Except for the lack of an alternative to its initial 2.0-liter engine, the first Breeze offered essentially the same virtues and demerits as the Cirrus and Stratus. That engine has adequate pep with manual shift, but feels sluggish with the automatic transmission, especially when you need a quick burst of speed for passing or merging into traffic. Even with the manual gearbox, it's necessary to downshift fairly often to get acceptable response for passing and merging, or when encountering modest upgrades. The 2.0-liter four also is noisy during hard acceleration. A manual-shift Breeze got 30.2 mpg overall, while one with automatic managed 27 mpg in mostly highway driving. Acceleration and passing power aren't dramatically better with the 2.4-liter engine, still ranking as adequate for daily driving. The bigger engine is not a lot quieter, either. On the plus side, it's a roomy and well-designed family sedan that offers competent handling ability. Like its Chrysler Corporation cousins, the agile Breeze feels at home on twisting roads. A firm suspension tames body lean quite well and reduces bouncing at highway speeds, but it's less effective at absorbing the impact of bumpy pavement surfaces. Space is ample at all seating positions, courtesy of the "cab-forward" design. Three medium-size adults can sit abreast in the back seat without feeling like sardines in a can. A spacious trunk holds plenty of cargo, and has a flat floor and low liftover. The modern dashboard has simple and convenient controls, positioned for maximum visibility and accessibility, but interior materials are of lower grade than usual for this class of car. The rear seatback folds down, to add storage space. Visibility is excellent to most directions but restricted through the narrow rear window.

Value for the Money
Less costly than many Japanese rivals, the competent Breeze also is better equipped and roomier than some other family sedans.