by Jeremy Cato

When the Eagle Vision arrived in the fall of 1992 it was the best looking of a trio of new Chrysler sedans – the others being the Chrysler Concorde and Dodge Intrepid.

Today, Chrysler is disavowing any connection to the signature “cab-forward” shape of these vehicles. But in the mid-1990s, cab-forward set the car business on its ear. By pushing the rear wheels as far back as possible while also extending the base of the windshield forward to the centre point of the front wheels, Chrysler established a new design direction.

Even today, seven years after the last Vision left a showroom in Canada, these cars still have a presence on the road. They also have huge cabins and trunks.

As for power, the Vision came with a choice of either a pushrod 3.3-litre V6 or an overhead cam 3.5-litre V6 that was brand new for ‘93. The 3.5-litre V6 in the Vision TSi is a better choice, if you can find a car so-equipped. The bigger engine helps performance considerably. For 1994, the four-speed automatic transmission was revised for smoother shifting.

For such a large car, the Vision has pretty decent driving manners. Some service issues with various suspension pieces (tie rods, bushings, etc.) are noteworthy. Still, a well-maintained Vision should deliver big-sedan performance with sporting pretensions.

Chrysler issued a number of service bulletins pointing to various transmission issues, so be alert there. Also note that in 1996 the Vision was made available with Chrysler’s “Autostick”
transmission as an alternative to the standard four-speed automatic. Autostick allows for fully automatic shifting, or for a clutchless manual alternative.

Prices are very affordable for a middle-aged family sedan. If you’re looking, take note that poor build quality issues were a little too common during the first years of production. In its later years, Chrysler did a much better job of building Visions with considerably fewer problems. It’s also worth noting that re-made versions of the Intrepid and Concorde arrived in 1998.

The Vision, then, looks great, has a huge interior and is pleasant to drive. But a number of reliability issues means a comprehensive mechanical inspection is highly recommended.