Test Drive -- Chevrolet Caprice Wagon -- New Performance Marks Update Of This Big Wagon

Chevrolet is making one big, long bet - the 18-foot-long Caprice station wagon - that minivans have not killed station wagons.

Like the sedan, the station wagon has been restyled for 1991, and although it is not an entirely new vehicle, some substantial improvements have been made.

Gone are the Caprice's sharp, wind-snagging edges, replaced by a new aerodynamic shape that greatly reduces noise. The floaty suspension is also more tightly controlled.

In short, General Motors Corp. engineers have ended the old story of the wind and the wallows.

The interior does not quite match the price tag, unfortunately. One suspects that is part of the GM Master Marketing Plan under which consumers who want a more elegant, upscale look must buy the Oldsmobile or Buick version of the wagons.

The driving controls are easy to find and use, but the heating and ventilation controls had a balky, cheap feel, as did the door locks.

The front seats are comfortable, but the middle row needs a longer seat cushion. Also, despite the Caprice's enormous external dimensions, there really is not an abundance of leg-room for adults back there. There is a fold-down third seat, but that is best reserved for children.

Although most of the Caprice's mechanical underpinnings are unchanged, GM's engineers deserve credit for making it a far more pleasant car to drive.

The old wandering-star steering has been reworked with the radical result that the driver gets some feel for what the car is doing.

The once-Capricious suspension also has been revised, although the Caprice still lacks an independent rear suspension, but the handling is quite acceptable.

The Caprice remains rear-wheel drive, and Chevrolet claims the wagon will tow 2,000 pounds.

Chevrolet has also gone to fuel injection for the 5-liter V-8 engine, which is rated at 170 horsepower at 4,200 revolutions per minute. Coupled with a four-speed automatic, the powertrain matches the Caprice wagon's character: smooth and civilized. The acceleration is on the leisurely side if the wagon is carrying four adults, but it is acceptable.

-- TEST DRIVE POLICY: Test drives are done by nationally recognized auto writers supplied by Times news services. Christopher Jensen is automotive writer for The Cleveland Plain Dealer.

REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK

1991 CAPRICE

WAGON

Four-door

station wagon

FUEL ECONOMY

16 mpg city

25 mpg highway

BASE PRICE

$17,875

DRIVE

Rear-wheel

TRANSMISSION

4-speed automatic

FUEL ECONOMY

16 mpg city

25 mpg highway

OBSERVATIONS

-- Major standard equipment

Air conditioning, anti-lock brakes, AM-FM stereo, driver's-side air bag, tinted glass, power steering, all-season radials, intermittent windshield wipers.

-- Dimensions

Wheelbase: 115.9 inches

Overall length: 217.3 inches

Curb weight: 4,354 lbs.

-- Options

Power windows and door locks, AM-FM-cassette stereo, six-way power seat for driver, cruise control, tilt steering wheel, power antenna, electric outside side mirrors. Also available: ``custom cloth'' front seat with 55-45 split, electric rear window defogger and heated side mirrors, automatic load-leveling rear suspension, limited slip differential, trailering package.