2002 Chrysler Voyager Driving Impressions Review at Automotive.com
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Chrysler
Voyager
2002

2002 Chrysler Voyager Review: Road Test

Below is a full, detailed 2002 Chrysler Voyager review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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2002 Chrysler Voyager Review

One of the better deals on wheels.
Driving Impressions
Yes, Virginia, you can still get plenty of civilized, all-purpose family-mobile at an attractive price. We know this because we drove the Voyager, kids in tow, across lower Michigan and back. Only a lack of power from the base engine intruded in an otherwise rosy picture.

Voyager's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine makes plenty of torque as four-cylinders go (167 foot-pounds). Steady refinement that past few years has made this engine smoother and much quieter, and the new four-speed automatic takes better advantage of its power band. On the plus side, we managed an honest 24 mpg on the Interstate without a single thought toward maximizing fuel economy.

Yet in a 3900-pound minivan, 150 horsepower is adequate and not an ounce more. Off the line, Voyager is one of the more sedate performers we've encountered in some time. Around town, it's not particularly a problem, as long as you judiciously choose your holes in traffic. On the open road, with a light load and the little four-cylinder engine wound up to high revs, you can pass slow traveling vehicles without much angst. Yet during those filled-to-the-gills family trips, particularly if there's anything resembling an upward grade in the road, this minivan is best suited to staying in line behind the semi trucks and large motorhomes.

Therefore, the 3.3-liter V6 is the first upgrade we'd recommend. It's smoother and less intrusive than the four-cylinder engine and, measured by performance or peace of mind, it's $970 well spent.

Beyond the lack of punch from the standard four-cylinder engine, there's nothing to limit Voyager's performance or its operator's satisfaction. The short wheelbase relative to some minivans is actually an advantage. Voyager's turning circle is quite manageable and it negotiates tight parking lots as adeptly as a mid-size sedan. Ride quality is good, but there's no feeling of disconnection from the pavement; the steering is light, but never sloppy. In short, the Voyager driver feels firmly in control in all circumstances. At 75 or 80 mph, even in the presence of a crosswind, this minivan is stable and firmly grounded.

Voyager stops with less authority than some minivans, but we have no gripe about braking distances. If there's an issue, it lies in the pedal. The brakes can be tricky to modulate just short of lockup on bumpy surfaces. In the name of carefree operation and peace of mind, ABS is the second upgrade we'd recommend.

Improvements to Voyager's body shell have nearly eliminated squeaks, rattles and flex, and they've done much to enhance the driving experience. Compared to the Voyager LX, there is noticeably more ambient noise inside the standard model. But that noise isn't intrusive, and whether the standard family fare is news radio, classic rock, or Britney Spears, the standard AM/FM/cassette goes a long way toward masking it. Finally, the view from the Voyager's driver's seat is nearly unobstructed in all directions, and it eliminates a problem sedan drivers face on American roads circa 2002: a proliferation of SUVs that limit sight distances.

In that sense, the Voyager is, indeed, like having your cake and eating it too. It delivers the commanding view outward that many drivers seek in an SUV, and it does so in a vehicle that-image or psychology aside-is more economical, efficient and practical for the vast majority of the buying public. Next Page


2002 Chrysler Voyager