Stratus...A Good Buy
Written: Sep 06 '04 (Updated Jan 25 '05)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Reliability: |
 |
|
| Seat Comfort: |
|
|
| Build Quality |
|
|
| Roominess: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Ride Quality, Comfort, Trunk Space
Cons: Fuel Economy, Blind Spots
The Bottom Line: If you want to pay less and get more, this car is a great buy.
|
|
|
| toiletoctopus's Full Review: 2004 Dodge Stratus |
I have had my 2004 Dodge Stratus for over 4 months now, and I must say that it is worth every penny. My version of the Stratus is the SXT Coupe, which I purchased for $18,000. It has a 2.4 liter engine, which is manufactured by Mitsubishi Motors. The vehicle came with these features: 4 CD Disc Player AM/FM radio, Infinity Sound System, Alloy wheels with 16" tires, power windows, power locks, cruise control, rear spoiler, keyless remote entry with alarm, and cup holders.
The overall ride quality is excellent. The only problem is when you are driving 75mph, it feels like 50 mph. The ride is extremely smooth..any parents with baby's will appreciate this. The handling is superb as well, as it can bank around curves like a small car would. Performance in city driving is excellent as well..its no problem to take a quick u-turn. The factory installed Goodyear Eagle tires have no problems with gripping the surfaces of roads in even terrible weather.
The car comes with a 3 year warranty or 36,000 miles. (Whichever comes first.) The engines are either 2.4 litre, 2.7 liter, or 3.0 liter. The 3.0 is available on the RT package, which really moves. (It does cost more..about $22,000-$24,000 msrp for one of those Stratus models.) If you have a family, you can go for a four door. I have a baby, and it is a bit of a pain to put his carseat in my car, since its a 2 door.
There are 6 color schemes, from white to grey to red and black. The transmission is also made by Mitsubishi, which takes a lot of worry away, since Dodge used to have many problems in this department. The trunk in this car is huge..you can fit anything in there! The space in the trunk is much more than a comparably equipped Camry or Accord. The safety tests for this vehicle were excellent..it got 4 stars overall.
The only problems with this car are the fuel economy, and that is mostly because of how heavy the car is. (Over 3,000 lbs.) The EPA states the car gets 20mpg in the city, and 28 on the highway. I have kept track of the mileage, and the car gets 16 in the city, and 25 on the highway.(That is with the tires at proper pressure, and the car well maintained.) The other problem is the blind spot when looking back from the driver side. With this car, you have to get really used to the mirrors. However, the mirrors are in a good position, which helps with this little problem. Other than that I recommend this car to single people and families. Its a well designed car with an aggressive style grille on the hood, and can hold its own against the competition. There are many new rebates being offered by Dodge dealers, and this car is a gem!
Update 1/25/05: This is still a great car, but it does not do too well in snow. (Even though its front wheel drive) I still recommend it, but just be careful in winter weather. It tends to slip a bit, and doesn't handle quite as well in the white stuff as previously owned front wheel drive vehicles.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 18,000.000
Condition: New
Model Year: 2004
Model and Options: SXT Coupe
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.