Long-Term Test: 1998 Dodge Intrepid

• the loose molding on the driver's side door
• a steering wheel wobble at 25-35 mph
• the recalcitrant left rear door lock
• scuffed paint on the bumper

The Intrepid started the New Year off with a bang, embarking on a 1,300-mile journey across the frozen midwestern landscape. After successfully carting our editor-in-chief, Chris Wardlaw, from Denver to Detroit, the Intrepid earned the glowing reward of being called "the best domestic sedan on the market."

Wardlaw praised the car's comfortable ride, supportive seats and commodious trunk, which swallowed an amazing amount of luggage. Disappointments about the vehicle were limited to an inoperative 12-volt outlet that denied Wardlaw from plugging in his radar detector, lack of illuminated cruise control switchgear (which made nighttime driving irksome), and a ridiculously loud road rumble that seeped into the cabin.

Upon arriving in the Great Lakes region, Wardlaw took the Intrepid to Dick Huvaere's Richmond Chrysler/Plymouth/Dodge in Richmond, Mich., for its 15,000-mile service. Using the night drop, our editor requested the service as well as investigation into the dead power point and the steering-wheel wobble. Unfortunately, this dealership experience was disappointing. They replaced the fuse for the power point, but it went out again the next day. They determined that a bad front tire caused the steering wheel wobble, but they couldn't replace it because they "don't deal with tires." And they forgot to perform the 15,000-mile service altogether, requiring our editor to wait an extra hour and 15 minutes before he could take the car home. A tire rotation eventually cured the steering wheel wobble.

Later in the month, our news editor used the Intrepid mainly for crawling around his frozen suburban neighborhood in the post-blizzard days. Upon startup in the frigid temperatures, the Dodge let out a complaining groan, which does not inspire confidence. The Intrepid handled fairly well in the snow and ice on heavily traversed roads, but its low front chin acts somewhat like a scoop for snow. The car's big, wide tires that would be great for carving up a twisty two-lane don't do so well in unplowed neighborhood streets.

On the up side, the Clor family was immediately smitten with the Dodge's cavernous interior, generous legroom and huge trunk. After rolling their overfilled grocery cart to the Intrepid one day, they were a bit worried about space. But the Dodge did not disappoint; it gobbled up 26 bags of groceries with room to spare. Also, the trunk lid stays elevated on gas-charged struts, so there are no hinges to impede on trunk space or crush stored items. Despite its sports coupe looks, the Intrepid has quickly proven its worth as a full-sized family car.

There was a huge discrepancy between our best and worst gas mileage this month; the lower numbers came from putzing along neighborhood boulevards in ice and snow while the higher numbers came from a 21-hour, cross-country stint on the nation's expressways. Over the course of the month, the Intrepid averaged nicely at 21.7 mpg.

Total Odometer Reading: 15,951
Best Fuel Economy: 26.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.1 mpg
Maintenance Costs: $38.21
Problems: Blown power point fuse.

After a few days of a January thaw in the last week of the month, the snow on Detroit's ice-clogged streets actually started to melt. At this time of year the build-up of frozen slush that has accumulated behind the tires of vehicles finally breaks off and falls away.

The problem was, one afternoon, one such beach-ball-sized chunk of ice broke off of an 18-wheeler that was driving in front of the Intrepid one afternoon. Cars unfortunate enough to be in the vicinity began swerving to avoid the frozen debris, but our news editor was not so lucky. A large iceball smacked the front right fascia of the Intrepid just before the car beside him nipped a fallen piece of ice with its front tire and sent it flying into the Dodge's driver's side door. Once safely off the highway, John Clor assessed the damage: the flying ice did indeed dent the driver's side door and the huge snow chunk had cracked and splintered the lower front fascia.

After speaking with several body shops, Clor discovered that the Intrepid's bumper cover is one large piece and cannot be repaired easily; it needs to be removed, repainted and re-assembled at a cost of $800 to $1,000, depending on who you call. We called Assistant Body Shop Manager Robert Diber at Pointe Dodge, who estimated a $1,060 repair fee for fixing the cracked bumper, the dented door and the scuffed rear bumper that we mentioned a few months back. They were so busy, however, that we could not get an appointment until the end of February.

In the meantime, Clor drove the Intrepid to Chicago for a midmonth auto show. It was here in the Windy City that the vehicle's "check engine" warning light decided to illuminate. Clor looked under the hood but did not find any leaks or oil problems, so he drove it back to Detroit and over to the Pointe Dodge service department.

Unfortunately, the place was a zoo. When the customer service manager finally asked if he could help Clor, he told our editor that he couldn't leave the Intrepid, even with the engine light problem. We had to make an appointment and the earliest one available was the same week the car was scheduled to have the body work done. No problem, they'll do it all at once. As for the engine? We can only hope it holds up until then.

Other problems logged this month include the transmission slipping when the car is cold and an interior rear door panel that nearly falls off every time someone slams the door shut. With all of these headaches, one would think our editor would be glad to get rid of the Intrepid. Not so. The Clor family says they will miss the stylish and versatile family-hauler when it goes to live in the Big Apple this March ... but they won't miss the trips to the dealership.

Current mileage: 17,638
Best Fuel Economy: 24.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.1 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: "Check engine" light illuminated, transmission slips when cold, left rear inner door panel comes loose when door is slammed, 12-volt power point still inoperative.

As we reported last month, the combination of winter weather-related body damage and a couple of service problems forced us to send our long-term Dodge Intrepid into the Pointe Dodge body shop in Detroit for repairs.

When we dropped the car off at the body shop, we were told the bodywork would be completed in four to five days. The car would then be transferred to the service department, where service repairs would be finished. The body shop technicians would remove, replace, repaint and reassemble the damaged front fascia, fix the dent in the lower driver's door and repaint its lower edge, and remove the old red scuff mark on the rear fascia for us, all to the tune of $1,060.60.

Dave Ferguson, the Pointe Dodge customer service manager, received the car on Feb. 26, looked into the illuminated "check engine" lamp, fixed the slipping transmission, repaired the inner panel of the left-rear door and restored the inoperative 12-volt power point in the console. Ferguson promised that the car would be ready by March 3.

Our Detroit-based news editor began calling Pointe Dodge on March 1 to get an update, but was unable to get through to a live person in the service department. After leaving several messages that were never returned and calling incessantly, we finally reached Dave Ferguson in the late afternoon of March 10, a full week after the car was supposed to have been ready for pick up. Ferguson explained that the car was not ready because he was waiting for parts that had to be ordered. The Intrepid's catalytic converters had to be replaced and he claimed that, because the car is from California, it needed special converters. Our editor challenged this, wondering why it didn't have the same converters as any other Intrepid, and reminded Dave that FedEx ships anything overnight anywhere in the country. Dave promised to follow up.

Five days later, we were still waiting to hear back from the shop. After calling the dealership and explaining that we were coming to get the car-repaired or not-they somehow managed to get the repairs completed by the end of the day on March 15.

Happily, the front fascia of the Intrepid looked great, but there was a small sanding scuff on the left rear door and the car was dusty and dirty. The "check engine" light was out, the transmission was no longer slipping, and the 12-volt power point was working. The inner rear door panel was reattached, but still loose. Paperwork revealed that mechanics had found a transmission cooling line was loose and leaking a bit at the radiator, so it was tightened and the fluid was topped off. The check engine light illumination was caused by a failure of an emissions-control part, which had also caused the contamination of the catalytic converters and related sensors. A TSB (a service procedure outlined in a Technical Service Bulletin) was performed on the car's PCM (Pollution Control Module). All service repairs were covered under the warranty.

The car looks and runs great now. Later this month, the Intrepid travels to New York City. The Clor family says they'll miss its functional interior room, huge trunk, spunky V6 and sporty sheetmetal.

Current mileage: 17,809
Best Fuel Economy: 16.3 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.3 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $1.060.60 (replace and refinish front fascia, repair door dent)
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None

No sooner had the Dodge Intrepid's mechanical problems been serviced and its body repaired then it was off on another adventure-this time to the Big Apple. The car performed beautifully across the Ohio Turnpike with a family of four tucked happily inside. Kids sitting in the back had plenty of room to stretch out and highway cruising was enjoyable for all.

Once in New York, a new driver stepped behind the Intrepid's wheel. Though she thought the car's exterior looked a little strange, her initial impressions of the Intrepid's driving experience were positive. She was excited about the extremely smooth drive even over potholes, she felt that it handled well, and appreciated the high seating position.

Our driver also noticed that there was no place to put garbage when a cell phone was plugged into the outlet, because the ashtray had to be pulled out to reach the outlet. The front of the car is so low to the ground that it scrapes the sidewalk when she pulls into her driveway. And, because of the windshield's steep slant, the sun visor takes up too much of the front view when pulled down.

While merging onto the highway after work one day, our staffer was rear-ended by an overly eager driver, resulting in a dent in the Intrepid's rear bumper. This car just can't catch a break. One NYC body shop quoted us $378 to repair the bumper, but we are waiting to take it in to a Dodge dealer next month.

Current mileage: 18,837
Best Fuel Economy: 24.6 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 21.5 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None

Anyone who's ever visited New York City knows that you only drive when you have to. This probably has more to do with the crazy cabbies on the roads than the notorious parking dilemmas, but that's debatable. Either way, our long-term Dodge Intrepid spent little time on city streets this month, venturing instead to more remote areas for some rest and relaxation.

On a drive into the surrounding mountains for a hiking trip, front and rear occupants raved about the roominess of the Intrepid and our driver was delighted with the smoothness of the car's powertrain. She also noticed that the deep shelf beneath the stereo was the perfect place to store her cell phone because passersby looking for a quick steal could not see it (these are things one must think about in New York City).

The rear end of the Intrepid, which was crumpled in a fender-bender last month, was fixed in two days by Venice Auto Body in Englewood, N.J. The insurance company of the driver at fault paid $378 to fix the dent. We were surprised and delighted when Pete, the service representative at Grand Dodge, called to ask about our dealership experience and to field any complaints we might have. We had none. At the end of the month, the once-again fixed Intrepid heads to Boston to spend some quality time with our used-car database manager.

Total Odometer Reading: 20,240
Best Fuel Economy: 25.3 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 25.3 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $378
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None

Our used-car database manager rescued the Dodge Intrepid from New York City this month and brought it to his beautiful home state of New Hampshire for the summer. Initial impressions of the car are favorable, with our staffer praising the soft suspension, which delivered a smooth ride over New York's battle-scarred roads, and the crisp handling that made the Intrepid feel like a much smaller car than it is.

The five-hour trip was comfortable and the front seats supportive for our driver, but he was annoyed that in order to set a station on the radio, you have to push two preset buttons at once. Rear visibility is not very good due to the high rear deck, chubby C-pillars and steep angle of the window, but that's the price consumers pay for the sweet style of the car. And the style is certainly sweet. Our Intrepid's aerodynamic nose, cat's-eye headlight clusters, arched roof and sweeping rear window all give the impression that this is a concept vehicle that made it to production without losing its pizzazz. At once sporty, elegant and modern, this Dodge is a treat to behold.

Inside, our staffer found an interior that is both functional and pleasing to the eye--with the exception of the irritating radio controls. Impressive was the word used to describe the car's air conditioning system, which provides cold air at a high blast. The 3.2-liter, 225-horsepower engine that comes standard with the ES trim level packs a solid midrange punch, making passing and merging effortless.

Recently, we noticed a wiggle in the steering wheel when braking, which is often a sign of warped front brake rotors. A recall was also issued for the Intrepid's on-board diagnostic emissions system. We took the Intrepid into the Allen Motors Dodge service shop in Derry, N.H., at the end of the month, where a mechanic confirmed that the wheel shimmy was caused by warped rotors. They were fixed for $80 and the emissions problem was repaired at no charge.

Total Odometer Reading: 21,713
Best Fuel Economy: 24.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 23.9 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $80
Problems: Recall for emissions control system, shimmy in steering wheel under braking.

Our long-term Intrepid has had as busy a summer as the rest of us. It ended the month of June with a vacation to Cape Cod with our editor-in-chief and his family. This trip reminded our editor of the car's wonderfully cavernous trunk, roomy backseat that allowed his 2-year-old to swing her legs wide without contacting the front seatback, and exceptionally comfortable front seats. He also rediscovered some negative traits about the car: parking is a guessing game due to the driver's inability to see the front and rear corners of the car, side-view mirrors are too small, and the dark gray monochromatic interior shows every speck of dirt and dust in the car.

At a July Fourth barbecue, one guest showed up in a 1998 base Intrepid and couldn't stop talking about what a great car it was. At 13,000 miles, he had no problems to speak of and loves the car's handling and power. Later, after a miscalculation at the beach, our editor had to pile seven people into the Dodge for a short trip home. Amazingly, everyone fit without complaint.

After transferring his fam and luggage into an Isuzu Rodeo a few days later, our editor found that, in contrast to the Dodge, the Isuzu rides like a hay wagon and steers with all the feedback of the Exxon Valdez. Why is it again that so many people buy SUVs?

From Cape Cod, our long-term Intrepid headed off on another adventure to North Carolina, and then on to Florida. This 1500-mile excursion reiterated how much we enjoy the Intrepid's powertrain and interior. Its 225-horsepower V6 engine is powerful (though a bit noisy at high revs), handling is aggressive, the suspension is smooth, seats are comfortable, and fuel efficiency is admirable, averaging about 24 mpg.

Minor gripes about the Dodge revolve around build quality. Some door seals and light-fixture seals are beginning to weaken and curl, and the driver's door squeaks loudly. One driver wishes the Intrepid's radio had a scan mode and notes that the right front speaker exhibits a buzzing sound, leading him to wonder if there is a Metallica fan on staff. The Intrepid's latest driver complained about excessive noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels, wind noise around the B-pillar and road rumble.

Total Odometer Reading: 24,886
Best Fuel Economy: 26.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 21.9 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Squeaky driver's door and buzzing front speaker.

Our new-vehicle data manager, Scott Schapiro, has been cruising all over southern Florida this month in our long-term Dodge Intrepid. Even though he spots many rental Intrepids on the roads near his home, which causes the snazzy styling to get a bit lost in the crowd, he still says cutting-edge styling is the most memorable aspect of this vehicle. Coming in a close second is the car's handling. Scott found the steering to be excellent, offering plenty of feedback to let the driver know what the front tires are doing. Unfortunately, the tires have a habit of screeching with little provocation, leading us to believe that the Intrepid's suspension is writing checks that its tires just can't cash.

Marketed as a sport sedan, Dodge's Intrepid ES comes equipped with AutoStick, an automanual transmission that allows drivers to shift their own gears if they choose. When placed in the conventional automatic mode, the tranny was eager to rev the motor to redline under hard acceleration and downshift to the most appropriate gear during passing maneuvers. When trying to shift our own gears using AutoStick, however, we found that it was difficult to see the gear display--causing drivers to take their eyes off the road quite often.

Scott also noticed a distinct lack of refinement and said all occupants complained about intrusive road noise inside the cabin, along with wind noise and drivetrain vibrations that were much too noticeable. This month, our Intrepid has averaged 18.7 miles per gallon during everyday driving, which is only 1.5 mpg better than the Cadillac Seville, with its additional 500 pounds, two more cylinders and 75 extra horsepower. What this means is that we're not impressed with the Intrepid's mileage performance lately.

So, what does the Intrepid offer consumers in this very competitive segment? Space, and lots of it. Rear passengers oohed and ahhed about the spacious interior and rear A/C vents, while everyone loved the cavernous trunk that was able to swallow everything from bicycles to 8-foot ladders. The bottom line: If you have a large family and need lots of space, the Intrepid will certainly fit the bill.

Total Odometer Reading: 26,658
Best Fuel Economy: 20.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.7 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Squeaky driver's door, buzzing front speaker, slight squeak during throttle upshifts.

The Intrepid's stay in Florida would come to an end this month, as it traveled to Denver, and then back to our home office in Los Angeles. Before bidding farewell to the rain and shine of southern Florida, our Intrepid would encounter some very dark skies, which were a portent of the damage that was yet to be suffered by our large sedan.

First, we picked up an unwelcome hitchhiker in the form of a nail in the sidewall of the left rear tire. Stopping at a local Goodyear service center, we had the tire replaced for $177.72. Real trouble surfaced a few days later during a nasty thunderstorm. Our Florida staffer's significant other was driving when a car cut off the Honda Accord she was following. The Honda stopped in time, but as our staffer put it, "The front of the Intrepid was introduced, rather rudely, to the rear of the Accord."

The Accord suffered little damage, but our Intrepid's hood was creased and the front bumper was scuffed and scratched. We later took the still driveable Dodge to Fairbanks Dodge in Coconut Creek, Fla. To our surprise, the damage estimate totaled $1,700. It didn't appear that the Intrepid had suffered that much damage, but with modern crumple zones, body damage can be big bucks. After some haggling, we were able to get the price lowered to $1,553.34, still quite a charge for a small fender-bender. Our car spent about a week in the shop, and was as good as new, ready for the long journey west.

We loaded up the Intrepid, easily fitting everything that was once crammed tightly in our long-term Miata into a small fraction of the Dodge's total cargo space. Immediately, we were aware of the cavernous interior, providing us with room to sprawl. Also, we found the cabin to be quite luxuriously appointed. Cruising in the Intrepid proved to be easy and tolerable. We commented: "As a cruising vehicle, the Intrepid is very pleasant. The seats are comfortable, it's spacious, the engine's quite powerful, at speed it's not unsettled, and it gets decent gas mileage."

On the haul from Miami to Denver, the driver's side window quit working, preventing us from doing simple tasks like paying tolls. In order to pay the attendant, we were forced to pull well beyond the tollbooth and swing the door open wide. It's not like we're driving an '81 Chevette, so it was a bit embarrassing. We'll have to get this fixed ASAP.

Many other interior quirks presented themselves to us while on our trek. The list included a floor-mounted parking brake that's easy to depress just a bit if your foot taps it, a thin-rimmed non-malleable steering wheel, and left-hand stalk-mounted wipers. Other complaints included climate controls above the stereo controls, slushy movement of the transmission lever, poorly placed stereo controls, sticky cupholder deployment mechanism, and an overanxious "distance to empty" display. In addition, we noticed that the cruise control has a mind of its own; a driver commented that the cruise-control needle bobs up and down and doesn't maintain the set speed. Now we're not talking a bobbing buoy in a tropical storm - it's more like apples in the bucket at your local fair.

Not all was annoying on the way to the Mile High City. Praise was given to the white-faced gauges and the sound of the stereo. The trip computer and large map lights also were complimented. The mechanicals did receive accolades as we found the engine to be powerful, delivering the power smoothly and efficiently to the front wheels. We also were impressed with the suspension's ability to soak up large bumps quite effectively, with our driver saying, "I've gone over several bumps recently with no trauma or drama; everything's cool."

Arriving in Denver, we handed over the keys to our managing editor, Karl Brauer. Karl immediately found the broken window to be a huge inconvenience. "The broken driver's window was a hassle, especially when dealing with the many toll/ticket gates around Denver International Airport. It's also a drag when the car's been sitting in the sun all day, and you want to put down the window to blow out the stale air." We also detected a very slight vibration in the wheel, which led us to suspect an out of balance front wheel. After stopping, however, we noticed that three tires were low on air. We've since filled them up, and hope that alleviates the problem.

We had quite a bit of stuff to load into the trunk before departing Denver for L.A., but found the huge trunk a blessing, as we were able to load half-a-dozen pieces of luggage, a portable crib, a stroller, several bags of assorted baby items, a baby walker, and a medium-sized camera bag. Brauer commented, "It's cool to think that the days of American sedans with 'dead-body toting' trunks have returned."

While Brauer found the exterior styling to be fresh and modern, he did point out that the long, low front overhang was easy to scrape, a nasty quality usually reserved for low-slung sports cars. We think that it's overly scrape-prone for a large sedan; after all, this isn't a sports car, but it doesn't necessarily feel like the quintessential large sedan. Brauer noted: "The car feels decidedly large, yet not at all unwieldy or cumbersome. Dodge did a good job of managing the Intrepid's heft and keeping the 'land yacht' sensations to a minimum."

After issuing praise to the Intrepid's highway stability, even during heavy downpours, we arrived in Los Angeles. We cleaned up the car and handed the keys over to an eager L.A. staffer who described the styling as, "sleek and modern" and thought the Intrepid was a car that a person would like to be seen in." After jumping aboard and realizing that the driver's side window was broken, his sentiments had a change of tune, as he felt what two previous drivers had already experienced. "You never really notice how much you use that driver's window until it goes out. No fast-food drive-thrus, no getting parking tickets at garages, and no paying for parking. I was never so embarrassed."

That ultra-sensitive "distance to empty" gauge we noticed on the way to Denver showed itself again, but this time the driver did not know there was still plenty of gas in the tank. The fretting driver described: "Miles started to count down like a rocket ready to take off at Cape Canaveral. By the time I had traveled the mile and a half of traffic, the mileage gauge had counted down to 1." We got gas just fine, even though our driver is now a recovering gas-pump-aholic!

Final observations in L.A. ranged from great seats front and rear to a pokey climate-control system, a bit recalcitrant about cooling the occupants in a timely fashion. Almost 5,000 miles later, our Intrepid set up tent and called L.A. home once again. It's certainly a great cruiser, but we'll have to see how pleasant it is to live within in the bumper-to-bumper mess that most of our staff calls home.

Current Odometer: 31,209
Best Fuel Economy: 28.8 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.8 mpg
Body Damage: $1,553.34
Maintenance Costs: $177.72
Problems: Broken driver side window.

Back in L.A., we thought it a wise idea to get our driver's window repaired so we could do crazy little things like let in fresh air. Or, smoggy air, but hey, there are some prices one must pay to get sun-soaked every day. Before we took our Intrepid in for service, we noticed that one of the third brake-light bulbs was burned out. We got the Dodge in for service at La Brea Chrysler/Jeep where we were promptly greeted by a service advisor. After describing the broken window and burnt bulb, we were informed that it would be a day or two, but would be covered under warranty. Just three hours later we got a call that our car was ready; now that's service! We doubted that all Chrysler franchises were this utopian, but were happy nonetheless that we had found this one.

Staffers praised the sleek, modern lines of the Intrepid, and, in general, found the interior quite accommodating. Said one driver, "Maybe it's because I grew up near cattle almost all of my life, but the smell of leather is a pleasant smell, and the seats feel like they were stolen from a Cadillac." Praise was given to the sturdy plastic interior materials, although some feel that all that black lends a stark appearance. One driver got the impression of being in a cockpit, but we didn't drop the extra cash for the optional wing flaps, so no takeoffs for now unless we pull an unfortunate Thelma and Louise.

Drivers appreciated the autostick while in the mountains, allowing the engine to always be kept in its sweet spot. The driver information center was appreciated for its compass, and was used to compare temperatures from San Bernadino to Crestline (16 degrees!). Stereo sound was praised, even though we don't like the placement of all the buttons. One driver got so comfortable on a trip to San Diego that he resisted the urge to pull over for a smoke.

We did have a few complaints while inside. We found the cigarette lighter plug is poorly placed if you want to plug in a cell phone or other device while the transmission lever is in "park." Further, we were a bit annoyed at not having electrical power to use our cell phone after we shut off the engine. Poor rearward visibility proved to be an issue for one driver, not surprising, as smallish side mirrors handicap this vehicle. Although most of us love the dash, one driver found the lighting to be tacky.

All were impressed with the trunk's large size. One staffer was able to fit a 17-inch monitor inside, and we suspect that the trunk could comfortably sleep a couple linebackers on a queen-size mattress. One drawback to all this room is getting things out once they have rolled to the deep recesses of that black hole. As one driver put it, "The trunk is so seriously deep, Hakeem Olajuwan probably wouldn't be able to grab something from the very back without climbing in, as I had to!" Our full-size sedan will head back to the dealer in a couple of months -- till then we'll be renting out the trunk as a small studio - anyone interested?

Current Odometer: 33,586
Best Fuel Economy: 20 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 16.8 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Broken driver-side window, third brake-light bulb out.

Our Intrepid milled about Los Angeles, but received a reprieve from the traffic-laden sprawl by taking a couple of short jaunts north and south to Lancaster and San Diego, respectively.

Drivers' impressions of the exterior were favorable. The stance was said to be aggressive and different, and the smooth, flowing lines do a good job of disguising the car's ample dimensions. We did notice again that the low front and lengthy rear overhangs make the car quite easy to scrape. Suggested one driver, "Shorten those overhangs - every time I drive and hear that scraping, I have flashbacks to the dentist's office!"

Once inside the Intrepid, drivers marveled at the copious interior space. Said a new driver: "Upon entry you can't help but be in awe of how much interior space is available. I must admit that the cab-forward concept is a good one that more manufacturers should adopt." Front seats easily accommodate the 6-feet-and-up crowd, and three passengers can sit in the rear without a crunch.

Interior materials were another story, where drivers' once-awestruck faces turned to mild grimaces. That stark black decor again did not go over well with our staffers, who wished for some variety to break up the monotony. However, the automatic climate controls took the bulk of the interior criticism this month. We found that the buttons all look the same and have relatively small markings to help you discern their function. Give us some big dials, will ya? More annoying than the questionable layout is the loud "whoosh" incessantly emitted from the system when the fan speed is set to anything but the slowest setting. One driver first thought the car suffered from massive amounts of wind noise, but later learned that most of the noise could be attributed to the fan. With the controls set to "auto," and despite the absence of any windshield moisture, the system thought it best to blast air out of the upper vents in order to keep cabin temperature at 72 degrees. We think Dodge could come up with a better system to circulate cabin air sans all the racket.

City driving didn't prove to be an enthralling experience. Some found the suspension on our ES test car a bit too stiff for city roads. Also, the brakes don't inspire a great deal of confidence in stop-and-go traffic, which in L.A. means routinely mashing the brake pedal to the floor as traffic inexplicably grinds to a screeching halt. Parking was a chore due to overall size and a front overhang that scrapes on even the lowest parking blocks. Changing lanes was far from a snap, as one driver describes, "This must be done with great caution for two reasons: one is the overall length, and two is the extremely wide and obtrusive C-pillars."

Cruising was another story entirely, and drivers beamed at how well the car behaved during highway jaunts. All found the transmission smooth, the engine torquey, the road noise minimal, and the seats supportive. Said one repeat driver: "I'm constantly amazed with how solid this car feels at speed. Slicing through traffic on the 14 freeway as it wound into the mountains was a snap. The torquey motor kept me moving up the long grades with ease." And canyon driving proved to be enjoyable despite the car's large size. The Autostick allowed us to keep the engine in its sweet spot as we transitioned to and fro, and we were pleasantly surprised by the Goodyear's bite.

Our most significant drivability complaint was issued about a nagging intermittent vibration coming through the steering wheel. At first we thought that it was an imbalanced wheel, but after 15 minutes or so the vibration went away. This leads us to believe that the culprit is something which is heat dependent, perhaps a tire tread pattern anomaly or even a half-shaft issue.

For $25K, this package still seems hard to beat. The blending of attractive styling, decent fuel mileage, a massive trunk, and torquey engine bode well for Intrepid sales figures. Now Chrysler just needs to spice up the interior.

Current Odometer: 34,455
Best Fuel Economy: 18.4 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 17.3 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: Intermittent vibration coming through steering wheel.

Our Intrepid spent this month in Los Angeles with one of our Web guys who had driven the car before and, during this go 'round, found it even more of a pleasure. He said the car doesn't look out of place anywhere, calling it "hip enough for the image-conscious, roomy enough for the family, smooth enough for the long commute or road trip, and tight enough in build quality to expect it to last awhile." He was also fond of our Intrepid's silver paint, noticing that silver seems to be the color-of-choice, at least in LA, for new cars these days.

Our staffer thought the inside was ergonomically friendly and approved of the leather seats, sharp looks and good sound system. Although the interior materials are plasticky, he didn't mind because they feel solid. But there were a few things that bothered him about the inside, namely, when the car is turned off the cigarette lighter isn't "hot" (and we know this is for charging his cell phone, not smoking). He also didn't like the fact that the key has to be turned to view the LED odometer. And, "as cool as the fold out cupholders are, any good-sized drink seems to impede the path of least resistance for my arm when shifting. Good thing it's an automatic."

The Intrepid was sporty enough for our driver, who found it easy to rip through L.A. traffic and was reminded that one does not need a pricey sports car to "jockey for favorable lane positions in the death match the locals refer to as 'driving the 405.'"

But, there might have been some blood shed if our staffer had seen whomever dinged the left rear door when our Intrepid was parked at the office or at our staffer's home. It left a not-so-pretty gouge and, of course, the culprit is a mystery. Our driver was irked by this incident, but wasn't sure what he could have done, other than "lean out of my eleventh story window with my .308 Enfield and keep constant watch from my vantage point across the street, but Wilshire Boulevard passersby or less-than-friendly LAPD might mistake my efforts as a valiant defense for one of the neighborhood's clock towers." No, officers, we don't want any of that. We'll just get the door fixed, thank you.

Our driver concedes that the Intrepid isn't glitzy enough or fast enough to turn one into a rock star or a race car driver, but it is comfortable and responsive, doing its job without a lot of fuss. He thinks Dodge has built a winner that looks and drives more expensive than it costs.

Total Odometer Reading: 35,124
Best Fuel Economy: 23.4 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 18.5 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

This photograph of the 1996 ESX concept car lent its sleek F-15ish styling to this version of our second-generation Intrepid. Veep Lev Stark admired the handiwork of this futuristic design, "Unlike my colleague in Florida who sees Intrepids all over the place, I, here in Los Angeles, still have no problem finding this unique car in a crowded parking lot of ordinary vehicles."

However, after he appreciated the distinctive exterior, it was clear to Lev that this styling was less than perfect. "The sleek design results in a steeply sloped windshield that causes glare which can be unbearable in the bright daylight. The plastic trim on the instrument panel is second-rate to that of the cars put out by Honda and Toyota."

As soon as he started the engine, it was clear that noise was going to be a problem. Engine racket wasn't that bad, but it became worse "when combined with the roaring road rumble and wind noise caused by exceeding any normal speed limit not in a school zone." This, combined with the interior design, makes it difficult for backseat passengers to hear what's being said in the front seat. Lev said, "This is good when one doesn't want the children to hear that Santa Claus is a farce but a nuisance when trying to tell your carjacker that you are running out of gas."

Lev discovered that the Intrepid's brakes are not adequate for a car this large; it takes too long to stop in an emergency. "I suggest owners of Intrepids pop a Fred Flintsone hole in the floor of their car and wear thick-soled shoes if they want to stop quickly."

The silliest thing on this car, reports Lev, has got to be the Autostick feature, which he thinks is catering to people "who want to feel cool without learning how to drive a real car."

Finally, we've had some wet weather in sunny SoCal and Lev reports it's time for a new set of windshield wiper blades.

Total Odometer Reading: 36,012
Best Fuel Economy: 25.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.5 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Costs: $0
Problems: None.

Taking a break from long trips, our Intrepid spent the month with VP "Low-Mileage" Lev. Having spent a few uneventful weeks commuting back and forth from home to work, averaging 20 miles per day, the only driving excitement our VP and Intrepid saw all month were a few rain storms. But as many of you may already know, a few drops on the L.A. pavement bring Angelinos to new heights of ineffectual driving. This of course means that our driver got to spend a disproportionate amount of time in stop-and-go traffic up and down the Santa Monica Freeway.

But this report is not an editorial about the competency, or lack thereof, of Los Angeles drivers (whose idea of a cold front is a mild breeze on a 65-degree day), rather this is a reflective report of our vehicle's stamina, performance and durability in its 24th month in our long-term fleet. Suffice it to say, having the in-dash CD player and the ever-so-funky Infinity speakers allowed our staff member to drown out the sounds of honks and rain and enjoy Shania Twain's latest CD.

The comment log noted that the vehicle's handling was sufficient in the inclement weather and dealt exceptionally well with turns. Its wide stance allowed for that hugging-road feeling we all appreciate in wet weather. Another note recorded a windshield-wiper-blade problem we already knew about and prompted us to replace the blades this month.

Our driver, who could be considered an automotive information ignoramus, does know how to drive and has had the luxury of piloting a cornucopia of vehicles during his 5-year tenure at Edmunds.com. He felt that in creating their uniquely-designed vehicle, the folks at Dodge might have forgotten some of the more practical issues of exterior design, namely, visibility. Without it, our driver found himself many-a-time leaving too much room in front or in back of cars parked on the street, prompting a note from a neighbor complaining about taking up two spots on the already overcrowded streets. This neighborly message affected Lev's paramount complaint with the Intrepid -- his inability to judge the size of the car while trying to park. He opined, "The small rear window, sloping front and inadequately small exterior mirrors make it quite difficult to see the extremities of the vehicle." His remarks echo similar comments from other staff members who've driven the Intrepid.

Accompanying Lev as a passenger on many occasions, his pregnant wife Amy also had a couple of issues with the Intrepid. "The doors kept bumping into curbs of average height making it impossible to open them and get out," said Amy. Let's face it people, with a trunk the size of Toledo, this vehicle was intended for people who will be traveling with a pregnant wife and potentially a little one or two in tow.

While we're on the subject of the trunk, our driver did have an interesting observation. He said, "The opening of the trunk is relatively small in comparison to its capacity. If you're looking to haul the groceries, it's perfect, but if you want to transport a small piece of furniture, as I did, you can't get it in." So, here's an Intrepid rule of thumb: If it's bigger than a breadbox, it probably won't fit in the trunk.

Lastly, both our driver and his wife enjoyed the comfort of the leather seats but did miss the lumbar support found in other vehicles, which is always helpful for a pregnant woman with lower back pain.

Total Odometer Reading: 36,935
Best Fuel Economy: 18.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 14.1 mpg
Body Damage: $0
Maintenance Cost: $11.77 for wiper blades
Problems: None.