Despite its ritzy appearance being mistaken by a neighbour for a Cadillac, I have a greater fondness for the Pacifica's upscale interior artistry than its exterior styling. Very elegant, genuine eucalyptus wood appliqués dress-up the dash, shift knob, doors and steering wheel of the Limited model. Regardless of trim level though, the flowing lines of the Pacifica's dash and its matching door panels are very symmetrical and appealing, although assembly quality is average, which is disappointing given the pricing of it relative to some of its competition.

I have a greater fondness for the Pacifica's upscale interior artistry than its exterior styling. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

My fully-loaded tester accommodated up to six passengers when its 50/50 split-bench third row seat was in position; otherwise, its two front captains' chairs were matched by two second-row captains' chairs, making this a remarkably comfortable cruiser for four adults. Plenty of head and legroom surrounds the lucky four seated in the first two rows, but anyone forced into the third row had best be small in stature if they hope to be in any way comfortable during extended stays. Also, while being fairly high-backed, the third-row seat does not provide the safety of head restraints. The base-level seating plan includes a more conventional three-position, second-row bench seat in place of the rear captains' chairs, boosting the Pacifica's passenger potential to seven.

The second- and third-row seats can be folded flat, turning the Pacifica into a small warehouse of 2,250 litres (79.5 cu ft) of cargo space atop a flat load floor. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, Canadian Auto Press)

When cargo transport replaces human transport, the second- and third-row seats can be folded flat, turning the Pacifica into a small warehouse of 2,250 litres (79.5 cu ft) of cargo space atop a flat load floor. In addition to such generous levels of hauling utility, the handling dynamics of crossover vehicles are generally more in keeping with a sedan platform, rather than the bulkier compositions of SUVs and minivans. The Pacifica is a good example of such an achievement.