A small group of California consumers recently were found to overwhelmingly prefer Chrysler's mid-size Plymouth Acclaim sedan to the ever popular Honda Accord - something that surprised even Chrysler.
Since then, Chrysler Chairman Lee Iacocca has been crowing about the findings of that company-commissioned study, prompting this writer to take a spin in the Acclaim after testing its twin, the Dodge Spirit sedan, early last year.First some background. Both the front-drive Acclaim and Spirit replace Chrysler's venerable compact "K-car" sedans that helped the No. 3 carmaker avoid bankruptcy 10 years ago.
Riding a 103.3-inch wheelbase, they compete in one of the toughest parts of the market that includes a wide array of domestic and imported sedans like the Chevrolet Corsica, Pontiac Grand Am, Ford Tempo, Toyota Camry and Mazda 626.
Also included is Honda's Accord, the nation's best selling car last year and considered the automotive benchmark in its class.
Although derived from Chrysler's K-cars, the Acclaim and Spirit are larger, more powerful, better-equipped and more expensive than their predecessors. They also have a driver's side air bag as standard.
The Acclaim starts at $10,395 for the base model, and comes with a 100 horsepower, 2.5 liter four-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual transaxle.
Reviewed, however, was the Acclaim LX sedan, with a 141 hp 3.0 liter V6 engine made by Mitsubishi and a 4-speed automatic transaxle as standard.
Its $13,865 base price was swelled to $15,488 as tested. A $913 option package added air conditioning, power windows and electrically controlled mirrors and door locks. Also included was a power driver's seat ($270) and destination fee ($440).
Drivers face a large speedometer and tachometer surrounded by smaller, look-alike gauges for oil, engine temperature, fuel and battery. But those gauges are blocked from view if the adjustable, thick-rimmed steering wheel is in its lowest position.
Coin and cup holders abound throughout the Acclaim's roomy cabin, which comfortably seats two adults or three children in the rear. The back seats fold flat to increase cargo space, or can be locked in the upright position.
Its 14.4-cubic foot trunk opens wide and has a low lift-over height for easy loading. The 16-gallon fuel tank is mounted forward of the rear axle for better accident protection.
Up front, the Acclaim has a hinged, counterbalanced hood - no prop rod here as in most sedans this size. Do-it-yourselfers will find oil filter and belt changes easy, although the spark plugs near the firewall are hard to reach because of the engine's sideways placement.
Observed fuel economy after about 400 miles was 24.7 mpg, in between the official EPA ratings of 20 city-26 mpg highway.
Fit and finish on the test car was very good, with no obvious flaws. Chrysler is also finally getting away from those "thin" feeling plastic interior parts that gave its earlier cars a cheap feel.
Much has been done to reduce road noise and vibration by using gas shocks and other refinements found in larger Chrysler sedans. But while the Acclaim's drivetrain is powerful and smooth, ride and handling are only average for this 2,850-pound sedan as its K-car heritage still seeps through.