Study just the details of Chrysler’s new Pacifica and it’s tough to peg its mission. Very roomy, it would be a great replacement for the Town and Country minivan, because, well, it is. S.U.V.s are the automotive fashion families want these days, but Pacifica’s toned body could pull off yoga pants. If cars did that kind of thing, (ON CAMERA) As a parent and as a guy that’s driven over 800 different vehicles, I can assure you, nothing makes family life easier than a van. Kids get in and out easier plus sliding doors can’t ding other cars, nice touch with the hidden track. Haul full sheets of plywood? Done. Some of the features this specific car has… (ON CAMERA) It can find parking spots and guide you in. Probably faster than you or I can. Cross rails store in the rack, always ready for action. Oblivious while backing up? (SOUND UP) Braking is automatic (ON CAMERA) I was hoping that would work. My house does not have this many storage nooks. And yes, a vacuum cleaner is available. It’s easy to move the front chairs out of the way. (ON CAMERA) Why is that important? Well, Chrysler products are the only vehicles to do this. Stow ‘n Go seats easily fold into the floor. Middle row chairs must be removed and stored with other vans. These bins can hold toys or sports gear. The chairs are more comfortable now. With seating for eight, one has to be taken out, but it’s light. The setup makes Pacifica supremely useful. The downside? No all-wheel drive. Pacificas have a single powertrain for now (SOUND UP) a 3.6-liter V6 with 287 horsepower (SOUND UP) connected to a 9-speed automatic that feels well calibrated. Vans get loaded with people and gear (SOUND UP) this one moves briskly. (ON CAMERA) You don’t have to yell “stop hitting your brother” because Pacifica is near luxury car quiet. You can use a more civilized tone “I don’t care who started it”. $2,000 buys adaptive cruise control plus, auto braking with pedestrian detection. The lane keep assist is aggressive and distracting, I turned it off. (ON CAMERA) None of the vehicles in this class are going to handle like sports cars but darned if Chrysler didn’t do a good job of tuning the driving dynamics. Don’t make the kids car sick. Fuel efficiency is on the higher side in-class; I’m seeing 22 miles-per-gallon. (ON CAMERA) If you want better fuel economy than that, there will be a plug-in hybrid Pacifica that has an electric-only range of 30 miles. But it eliminates the Stow ‘n Go seating feature because those wells are where the battery pack goes. The cabin, which looks great, gives frazzled parents a warm feeling, at least their hands. Cubbies are easy to clean. The interface is refreshing clear. Parking for umbrellas is oh so handy, and cute. With these mid-row amenities, kids will never believe your stories of walking to school in the snow, barefoot, uphill, both ways. If forgetting the X-Box is their biggest hardship, on-board games can be played against the computer or, here’s a concept, other passengers. (ON CAMERA) Math skills. Very important Car seats don’t need to be removed (SOUND UP) to get to row three (ON CAMERA) Two full-sized adults will fit back here, three certainly in a pinch. Something not all three-row crossovers can say. Not just cup holders but a place to charge phones too. (ON CAMERA) Using all three rows of seating in an SUV means you get four or five packs of this stuff in the cargo hold. Pacifica? Ten. Drop row three which is very, very, easy and Pacifica is a rolling warehouse. I can only physically bring so much TP out, before it falls off the cart. This is 20 packs, pretty sure it swallows 28. (ON CAMERA) As I tell my kids, use your imagination. We don’t do that enough. Starting at under 29 grand, this one goes for about 48. The market has shrunk but Chrysler is clearly defending the segment they invented. Switching out an established name for one from a discontinued crossover shows an eagerness to start fresh. Pacifica is an impressive think-outside-the-box effort.