The Chrysler Pacifica Is Converting Minivan Aversion

by Gabrielle DeSantis

The Chrysler Pacifica is pretty much one of the best vehicles out there. And, yes. I did mean to say vehicles and not just minivans or “family cars.” It’s awesome––I’ve driven every version and fallen in love in turn. 

Chrysler Pacifica | Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

While minivans have been oppressed under their proverbial anti-cool stigma, the Chrysler Pacifica has been converting minivan aversion. In fact, all of the minivans the market offers keep getting better and better. So what gives? 

People swear off the minivan, only to turn to them when it all comes full circle

I can think of countless people in my life swearing they’d never have a minivan. Then, somewhere down the road they shed their ego and realize that minivans just make sense. Besides––cool people don’t really care whether or not people think they are cool anyway, right? 

By all accounts buying a minivan makes sense not only for families. It’s probably a great choice for loads of couples and even single people out there that want a ton of bang for their buck. The Chrysler Pacifica, in particular, offers something for everyone. 

Need all-wheel drive for your trip up the mountain to hit the slopes? Check. Want to save the planet (and gas money) by opting for a hybrid powertrain? The 2021 Pacifica offers two hybrid options, including a plug-in. 

Even Ezra Dyer bought one

Earlier this year, Car and Driver’s Ezra Dyer bought a 2021 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid Red S Edition. After a family trip in a loaner Pacifica, he and his wife, Heather, decided that a minivan needed to be their next automotive purchase. And it seems they couldn’t be happier with the choice.

“Because the minivan, I’ve come to realize, represents the epitome of mainstream luxury.”   

Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver

Somewhere along the way, Dyer had subconsciously sworn off the minivan. Always finding some reason to avoid them. But what’s really wrong with sliding doors? 

In fact, during their trip in the Chrysler Pacifica Limited AWD, Dyer realized that the last time he’d tested a vehicle with sliding doors it was in a Rolls Royce Cullinan that cost half of a million dollars. Really, the minivan gets such a bad reputation. But now the 2021 Chrysler Pacifica is literally converting minivan aversion. Even for car people like Ezra Dyer.

“Somehow minivans got branded as automotive sweatpants, a signifier of giving up on your cool younger self and growing dowdy and lame. But it’s really the opposite.”

Ezra Dyer | Car and Driver

Is the Chrysler Pacifica actually cool? 

2021 Chrysler Pacifica parked
2021 Chrysler Pacifica | Stellantis

Let’s face it. Minivans aren’t the drab family wagons that people once believed them to be. They signify a certain practicality and an air of not giving a you-know-what. The Chrysler Pacifica is converting minivan aversion. But is it cool? 

To some, minivans will never be cool. But to those of us that have crossed over into minivan heaven, they are the coolest car around. It would take a lot to get me out of a minivan. A lot. Cheers, Ezra.

RELATED: Is the Volkswagen Atlas Really a Better Family Car Than the Chrysler Pacifica?

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The 2022 Honda CR-V Solves Its Biggest Problem

by Gabrielle DeSantis

We have great news, Honda fans! The 2022 Honda CR-V is fixing one major issue that critics can’t seem to ignore. The refreshed Honda CR-V will skyrocket to the number one spot before you know it. 

The 2022 Honda CR-V fixes one crucial issue 

2021 Honda CR-V | Honda

The 2021 Honda CR-V is an excellent SUV, but it’s constantly stuck in second place on lists for the best compact SUV. When you read about Honda CR-V reviews, you’ll notice that critics have one complaint in common, and it’s about the outdated infotainment system. 

Car and Driver mentions that the CR-V has a frustrating infotainment system. Base LX models come with a 5.0-inch color radio screen, but higher trims get the 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with slow responses. 

Edmunds noted that CR-V has clunky touchscreen menus and the voice controls aren’t great to use either. But higher trim models come with two USB ports in the rear. 

Motor Trend shared that its biggest beef with the CR-V is the infotainment system, which is unnecessarily complex and difficult to navigate. It has too many menus and buttons to press to access commonly used features. 

But the 2022 Honda CR-V is about to arrive with an interior and exterior redesign. The updated infotainment system should be faster and easier to use, allowing the CR-V to tackle rivals like the Toyota RAV4 and Mazda CX-5. 

What to expect with the 2022 CR-V 

The 2022 Honda Civic interior that may influence the 2022 Honda CR-V
2022 Honda Civic interior | Honda

According to Motor Authority, the 2022 Honda CR-V will have an infotainment system design that’s similar to the 2022 Honda Civic. This information is based on a spy shot of the heavily camouflaged CR-V, where you can see the position of the new infotainment screen and the placement of the control knob. 

The new Civic features a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 9.0-inch touchscreen. The screen is mounted on top of the dashboard with a clean and simple design. It provides a modern feel. 

Also, the Civic includes standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. A 12-speaker Bose surround sound system, and wireless charging are optional features that we hope the 2022 CR-V will offer. 

Honda is all about safety, so it’s safe to expect standard forward-collision warning, automated emergency braking, lane-keeping assistance, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. 

How much power will the CR-V have? 

The 2022 Honda CR-V might gain more power, but it’s currently unclear. It will probably carry over the 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with 190 hp and 179 lb-ft of torque. The Honda CR-V Hybrid has a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and two electric motors for 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque. 

While we hope the 2022 CR-V gains more power to improve upon its maximum cargo capacity of 1,500 lbs, the hybrid engine was just introduced for 2020. Rivals can tow up to 3,500 lbs or more. 

The Honda CR-V is already a great option to consider, but the updates for 2022 will make it even better by addressing the outdated infotainment system. We can’t wait to learn more about its upgrades.

RELATED: This is the 1 Honda CR-V Model Year You Need to Avoid at All Costs

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How to Stop Your Car if the Brakes Fail

by Gabrielle DeSantis

We’ve all seen the movies where the bad guy cuts the hero’s brake lines. What ensues are some crazy action scenes where the hero not only manages to stop a car with no brakes in rush hour traffic, but they do so without hitting a single pedestrian, kitten, or hapless puppy. 

While the tricks they use in the movies might look totally spectacular and leave you with a strong desire to drive like you’re in a Fast and Furious movie, that’s not exactly a good idea. While some movies might have a grain of truth about what to do regarding car safety, most do not. Here’s what you should do instead if you find yourself in a situation where your car has no brakes. 

Don’t panic if your brakes fail

Brake and Gas Pedals | Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The first step in any emergency is not to panic. Next, Allstate recommends you try your brakes again to check if they haven’t totally gone out. If this doesn’t work, you need to engage the emergency brake carefully. 

Another method you can try is to downshift into another gear. In a manual vehicle, you do this by working your way through the gears. If you have an automatic vehicle, taking your foot off the accelerator will do the trick.

While you’re going through these steps, try to get off the road. In most movies, it seems like the hero chooses the busiest streets to keep moving. It would be best if you did the opposite by getting completely off the road. However, this may not always be possible. If you find yourself in a situation where you can’t get off the road, try hitting a barrier. This means your car will most likely be totaled, but you’ll live to buy another one.

Once you start to slow down, it might make sense to turn the car off. Don’t do this. You need to keep your car running until you’ve come to a complete stop. Turning off the vehicle also cuts off its power steering, which means you will lose control over where you’re headed. 

Once you’re out of the vehicle safely, don’t try to drive it again. Have it taken to a mechanic who can find and fix the problem.

Know what brakes are on your car

While many of us aren’t exactly car experts, there are a few things it’s just a good idea to know. One of them is what types of brakes you have, according to Defensive Driving. So how do you know what brakes you have without pulling out your car manual? Just look for a logo that lights up with ABS when you crank up your car. If you see this, you have anti-lock brakes. Otherwise, you have regular brakes.

So, why does this matter, exactly? If you have regular brakes instead of anti-lock brakes, you need to pump the brake pedal fast after you downshift to a lower gear. This will help build up the brake fluid. 

wikiHow goes into more detail on brakes

The site wikiHow is often the go-to place for a wide variety of tips and how-to guides. For instructions on what to do when driving a car with no brakes, the site had some surprising tips.

One suggestion is to roll all the windows down. The idea is that this will increase air resistance, which will help slow down your vehicle.

The next option is to go uphill, as opposed to down. Anyone who has ever lived in an area with mountains knows you have to apply more pressure to the gas pedal to go up. Let off the gas, and you might start to slow down and roll backward. The one downside to this is if the hill you’re going up has a building at the top, you may not be able to stop in time. With that in mind, it’s recommended you not head uphill unless you know what’s at the top.

One final tip from the site is to avoid shifting to park in an automatic while the car is moving. The parking pawl is not designed to support a moving car, so you’ll end up doing a lot of damage to your car without stopping it.

RELATED: What Should You Do if You Hydroplane?

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Every 2021 Nissan Rogue Recalled Over Bad Welds

by Gabrielle DeSantis

For the second time in the last few months, the 2021 Nissan Rogue is being recalled. The first time was for leaking fuel hoses. This time, Nissan identified poor welds during inspections at the assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee. 

Rogue seat frames were found to have improper welds at the factory

2021 Nissan Rogue Sport | Nissan

The bad welds were first noticed back on April 19. Installing a seat back frame a worker noticed an odd fit. Upon inspection by supervisors, they found it was a common problem with the supply of frames they had. Nissan then approached the seat frame supplier Toyo Seat. 

Four areas of improper welds were found in a production of almost 7,000 seat assemblies initially inspected. The fixture that is used to hold the frame together when welding was found to be loose. This caused the seat frame to move around during the welding process, which resulted in misaligned frames. 

Over 47,000 2021 Nissan Rogues are affected

A red 2021 Nissan Rogue, one of the most improved new SUVs of 2021
2021 Nissan Rogue | Nissan

There are 47,098 2021 Rogues that could be affected. These were built between September 23, 2020, and April 20, 2021. According to the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration, the affected Rogue vehicles don’t conform to the requirements of section 6.3 of Federal Vehicle Safety Standard 225 for child restraint anchorage systems. 

Dealers will inspect the seat frames for three specific welds. If one or more welds don’t conform, Nissan dealers are to remove and replace the seat frames. As all 2021 Rogues are under warranty there is no charge for the process and possible replacement. 

Is your Nissan Rogue part of the recall?

A backlit NIssan logo on a black grille
Nissan logo | Kiyoshi Ota/Bloomberg via Getty Images

If you have questions about your 2021 Nissan Rogue you can go to Nissan’s website or contact the NHTSA for further information and instructions. You will be advised to set up an inspection with your dealer to see if your Rogue is one of the affected models. 

The 2021 Nissan Rogue has new looks based on the previous Rogue platform. Prices start at $25,850 with the top tier Platinum AWD costing $37,030.

RELATED: Does the 2021 Nissan Rogue Already Have a Recall?

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