We weren't blown away by the standard 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. With 132 horsepower, you'll be able to merge into freeway traffic, but you'll need to give yourself time for a 65-mph pass. The Breeze with this engine is an acceptable economy package for those who only worry about the bottom line. (It gets 23/31 mpg EPA city/highway when equipped with an automatic transmission, 26/37 mpg when fitted with the 5-speed manual.) But in an era of cheap gas, even budget-minded buyers seem willing to spend a bit for a little more off-the-line muscle.The 2.4-liter, double overhead-cam, 16-valve four-cylinder engine is, for our money, a better package. It bumps the pony count to 150 horsepower, and that's just enough to make a difference. You still get great fuel economy (an EPA city/highway estimated 21/30 mpg) as well as a little more punch.
The bigger engine comes with a 4-speed, electronically controlled automatic transmission. The base engine is offered with either an automatic or a 5-speed manual.
As we noted already, there have been marked improvements since Breeze was introduced, especially when it comes to noise, vibration and harshness. The car isn't nearly as quiet as a Camry, but that's asking a lot. NVH levels are easily within our comfort range, especially with the upgrade engine package. And it appears that Chrysler has taken the time to beef up sound-deadening insulation used to isolate road and tire noise.
Happily, they haven't isolated road feel. And that's one of the best features of the Breeze. You're readily in touch with what the car is doing at all times. Credit the independent front and rear suspension, front and rear anti-roll bars, and speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering. The suspension is nicely damped, filtering some of the vibration from Detroit's broken pavement, yet it feels firm and controlled.
Handling is pretty good in this car. It's stable in corners and doesn't get ruffled by abrupt throttle changes. It offers good grip and well-controlled transient response. So it can handle an emergency lane-change maneuver. It's predictable when driven hard with surprisingly little understeer. (Most front-wheel-drive sedan tend toward lots of understeer -- where the front tires lose grip before the rear tires and the car tends to go straight in a corner.) The Breeze is quite stable at high speed and not overly sensitive to breezes -- or even strong crosswinds.
The anti-lock brakes proved comfortably sure-footed on wet and dreary Detroit highways. The brake system uses front discs and rear drums.
Headlight performance is a weak point for the Breeze. It's been a consistent problem with Chrysler products, a sacrifice made to accommodate smaller, more aerodynamic headlamps. (Few buyers shop for headlight performance and it's a difficult thing for us to measure.) The defroster could also use some beefing up. On a cold Detroit morning, it took quite a while to clear off the massive windshield.
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