1999 Plymouth Voyager Minivan Reviews & Ratings

It's surprising it took us so long to realize that minivans could have more than one sliding door. Sliding doors on both sides of the Voyager make getting in a breeze. Once you've had two sliding doors, you'll never go back to one - whether you're moving toddlers, teens or tools. You'll love the speed and convenience of loading cargo from the driver's side.

The Plymouth Voyager is spacious - particularly after the seats are removed. Removing the seats required a yeoman effort in years past, but it's much easier now. Our SE's center-row bucket seats can be unlatched and removed via the sliding side doors, while a solid yank on a lever pops the third-row bench seat up onto a set of wheels, allowing it to be rolled backwards and removed via the tailgate. However, it's still a two-person job as those seats are heavy. For smaller loads, the seat backs can also be folded down - affording enough room for the proverbial sheet of plywood.

Head and legroom are quite sufficient, in both the front bucket seats and the second-row seats. Although Chrysler says the Voyager's rear bench can seat three, one of them would have to be a child.

The Voyager was redesigned in 1996 with a revised suspension that makes it handle much more like a sedan. The rigid chassis works with the suspension to keep the tires firmly planted in corners. That's definitely a benefit in the Voyager, which, at 68.5 inches tall, tends to lean a bit in corners. Even when it leans, however, the Voyager feels solidly planted. Power rack-and-pinion steering adds to the responsiveness during abrupt lane-change maneuvers. In 1998, designers improved the Voyager's ride and reduced noise. It now rides as smoothly and as quietly as many sedans.

The Voyager SE's 3.3-liter V6 engine, coupled with a 4-speed automatic transmission performed admirably, delivering sufficient power in all situations - whether it was launching from a standing start or passing slowpokes on the highway. At higher engine speeds, the engine is a bit noisy, but it offers strong low-rpm torque for towing light trailers. If you feel you need more power, a 3.8-liter V6 has been added for 1999 that packs more punch; we recommend it for the bigger and heavier Grand Voyager.

Brake performance is always critical, but especially in larger vehicles that may be carrying a heavy load or a lot of people. The brakes brought our Voyager to a controlled stop, without grabbing or pulling.