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.