AESTHETIC IMPRESSIONS

One of the things that I find very unique about this car is that it is a midsize sedan with style. Finding an exciting midsize car these days is becoming more and more difficult with Camry and Accord boring people everywhere with their bland styling. Especially when viewed from the front the Stratus carrys on the aggressive look of the Dodge nameplate. The front instrument panel and dash is very swoopy and curvy which is great for styling but unfourtinately creates the illusion of less space. Once you sit down though, you'll find that this car has the most interior and trunk space of any midsize sedan. Interior materials used are a bit on the cheap side when compared with similar cars and the overall comfort level of this car is rather low due to a stiff suspension. Therefore, I wouldn't recommend purchasing this car if you are who a person who demands pampering.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

I must say when I first drove the Stratus I was quite skeptical about how it would perform. After all the engine only produces an, average for its class, 150 horsepower. I also took the liberty of looking up some of the performance numbers in a variety of car magazines. I found such numbers to be only marginally impressive, but then I learned that numbers aren't everything. On my first drive I found the gas pedal to be extremely sensitive, jolting the car forwards or backwards suddenly at low speeds. After a bit of practice though the minor jolts stopped bugging me. Once I was accustomed to driving the car lightly, which was an average experience by the way, I began to test its performance limits. This is where Stratus begins to shine. I realized when you begin to spool up the 16V engine it takes off in no time. When the engine reaches about 3000rpm the tachometer rapidly proceeds to 6500rpm until the transmission downshifts. Within the 3000-6500rpm range the engine growls hard under heavy throttle in its unique exhaust note. What it also does is take the engine to a level beyond average feel and accelerates with a sudden jolt (not unlike the low speed one I experienced). From these tests I have concluded that the key to unlocking the potential of the 2.4L engine is to keep the revs high. I can usually achieve this by shifting into gear 3 instead of drive. Also, if anyone out there has a 2.4L Stratus with a 5-speed standard transmission I'd love to hear you impressions concerning its performance. The suspension in the Stratus is exciting too. It surprises me that Chrysler elected to place such a stiff suspension in a family sedan, but I certainly am in favour of the added sport-like dimension. Overall the numbers Stratus puts up may not impress the performance enthusiasts but it is so much fun to drive I am inclined not to care.

The engine compartment of my Stratus with Chrysler's 2.4L engine.

DODGE STRATUS POWERTRAIN
Engine type	DOHC I4
Size, liters/cu. in.	2.4/148
Valves	16V 4 valves/cylinder
Horsepower @ RPM	150@ 5200
Torque (lbs./ft.) @ RPM	167@ 4000
Engine Layout	transverse front-engine front-wheel drive
Transmission	4 speed auto. /w OD
EPA city/highway mpg	21/30