While the exterior design has withstood the test of time well, the interior
functionality remains a benchmark for the industry. Every time we test drive one of
the LH cars we're impressed with how roomy and airy the interior is. The cars are
ideal for families as well as for business people who have to carry around clients.
The Vision is available with 5- or 6-passenger seating in ESi editions, available
with a bench front seat. The TSi comes with twin bucket seats up front. The rear seat
area is large, with room enough for three tall people to comfortably stretch their
legs out. Available for the rear seat is an optional integrated child seat built into
the rear armrest. When not in use, the child seat can be stowed and the armrest forms
a seatback for the middle passenger.
All seats are extremely comfortable. Outboard seats have seatbelts with
height-adjustable upper anchors so drivers and passengers of any size can easily find
a comfortable seatbelt position. The belts also can secure a child safety seat without
a separate locking slip.
Large, wide-opening doors make entry and exit easy.
The trunk also is roomy, easily capable of holding several suitcases or golf bags.
However, unlike some of its competitors, including the Taurus/Sable and Chevrolet
Lumina, the Vision does not have a rear seatback that can fold down to expand trunk
capacity for long items.
In general, the controls are well laid out and easy to operate. Power window
switches and seatbelt buckles are illuminated to see better in the dark. The climate
controls, located at the base of the dashboard, may require a bit of a stretch to
reach. The steering wheel has buttons for the horn, rather than a depressable switch
in the center of the airbag, and the buttons are smallish.
There's no question that the Autostick makes the Vision TSi more fun to drive than
its LH counterparts with a regular automatic transmission. Set the shift lever in
Autostick mode and you just waggle the shifter to the left for upshifts, right for
downshifts.
It's easy to get used to, and there's no clutch pedal hassle. If you want to let
the car shift for itself, you simply switch back to full automatic mode.
Good steering and handling have been LH strong suits from the beginning. The
Vision is very agile, particularly for a sedan of its size, and it attacks tight
corners with very little body roll.
Though firm, the ride is comfortable, even on bumpy road surfaces. Original LH
models, particularly those with stiffer suspension packages, could be a trifle harsh
on nasty pavement, but Chrysler has softened the hard edges.
Our Eagle TSi tester was also relatively quiet at most speeds. Here too Chrysler
has made improvements over the years, though some noise is still noticeable over rough
pavement, transmitted to the interior through the suspension.
We liked the performance of our TSi's 3.5-liter V6, made more enjoyable by the
Autostick transmission. Though the basic 3.3-liter V6 is adequate for getting around
town, it won't knock your socks off, by any stretch. The 3.5-liter V6 lends a lot more
verve and much better punch for passing on rural highways.
There is a minor penalty in fuel economy for the TSi engine. The base engine is
rated at 20 mpg city and 28 mpg highway, while the more potent engine gets 18 miles
per gallon in the city and 26 miles per gallon on the highway, though these numbers
are still respectable for a large car.