Dodge Stratus Coupe

Dodge Stratus Coupe Models

Two trim levels are available for the Dodge Stratus coupe, SE and R/T.

Stratus SE comes equipped with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, and a choice between five-speed manual and optional four-speed automatic.

Stratus R/T comes standard with a 3.0-liter single-cam V6, which delivers 200 horsepower. The V6 mates either to the standard five-speed manual or a four-speed AutoStick automatic; AutoStick provides no-clutch shifter control.

Dodge makes the V6 available as an option for the Stratus SE. Active safety equipment includes ABS, available with the manual transmission, and ABS with Traction Control, available with the automatic.

Standard equipment on the Stratus SE includes air conditioning and power windows, mirrors and door locks. The V6-powered R/T adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel and premium sound system with cassette deck and CD player.

Driving the Dodge Stratus Coupe

With its confident road manners, the Stratus creates a feeling of mechanical hardware working in harmony. Its ride quality is smooth, yet stiff enough to make the Sebring feel nimble in curves. It's quick to respond to steering input, deftly changing lanes.

Suspension components are the same for both SE and R/T editions, but the wheels and tires differ. SE has 16-inch wheels with P205/55HR16 tires; R/T uses 17-inch wheels with wider P215/50HR17 tires. The larger tires feel more aggressive when turning, and ultimately improve the coupe's agility.

Those suspension components include front MacPherson struts with lower A-arms. Shock tower bracing increases chassis rigidity. In back, upper A-arms combine with lower lateral and semi-trailing links and coil springs. Anti-roll bars, which reduce body lean in corners, are standard. Hard driving reveals the new front suspension design results in less precision when charging through a hard turn, but it provides better straight-line stability and a smoother ride quality. The tires offer good grip, but generate a hissing sound at highway speeds.

Stratus SE is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a single overhead cam, four valves per cylinder and sequential multi-point fuel injection. Output reaches to 147 horsepower (with a manual transmission, 142 with an automatic). That's good enough to beat the base engine in the Toyota Solara, and comes close to matching the power of Honda's Accord. The four-cylinder engine feels energetic through all the gears, but it works hard to do so. To maximize the power you must run the revs high, and it gets a bit noisy in the upper rev range.

Brisk acceleration performance is a big part of the attraction of the Stratus R/T. Its 3.0-liter single-cam V6 develops 200 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 205 foot-pounds of torque at just 4500 rpm. That's as much or more power than other V6 competitors. Nail the throttle and the R/T goes, whether starting from the gate or overtaking a slower car. When cruising, the engine produces a sporty exhaust note pleasing to enthusiasts. Overall, the Stratus R/T character is somewhere between a pony car (Camaro, Mustang) and a more refined Japanese coupe.

The standard five-speed manual is a short-throw stick that moves effortlessly fore and aft, with smooth clutch engagement and easy up-shifts. The optional four-speed automatic contains an adaptive controller tied to a computer that quickly learns a driver's habits and manipulates shift patterns to suit the driving style. Take it easy and this one interprets that style by shifting gently at relatively low engine speed. Stomp it and it stays in gear longer for better acceleration performance. Tackle a long downhill descent and it drops down a gear to add engine braking. With the AutoStick, you can slide the automatic shift lever into manual mode for shift-it-yourself entertainment without having to pump a clutch pedal.

The R/T comes with four-wheel disc brakes that bring it to a quick stop. Slam on the brakes and optional ABS steps in to prevent wheel lockup, helping you maintain steering control in an emergency braking maneuver. SE coupe comes with rear drum brakes, and ABS is not an option. Traction control, available on R/T automatics, is useful to reduce front wheel spin when accelerating on wet pavement.