Chrysler Grand Voyager

Drive

Comfort, rather than performance, is the Grand Voyager's forte, yet despite its size, the Chrysler doesn't roll around much in bends. The supple suspension soaks up potholes and rough roads very well. There's a choice of two engines - a 2.8-litre 161bhp turbodiesel and a 3.8-litre 190bhp V6 petrol. While not exactly fast, both engines are powerful enough to haul the Chrysler along at a reasonable rate, but the diesel engine has more mid-range power. All cars come with an automatic gearbox.

Comfort

Once again, the Chrysler belies its size and boxy shape, as there's surprisingly little wind noise. On shallow motorway inclines, the automatic gearbox has a habit of changing down to help the car maintain its pace, so the engines often sound strained. The high driving position and soft seats make the Grand Voyager a comfortable place to sit. Cars with the optional Swivel 'n Go seating have two 'Captain's' chairs in the middle row, which can be turned independently to face those in the back.

Reliability

Build quality has been improved over the previous Grand Voyager, but rivals like the Ford Galaxy are better built than the current Chrysler. Reliability has been patchy on older Chryslers, but again, the current model has improved. Chrysler did not take part in the 2010 JD Power Satisfaction survey, so customer feedback is limited. Safety is impressive though, as the Grand Voyager comes with traction control, stability control, tyre pressure monitors and curtain airbags. A four-star Euro NCAP rating for adult occupants is a huge improvement on the previous Grand Voyager's paltry two stars.

Practicality

There's loads of room inside the Grand Voyager and luggage space is good, too. There's 756 litres available with the rear seats in place and an utterly enormous 3,296 litres on offer with the seats folded flat. A Stow 'n Go seating system allows you to easily fold the seats flat to the floor, hence the masses of room. The electrically-operated sliding side doors are extremely useful for accessing the rear of the car, especially in tight parking spots. The seats themselves slide back and forth, but legroom is good whatever configuration you choose. When the seats are in place, the space that they fold into doubles-up as an under-floor storage area, which is ultra handy.

 

Value for money

The Chrysler Grand Voyager's interior quality is no match for rivals like the Ford Galaxy or Renault Grand Espace. Resale values aren't particularly good either, as Chryslers - especially the petrol models - shed their value quickly. The Grand Voyager's saving grace is its generous equipment list, even the entry-level LX model gets an MP3 stereo system, three-zone climate control and electric windows all-round.

Running costs

There's no avoiding the Grand Voyager's high running costs. The 2.8-litre CRD turbodiesel engine returns 30.4mpg and road tax costs £425 per year, due to its emissions of 247g/km. The 3.8-litre V6 petrol model is even dearer - it averages only 23mpg and emits 294g/km, so road tax costs another £10.