1999 Plymouth Prowler Review

The Plymouth Prowler, which soon goes on sale, is the hottest ride in the United States. It's been years since I saw a car generate the reaction of the $38,300 Prowler, which I tested last weekend.

Everyone from kids and middle-aged men to elderly ladies loved it, judging by their reactions.All waved, smiled and gave a thumbs-up sign as I drove an early production version of the two-seater a few hundred miles in the city and suburbs, on interstate highways and two-lane roads--and at the University of Illinois in downstate Urbana.

And I never even lowered the largely handbuilt Prowler's cloth top. I'd done that last fall while driving a pre-production Prowler in Lake Geneva, Wis., where the car drew the same universally enthusiastic reaction.

Surprisingly, virtually no bystanders I talked with about the Prowler knew what outfit made it--although Chrysler has promoted the car since introducing it as a concept vehicle at the 1993 Detroit auto show.

The Prowler, which is supposed to draw attention to conventional Plymouth models, comes only with purple paint. Only about 2,000 will be made this year, and good luck getting your hands on one. It will slowly begin trickling to selected Plymouth dealers in big metropolitan areas in late summer.

Already, the August issue of Hemmings Motor News, a big national classic car advertising publication, contains an ad that promises ``quick delivery'' of a Plymouth Prowler--if one pays $10,000 above the car's full sticker price. Look for many similar ads this year. Chrysler says up to 5,000 Prowlers will be built next year, and that they will debut early in 1998 as 1999 models. The 1998 model year designation will be skipped.

If nothing else, the Prowler is unique. It's the first car of its type from a major automaker, although hot rodding first became widely popular during the years surrounding World War II. The Prowler never would have been built if Chrysler didn't have executives such as Vice Chairman Robert Lutz, who loves fast classic cars.

While it looks much like an old-style hot rod from the 1950s, the Prowler is quite modern. For instance, the car extensively uses aluminum to keep weight down and has the latest components from conventional Chrysler autos, such as a 214-horsepower, overhead-camshaft V-6 and four-speed automatic transmission that shifts hard and quickly to facilitate acceleration.

Also standard are items such as power windows and locks, air conditioning and a good sound system. Chrysler couldn't get away with selling old-style hot rods, which were very uncomfortable. The traditional American hot rod has a V-8, but a V-8 wouldn't have fit in the Prowler's narrow engine compartment. And many hot rods built these days have an automatic transmission. Manual transmissions were used in the early days of hot rodding because there were no automatics. The Prowler's automatic allows clutchless manual shifting, besides fully automatic operation.

But a genuine manual would make the car more fun. So would the throaty rumble of a V-8. The V-6 emits a higher-pitched exhaust sound that becomes annoying afteran hour or so of cruising at 65 m.p.h. The current V-6 likely will be replaced next yearby a new, all-aluminum 3.5-liter, 250-horsepower V-6, but that might not solve the sound problem.

The current engine provides lively performance. The Prowler does 0-60 m.p.h. in approximately 7.5 seconds. That's not slow, but the car's racy lines and huge tires lead one to believe that it is much faster.

Handling is terrific, with those big sticky tires and items such as a front suspension that looks as if it was pulled off a race car. The power steering is quick and accurate, and the brakes are fantastic-- even though no anti-lock system is offered.

The Prowler's long 113-inch wheelbase and all-independent suspension help provide a decent-but-firm ride on smooth pavement. However, the car's run-flat tires, which eliminate the need for a spare, have ultrastiff sidewalls that cause serious bumps and potholes to severely jolt occupants.

With those huge tires and no traction control system, the rear-drive Prowler is the type of car that is parked during a Chicago winter. It would slide all over the place on icy pavement, with those tires acting like skis.

This also isn't a car for long-distance travel because the tiny trunk is occupied almost entirely by the small top when it is lowered. A small, cute luggage trailer designed to be towed by the Prowler will be offered, but Chrysler says it will cost ``$4,000 to $5,000.'' Ouch.

Be prepared to stop often for gasoline; the Prowler has a fuel-eating 3.89 performance axle ratio and only a small 12-gallon tank. I found that putting my test Prowler's air conditioning system in the recirculating mode instead of the ``flow-through'' mode significantly cut fuel consumption and resulted in a cooler interior. A Chrysler spokesman couldn't explain why.

A low windshield and high door tops make it difficult to back up. But big rearview mirrors allow decent visibility behind you on roads. The cockpit is small, especially for tall drivers, and there is no comfortable place for a driver to park his left foot. Also, it's a little hard to get in or out because the doors don't open wide.

But the seats are reasonably comfortable, and conventional controls would make a sedan owner almost feel at home. The gauges--especially the steering-column-mounted tachometer--make the interior look racy.

Despite its retro styling, the Prowler is a nice, modern cruiser. You could comfortably drive it to work all week if there's no snow or ice. And, for sure, you always would be the center of attention.