Ford Freestyle & Chrysler Pacifica Price & Engine Reviews

On the road, this pair is remarkably similar in many areas. Both offer a smooth ride and equal levels of quiet. We expected the Pacifica's less blocky shape to yield lower wind noise, but this, too, proved a draw. Braking performances were close; the Chrysler stopped from 60 to 0 in 125 feet, the Ford in 132. The Pacifica cleared our slalom course at 62.0 mph, the Freestyle is somewhat slower at 59.9. So it's safe to conclude that the Pacifica is the better performer, right?

Chrysler is lower and wider and works hard to avoid minivan and station wagon labeling. Interior exhibits high style, good quality, lots of features.

Numbers don't lie, but they can mislead, and the Pacifica feels downright uninvolving from the first turn of the key. The Freestyle's steering is sharper and more communicative, and its suspension is better damped and controlled, offering more grip and flatter cornering than the Chrysler. It's not that the Pacifica drives poorly. But it's been numbed down to a level to where anyone with an ounce of driving enthusiasm will forget about it 10 seconds after he exits the cabin.

Our 2004 Pacifica Touring ticked almost every option box (save a moonroof) and carried a bottom-line price of $38,515. The Freestyle, missing a few options compared with the Chrysler, totaled $32,395. Even if we added in the cost of the DVD entertainment system, the Ford would total approximately $34,710. The Pacifica packs a few goodies the Ford doesn't--but not $4K worth.

3.5-liter V-6 has plenty of punch, but gearbox seems unwilling to make the most of it, and it struggles against the car's 4700-pound curb weight, nearly 500 pounds more than the Ford.

And in this case, the bottom line is, well, the bottom line. Each player's passenger-and-stuff-carrying ability is about the same. The Pacifica wins the creature-feature contest, but the Freestyle is the happier driver. Factor the Freestyle's more attractive value premise into the argument, and it's Game Over, Advantage Ford. No airport strip searches required.