Overview & Reviews

Value is a concept that conquers the affections of car buyers every time. Dodge knew this all too well, and made value a cornerstone of its strategy for the Dodge Intrepid, turning out an affordably priced car that offered a lot for less. It proved to be an astute move for the automaker. Introduced in 1993 and retired in 2004, the Intrepid distinguished itself as the division's best-selling car in many of its years on the market.

The word "intrepid" means fearless, and this Dodge proved to be just that when it came to its styling cues. Stodginess and full-size sedans go together like Seattle and pouring rain, but Dodge's designers set out to create an alternative that broke free of this mold. An innovative, "cabin-forward" layout resulted in a steeply raked windshield and short front and rear overhangs. The Intrepid's sculpted look (which became even more striking in second-generation models) didn't necessarily light everyone's fire, but it was, undeniably, a bold standout in a notoriously bland segment.

Practicality came via the Dodge Intrepid's spacious amenities. The Intrepid's cab-forward design and front-wheel-drive layout freed up considerable interior space, and the sedan could seat five adults in comfort as well as haul much of their luggage. Nimble handling was another of the car's assets; the Intrepid had the portly size of an operatic tenor, but you'd never know it from its impressive composure and agility. And Intrepid buyers enjoyed the car's power. Its athletic engines gave the car somewhat of a split personality, enabling it to cross the line from family sedan to value-priced sport sedan with ease.

Buyers had to make a few compromises. Materials quality and fit and finish within the cabin weren't up to snuff. Rearward visibility fell somewhat short, and its engines could get raucous when challenged. Still, a late-model Dodge Intrepid shines as a great pick in many respects for buyers seeking a used car that delivers when it comes to competent handling and capacious passenger and cargo room.

Most Recent Dodge Intrepid

The most recent Intrepid generation spanned model years 1998 through 2004. This car continued on the cabin-forward theme of its predecessor, but offered styling that was sleeker and almost coupelike. It also got an engine upgrade, with two new V6s beneath its hood.

This generation's early Dodge Intrepids were offered in two trims: base and ES. Base models featured air-conditioning, heated mirrors and cruise control. ES models added amenities like keyless entry and a power-adjustable driver seat. In 2000, a new trim, the R/T, joined the lineup. R/Ts catered to performance-oriented buyers, offering a sport-tuned suspension and traction control. The base trim became the SE trim in 2001, and the following year, a midlevel trim, the SXT, made its debut. SXT buyers got the same engine as that of the pricier R/T, without many of the performance features. That changed in 2003 when the R/T model was dropped; the SXT was given a performance upgrade that gave it many of the capabilities of the departed R/T.

Base Intrepids were powered by a 2.7-liter V6 good for 200 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque. ES models were available with either the base model's 2.7-liter or a 3.2-liter V6 capable of 225 hp and 225 lb-ft of torque. Intrepid R/Ts got their mojo from a 3.5-liter V6 producing 242 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque. In 2002, Dodge dropped the 3.2-liter engine; replacing it was a 234-hp version of the 3.5-liter V6. All Intrepid models came with a four-speed automatic transmission, and Dodge's "AutoStick" manual-shift feature came standard on the R/T.

A few tweaks were made to the car's appearance and feature content over the years. Chrome badging was added in 1999, along with improved floor carpeting. In 2000, base models got new seat fabric, child-seat anchors were also added, and an in-dash CD changer joined the options list on ES models. The following year, side airbags became available, as well as steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a four-disc in-dash CD changer. In 2003, the four-disc unit was replaced with a six-CD changer.

At the time, our editors were charmed by the Dodge Intrepid -- so much so that in 2000, it scored an Editors' Most Wanted award in the Large Sedan category. We liked the sedan's huge interior, gigantic trunk, communicative steering and pleasing balance of ride quality and handling ability. Cons included a propensity for wind and road noise, low-quality interior materials, disappointing fit and finish and poor outward visibility.

Past Dodge Intrepids

The first-generation Dodge Intrepid was built from 1993 to 1997. Two trims -- base and ES -- were offered. Initially, both were powered by a 3.3-liter V6 good for 153 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque; the engine saw power increases over the years, though, and by the time this generation drew to a close, it offered 161 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. A four-speed automatic transmission sent power to the car's front wheels. A more advanced 3.5-liter V6, producing 214 hp and 221 lb-ft of torque, was optional.

ABS was made standard in ES models in 1995, and traction control was added to the options list. Intrepids got upgrades to improve noise, vibration and harshness in 1996; the following year, the car benefited from an improved audio system and a refined transmission. At the time, this Intrepid scored good marks for its roomy interior and power from the optional 3.5-liter V6. Downsides included dubious build quality and weak headlight performance.

User Reviews:

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  Terribly Engineered Vehicle - 1995 Dodge Intrepid
  By msgolds - July 8 - 10:18 am

  I picked up this vehicle used for a good price. It initially didnt have many problems, but after a while I had a MAJOR problem with the electrical system where the airbag light will come on, the windows wont go up or down, and the heat a/c wont come on. This usually happened when it was hot out (which is precisely when you need the windows to go down and A/C on). I found out later that this was a common problem in this model, because all of these features are in a single circuit on the modular control unit. The cost to fix the problem is higher than the Book Value of the car, bc you need to change out the whole unit. Dont buy this car.

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  Stay away from this car - 2002 Dodge Intrepid
  By byrdnest - July 3 - 4:04 pm

  We bought this car with 57K miles on it. Most of our driving is highway driving. At about 122K the engine went. I noticed the oil light was on and immediately took it to my mechanic. Due to a poor oil pan design, oil sludge had built up in the engine. Chrylser was aware of the problem. If you get this car make sure you keep oil change records. I was reimbursed by Chrysler for about 1/3 of the cost of the engine replacement. It was very expensive to fix. We paid almost as much for the engine as we did for the car. I am car shopping right now and will not buy another Dodge product.

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  my 2000 intrepid 2.7L V6 automatic gets 20city 30hwy mpg - 2000 Dodge Intrepid
  By wolfmagic - July 2 - 10:55 pm

  my intrepid 2.7L V6 automatic 4-sp 202hp 244,000 kms continuously gets 20city 30hwy mpg - calculated many times since 2008 per: fillup, note odo, drive 3/4 tank, fillup at same exact pump, run formula. and thats with 2 passengers, a full trunk @70 lbs, a headlamp-sized hole in the front end causing drag, a/c on, rear windows 2" open for convertible effect, 70-80F, going 68-70mph on canadian hwy. city driving includes ample stops/lights/traffic. style is semi-aggressive aka giving-gas when in doubt to merge, overtake, make yellows, off the line, as necessary. i have to wonder if brutally cold winters somehow plays a role (its all the car has known)

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  My Intrepid Rocks - 1997 Dodge Intrepid
  By doctorsib - June 30 - 12:12 pm

  My 1997 Dodge Intrepid was my first car...I bought it for $2,000 and Ive had it for about 4 years. It just hit 200k miles and is still going strong! This car is fantastic...its fast enough (at least mine is) to keep up with other newer, sportier cars, has great handling, is a tank (some idiot sideswiped me when I was going about 35 mph...his whole bumper came off, and I got a little dent in my door), and is even decent in the snow and in icy conditions! Ive had to invest very little into the upkeep, replacing less than $1,000 worth of parts in the entire time Ive had it, excluding the cost of tires and oil changes. Extraordinarily reliable...=)

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  do not buy this car - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By knight1988 - May 25 - 10:11 pm

  I am a 21 year old. This is by far the worst car I have ever owned. The first year was okay, Purchase car 4/11/08 from 2 owner WITH 94K. Motor start go BAD 104K AND TRANS TOO ON 5\23\11. Also the power window motor went out 3 time. Water pump went bad too. service and change oil and fluids every 1500 miles. First, the car started burning oil too fast. I was putting about 3 quarts of oil in it every weeks. Daimler-Chrysler should be ashamed of this 2.7L engine. i will never buy dodge again

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  I LOVE THIS CAR - 1998 Dodge Intrepid
  By bsten - May 14 - 10:20 pm

  I love this car, correction.. I loved her. She was by far the hardest car I have to replace. She kept running way past 255,000 miles. But sadly, she was rear ended and considered totaled. Its been so hard to find a vehicle with all these options she had, such as the overhead console that told me my mpg and temp outside, I loved the leather seats and how big she was. The gas mileage was actually really great, the acceleration was nice and everything worked really well! I barely had any issues with her, maybe put $300 in her with the three years I had her (my parents owned her prior to me). The looks of this car was nice, sleek and clean. (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (:

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  Looks will last, not performance - 1999 Dodge Intrepid
  By ifilmlife - May 10 - 8:31 pm

  This car was bought new in 99 by my mother. The car was passed to me in 2006. Since then, every little thing went wrong. First, the car started burning oil too fast. I was putting about 3 quarts of oil in it every 2 weeks. Then the cam sensor and starter went bad, causing the car to stall. They were replaced but 5 months later the same problem arose. Soon after I was putting 3 quarts of oil every 3 days. It could not survive trips longer than 2 hrs. Tire rod problems caused tires to wear down quickly. Finally the cover to the part you put oil exploded while driving. It died at 160k miles, I will admit it was poorly maintained but still lasted 12 years.

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  The only car Ill buy now! - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By alimay23 - March 19 - 10:05 am

  Absolutely love it! I bought it three years ago and now it has over 200,000 miles on it. Still runs like it was brand new. I havent had any problems with the engine. Everything is original. It sat for over a year due to having no license and the only thing that had to be replaced was the battery. I have heard that if you dont look for a specialist of this type of car you are dooming yourself. I live in the very bad wintering midwest. It runs awesome in the snow. I have driven on ice covered and completely snow covered rodes. Of all the many cars Ive had this is my favorite!!!!!

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  The plan was good. - 1994 Dodge Intrepid
  By sprog - February 11 - 12:25 am

  Started having quite a few problems with it after about 100k miles - A/C would only work at certain times (never could figure it out), as well as quite a few other things. Poor paint job - it was actually tan, but would show up sort of purple at night. Kind of neat, but it started flaking off. Had cooling problems with it as well.

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  Touchy, but reliable and fun to drive - 2001 Dodge Intrepid
  By inconsumer2011 - January 31 - 10:08 am

  As of now, over 205,000 miles on original engine and transmission. Car is touchy due to hit and runs, and the lack of real bumpers. The painted plastic bumpers immediately missalign and the paint cracks. Car runs fine, except for normal wear and tear, no issues (yet) considering the bad engine reputation. But we keep up the maintenance and dont let an unknown kid touch our car. Too many specifics. Did you know that there is a second transmission fluid compartment which has to be drained and filled seperately from the main transmission? See? Gas mileage is great for a car this size, on the highway going the speed limit of course we get 28 miles, city and short distance drips 15.