The satin-finish metal accents and wood-like trim give the interior an elegant touch, as does the silver-ringed, old-fashioned style clock tucked into a recess in the top-center of the dash. The woodgrain looks better than it feels, however, as do the expanses of textured plastic panels, which are hard to the touch and replete with seams that pose threats of squeaks and buzzes as the miles rack up. Where there's padding, it's noticeably thin. The symmetry of shapes and simplicity of features and controls for stereo, air conditioning and navigation system are pluses that partially counter some of the questionable elements.
Front seats are supportive, with adequate bottom and side bolsters for the Aspen's intended use. The fabric upholstery is more comfortable than the somewhat stiff leather. The pivot point for the front seatbacks' recline is positioned above the seat bottom, much like the seats on those regional commuter jets, where to recline in the seat requires sliding one's posterior forward on the bottom cushion, which effectively shortens the seat bottom and reduces thigh support.
The laid-back windshield pushes the dash and with it the steering wheel close enough to the driver that the adjustable pedals are strongly recommended to permit a short-stature driver to sit far enough from the steering wheel to maintain the minimum, safety-related, recommended distance between the driver's chest and the steering wheel airbag. And the dead pedal against which drivers might want to brace their left foot while navigating sharp turns is somewhere up near the front bumper and useless for anybody not as tall as, say, Lebron James.
The low roofline limits visibility from the inside. The tinted rear glass enhances the image on the rear-seat entertainment system's drop-down video screen, but limits the driver's view somewhat. When deployed, the rear-seat video screen reduces visibility through the rearview mirror.
The steering wheel and gas pedal transmit an irritating buzz to the driver's hands and right foot. Something in the underpinnings sends vibrations up through the floor. And at any setting above the lowest, the air conditioning fan emits a coarse noise that gnaws at the edges of the stereo's otherwise quite impressive sounds.
Second-row legroom is limited and trails the competition (Ford Expedition, Chevy Tahoe, GMC Yukon, Nissan Armada, Toyota Sequoia) by one to four inches. Knee room for back-seat riders is cramped when the front seat is comfortably positioned for a 6-foot driver. Getting in and out of the second row is easy. The back doors swing open a welcoming 84 degrees and leave space enough in their lower reaches for all but NBA-size shoes.
The third-row seats compare well with the competition. The flop-and-flip second-row seats make access to the third row easy. In headroom, the Aspen's back row tops all but the Sequoia. Its legroom handily bests all but the Expedition. Hiproom and foot room in the third row is relatively tight, however, especially in the center position, the automotive equivalent to the center seat in the back of a plane.
Cargo space is aplenty. With the third row folded, the Aspen's 68.4 cu. ft. of cargo tops the competition. Fold and flip everything behind the front seat and the Aspen's 102.4 cu. ft. is average when compared with the other full-size SUVs.
Cubby storage is about par for the class. Each row of seats gets at least two cup holders. The front doors have fixed, hard plastic map pockets. The backside of the driver's seat has a pouch for magazines. The glove box is adequate, but the undamped door can crack the shins of an unwary front passenger. The front center console lid is hinged on the right-hand side, making access difficult for the front seat passenger.
Aspen has imported some features from the German side of the DaimlerChrysler family. One is tip start, which requires only a twist and release of the key to start the engine. Another is a one-touch lane-change function on the turn signals, where touching and releasing the lever produces three blinks of the turn light. The third is a setting in the driver's personalization settings that turns on the windshield wipers whenever the headlights are on, a useful feature for drivers living in states where that's required by law.
