First Drive Review
Notably absent in the press kit for the new 2007 Chrysler Aspen is any reference to the first Mopar vehicle to don its name: a boxy, midsize Dodge sedan so hideous it lasted but a single generation, between 1976 and 1980. Chrysler would much rather we regard its cushy new Aspen-Chrysler's first-ever body-on-frame SUV-as the "300 of SUVs". Nice thought. We'll just say it's a darn nice Durango.
Clearly conceived to quell the chorus of Chrysler dealers that have grown tired of losing customers in search of something more macho than the limp-wristed Pacifica, the Aspen was crafted from the proverbial rib of the Dodge Durango. Aspen clearly aspires for bigger garages, however, dressed as it is with a glitzy egg-crate grille, chrome-capped bumper and pinstriped hood. Standard 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, smoother fender flares, and enough chrome to make an Escalade rush home for its Bedazzler are sufficient to keep all but the trained eye from recognizing the Durango underneath. Still, chrome alone can't create the 300 of SUVs.
Sharing the Durango's plus-sized interior dimensions, the Aspen has enough space for standard, three-person second- and third-row seats for maximum head count of eight (seven with the optional second-row bucket seat configuration). Officially, the Aspen is available only in "Limited" trim, which comes dressed with white LED interior lighting, an eight-speaker audio system with an iPod jack, and a healthy smattering of satin-silver and fake wood trim on the dash and door panels. Stain-proof, YES-essentials cloth upholstery covers the seats at the base $31,490 price point.
Of course, any upscale SUV has a long options list, and the Aspen can be had with classier leather-and-suede upholstery-standard on Aspens with the "J" package at $36,905 (that price thankfully also includes the Hemi). Also on the extras list are a 368-watt, 10-speaker audio system, navigation (with available real-time traffic reporting), and a rear-seat entertainment system.
Not surprisingly, Durango-sourced V-8s are the only engines found under the Aspen's etched hood. The 235 horsepower and 300 pound-feet of torque base 4.7-liter unit is adequate, but it will live forever in the shadow of the optional 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 with its 335 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. Both throw a trivial bone to the environment, the 4.7 available with E85 capability, and the Hemi with fuel-saving cylinder deactivation, though we expect few takers within the peace-on-earth set.
All-wheel drive is available with either engine, though only the Hemi gets two-speed transfer case. A five-speed automatic transmission is standard, although without manumatic control. Redeeming the Aspen, however, is its serious towing capacity, which maxes out at a whopping 8950 pounds for a Hemi-equipped 2WD Aspen with the optional 3.92 rear end (similarly equipped 4WD models can tow 8750 pounds). You can thank the Aspen's tried-and-true, body-on-frame construction and live-axle rear suspension for that.
Though we didn't get a chance to tug any 4.5-ton trailers, we did give it a thorough flog through Palm Springs and its nearby mountains. We left relatively impressed with the Aspen's 'round-town demeanor; the ride quality being nowhere near as brittle as we expected, given the rugged suspension architecture and big wheels. Body control seemed better managed than in most of its full-sized competitors, though testing such attributes at high speeds with jagged rocks on one side and thousand-foot drop-offs on the other makes a strong case for sticking with that stain-proof upholstery instead of the leather. But true to form, the optional Hemi pulled with authority, albeit in a significantly more muted manner than in the 300C.
We didn't get a chance to go off-roading during our time with the Aspen. In fact, the thought of this thing covered in mud is sort of hilarious. Nah, next to the Durango, the Aspen is an aristocrat, a pampered princess that will never let its driver feel underdressed.
