Full Test: 2001 Dodge Stratus

Dodge's tagline now reads "Different." For all us ignoramuses, they even spell it out for us: "D-I-F-F-E-R-E-N-T." Somehow, this calls to mind a commercial of yore for Nuprin, in which a black-and-white figure holds a tiny yellow capsule; the voice-over states "Little. Yellow. Different. Better." Better, of course, is implied, since difference for difference's sake can sometimes backfire; how many times were you thrilled to hear your blind date described as "Uh, well, he's, uh, different"?

Debuting in 1995, the Stratus was supposed to snuggle in nicely between the compact Neon and the larger Intrepid. And, with a certain amount of hubris, Dodge hoped that it would be different enough to garner attention away from other excellent entrants in the glutted family sedan market. A lofty goal, to be sure — the Toyota Camry/Honda Accord would not readily relinquish their title of being the best-selling cars in America. With little to offer (other than a spacious cabin and rakish good looks) to lure shoppers of family cars, however, the Stratus proved to be only a moderate hit, with most of them ignominiously ending up in rental car fleets.

For the 2001 model year, the Stratus lineup benefits from a new platform and is composed of a sedan and coupe that have little in common but a nameplate; the coupe shares underpinnings with the Mitsubishi Eclipse. The coupes are, in fact, engineered by Mitsubishi and manufactured in Illinois. The sedan, on the other hand, was designed by Chrysler and assembled in Michigan, alongside its twin, the Chrysler Sebring sedan.

Dodge wants its iteration of the affordable family sedan to differ from competitors in that it appeals to the buyer who'd fancy a little pizzazz with an otherwise functional vehicle. To that end, Dodge has made available a 2.7-liter V6 engine with a 200-horsepower and 192 foot-pound torque output, which is respectively 32 and 22 more than the previous 2.5-liter V6 powerplant, and made refinements to ride and handling characteristics. We snagged a Stratus SE sedan to see if they've succeeded.

Its exterior is indeed different. Short front and rear overhangs contribute to a sporty, aggressive stance, and the signature crosshair grille and the headlamps (which Dodge claims is inspired by the brutish Viper) give the Stratus its masculine Dodge characteristics. Its silhouette betrays its lineage from the Intrepid "squished whale" school of design, with its cab-forward design and flowing, sloping lines. While some of us lauded its "differentness" and aerodynamic appearance, others thought it overwrought. It's certainly a departure from the standard, boxy shapes that usually define a family sedan, and it has its own quirky appeal.

Those cars, most notably similarly priced Honda Accords, Toyota Camrys and Chevrolet Malibus, are powered by engines with less horsepower output than the powerplant of the Stratus (150, 136 and 170, respectively). Our Dodge was equipped with a 200-horsepower V6 engine (an $800 option on the SE model) that allowed the car to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds. Crisp gearshifts from the four-speed automatic helped matters plenty in on-road driving. The churlish growl emitted from the powerplant in the upper rpm ranges is quite different from your refined, silent Japanese engines, but we thought it viscerally satisfying. Others may find it, combined with the somewhat excessive tire rumble coming from the Goodyear Eagle P205/65TR15 tires, to be intrusive. If you step up to the ES trim, you'll get an automanual transmission, which allows manual selection of gears, but we found the regular tranny to be perfectly adequate in most driving situations.

Dodge claims that Stratus is the sportier of the Stratus/Sebring twins, with a 13 percent reduction in body twist and 33 percent reduction in chassis bending over the old car it replaces. Verily, the family sedan had the unexpected bonus of giving satisfactory performance during a downhill twisty run on our favorite canyon road, its chassis remaining surprisingly tight and composed during spirited driving. Credit the suspension system, which has a standard multilink setup in the rear and unequal-length control arms in the front, which are arguably better at keeping the tires planted to the road than the struts utilized by most of the other cars in the midsize family sedan category.

However, during regular street driving, most drivers found it to be wallowy after traversing road anomalies, as it porpoised awhile after hitting a series of expansion joints. It also transmits road bumps with more harshness into the cabin than your typical family sedan, and those ferrying easily irritable passengers may want to veer toward the more softly sprung Chrysler Sebring.

Fun on curvy roads was further complemented by a quick-acting steering rack with nice weighting off-center. However, the rack provided no feel or communication from the road, but then again, neither do most other family sedans. Although a moderate amount of torque steer invaded point-and-shoot accuracy, it didn't make its presence unduly felt.

The brake pedal, on the other hand, offered good feedback and was easy to modulate. Stopping power is supplied via a four-wheel disc setup, again a pleasant surprise at a price point which usually offers cars with rear drums. Our test model was equipped with the optional ABS, which aided in achieving a stopping distance of 130 feet, average for this type of vehicle. While hard braking was accompanied by an excessive amount of nosedive, the vehicle remained fairly stable.

Interior fit and finish, was, to the eye, very well executed. However, all of our drivers noted squeaks and rattles emanating from an unidentifiable source in the dash. It would all be well and fine, except that our test vehicle had a mere 1,500 miles on the odometer. "Typical American build quality," groused our drivers, saying that it, more than anything, marred the experience of driving what is otherwise a perfectly decent car. On the exterior, wide panel gaps detracted from a buttoned-down look, especially from the hood to the grille, although variances in the width of the panels throughout the car were relatively minor.

From the driver seat, we appreciated nice touches like the handsome white-faced gauges, but most were turned off by the excessive use of fake plastic wood that we lovingly refer to as "plood." Covering the seats is a comfortable velour, as comforting and cushy as a hug from Oprah. The power front seats, a $380 option, allowed for various-sized editors to be content, and we found them to be comfortable for long-distance drives. From the front seats, a well-known Dodge complaint surfaced, namely the excessively thick A-pillar that creates a sizeable blind spot. Furthermore, with side mirrors that are on the smallish side, we really had to make an effort not to sideswipe the cars around us.

Once we reminded ourselves that this is an economy-priced family car, the interior became much more appealing. The climate is set via three easy-to-use rotary knobs, and the stereo is your run-of-the-mill Chrysler radio and tape deck setup with no CD player, eliciting familiar grumbles of having to push the "set" button before you can preset the radio, and teensy balance and fade controls. Otherwise, the interior will appeal to the ascetic, with a minimum of fuss and muss.

Rear-seat passengers will find their accommodations meager, with no seat back pockets or anything akin to storage space save for a couple of cupholders, but at least they'll have plenty of space in which to writhe, with 38.1 inches of legroom. Shoulder space is a bit tight, however, so the flat, bench-like seat will be more comfortable for two than three. Headroom and toe space is also on the tight side, at least for full-sized adults.

Opening up the trunk reveals 15.7 cubic feet of storage space. Very generous, but loading your luggage will be impeded by the high sill and narrow opening. The 60/40 split seats can be folded, but doing so won't create a flat floor — expect to have to maneuver your bulky items to make them fit. Pleasurably unexpected in a car of this class were gas-strut-type hinges that won't crush your fragile items.

While the Stratus is not segment-defining, Dodge has created a highly likeable alternative to the mega-powers who control the family sedan segment. The Stratus may lack the refinement and manners of its imported competitors (although some of our editors who are disquieted by Japanese precision found its "American" quirks comforting, you know, kind of like how The Fonz preferred down-home Pinky Tuscadero to a hoity-toity society girl), but its brisk engine, standard and optional goodies and raffish styling should have most buyers pleasantly surprised at this low-cost package. It's roomier and more powerful than its American brethren, and thousands less than comparatively equipped Japanese sedans. Plus, we're hearing of generous rebates and incentives, which would further lower the price.

Hey, it is different. And better.