Change is in the wind at DaimlerChrysler. Today, the auto giant officially begins marketing its 2004 Chrysler Pacifica, and if this is a harbinger of things to come, the new breeze is going to blow just fine for consumers.

	Daimler Chrysler
	2004 Chrysler Pacifica. The Bottom Line -- Price: 2 wheel drive base price, $31,230; all wheel drive, $32,980. Fuel economy: 17 mpg city, 22 highway. Estimated annual fuel cost: $1,223. Powertrain: 250-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, automatic transmission.

Pacifica is being billed as a "sports tourer" -- a product aimed squarely at folks who are tired of minivans, can't abide SUVs but don't want a conventional car.

Until now, Chryslers have been known for flashy, glamorous styling, but with quality control and engineering issues. But DaimlerChrysler has made big gains on those fronts, thanks to the involvement of Mercedes-Benz.

Just take a walk around the Pacifica. Look at how every single piece of this car fits seamlessly with everything else. Precision is the byword, and that goes for the inside. For instance, there isn't a gap in sight on the dashboard where the wood, brushed aluminum and other pieces come together near the clock. The curve lines in the dash blend perfectly and meet other parts of the instrument panel.

Now pull up to a stoplight. You can't even hear the engine running or idling, it's so quiet. Ride quality? Dead-on. The company took some cues and notes from the Mercedes side of the family. Pittsburgh bumps and potholes that would unsettle most products are soaked right up on this one.

And on safety, be aware that the Pacifica has just been awarded a five-star rating, the government's highest, for front and side impact. It also is one of the few cars with side curtain air bags to protect all three rows of passengers, and there's a knee bolster air bag to protect the driver's knees in the event of an accident.

Even the location of the navigation system screen, squarely in front of you beneath the speedometer, is a big safety plus because you don't divert your eyes from the road to look to your right as you usually do with most cars.

Open the door. See how easy it is to enter the Pacifica? No bending, squatting or contorting. Before you close the door, take a look at the door panel. High quality wood and aluminum are used to usher in a whole new look for Chrysler.

Daimler Chrysler
Chrysler Pacifica interior.

Nice, chunky pieces for the controls are here, too. The door-lock button looks substantial, and like Mercedes, Chrysler has switched to seat controls mounted just beneath the window on the door. It's a snap to adjust whatever needs fixing.

Now, before you sit down, examine the seat. The leather is among the highest quality I've seen on any American automobile, including some luxury models.

Behind you, the second row has captain's seats with a floor-mounted console with switches for seat heaters and a climate control system.

In the third row, there are two separate seats on a slightly raised, theater-style platform, and yes, those seats are extraordinarily comfortable, too.

The comfort factor really hooked my family. Even my car-conscious 7- and 9-year-olds consistently preferred the Pacifica over a Lexus RX330 that we also had last week.

On the quibbles side, while the Pacifica handles beautifully and corners and brakes well, it does feel heavy on the road. Its 3.5-liter, 250-horsepower V-6 doesn't seem powerful enough.

Visibility also is an issue. The rear window seems very small from the inside, and the sloping design of the roof and the position and height of the last row of seats create a blind spot. There is no parking assist option -- I strongly advise the folks at DaimlerChrysler to consider changing that.

The tilt wheel control lever juts out entirely too far from the steering column. It's easy to accidentally strike it when you use the turn signal -- or even to mistake it for the turn signal.

But those minor irritations compared with the positives, which also include the easy conversion of the seats to a flat floor and back again. One lever lowers the backrest on the second-row seats, and a second lever lifts the seats completely away for easy rear-seat access and to make room for lowering the third row of seats.

If you need the cargo room, just use the handles on the back of the two third-row seats, and they fold flat in a flash. Just open the floor panels that are found on the backs, and you now have a flat floor from the back of the driver and passenger front- row seats all the way to the rear of the car.

As for options, you can order "U Connect," which allows hands-free telephoning; a navigation system, which costs $1,595; and a $1,070 rear-seat DVD entertainment system, which requires a $395 CD/DVD changer.

The other positive for me was the styling. It's undeniably elegant, nicely proportioned and a guaranteed attention-getter.

"Gee, that's different!" said one onlooker with a big grin on his face.

Sure is -- and for DaimlerChrysler, a big home run.