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Ok so back in a MiniVan starting yesterday.

218 views 1 reply 1 participant last post by  uziforme  
#1 ·
So I have had many over the years, company assigned vehicles. Last Dodge Grand Caravan was a 2019. Company decided Nissan Pathfinders were the way to go and still do but I was able to talk fleet into a 2025 Chrysler Voyager.

The 2020 Pathfinder was a tech sinkhole, Nissan stopped production in 21 to release a new model in 22. The 2020 Pathfinder was the last year for the CVT, it did not have heated rear view mirrors, but had a g-force meter for acceleration/braking/cornering. Like a gutless SUV needs that. I hated it since day one and just turned in in at 120k miles. Seating was uncomfortable, only phone bluetooth option was speaker phone, had to run a Garmin GPS for a nav map. The AWD was nice for winter, but having had many mini vans over the years none have failed to take me where I needed to go with the front wheel drive.

So first drive impressions of the 2025 Voyager. Soft marshmellow ride compared to the Pathfinder. Acceleration feels weak, but 0-60 and HP specs seem similar. Seating is far superior, of course the Stow and Go I have missed since day one of the Pathfinder. I now get to sit erect like a human again, vs laying back to see out the windshield in the Pathfinder. One safety issue for me in the Pathfinder was the seat would not go back far enough that when I turned my head left to see for a lane change or merge I could not see anything but B-Pillar. It was scary and dangerous to merge in that car. The Voyager seat goes back far enough I can see out the drivers side sliding door window past the B-Pillar. Pathfinder was weak on storage cubbys big plus to the bins available on the Voyager. I have no use for heated seats and steering wheel and never would chose leather or fake leather for seating over cloth, or black, but that is the only way the Voyager comes. The driving assist adaptive cruise on the Pathfinder had a better predicting software for the prediction of when to start slowing down. It was a much smoother transition. I will not suggest the Voyager is bad or unsafe, it just kicks in later and slows down more abruptly than I am used to.

The blind spot warning lamps I like better on the Pathfinder only due to location. But these in the mirrors are fine. The Voyager has a good mix of touch screen display functions and mechanical knobs and buttons, the Pathfinder had almost every function and control on the touch screen and it was a crazy menu to go though just to control the HVAC. The auto stop/start on the Voyager has to go and an eliminator harness is on order. Only at 165 miles on the Voyager so far but instantly it feels like old home week. I have had worse co cars over the years, Dodge Aries K, Dodge Magnum, Dodge Journey worst to least worst. The Voyager only come as one std. package, but no other options I could possibly want in a vehicle and a couple more I could live without. In Oct I will be taking the Voyager across the Appalachian Mountain highways and see how it does. First trip of any distance will be 750 miles rnd trip to St. Paul, MN and back next weekend for the State Fair.
 
#2 ·
So 2nd day of having. I figured out how to turn on the lane assist and tried it. I tried the backup braking parking assist, and thought I hit my wife's car, but it was just the brakes jamming on hard and sudden. The interior lights are a joke, I will be using this as a work van and once fall/winter come I will be loading and unloading stuff without the aid of the sun. I am upgrading the cargo area interior lighting and will post a picture when done. I put the same kit in the bed of my F150 pickup and it works great. The always on power outlet in the Pathfinder would not run my 400W A/C inverter reliably until the engine was started, The Voyager is having no issues supplying the needed current for this. I use it to charge my DeWalt tool batteries when on the road. I am getting used to the acceleration I just have to get further into the pedal to get up to speed. The passenger side glove box is smaller than the Pathfinder, but was easy enough to find a spot elsewhere for the stuff I had in there. Nice to have the added cargo space so the middle two seats and actually be used as seats. The USB A and C connections in front would not supply enough current to operate my magnetic wireless cell phone MagSafe charger, no biggie as just poking the USB A adaper into the 12v accy socket on the low console front extension powered it up fine. Anyone found any kind of organizer inserts for the rear console and top console dump bins so they do not just become the equal of the kitchen junk drawer?