What 1,700 miles taught me about choosing a family car

A dealership test drive can tell you if you like the way a vehicle accelerates, steers and rides. It can tell you if the seats seem comfortable and if the infotainment system makes sense.

What it probably can’t tell you is how you’ll feel about the vehicle after five days, two kids, a pile of luggage and 1,700 miles.

I got that kind of extended test recently when Chrysler handed my family the keys to a refreshed 2027 Pacifica in Vermont and gave us several days to get it home to Georgia.

The direct route was about 1,200 miles. We drove roughly 1,700 instead, taking backroads through Vermont, wandering through mountain towns and generally finding reasons to avoid the fastest route south.

The Pacifica was the vehicle, but the trip became a useful reminder of something bigger: The features that sell a family car aren’t always the ones that make it good to live with.

That matters when a new vehicle can easily cost $40,000, $50,000 or more, and when moving up a trim level or adding a technology package can push the price higher still. Car shoppers have plenty of reasons to think carefully about what they’re actually paying for.

Comfort and space matter more than the spec sheet

On a long trip, comfort moves quickly to the top of the list.

A sporty suspension may impress during a short test drive. After several hundred miles, however, a quiet cabin, supportive seats and a composed ride matter more.

That became obvious on the changing pavement, curves and hills of Vermont. The Pacifica didn’t stand out because it begged to be driven aggressively. It stood out because it required very little from me. It absorbed rough pavement, stayed settled and let everyone else settle in.

That’s difficult to evaluate on a 20-minute loop around a dealership.

Space is another area where numbers don’t tell the whole story. Americans overwhelmingly choose SUVs for family transportation, but exterior size and seating capacity don’t necessarily reveal how usable a vehicle will be.

Minivans make that case particularly well. Sliding doors work in tight parking spaces. A low step-in height helps children climb aboard. A wide aisle can make the third row easier to reach. And the Pacifica’s Stow ‘n Go seating lets the second- and third-row seats fold flat into the floor, quickly turning passenger space into cargo room.

Chris Hardesty's 1,700-mile family road trip included stops at roadside attractions, including Dinosaur Kingdom II near Natural Bridge, Virginia. (Chris Hardesty/Cox Automotive)

That might not sound exciting in an advertisement. It becomes more important when you’re standing in a hotel parking lot trying to load four people’s bags.

The same principle applies whether you’re shopping for a minivan, SUV or crossover. A vehicle that seats seven on paper may leave almost no cargo space when all seats are occupied. A slightly smaller vehicle may be packaged more efficiently.

Range and technology should make life easier

Range also matters more than shoppers sometimes realize. We averaged about 26 mpg in the Pacifica. The more important part was how little time we spent thinking about fuel stops.

On a family road trip, every stop carries a little extra time with it. Someone wants a snack. Someone needs the restroom. Someone finds something interesting inside the convenience store.

Fuel economy isn’t only about dollars per gallon. It also affects how often a vehicle interrupts the trip.

Of course, most vehicles spend far more time commuting, running errands and sitting in city traffic than crossing several states. That’s why shoppers should consider both highway and city fuel economy — and think about where they actually drive most often. A vehicle that’s efficient on the interstate may be less impressive in stop-and-go traffic.

Technology works the same way. The most valuable features were rarely the flashiest ones.

Adaptive cruise control reduced the workload on long interstate stretches. Charging ports kept devices alive. Straightforward controls meant I didn’t have to dig through menus while driving.

Our own 2022 Pacifica has seat-back entertainment screens. The 2027 model we drove did not.

The kids adapted just fine.

The Hardesty family spotted license plates from all but five states during their drive from Vermont to Georgia. (Chris Hardesty/Cox Automotive)

That was a useful reminder, especially when shopping new vehicles. It’s easy to convince yourself that a feature is essential simply because you’ve become accustomed to having it.

It’s also easy to justify an expensive convenience or technology package by imagining how useful every feature might be someday.

But a $2,000 or $3,000 package isn’t a bargain if your family rarely uses what it adds. The smarter question isn’t if a vehicle offers the latest feature. It’s if that feature solves a problem you actually have.

My best advice is to buy the vehicle you need for 50 weeks of the year and rent the one you want for the other two. Don’t spend thousands more — or live with compromises every day — just to prepare for the occasional road trip.

Pay for the features that reduce headaches

After 1,700 miles, that might have been the biggest lesson.

A good family vehicle isn’t defined by one standout feature. It’s defined by how many little hassles it eliminates.

Doors that are easy to use. Storage where people need it. Seats that don’t require constant rearranging. Enough charging ports. Controls that make sense. A ride that doesn’t leave everyone exhausted.