Overview & Reviews

Introduced in the mid-'90s, the Dodge Stratus was a replacement for the aging and boxy Spirit. It was one of three sedans based on Chrysler's "JA" platform, including the Plymouth Breeze and Chrysler Cirrus. Among these triplets, the Stratus was touted as the sportiest, and it took the role as the midsize car in Dodge's lineup.

The first-generation Dodge Stratus was known mostly for its sharp styling, roomy interior and value. Dodge followed it up with a redesigned model for the start of the new millennium that featured additional safety equipment and a more powerful V6 engine. A coupe model also debuted.

The Stratus had a decent run but ultimately never achieved the superstar status that Dodge had hoped for. In terms of refinement, build quality and reputation for reliability, it couldn't match top import models. Production ended after the second generation. As a used sedan or coupe, the Stratus is a fair choice. Consumers prioritizing price or exterior styling might find it worth a look.

Most Recent Dodge Stratus

The second and last generation of the Dodge Stratus covered model years 2001-'06. Sedan and coupe body styles were offered. Mechanically, there is a fair amount of difference between the two. The Stratus coupe (formerly known as the Avenger) was actually based on the Mitsubishi Eclipse of the time and differed from its Japanese cousin mainly in its sheet metal. The Stratus sedan was still a Chrysler design.

A large trunk and fairly roomy interior, thanks to Chrysler's "Cab Forward" design philosophy, were two of the Stratus sedan's strong points. Another was the car's handling -- it felt sportier than many other mid-priced, midsize sedans of the time. Even so, most used Stratus shoppers will likely be attracted mainly by the price, as the cars haven't really held their value the way Japanese sedans of the same size would. The Stratus coupe could be a good buy for someone who wants a comfy, V6-powered coupe as opposed to a small, high-strung sports car.

In general, coupes were available in base SXT and sporty R/T versions. Sedans came in base SE, midgrade SXT, luxury-oriented ES and R/T guise. Stratus coupes were powered by a 2.4-liter inline-4 producing 147 horsepower; R/T versions had a 3.0-liter V6 rated at 200 ponies. Both engines could be had with either a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission.

The sedans had Chrysler engines. Some models were fitted with a 150-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder, but most had a 200-hp 2.7-liter V6. All sedans came with a four-speed automatic transmission.

Past Dodge Stratus Models

The first generation Dodge Stratus was available from 1995-2000. The sedan (there was no coupe) was originally offered in two trim levels: base and slightly more luxurious ES. Base models had a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine making 132 hp. Optional was a larger 2.4-liter making 150 hp. For the ES, Dodge offered a 168-hp, 2.5-liter V6.

There were no major changes to this generation, so potential buyers shouldn't feel a need to focus on any particular year. At the time, the Stratus earned high marks for its edgy styling and larger-than-expected interior and trunk.

User Reviews:

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  Great First Car - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By michaela96 - July 3 - 9:09 am

  I bought this 15 year old car for $1500. It had 180K on it but still runs smoothly. It handles great and should last anyone a long time so long as they keep up the maintenance and do repairs as needed. Before when I thought of the brand "Dodge", the first thing that came to mind was gas guzzling trucks. To my surprise this car gets pretty good gas mileage. Ive had it over a month now and I love it. My goal is to get it to last me through this winter with out having any major problems.

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  this car is garbage worst investment ever - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By whitesoxman61 - June 8 - 4:46 pm

  this car has been nothing but a nightmare to own i am a person that likes to do maintenance on my own but thats pretty much impossible. the water pump is on the inside of the engine and costed me $800 to get replaced, the thermostat is on the bottom of the engine and requires you to remove the alternator, battery is located inside the wheel well and you have to remove the tire and splash guard to get to it, just about anything you work on with this car will take 2 times longer than a normal car it was built A$$ backwards i would not tell anyone to buy this car unless they have a LOT of time and money on their hands to fix it.

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  Great Value Midsize Sedan - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By jklag11 - May 27 - 9:27 am

  Bought my 2005 Dodge Stratus SXT Sedan 2 years ago with 64,000 miles on it. Just passing 85,000 miles now and have not had a single repair yet. Bought the car for about $5,000 less than a same-year Camry or Accord, and have not regretted that decision once. Besides the fact that the Stratus is far and away more attractive than either, it has a much more spacious interior and has very good handling for a mid-2000s midsize sedan. My only complaint to date has been that I tend to drive more city than highway, and have never been able to meet either the EPA (22 mpg) or Edmunds predicted (19 mpg) city ratings. Otherwise, very happy with my Stratus!

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  I will miss this car! - 2004 Dodge Stratus
  By bgoodrich - May 4 - 1:36 pm

  I owned this car for 7 years and put 165,000 miles on it. I never had a mechanical problem with it ever. It was fast enough, but what I liked the most was the handling. I never thought there was a curve I couldnt take without minimal braking. This car alo had exceptional top-end passing ability. If you ever neede to go from 70-80 mph quickly, you could depend on the Stratus R/T to do it. I got a lot of compliments on the cars appearance and it was nice to be the only person I know to have one. I cant believe they didnt sell more of these. I really cant put into words how much I enjoyed this car. I will miss her greatly.

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  Many Miles and Many Repairs - 1998 Dodge Stratus
  By clintonanthony - March 9 - 1:52 pm

  I bought my car in 2006 with 80k on it. Needed to immediately replace water pump and deal with leaking oil pan. It is now 2013, so its been a fairly okay car for me to get it over 150,000 miles. I need to junk the car now, because its no good. I live in PA and the bottom of the car is completely rusted out, rocker panels are covered up with rivits and tin. Ive tried to frequently wash the car to avoid this, but it was inevitable. My frame is soft and wont pass another inspection. I would have liked to of got more than 150k out of the car, but its not going to happen.

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  dodge stratus se coupe 2001 the truth about it - 2001 Dodge Stratus
  By onlythetruth - March 2 - 4:15 am

  good things :when i am driving my car,it is as fast as new cars,never behind them,most time in front of. aceleration brilliant,you will be really surprised about it.really fun to drive.edmunds said the truth about it. brakes enough good,4 discs. engine sounds excelent,trunk huge for a coupe car .rear seats very comfortable,they look like sedan seats ,not like the caracteristics coupe little seats.sound sistem enough good.i reproduce music with my phone and sounds powerful.and the last good thing,the car looks really nice for 2001. and now the bad details,,the front bumper is too low,and sometimes hit the front line when i am parking, and the last one, turning ratio is not so good

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  A Great Purchase - 2005 Dodge Stratus
  By mason_mm - February 10 - 8:11 pm

  This is my 5th car in 3 years needless to say, I have terrible luck with cars. However, this puppy was the best decision Ive ever made with cars. The engine has good get up and go, the clutch is pleasantly shallow and the performance overall is great for a 4-cyl. The interior is great- the special edition with 2-tone leather is a great touch. The exterior design is the best Dodge/Chrysler had done in a long time, and I dont think any of their newer vehicles even look as good. If they still made these, I would buy one again and again.

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  Perfect car - 2002 Dodge Stratus
  By raypierce - November 18 - 9:52 am

  This is a great little car. The dirty little secret is that the Stratus R/T coupe is built on the Eclipse GTS platform. So you get the American muscle body lines, with the Japanese reliability. I bought this car used at 100K miles, and it now has 210K miles with 0 problems. These are really built rock solid. Performance is also great and the suspension is a lot beefier than the eclipse. Please note, that these cars are completely different from the sedans. Which were built by Dodge. The only downside is that these cars are very rare. If you want a Stratus R/T coupe in manual....you are going to have a hard time finding one, since according to Dodge they built only 750 of these per year.

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  Stay Away!!!! No quality at all!! Money Pit!! - 2000 Dodge Stratus
  By wes41 - October 29 - 12:45 pm

  I bought it w/ 171000 miles on it. it didnt run for long cause it needed some sensors. the previous owner had already replaced the spark plugs and wires,fuel filter,fuel pump,timing belt,and supposedly the transmission in order to fix the problem. i replaced the crankshaft position sensor, and the throttle position sensor. then while i was driving it home i noticed that it wouldnt shift gears, the brakes sucked, the a/c didnt work, the front windows wouldnt role down, and the radio didnt work well. i also found out that the radiator fans would never turn on so the engine never cooled down. after i got it running good, the engine started cutting out again and needed a camshaft sensor..

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  206,000 miles a good solid car - 2003 Dodge Stratus
  By mopar350 - October 25 - 10:22 pm

  I bought this car with 50,000 miles on it six years ago. so far I have only done some normal maintance. changed timing belt twice and front brake pads once. now at 206,000 mile mark i have had to change one front wheel bearing. and the transmission is slipping. would have lasted longer if i had changed the fluid and filter like i should have. i have beat this car into the ground and it is still going. i put 36,000 to 40,000 miles a year on this car for the last three years. so i will be putting a transmission in it and keep on driveing it. and i plan on driveing it till the body rusts away. i live in south carolina and there is no rust on it yet so i will be driveing this car for a long time