1994 Ford Club Wagon Review (continued)
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Walkaround

The Club Wagon Chateau's styling is basic delivery van, yet Ford has given it a certain swagger. A particularly smart touch is the chrome-topped, wraparound front bumper that's surrounded by a standard ensemble of plastic grille, bold headlights, turn signals and hazard lights. The overall look is stylish, raked-back, clubby.

For its plain and simple ways, there was a richness to our test vehicle, with its deep Emerald Green finish highlighted by a lower band of brown and red stripes.

There was nothing spectacular about the rear double doors or the swing-out right-side loading doors, but we liked the way the smaller right-side loading door's release latch was built into the frame rather than positioned on the floor of the interior, as is the case with so many vans. Another highlight: recessed door handles that were flush to the vehicle, clean and aerodynamic. There was, however, no side-door parking protection, and that causes any driver to wince.

The Club Wagon Chateau's b-1-g headlights and wraparound turn signals were just what lights should be-functional and stylish, accented by a one-piece curved taillight in the rear that lent a rare bit of distinctiveness to a vehicle that, decoratively speaking, was without pretense.

Interior Features

The major focus of our Club Wagon was glass. Lots of it. There were big, beautiful, aquarium-like panels of glass that combined with plush, high-riding captain's seats and a Mocha premium-cloth interior to give our test vehicle a hotel-suite feel.

Add to that a good six inches of headroom and the wide walkways between the front seats, and this ranked as the kind of vehicle that could take the sting out of a 2,000'le trip. Our van offered six-way power on the driver's seat, lots of up-front hip- and legroom, a trim but nicely arranged console, analog instrumentation, an AM/FM stereo with a CD player that had rear auxiliary controls, and power side-view mirrors that were a snap to adjust.

A console is vital on any van, and ours was good but not a knockout. We opened the large plastic door and all sorts of handy shelving appeared in tandem with the glove compartment. Included was a storage rack for CDs, and beneath it another well placed corn compartment for everything else. A tray that could accommodate two cups pulled out and became part of an overall platform of about 8 by 12 inches - just right for holding books or maps.

Other pluses: a power unit for a personal CD player or a Game Boy built into the armrest of the driver-side backseat captain's chair; a fold-down rear seat that could sleep an average-sized adult; an independent fan for rear temperature control; six ceiling vents for maximum circulation; map lights; cupholders; three sets of dome lights and a utility rack.