not a bad car for the money

I bought my stratus in 98 with 56k on it. I had been looking at hondas and other import sedans, but it was hard to find one that I could afford with under 90k miles. I cruised through the dodge dealer and was particularly drawn to the styling and the color. My V6-ES model has all the options on it including aluminum wheels and candy apple red paint. In my opinion, the exterior of the car is one of its strongest points. The low pointy front and high rear trunk make the car seem aggressive. The wheels are pushed out to the corners of the car which looks sporty to me. It is similar in design to the honda accord of that year yet it seems like dodge did a much better job with the styling.

The interior of the car is also designed well. The seat fabric and dash are done in black and gray which compliments the sporty exterior well. There is a ton of room both front and back and this car is extermely comfortable for 5 passangers and luggage. The seats have been criticized as being uncomfortable by auto magazines but i have found them to be nice for long trips. There are also lots of nice touches such as three cupholders in the dash, storage bins everywhere and clear legible gauges/ac controls. The cruise control is a particular favorite. The buttons on the steering wheel are more convenient than japanese designs and it holds speed well. This is a great long distance car. Finally, I like the fact that the trunk hinges articulate and do not intrude into trunk space. You can fill the trunk to the top and not worry about getting the lid closed.

I have been pleasantly suprised by the reliability of my car. I expected to have more problems from a domestic car, especially a chrysler. In my opinion, I have maintained the car very well. Other than routine maintenance such as brake pads, tires, oil changes, etc; very few things have gone wrong. The battery died at 70k miles and the entire gauge cluster had to be replaced at 100k miles. The gauge cluster was a $200 repair and seemed reasonable to me for a car with this kind of mileage on it. The 100,000 mile service recommended in the owner's manual is expensive; be warned. Timing belts, spark plugs, various filters and other minor things need to be replaced. This service was done by a private garage and took two days and cost $900 (this price included new brake pads though)

The car now has 123k miles on it and has held up well. The transmission no longer shifts as smoothly as it did when i got it, but this is a minor issue and probably due to normal wear and tear. The brakes on the stratus are strong and stop the car well, however, they warp within 20k miles. I am constantly replacing or turning my brake rotors to eliminate the pulsing. I do live in the mountains and drive the car hard, but i think that this may be a design issue. The interior trim also looks cheap in places and most interior parts simply snap on. A lot of manufacturers are guilty of making car interiors look cheap, it would be nice if dodge had spent a little more time and care in designing the interior trim. My car still consistently gets 26 mpg, with as much as 32 mpg on an interstate trip. The gas mileage seems to be really good for a V6 sedan of this size.

Overall, I would recommend the Stratus to someone who want a cheap sedan with a little flavor. This car is sporty and practical and seems less "frumpy" than a lot of other domestic sedans that are around the same price (contour, grand am, lumina). On the other hand, It would be nice to have the engineering and precision feel that Honda and Toyota offer. I do not regret buying my Stratus, as it has provided me lots of use for not a lot of money. Next time around, I will probably consider an import though.

*Update* April 9, 2003

I got rid of the stratus last summer at 125k. The transmission started making a grinding noise when at red lights. I bought a used Mitsubishi Galant before the transmission had the opportunity to quit working completely. Ironically, I still see the car here at college. . .amazing since i traded it in at a dealership near my home town nearly an hour and a half away. Anyway, it still looks damn good. I enjoyed my time with the stratus but by the end it had become a nuisance. The front suspension rattled like hell, the a/c quit working and the brake rotors were warped all the time. The exhaust also developed a leak at around 3,000 rpms and sounded like an old chevy cavalier. All in all the car felt about 3 times as worn out as my friends honda accord did at 210,000 miles. On the plus side, the interior trim, especially the driver's seat, did not show any wear at all.

I'm downgrading this car from four to three stars because it became embarrasing to drive around with the clunky suspension. Also, someone wanted me to comment what driving the car was like. It handled well but always felt heavy going down the road. The V6 lacked power below 3,000rpms and the transmission was slow to downshift. The ride was clunky and heavy too. . . it didn't absorb bumps too well and this was magnified by the suspension that clunked every time I hit a bump.

Now if i can find a nice used accord ex-V6, champagne with tan leather. . . for graduation. . .