When we reviewed the 2004 Chrysler Pacifica in these pages last year, we began by praising the midsize sport-ute for its innovative design, smart interior, and rakishly handsome styling. Then we finished with criticism for its woeful lack of grunt.

For good and for ill, we can report that Chrysler’s 2005 version of its Canadian-cobbled crossover hasn’t forsaken these traits. However, that’s not to say that the second-year Pacifica has nothing new to warrant your attention. First off, the Pacifica’s 2005 lineup now has base and luxury trim levels to flank last year’s midrange Touring model. At the low end of this arrangement, a five-passenger, 215-horsepower Pacifica Base is available for $24,000, or some $4,000 under last year’s opening price. On the high end, the Pacifica Limited targets the upscale market for which Daimler-Chrysler conceived its streamlined-yet somehow-formal-looking SUV, or “Sport Tourer,” as they call it.

The Limited shares with the Touring such features as 19-inch wheels; a three-row, seven-passenger capacity; leather upholstery; a powered lift-gate; sunroof, and either traction control or DVD entertainment. Both higher models also carry (and share with the Base’s all-wheel-drive version) a 250-horsepower V6 engine that’s rated as getting between 17 and 22 miles a gallon. Regardless of their place in the overall hierarchy, all three Pacificas come with available all-wheel-drive configurations, standard antilock brakes, and a four-speed automatic transmission that Chrysler supplements with a manual shift gate.

Interesting, you might think, but not likely to surpass, say, newborn quints in a cab for newsworthiness. Point taken. However, you must also keep in mind that, on August 9th, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration awarded the Chrysler Pacifica four stars out of five in rollover tests, pronouncing it the least likely of SUVs to tumble in an accident.

Looking at our magnesium-pearl-colored Touring, we could immediately see why. The same low-but-wide stance (relative to that of such competitors as the Nissan Murano and Honda Pilot – although these also scored well in the NHTSA tests) that affords the Pacifica its “step-in-height-of-a-car” selling point also gives it a rollover likelihood just over that of a presidential library, or about 13% in a single-car accident.

The test car was equipped with all-wheel drive, fog lamps, and premium leather seats, among other amenities. Although at $39,000 it came in at some nine grand over list price for a Touring, its option package also includes the driver-facing navigation system that was the Pacifica’s most heralded innovation last year.

Aside from that, the Chrysler’s interior was exceptionally sleek-looking and reinforced the sense of these vehicles as true luxury vehicles. The interior was also safety-oriented and comfortable, containing as it did clear main gauges, “Next Generation” airbags, power-adjustable pedals, and 10-way power front seats that were controlled by a miniature facsimile mounted on the door panels. The second row’s buckets were comfortable but less plush, and third row chairs were best not assigned to adults on long journeys. Leave these back seats up, and there’s room for grocery bags; fold them, and you open up a wide, but not fully flat, cargo floor.

Touring in the Touring, we couldn’t help but notice the sport-ute’s ability to absorb road irregularities well, despite minivan-like bounding over some surfaces. Minivan-ish too was the crossover’s steering, which, while not sharp, was nevertheless progressive in character.

On back roads, the Chrysler behaved well, negotiating turns with admirable balance and little nose plow. Lean in turns was pronounced but acceptable, and braking authoritative. The only problem was with surmounting hills, as the Pacifica’s 3.5-liter V6 could only provide the juice for speeds better suited to garden tours, despite Chrysler’s claim to a zero-to-60 time of 9.6 seconds for the Pacifica.

Sports-tourer, crossover, tall wagon, minivan, SUV – the 2005 Chrysler Pacifica has more patterns than a Simplicity catalog. We recommend it to anyone in the market for a good-looking, safe, and luxurious wagon, but warn that it’s still burdened with labored acceleration and limited utility relative to others in its class.