Chrysler targets younger buyer with new midsize Cirrus sedan
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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The car company that invented the minivan and over the past 24 months produced a string of stunning made-in-America 4-door models -- like full-size Chrysler LHS, midsize Chrysler Concorde and subcompact Neon -- completes its sedan stable with the 1995 introduction of Chrysler Cirrus.
Measuring in exterior dimensions like a compact sedan yet with midsize cabin space for five people due to Chrysler's cab-forward concept, Cirrus appears as a curvy and fluid little car with overtones of a sporty coupe.
It carries a gutsy and sophisticated V6 engine and the handling hardware usually found in a pricy imported sedan.
It also piles on all kinds of comfort fittings and enough safety systems to meet not only the current year's federal safety standards but even those of 1998.
And, as strange as it may be to imagine that what could otherwise be a rather stodgy 4-door sedan whose mission it is simply to transport all in the family, Cirrus is actually quite fun to drive.
A family sedan that's lively and fun?
I know this may sound like a contradiction, but that's the role of Cirrus. It provides family transportation in a fun-to-drive vehicle which functions like a sedan but acts more like a ripper little imported sports coupe.
The goal of this car, you see, is to lure from Japanese brands those 30-something folks who have driven sports coupes but now find themselves needing the easy backseat access of two additional doors due to an expanding family.
Research shows these shoppers want the best of all worlds -- agility of the sportster, convenience of a sedan, and, if their buying patterns remains true to form, the tight-fitting, precise and reliable performance and value-packed assets typically associated with those Asian cars.
Cirrus aspires to become all of this and more.
Where it scores the highest marks, at least in my log of test drives, concerns the innovative passenger compartment with its cab-forward spaciousness, and in the aggressive manner that it tackles a set of curves and flushes out the fast route through dicy handling maneuvers.
My tests, in both base Cirrus LX and sport-tuned and leather-lined LXi edition, occurred over the redwood-littered coastal mountains of California north of San Francisco and through broad plains of the Sonoma Valley. This region contains some of the most convoluted and challenging backroads and bylanes, as well as fast-lane freeways, of anywhere in the continental United States and therefore remains one of my favorite test sites.
Putting new Cirrus to task on long uphill sections like the Meyers Grade north of Jenner or corkscrew twists down eastern slopes of the Coastal Range near Lake Sonoma revealed that this car has the finesse of a thoroughbred. Freeway stretches on U.S. 101 near Santa Rosa and city routes through the downtown maze off Market Street in San Francisco exposed Cirrus in the divergent yet comfortable role of mundane transporter.
This contrast from sport mover to temporal hauler showcases the dual personality of Cirrus.
But that's its edge in the market of Japanese clone cars and some of the nebulous American wanna-be imitations.
It looks different from this lot due to a rounded form and starkly slanted windshield which initiates an enormous passenger compartment that's best seen in overhead view -- it clearly consumes most of the space within the car's rims.
The transversely-mounted powerplant, shoehorned into a wee front compartment, creates the appearance of a snub-nosed aero slipper with high-cocked tail whose upturned rear lip was added to provide a visual mark for the driver when backing up. This crest defines the rear edge so you may judge the clearance distance when parking.
Thanks to that cab-forward design which expands cabin space lengthwise by squeezing some from the front engine area, Cirrus has a longer wheelbase (for smoother ride quality) than its target rivals and far more leg room, not just up front but in the rear seat. Even a 6-footer like me can actually sit with crossed legs while ensconced on that comfy back bench.
And there's far more shoulder room than others supply, thanks to the B-piller bow in a jellybean sectional shape.
In keeping with the cab-forward design, Chrysler's dreamers pushed wheels to the outer limits of the rectangular plan for Cirrus, thus enhancing the platform's stability in motion and setting up -- when supplanted by all that sporty hardware -- an aggressive performer.
Just how aggressive is it?
Well, the sole Cirrus engine, a Mitsubishi-built 2.5-liter V6 with single overhead cam configuration, aluminum alloy cylinder heads and four valves in each of the six cylinders, produces 164 horsepower at 5900 rpm and as much as 163 lbs/ft of torque at 4350 rpm.
Gear ratios for the 4-speed automatic transmission with its electronic shift controls have been set for fast-clip getaways in those stoplight derbies and other stop-and-go in-town driving situations we all encounter.
This makes Cirrus feel fast and converts those freeway entries into easy maneuvers, despite the fact that the engine's zero-to-60 mph time is actually about ten seconds.
Personally, I liked this engine-transmission combo in its lower gear reaches. When navigating twisty up-and-down coastal slopes, I discovered it functioned best when I down-shifted into third gear to block the occasional hunt for fourth when third would perform better.
The steering system, with speed-sensitive power assistance in the crisp rack and pinion system, has a superb neutral feel. A padded steering wheel's fat and sporty.
The suspension, fully independent in a double wishbone setup with front and rear stabilizer bars, provides an exceptionally smooth ride quality -- even when deliberately dropping right wheels off the pavement to experience a rough, irregular shoulder.
Variations between LX and LXi editions become most notable in the suspension department because the latter uses stiffer spring rates for tighter tuning and sportier feel, plus more aggressive 15-inch Michelin tires.
Otherwise, the two versions are quite similar in such important content as safety systems like dual airbags, anti-lock brakes and all sorts of steel-reinforced bracing.
Base Cirrus LX with standard air condition, power mirrors and fog lamps looks like a bargain at $17,970.
1995 CHRYSLER CIRRUS
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| 1995 CHRYSLER CIRRUS VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS |
| Description: |
Midsize sedan |
| Model Options: |
Midsize sedan |
| Wheelbase: |
108.0 inches |
| Overall Length: |
186.0 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 2.5-L V6 24v
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
Front |
| Braking: |
Power disc/drum/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
20/28 mpg |
| MSRP Price: |
$ 17,970 to $ 19,900 |
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