2003 Dodge Stratus Driving Impressions Review at Automotive.com
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Dodge
Stratus
2003

2003 Dodge Stratus Review: Road Test

Below is a full, detailed 2003 Dodge Stratus review and road test from New Car Test Drive. A full evaluation of price, equipment, the driving experience, and specs are all here in a structured, easy-to-navigate format from journalists with limitless ...     read more
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2003 Dodge Stratus Review

Muscle car flavor in an affordable mid-size package.
Driving Impressions
Dodge Stratus is fun to drive, a description that applies to V6 and four-cylinder models. Though equipped with front-wheel drive, it feels more like a muscle car when compared with the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry, or Volkswagen Passat.

The V6 engine delivers spirited acceleration performance. Slam the throttle down and it responds quickly to overtake slower cars. The 2.7-liter V6 used in the sedans features dual overhead cams to generate 200 horsepower at 5800 rpm and 167 pounds-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. Yet it earns an EPA-rated 20/28 mpg city/hwy and runs on regular-grade gasoline. R/T sedans growl under acceleration, a benefit of their sport-tuned exhaust.

The electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission is quiet and efficient. Gear ratios have been calibrated to produce quick acceleration performance and responsive shifting in stop-and-go commuting. The R/T's five-speed manual is clunky, but fun to shift in a muscle car sort of way.

Review Sections
• Introduction
• Lineup
• Walkaround
• Interior
• Driving Impressions
• Summary & Specifications
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The 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that comes standard on Stratus sedans feels energetic through all the gears, but to maximize the power you'll need to rev it up. It's a noisy engine compared with the latest designs from Japan. The 2.4-liter engine that comes on sedans features double overhead cams. It generates 150 hp at 5200 rpm and 167 lb.-ft. of torque at 4000 rpm and is rated 21/30 mpg.

Coupes come powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with a single overhead camshaft that generates 147 hp at 5500 rpm and 158 lb.-ft. of torque at 4500 rpm. It's rated 21/28 mpg, not quite as good as the sedan. I drove a 2003 Coupe SXT at Chrysler's proving grounds. The coupe's four-cylinder engine sounded sporty and I did not feel like I was missing out by not having the V6.

The coupe comes with a larger 3.0-liter V6, but it uses single cams to generate brisk acceleration performance. The coupe's V6 is rated 200 hp at 5500 rpm and 205 lb.-ft. of torque at 4500 rpm.

The coupe SXT we drove handled well on Chrysler's handling course. It was fun to drive and offered a sporty experience. The coupe we drove seemed relatively quiet on nasty, rough roads. Dodge has made improvements to the coupe for 2003 designed to reduce noise, vibration and harshness. The coupe's suspension seemed to manage bumps better than the sedan's suspension and there was less cowl shake (the tendency of the dash to vibrate on rough roads).

R/T sedan seems most in its element on a winding road with your foot to the floor. Pedals are placed well in models with the manual gearbox, making it easy to heal and toe when braking and downshifting at the same time. The R/T sedan's chassis does not feel as rigid as other cars in this class. Handling is not as crisp, it doesn't feel as tight, and transient response is a bit ponderous. It goes where you want it, but it sometimes uses up more road in the process. Still, it's fun. It's easy to rotate the car on its suspension by lifting off throttle in the middle of a corner, making for sporty handling response.

Brakes on the Stratus work reasonably well, though there is some nose dive.

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2003 Dodge Stratus