1994 Eagle Summit Review (continued)
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Walkaround

The great expanse of glass caught our attention as we began our exterior examination of the Summit LX Wagon. A sharply raked windshield stretched from the short hood to meet the roof at a point well over the typical driver's head. The high roofline not only permitted a big windshield but also allowed for large front- and rear-side windows. The rear liftgate appeared to have more glass than metal. Overall, it was a vehicle that looked as though it would put its occupants on display and provide them with excellent scenic possibilities.

The upper two-thirds of our two-tone Summit test vehicle was finished in a rich Dark Red Pearl, and the lower one-third, bumper to bumper, was painted Light Silver Metallic. The color match between metal and vinyl components and the overall fit-and-finish were close to excellent. The roof rack, window moldings and recessed door handles were black vinyl. The result was a nicely trimmed, color-coordinated glass house."

In front, a small grille worked well with the abbreviated and sharply sloping hood and complemented the look of the air scoop under the bumper. The halogen headlamp assembly and cornering lights wrapped around the front fenders.

In back, wraparound taillight/cornering lamp assemblies were positioned high on the rear fenders just under the back glass. The liftgate came with a wiper-essential for all that glass. That's just one example of the many thoughtful features Eagle included on this vehicle.

The more we looked, the more we liked the flow and balance of our Summit LX Wagon."

Interior Features

We would expect plenty of visibility and room from a minivan, but this was a wagon. So the Summit LX surprised us by offering a barrier-free view and plenty of head- and legroom to spare. Front bucket seats and the rear bench seat were high off the floor, putting the door sills well beneath shoulder height for both front and rear passengers. This nice feature gave us the feeling of being in a much larger vehicle.

The back seat folded down to create more cargo space, easily accessible through the sliding side door. The seat was also removable, creating a whopping 79 cubic feet of carpeted cargo space.

The instrument panel of our Summit LX was in a rectangular housing and contained a big speedometer flanked by temperature and fuel gauges and warning lights.

From the placement of controls to overall seating comfort, the Summit LX Wagon boasted successful ergonomic design. We especially liked the positioning of the armrests, the easy access to power-assist controls on the driver's armrest, and the prominent speed control switch mounted on the steering wheel.

We weren't terribly thrilled, however, by the effort it took to see and use the controls for the air conditioning and stereo-both were mounted flat against the dash. We think in future versions of this wagon, Eagle should angle these controls toward the driver for better visibility and access.