Standard LX convenience features included air conditioning, an AM/FM/cassette audio system, tilt steering, cruise control, power heated mirrors, power windows and power door locks with remote keyless entry. On the safety front dual driver and passenger side airbags were standard, as was a manually adjustable driver's seat height feature, important in improving visibility for shorter folks. A 4-wheel ABS system and fog lights rounded out the list.
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| Standard features on the Cirrus included air conditioning, cruise control, heated mirrors, power windows and locks, plus dual airbags. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
The LXi trim package added leather seats, a leather steering wheel, power driver's seat, sport suspension, alarm system, alloy wheels, a power antenna and premium audio system.
While not a driver's car in the strict sense of the word, the Cirrus delivered spirited performance. Its handling was better than any of its domestic competition but highway ride suffered slightly as a result, being a little noisier and rougher than some of its competitors.
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| From 1995 to 2000 the Cirrus engine range produced as little as 132-hp with the 2000 2.0-L LX model to a fairly robust 168-hp found in the 1996 through 2000 2.5-L V6 LXi model. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler) |
Its 2.5-L Mitsubishi supplied V6 offered 164-hp and 163 lb-ft of torque in 1995, easily enough to move the 1,427 kg (3,145 lb) sedan along at a brisk pace. The 150-hp 2.4-L 4-cylinder base engine that came along the following year included an impressive 167 lb-ft of torque, and performed quite as well while offering only a modicum of improvement in fuel economy. That same model year, 1996, the 2.5-L V6 came only in the LXi model and delivered a more substantial 168-hp and 170 lb-ft of torque. The base LX model was the only model available in 1998 in Canada, while in the U.S. only the upscale LXi was offered in 1998 and 1999. In 2000, when a new 132-hp 2.0-L 4-cylinder with 129 lb-ft of torque became available, the both models were was available again. While more efficient, the 2.0-L engine hardly delivered enough fuel savings to compensate for its dramatic reduction in power.