The Villager Nautica's standard equipment includes power rack-and-pinion steering, four-wheel
anti-lock brakes, power door locks, childproof sliding-door lock, tilt steering wheel, flip-out side
rear windows, rear defogger, tinted windows and courtesy dome lamps.
Villager's designers have provided a range of seating configurations. Passengers can choose from
13 different seating-and-cargo combinations.
Behind the front captain's chairs are two more captain's chairs. The rearmost bench seat affords
enough room for three, although it's a tight squeeze entering the rear-seat area. This arrangement
permits comfortable seating for seven.
All the captain's chairs are quite comfortable. Our Nautica was equipped with very comfortable power
front seats, with six adjustments for the driver, four for the passenger.
The seat backs on the second-row captain's chairs and third-row bench seat can be folded down for
loading cargo. For even more cargo space, the second-row captain's chairs can be removed entirely. Another
space-enhancing option would be to tilt the rear-bench seat cushion upward and slide the seat forward by
as much as 50 inches. All of these functions can be performed with an easy flip of a lever. And in the case
of the removable second-row captain's chairs, it can be done with just one hand.
The Villager affords 126 cubic feet of cargo space after the second-row seats are removed and the
rear-bench seat is folded upward. That's a lot less than the 162.9 cubic feet offered by the Chrysler
Town & Country LX, but if your only cargo is the human-child variety, the Villager offers more than
sufficient space.
Passengers can move comfortably from the front seat back to the rear, although the fold-down armrests
on the second-row captain's chairs limit the center-aisle pass-through space to about eight inches.
Driver's seat headroom was sufficient for me, measuring just under 6 feet. Visibility is good, though
there is a bit of a blind spot to the driver's right rear. Also, the front of the vehicle is so steeply
raked that the driver cannot see the front fenders, which requires some getting used to for parallel parking.
Passengers over 6 feet may be a bit cramped in the second or third rows. Rear-seat legroom is also a
bit limited for an adult--but then, the rear passengers in most loaded-minivan scenarios are children.
A flat cupholder pulls out and snaps down from the console side of the front passenger's seat. Even
better are the sturdy, integrated cupholders on the backs of each of the fold-down rear seats.
Built into the modular armrest to the left of the second-row captain's chair are switches that operate
the rear-seat climate control and stereo system, which comes complete with two headphone jacks--a very nice
touch, and one that was clearly designed to let the kids groove to their favorite tunes without jangling
their parents' nerves.
We also applaud the electronic information center on the smart-looking, digitized instrument panel.
With a simple push of a button you can ascertain fuel economy--both average and instant--and the number
of miles left before the fuel tank is empty. The system provides readouts in both the English and metric systems.
While its cargo capacity is somewhat modest compared to the big Chryslers, the Villager compensates
with its velvety ride and serene comfort.
The Villager is powered by a 3.0-liter, electronically fuel-injected V6 engine that delivers 151
horsepower at 4,800 rpm. It's hitched to a four-speed, electronically controlled automatic overdrive
transmission.
That powertrain easily enabled the 3,800-lb. Villager to scoot in and out of freeway traffic. It
also delivered enough boost for two-lane passing situations. We were surprised and impressed by the
Villager's quiet cabin. It seemed as quiet as a sedan even at speeds greater than 70 mph.
When it comes to handling, the Villager firmly plants itself while negotiating hard corners--no small feat for a tall vehicle. The rack-and-pinion power steering offers precise control and the engineers have done a good job tuning the MacPherson strut front suspension and leaf-spring rear suspension with twin-tube gas charged shock absorbers.