Chicago, Illinois (February 9, 2017) – The Midwest Automotive Media
Association announced today that the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica has been named the winner of its seventh annual Family Vehicle of the Year award.
MAMA is a nonprofit group of automotive journalists and public relations professionals, and it developed the award to help car-shopping families make a wise decision when they’re ready for a new vehicle. “Choosing a family vehicle is an important decision. It should be versatile, reliable, efficient, and reasonably priced. MAMA members pooled their expertise and experience to select the best family vehicle from an excellent group of new and notably refreshed models, and the Chrysler Pacifica came out on top of them all,” said MAMA Senior Vice President Damon Bell.
To qualify for the award, vehicles had to have four doors, start at less than $50,000, appear at one of MAMA’s two annual rallies, and be new or significantly updated within a year of the 2016 Spring Rally, which took place last May. The MAMA Spring and Fall rallies feature roughly 100 manufacturer vehicles for journalists to drive and evaluate.
Voting took place at both rallies, and out of more than three dozen competitors, we ended up with 12 finalists: Acura MDX, Audi A4, Chevrolet Volt, Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Fusion, GMC Acadia, Honda Accord, Honda Civic, Jaguar F-PACE, Mazda CX-9, Toyota RAV4, and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack.
In each round of voting, three points were awarded for a first-place vote, two points were given for a second-place vote and third-place votes were valued at one point each.
MAMA members then voted in one final round, and 91 automotive journalists selected the 2017 Chrysler Pacifica as the winner with 215 points, beating the 2016 Mazda CX-9, which garnered 109 points. The 2017 GMC Acadia placed third with 47 points.
Voting for the 2018 Family Vehicle of the Year award will begin at the 2017 MAMA Spring Rally, which is scheduled for May 24-25 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wis. The MAMA Fall Rally is scheduled for October 4 at the Autobahn Country Club in Joliet, Ill.
For more information about MAMA, visit www.mamaonline.org.
About the Midwest Automotive Media Association
Founded in 1991, and now in its 26th year, the Midwest Automotive Media Association comprises 278 automotive journalists and public relations professionals from 25 states, D.C. and Canada. Though based in the Chicago area, MAMA welcomes members from all parts of the country. The organization’s primary purpose is to provide a forum for newsworthy people, major issues, and new products in the auto industry.
