1996 Chrysler Plymouth Breeze

There are two transaxle choices: a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic. If you're a car enthusiast, get the manual. The shifter is reasonably precise, and it'll help you wring every pony out of the small engine. Nonetheless, the automatic in our test car proved both smooth and quiet.

Shaped like a four-door football, the Breeze is obviously not the angular box some of its competitors are. Except for the pert edge on the rear decklid, the car looks like a stone left on the bottom of a fast-moving stream: raked, rounded, and smooth to the eye and hand.

The only exterior design detail that really jumps out is the dual-pylon sideview mirrors. They're almost out of character for such a "sensible" car. We thought only exotic Italian sports cars could get away with those, but Chrysler engineers claim they're not just for show. The shape of the mirror mounts actually reduces wind turbulence and subsequent noise around the side glass.

The base price is targeted to be about $14,000, and there are essentially only two option packages. The 22A arrangement gets you the standards and manual window cranks. Check the 22B option box and you get a car with goodies like power locks, electric windows, and heated power mirrors. Of course, if you load up the Breeze like our test vehicle, a prototype with virtually every option, the price zooms to just below $17,000.

Good clean looks, a tight body, a roomy, well-engineered interior, and solid handling: If Plymouth meets its base-sticker target, the Breeze is going to be blowing out of showrooms like a tsunami.

Tech DataPlymouth Breeze