Hi. I've been considering Chryslers (mostly Dodges) as my first car and someone on the forums turned me toward the Stratus. I was wondering what you guys (who owned or own a Stratus or its counterparts) think of the car. Are there certain years or engine options I should look for or avoid? Are all model years/generations decent or junk?

 

Depends on what you have to spend. I got my daughter a Stratus for her first car but it was only because I got a 2002 with 78K miles on it for $500. I immediately put about $1000 into it and now the power window stopped working again and the PCM needs to be replaced....maybe.

I have owned 3 Nissan's and of them 2 were Altimas. These cars are solid and neither one have had any problems at all. Of course...I bought them new so know the maintenance history.

My daughter loves her car.....just need to fix it again and I am sure that we'll get another 100K miles out of it. A/C still works so all is good.

 

To avoid, would be the 2.7 engine. It's known to sludge up even with proper maintance. That said, it's a great engine if you use synthetic early on and stay with it, keeping up on the oil changes. So if you see one with a good traceable history, great. If it's unknown or shows numerous skipped oil changes, it's something to avoid.

 

- I'm sorry, but I won't buy a Nissan unless it's absolutely the best option I have. I hate the look of most Nissans. Most Stratuses or similar cars are fairly cheap no matter what year they are, so I'm just finding out what the best and worst options are before I seriously think about buying.

- I'll remember that engine and keep it in mind when I'm car shopping. Thanks!

 

Just an example. Still don't know what your price range is.

 

If the owner has documented maintaince on the car or you know the owner, I wouldn't hesitate. If you don't, then it is 50/50.

I know to stay away from the 2.7 v6 engine. The only thing it is good for is a boat anchor.

Make sure to keep the transmission fluid clean. Drop the pan, change the filter and gasket and refill with ONLY atf+4 transmisson fluid.

Other than that, it is like any other car on the upkeep. We have 162k+ on ours. and it knocks down 25mpg constantly.

 

I would recommend the Stratus, Cirrus, or Breeze from 1995-2000. Those seem to be the most reliable and bang for your buck. However, finding a car that is roughly 17 years old with low miles is going to be a challenge. I still have our 1998 model Stratus and it has 265,296 miles on it. It's finally getting an overhual but should last a good long while.

 

The 2.7 is only junk when not maintained. I am meticulous with mine and its at 110k of hard abuse. My friends RT sedan has 197k on the 2.7 5-speed and it still runs like new.

The coupes are just rebadged eclipses. They're pretty good cars. The 3.0 is a 24v varient of my 12v in my acclaim and it has been very reliable. I have 190k on it and it needs nothing, so I'm figuring on another 100k out of it.

 

And most people do not keep the 2.7 maintained (much less most cars out there). I'd take a 2.4 or 3.0 over the 2.7 in a heart beat.