Good day to you all! How’s your week been? Mine was fantastic! My family has been out of town hanging with family for the last month, and I was able to drive out to West Virginia and meet up with them on their way home over the weekend – and a weekend in the mountains with my family and dogs was just what the doctor ordered. Sidenote: If you’re ever in southern West Virginia and looking for an incredible road to drive, look up Highway 39. It’s no Tail of the Dragon, but it was well-maintained, and incredibly curvy, which was a lot of fun.
Anyway, last week we looked at Jeff’s great garage, including his custom crew cab truck and the Shahmancycle, which was really cool. Switching gears significantly today, we’re going to look at a couple of late-model cars and how they fit into Pete’s life.
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When you think of luxury car companies, most people probably do not jump right to the South Korean automakers, but since 2015, Genesis has been duking it out with the best that Germany and Japan have to offer, and they make some appealing products! Pete knew this, and went out and found an excellent example of this, and unlike any Lexus product I’ve seen recently, it is even colorful! Pete retired from the Air Force a few years ago and now gets to relax on the beach and has become a Florida Man.
How did you get into cars?
I have loved cars since I was 3. I probably got it from my dad because he always loved cars too. Dad was a Naval Aviator. Our family lived in Naples Italy from ’70-’74 so of course I love European cars from that era!
What’s currently in the garage?
- 2019 Chrysler Pacifica
- 2023 Genesis G70
How did you pick out the Pacifica?
I’ve had this for about 3 years. I bought it from Carvana back around 2022ish. It currently has just over 37k on it. Truth be told, I was reluctant to buy a Stellantis product, but none of the competitors had the stow and seats. I’m well into my sixties these days and I did not want to have to physically hump seats out of a van in order to have an open floor space. Meaning that this was the only option.
Were you specifically looking for a van, or did you look at other options as well?
Sure, crossovers were the “thing” back then (and now), but they simply cannot compete with the total versatility & practicality of this Pacifica.
What do you love about this?
It is a very comfortable car to drive. It’s the Limited trim and has all the niceties which make it a very pleasant place to be while eating up the miles. In a day in which most cars are difficult to see out of, the Pacifica has great visibility, while still being tall enough to not be visually blocked by most other cars on the road. I like to roll fast, and this van just runs under the radar.
If you were forced to replace this tomorrow, what would you be looking at?
If it were to be stolen or totaled, I would probably look at a full-zoot Carnival Hybrid.
Anything you wish you could change about it?
There’s nothing I would really change about it, but it would be cool with AWD and a lift kit (which is commercially available.) I couldn’t care less about the “Soccer Mom” stigma. It’s my go-to ride.
What was the (ahem) genesis of the G70?
It’s a 2023 Genesis G70 3.3T Sport Prestige. I bought this with 4K miles from a Ford Dealer down on the east coast of FL, and I had it delivered to me. I’ve always been a car guy ever since I was a little, little kid. I was looking for a quick (and fast) sports sedan.
What made you want this over a German or other options?
I promised myself I was not going to buy a European vehicle such as BMW, Mercedes Benz, Alfa Romeo etc. Why? Because, that’s why! They are just too expensive to buy, and then you have to maintain them! Plus, their reliability is questionable in my mind. Also, it had to be based off a RWD platform. I remembered when the Kia Stinger made its splash a few years prior, which led me to look at Genesis because I thought that was a cool ride. I guess I was looking for bang for the buck and horsepower-to-weight ratio. This thing really moves out! Seriously. 12.8s 1/4 mile times and 170mph top end? Shut up and take my money! But what really pushed me to it was the redesign. 
What do you love about your G70?
I think these are gorgeous machines. I have only put about 2k miles on it so far. It’s reading about 7.4K miles now. Being retired, I don’t drive as much as I used to.
What did the Genesis replace?
Prior to the G70, I had a ’02 LS430 with about 103K miles. It was in really nice condition. I was fortunate enough to be able to gift that to an old friend who was in a pinch (he was my friend forever – since ’75 or so.) I love Lexus, but there aren’t any Lexus dealerships within 100 miles.
How’s the Genesis dealer?
I have not been into our Hyundai dealership yet. I haven’t heard many good things about the experience. Genesis opened a dedicated Genesis dealership about 50 miles away, and I hope that I get the red-carpet treatment there rather than this local Hyundai place.
What would you replace this with?
I would buy another Genesis for sure! Next time (if there is a next time), I would like a G80. At six feet tall and roughly 200lbs, this little G70 is a bit low to the ground, and a bit difficult for me to enter and exit it comfortably with my bad left knee and neuropathy.
What’s in the dream garage?
- Peugeot 504 wagon: My Dad bought a new ’71 Peugeot 504 sedan when I was eleven. I was not too whipped on about it back then during the test drive in Naples, Italy. It had a four on the tree and was just, well, sorta weird looking. But as time went on and what with our travels all over Europe for 3+ years, I fell in love with it. Bonus – when it was delivered, it was delivered with a 4-speed on the floor! I was over the moon LOL!
- Mint Lexus LS400! I have always thought that the LS400 was the OG of the LS line. I loved the aesthetic. Simple, smooth, clean lines. A lovely-looking vehicle. I was looking for an LS400 when I bought my LS430, but couldn’t find a good example of the 400, so I just had to take what I could get. Even though the front end was a bit unattractive, I got it for a good price and loved every minute of ownership. It never gave me one bit of a problem.
- 1970 SS LS454 Chevelle, of course! What’s to even say? That has always been my number one loved muscle car. I had a ’65 Chevelle Malibu 2dr HT in high school.
- A 1971 Fiat 500. Yes, a Cinquecento! I can’t not love this after spending my formative years living in downtown Naples. They were ubiquitous! Just a cute little get about. It would be so much fun!
- A 2CV? Hell yes, a 2CV! Why? Ask Jason why!
- A Pagoda SL Mercedes. C’mon man, if that wasn’t one of the classiest GTs around, I don’t know what was (and still is)!
- A ’71 Alfa 4dr sedan. The Italian Polizia and Carabinieri used these handsome sedans, and I loved the way the stick shift came damn near out of the firewall to meet your hand, and the exhaust pipe exited the rear valance at a weird and somewhat angry angle.
- A ’83 Maxima Wagon. I’ve been a long-roof fan since forever, and my Dad had an ’83 Maxima 4dr. A really nice car! And to me the Wagon was even more-cooler LOL!
There would be others, of course, but this would be a good start.
Thanks Pete!
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Not a big fan of the Genesis, but they do show up in the rental fleets frequently and the 3.3L versions are fun. I just don’t trust the reliability of the Hyundai/Kia brand.
The Pacifica is not known for reliability, but as a rental fleet staple, I gravitate towards these things every time. Decent power, plenty of room, surprising handling. I know the Sienna is technically that minivan to drive, but whenever I get one of those as a rental, it has disappointed me every single time. The Pacificas that I rent have always met my expectations, and more typically exceed them.
I love these G70s. But after my dads experience with his GV80 last month, i dont know if I could pull the trigger. His headlight went bad at 63k, and 30 months. Those LEDs shouldnt burn out that quick. Honda had a bad run and extended the light warranty to 10 years unlimited miles. Genesis said too bad, pay us 2k and we will cover the other 1500 because you are 4000 miles outside warranty. He was going to trade it in on a new one this summer- not anymore.
And those minivans are great! Had one as a rental for a trip last fall, through utah/montana/idaho/wyoming.
Sorry to hear about the rough time with the Genesis, any idea what he’s planning to replace it with now?
Sounds like a great area to take a fall road trip! Having spent lots of time driving the mountains in Utah/Idaho/Wyoming, it’s hard to beat that area! I used to live in Utah and we would go driving through the canyons every fall. It was beautiful!
Im not sure- its paid off as of this month, so the current plan is ‘run it into the ground’. He traded in a MDX for it, and wasnt a fan of the honda 10 speed autos. If I were to guess when the time comes, I would say maybe a grand highlander, crown signia, passport?, or an infiniti.
We love it out there! We went through dinosaur, craters of the moon, yellowstone, and grand teton. I got engaged in canyonlands so my wife will always go back there.
Crown Signia is very high on my list of someday cars. They are very appealing in many ways.
Canyonlands is amazing! If you’re ever looking for a similar experience but without all the crowds, Capitol Reef has always been the one my wife and I default to. But it’s far more remote, and you’re not going to find any sort of tourist town built up to support the park. I need to go spend a few weeks touring through all that again one of these years. It’s been a while.
Reef is fantastic! I did all 5 on a trip in 2015- the gas station in hanksville was interesting since it was built into rock.
Nice garage, Pete.
The more I think about it, an AWD Pacifica seems a lot like the answer for my daily. Extreme practicality and under the radar stealth is an excellent combo. I’m always surprised other manufacturers haven’t gotten on board with something similar stow and go. As you said, it makes for a great feature that no one else can match.
As for reliability concerns, the gas version of the Pacifica has been at least mid pack, the PHEV, not so much. Consumer Reports still has the gas Pacifica on its recommended list.
Apparently Stellantis farmed out the PHEV software development to low cost contractors rather than in-house engineers which has caused a lot of teething issues that should have been resolved long ago.
Thats a good blue on that Genesis, though it could use some non black wheels for some more pop IMO.
I never realized how thin the seatbacks are on the stow n go seats in the Pacifica, looks like an economy airline seat.
Agreed, that blue is beautiful! And yeah, stow and go is incredibly practical, but not the most comfortable seats around.
That’s the tradeoff for stow n go. They’re fine for short trips, but I can’t deal with them for multi-hour stints.
Well bought garage, Pete! After having a van with stow n go and others without it, I can’t imagine not having that if I wanted another minivan. People transport to cargo hauler in just a few minutes! The Genesis is beautiful, I love a good fast sedan even though I don’t need four doors or back seats most of the time!
Stow-and-go seating seems attractive, but after having a Pacifica as a rental for a long road trip with coworkers, I found the stowable seats to be so uncomfortable for adults that I wouldn’t ever consider them in a purchase. But if the van is used primarily for hauling kids or on short trips, they become a lot more attractive.
The non-stow and go seats in the Pinnacle and PHEV versions have much better padding and are nearly as comfortable as the front row seats. It’s just a matter of where your priorities are. They are still removable for hauling cargo.
True, but at that point, there isn’t any reason to get a Stellantis product when the Sienna exists.
You can’t remove the second row of the Sienna. That and Toyota dealers have become genuinely difficult to deal with.
I get that a lot of people don’t really care about a removable second row, but if you use your minivan for cargo at all, it makes the Sienna a lot less appealing.
The seats do fold up quite tight against the front seats, so you’re only losing a couple inches by them not coming out, but I agree. The 2019 and older that can be removed are far more practical for that and many other reasons. I love the new ones, but the seats of my 13 are out right now for helping family move, and I am glad that’s an option. We probably only take them out a couple times a year, but that’s enough to make it necessary in my book.
Well, you’d be stuck looking at the Sienna which has got to be one of the ugliest vehicles on the market in any segment.
As for Pacifica, I just like the overall package better from a pricing, styling, handling, and versatility standpoint.
The Sienna definitely gets better MPGs with the standard Hybrid powertrain, though.
Interestingly, Consumer Reports still has both gas Pacifica and Sienna rated as recommended buys with the same (average) reliability ratings.
I couldn’t think of a less important factor in a minivan than its looks.
According to collected data on CarEdge, the Pacifica has a 10-year maintenance cost of about $11,520, and the Sienna is $6,455. For perspective, a Prius is about $4800, and a Maserati Levante is $11,500.
Stellantis products, across all brands, make up a huge percentage of the worst cars to maintain.
The article title “Stealth-Missile Minivan” made me think this thing had an engine swap or something ridiculous. Disappointed.
Also, I had a G70 as a rental this summer and, while nicer than I expected, I could not get over the fact that the park shifting position is a button. As in, shift to neutral then press the button to park. Every time I pulled into a parking spot I instinctively pushed the shifter all the way forward to park…except it wasn’t park, it was reverse. It was irrationally infuriating.
So, I agree that push button shifters are dumb. I did find a workaround though, specifically for Park.
My Hyundai has a different design of a dumb push button shifter…. after being concerned that I would mistakenly not fully depress the Park button and try to get out of the car, if you just turn the car off at the ignition button it automatically shifts cars like this in to park.
It’s dumb, I hate it, but I like the rest of the car enough for this workaround to be good enough.
I think the same maneuver would work with most other push button park scenarios, anyone have experience?
yeah, why exactly is this bone stock Pacifica a stealth missile? I’m lost.
Per Pete, “I like to roll fast, and this van just runs under the radar.”
So emphasis on the stealth part.
Yeah exactly. Minivans are so much quicker than people expect. It’s always funny when I try to pass people in my Sienna. They do not like being passed by a minivan, and so often people will speed up to try to stop me, but friend, if I want to pass you, I’m going to pass you, and you’d be amazed at how quick it can get up to 90!
It’s been said one of the unofficial rules of the road is the powder blue minivan rule – you cannot be caught driving slower than the guy in the powder blue minivan. Corollary: if you are the guy driving the powder blue minivan, it’s your duty to pass as many cars as you can.
Mine is grey but apparently it still applies.
My 2012 BMW w/ DCT has the mono-stable shifter that always returns to the “mid position” after selecting drive or reverse. Park is the button on top. No need to move the shifter at all after parking, just push park, or turn the engine off or open the driver’s door. All actions result in the transmission being locked in park.
Sorry, I just meant to reference the fact that minivans are deceptively fast.
Pete could be a multiverse version of Matt, as his actual cars seem like Hardigree’s dream garage, at least judging by some of his pieces. And not a Subaru in sight.
Yeah, I could definitely see Matt rolling in these. I see him more as a Carnival Hybrid guy than Pacifica though for some reason.