residents have a slightly greater appreciation for three-pedal cars than Americans in general. With 150 horsepower moving 3,123 pounds— essentially a slightly bigger Neon — this car would have been more fun to drive than most minivans. Later on, Chrysler dropped Neon SRT4 drivetrains into PT Cruisers, creating the 215-horse GT Turbo PT Cruiser. We think a bustleback body kit would go well with one of those cars. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. "Take it easy, Mr. Satan!"