TEST DRIVE: ASPEN HYBRID

I have been waiting and waiting for this new Road Warrior to hit the lot, so as I read this review I found myself not so excited anymore reading things like "this SUV handles like a bowl full of Jello" or "second ugliest" ...Then I read the last few lines and now I am excited again....


Test Drive: Chrysler's green Aspen offers room, vroom and decent gas mileage
By Scott BurgessDetroit News
Article Launched: 08/06/2008 09:47:20 AM PDT

2009 CHRYSLER ASPEN HYBRID

At first, "Hemi hybrid" sounds like an oxymoron in a George Carlin bit, falling between "military intelligence" and "jumbo shrimp."
But this word combo is no laughing matter for Chrysler LLC, which is trying to show that its legendary engine - known for burning tires in the past - can efficiently push eight people around town in the future.
EPA's assessment says the 5.7-liter Hemi delivers 19 miles per gallon in the city and 20 mpg on the highway. Not spectacular numbers, but certainly better than the 13 mpg in the city the 2008 Aspen reached with a 4.7-liter V-8. During my week of testing this large SUV, I was able to hit 26 mpg at times; other times, 18 mpg. Admittedly, on the high mileage days, the roads were flat and my right foot was in eco-drive mode - though I never acted like those 55-mph imbeciles on a 70-mph highway.
The 2009 Chrysler Aspen Limited hybrid is not a vehicle without flaws. The interior still has a heavy plastic feel, especially the doors and dash, and comes with the second ugliest hood on a Chrysler vehicle. But it serves a purpose, and not every vehicle on the road today can say that. Some people do need a truck and the Aspen is exactly that: a big hulking truck. After a few days behind the wheel, I started to remember how nice SUVs can be.
So before every hemp-wearing nut spills his green ice tea lemonade (no syrup) while in a hurry to send me a terse e-mail over his iPhone 3G about the evils of SUVs, let me tell you something:
You're wrong.
Americans may switch to smaller cars, but it's only because they have to; not because they want to.
We've all heard the trend: Consumers are migrating away from trucks - and I am by no means making excuses for Detroit's quiet.
The 5.7-liter Hemi hums along on the highway on four cylinders and keeps a low idle during moderate acceleration. (The electric motors assist the engine when cruising at highway speeds, which is why the highway mileage numbers are slightly improved.) Press the accelerator hard and you can feel the combined 385-horsepower engine lurch the vehicle forward.
However, drive fast at your own peril. This SUV handles like a bowl of Jello when going fast. The electric power steering is a little loose and the body rolls through turns heavily. I said it before: it's a big truck. The braking (which also helps recharge the batteries) is excellent, so I never found myself in too much trouble.
There may be people who need this kind of vehicle, but the real problem is there are just not that many.
This is a fine SUV. And those last three letters may be its downfall.
Automotive consumers are begging for high-mileage cars and crossovers, not better-performing large SUVs. There is a market for this vehicle, and those few customers will be pleased with it. But it's not going to be enough to pull Chrysler out of its current tailspin. The sooner Chrysler adopts its hybrid technology into Dodge Chargers, Avengers and Calibers, the better.
When you consider price, performance and capabilities, this is the best large hybrid SUV on the road. But for most people, who really needs it?

harold zeigler