The 2007 Chrysler Aspen is a big, traditional sport utility. Representing a new nameplate, the Aspen is a full-size SUV based on the Dodge Durango. Aspen shares Durango's size and mechanicals; the main differences being styling, interior and tuning. Both use truck chassis and engineering. So the Aspen offers the advantages of a cavernous interior and the ability to tow moderate trailer loads. It's in the same class as the Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, and Ford Expedition.
Aspen is an attractive package with a competitive line of engines, including a 235-horsepower, flex-fuel V8 that runs on either regular gasoline or E85 (a blend of 15 percent gasoline and 85 percent ethanol) and a 335-hp, 5.7-liter V8 with a system that conserves fuel by shutting off half the cylinders when the engine is running under a light load. Buyers can choose between rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive with either engine.
Styling is pure Chrysler, with a traditional-but-subdued, egg-crate grille; mildly curvaceous bodylines vaguely reminiscent of the smaller, but genetically related Durango; and an attractively sculpted tailgate. Tires and wheels properly fill wheel wells, with good-looking, 20-inch, chrome rims adding bling to the uplevel model.
Aspen accommodates six, seven or eight passengers, depending on seat configuration. Three rows of seats are standard, starting with front buckets, a second-row bench and a third-row bench. Buckets are optional for the second row.
The interior blends elegant-looking, satin-finish metallic accents with wood-grain trim on the dash and center console. Standard upholstery is Chrysler's trademarked fabric that resists stains and odors. The requisite leather trim that's standard on the up-level Aspen is optional on the base model. All the usual power and personalization features are available.
Once past the initial impression, signs of cost cutting, inattention to detail or both begin to emerge, however. Interior finishes look better and more expensive than they feel. Stylists, or the people who pay their bills, seem to have scrimped on such subtle things as thickness of padding on armrests and bin covers.
A few critical ergonomic decisions, too, show an imbalance between looks and function. For example, that the steering wheel, a luxurious-looking combination of woodgrain and leather, comes standard with a tilt adjustment is appreciated. And that power adjustable pedals are offered as an option is also a plus. Only problem is, with the standard, fixed pedals, it's difficult if not impossible for short-stature drivers to position the seat where they can reach the pedals and still maintain the 10-inch safety zone drivers that should maintain between their upper body and the steering wheel's airbag. Optional power-adjustable pedals are designed to address this.
The Aspen receives better and more consistent marks on the technology front. Both powertrains earn decent fuel economy ratings by the federal government, either matching the competition or at worst giving up no more than one or two miles per gallon, even in the new, revised system the EPA will use for the 2008 model year. And the Aspen's standard electronic stability control system incorporates a new and so far exclusive feature that controls the dreaded and eerily destabilizing trailer sway.