- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 7 seats
- Engine
3.3i, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
116kW, 275Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 12.3L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 60000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Used car review: Chrysler Voyager 1997-2001
Likes:
- Bigger engine means more usable performance than the competition.
- Handling feels more secure than a lot of people movers.
- Well equipped, especially in higher-spec versions.
Dislikes:
- Expensive, given that most people-movers are grudge purchases in the first place.
- Short-wheelbase version makes less sense than long-wheelbase.
- Some build quality issues.
Our rating: 3 stars (out of 5).
Unsexy though they might be, people-movers are a particularly viable proposition for bigger families who need to move lots of kids, dogs and luggage.
They may lack the macho image of a four-wheel-drive but in most cases they're a smarter proposition, because many four-wheel-drives, despite their gargantuan external proportions, are not particularly roomy.
It's not just the ex-military looks that people-movers miss out on, they've also tended in the past to be a bit underpowered, especially when fully laden, which is, after all, the whole point of them.
If you had to put money on which car culture would tackle these issues, you'd have placed your bet on the Americans, because the US is really the spiritual home of people-movers.
All the big car-makers in North America offer a range of full-sized people movers, but it's only Chrysler's version that made it over here.
It might be on its own in the fight against the Japanese and Korean people-movers but it certainly broadens the appeal of the concept.
For a start, there's the appearance. It's obviously a people-mover but the Chrysler Voyager we first saw here in 1997 is at least a bit more dynamic looking than the average player in the market.
There are sliding doors on both sides for convenience and just enough attitude in the styling package.
Then there's the powerplant. Most of the competition makes do with four-cylinder engines that can struggle when tugging at a big load, but the Voyager went straight to the top of its class with a 3.3-litre V6.
It was still a push-rod motor and used just two valves per cylinder, but it did a good job of hauling around what was quite a heavy body. As well as making more power than its competitors, it also had greater pulling power across a wider range of engine speeds, so it's a much more relaxed performer.
The only transmission offered was a four-speed automatic, which makes sense and works well.
Handling was also something out of the box for a people mover, and the soggy, wet-sponge handling we'd come to expect from such vehicles was replaced by decent ride quality combined with a much more secure and stable feel when a few corners were added to the mix.
On its release here, the Chrysler was available in both short and long-wheelbase variants, but the long-wheelbase is definitely the more useful configuration.
Three trim levels were also available, the base-model Voyager SE (the short-wheelbase version) the Grand Voyager SE and the range-topping Grand Voyager LE.
The good news there is that even the base-model SE got dual front air-bags, ABS brakes and an immobiliser.
Creature comforts were also on the agenda and the SE picked up cruise control, air-conditioning, electric front windows and remote central locking. The Grand Voyager SE was pretty much the same thing with the extra wheelbase (although they all had a third row of seats for a capacity of seven passengers) while the LE gained alloy wheels, fog-lights, roof racks, a trip computer, power front seats and leather upholstery.
The Chrysler is still not an aspirational car for anybody who doesn't need to carry a lot of bodies and gear, but does at least form a bridge between people-movers as we know them and alternatives such as big four-wheel-drives. It will, for instance, make a decent fist of towing a boat or small caravan, not something the average people mover is likely to cope with well.
Nuts 'n' bolts - Chrysler Voyager
Engine: 3.3-litre V6.
Transmission: 4-speed auto.
Fuel economy: City/highway (according to govt tests): 13.0/9.5 L/100km
Safety rating: Not listed (howsafeisyourcar.com.au).
Insurance: $915 (RACV, assumes a 40-year-old, rating one driver in a medium-risk suburb).
Need to know
- Cylinder head gaskets (there are two of them) need to be monitored carefully; they've been known to blow. Incorrect or insufficient coolant will shorten their life dramatically.
- Transmissions have been known to fail, sometimes at less than 100,000 km. Any post-1999 Voyager should be fitted with ATF+4 trans fluid rather than the ATF+2 or +3 that earlier versions use.
- In US models, leaking fuel seals are suspected of causing fires in the vehicle. Check any petrol smells immediately.
- Timing belts and tensioners need replacing regularly.
Competitors
Toyota Tarago - 3 stars.
The standard for many people-mover buyers. But the Tarago is expensive and lacks performance punch.
Mazda MPV - 3.5 stars.
Switched to front-wheel-drive in 1999 but, like the Chrysler, is V6-powered. A good, honest people-mover that is probably the most directly comparable.
Kia Carnival - 2.5 stars.
Flawed in many dynamic areas, but darn cheap. In fact, you could get into a brand new Carnival for the same money as a five-year-old Voyager. (two and a half stars)
Mitsubishi Starwagon - 3 stars.
Groovy new looks a few years ago but still a bit old school in terms of dynamics and performance.
Priceline
YEAR | MODEL | NEW | NOW* |
1997 | Voyager SE | $44,800 | $24,100 |
1998 | Voyager SE | $46,800 | $26,300 |
1999 | Voyager SE | $48,200 | $28,700 |
2000 | Voyager SE | $45,300 | $31,800 |
2001 | Voyager SE | $46,900 | $34,700 |
1997 | Grand Voyager SE | $49,800 | $26,100 |
1998 | Grand Voyager SE | $51,800 | $28,700 |
1999 | Grand Voyager SE | $53,400 | $31,300 |
2000 | Grand Voyager SE | $52,150 | $34,800 |
2001 | Grand Voyager SE | $52,900 | $38,100 |
1997 | Grand Voyager LE | $53,800 | $27,100 |
1998 | Grand Voyager LE | $55,800 | $29,900 |
1999 | Grand Voyager LE | $57,300 | $32,800 |
2000 | Grand Voyager LE | $56,550 | $36,600 |
2001 | Grand Voyager LE | $57,300 | $40,100 |
* Retail price at dealer as supplied by Glass' Guide.