1996 Plymouth Breeze Review (continued)
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Walkaround

Chrysler has created a lot of talk and print about its cab-forward" design. What this means is that the components necessary to design and construct a safe, comfortable and enjoyable vehicle are arranged to maximize the passenger cabin area. The Breeze accomplishes this with aplomb. The first impression of this car, inside and out, is its size and spaciousness--well beyond expectations especially for its class and price.

You'll notice the style and design of the Breeze. It stands out very pleasingly in a crowded parking lot and also looks stylish and competent when underway on the road. And Plymouth gave it a palette of flattering colors from which to choose. Our test vehicle was finished in Forest Green Pearl-Coat. The lines and color of the car received many favorable comments--often from complete strangers--wherever we parked it. Although a word of caution should be interjected here. Check the manufacturer's window sticker and query your dealer when shopping for a Breeze, as a perusal of a dozen or more of this model on a dealer's lot indicated a premium for certain exterior paint colors of as much as $150.

The Breeze has tried to balance lifestyle requirements and convenience options into the standard vehicle in keeping with the Plymouth "right product/right price" philosophy. The car has one body style--the sedan--and the one engine. There is a choice of transmission. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard. An electronically controlled 4-speed automatic transmission, which includes cruise control in the package (ask for package 22A), is available for an additional $1050. There are no optional wheels or tires, but the Michelins mounted on 14" wheels are well matched to the vehicle.

Our test vehicle was a factory prototype rather than an off-the-production-line car. Therefore, we cannot comment on fit and finish of production vehicles. But a visit to a nearby Plymouth dealership did yield an early dozen or so new Breeze's waiting to be taken home. Inspection of these indicated that the cars are being assembled and finished with care by the factory. And since the new car market has been relatively soft during the first quarter of the year, dealers seem willing to negotiate."

Interior Features

The interior offers plenty of head and legroom for driver and passenger. In order to carry three adults in back, the front standard bucket seats would have to be adjusted, which will reduce the front seat comfort for the long-legged by a moderate amount. But head and shoulder room, front or back, is not cramped. And for that family with young children, there is comfort and space for all. Dad and Mom are each protected by airbags and an optional child safety seat is available for the rear seating.

The trunk is ample and easily accessible for normal uses from grocery or other shopping to golf bags. When extra capacity for unusual shapes is needed, the Breeze provides a rear folding seat-back pass-through that has a locking feature when added security is needed.

There are handy bins, pockets, cubby holes and cup holders to contain the bits and pieces that always seem to accumulate during normal car use. And through the Chrysler parts division, Mopar, other lifestyle accessories specially designed for Breeze can be purchased. They include a bike carrier, ski or snowboard carrier, cargo nets and covers. Mopar also has CD and cassette upgrades available for the solid state sound system that performs very satisfactorily.

Seats are comfortable and supportive enough. Although an anomaly was noted by those in the 5-foot, 8-inch to nearly 6-foot range when exchanging seats, passenger to driver. Placing one's hands at the generally accepted position for good car control--10 on the clock for the left hand and 2 for the right--brought the shoulder blades into contact with the bolster across the seat back in a way that forced the back and entire upper body into a position that resulted in noticeable fatigue after an hour or so of driving. Drivers who are either shorter or taller, or those who might be described as long-waisted, did not seem to notice this phenomena.

Plymouth intends to offer a sun-roof option to be introduced a bit later in the production schedule. The roof design will permit it to be fully opened or only partially for passenger compartment ventilation. A reminder--no matter how these sunroof options are designed--and Chrysler has put some extra effort into designing this application to minimize the intrusion, these features always impact the available headroom in a vehicle. It behooves the buyer to check seat adjustment and driving position carefully when test driving the Breeze, or any other vehicle, equipped with a sunroof option.