2001 Dodge Stratus Coupe Review, Prices, Photos

2001 Dodge Stratus Coupe Review, Prices, Photos

2001 Dodge Stratus Coupe Review, Prices, Photos

2001 Dodge Stratus (continued)

Walkaround

The Stratus coupe shares its name with the new Dodge Stratus four-door sedan. Though similar in appearance, the Stratus coupe and Stratus sedan ride on different chassis. The Stratus coupe is more closely related to the new Chrysler Sebring coupe and Mitsubishi Eclipse; all three share engines, chassis and suspension designs, and are built at a joint-venture assembly plant between Bloomington and Normal, Illinois.

The Stratus coupe’s styling shows the effects of wind tunnel testing. The slick shape slices through the air with a clean sweep from nose to tail over the arched structure. Taut skin stretching across the broad and long package looks as smooth as flowing water. Interrupting the fluidity are flat side panels that seem to come from the NASCAR school of car design, with muscular shoulders bulging in back to suggest strength and action. The gracefully arched profile and dramatic windshield rake reflect styling cues from Dodge’s flagship sedan, the Intrepid, while the stubby prow with body-colored grille in cross-hair pattern conveys a latent image of the racy Viper. Shapely curving rear pillars slide down into rolled rear flanks that become the muscular shoulders. In back the tail incorporates a spoiler lip bowed over bold corner lamps and the thick mass of a monotone bumper.

Safety systems in Stratus begin with the rigid structure that wraps around the passenger compartment. Four-wheel disc brakes with optional ABS and passive measures such as three-point seatbelts for all five seat positions and dual-stage frontal airbags improve safety further.

Interior Features

Generous passenger space comes from the coupe’s architectural design, extending the windshield forward, abbreviating space for the engine, and increasing the length and width of the cabin. High-back bucket seats come standard in cloth fabric; R/T gets premium cloth. Optional leather seats are cushy and comfortable and offer six-way power adjustments; they come with the R/T’s Leather Interior Group ($1045), which includes a HomeLink garage door system nicely integrated into the visors. Those visors are wider than the sharply raked windshield and are articulated on the end to allow them to bend around the A-pillar-not the ideal solution.

Unlike some sports coupes, Stratus has a chassis long enough to leave room in the backseat for adult riders. The rear bench seats three with folding seatbacks split 60/40 for access to the trunk. We crawled into the rear seat and found that long legs fit neatly — even comfortably — behind the driver’s seat. Further, we could extract ourselves easily from that space because the front seat slides forward sufficiently to permit a quick exit. Few coupes provide such rear seat leg space, although Toyota’s Solara beats it by more than an inch.

Trunk space is the best in this class, exceeding Japanese coupes by 3 cubic feet and the Ford Mustang by more than 5 cubic feet. It easily accommodated two medium-sized recycling bins.

But it’s what’s up front that counts for a sporty coupe. Tachometer and other instruments are tucked beneath a sporty bowed cowl with deep binnacles designed to shield the gauges from sunlight. Sculptured pods on either side of the center console create separate cockpit spaces for the driver and front passenger. From the driver’s seat you can easily reach the shift lever and the window and lock switches mounted on the door. The handbrake lever is on spindly side.

Above the console is a central stack of audio and climate systems. The ventilation system uses basic rotary dials with plastic vents that feel a bit flimsy. Stereo controls are small, with sliders for bass and treble that can be difficult to operate on a bumpy highway. A display at the top of the dash provides compass heading and outside temperature readings-useful information on trips and when out and about.

The Stratus provides excellent outward visibility for the driver with broad, tall expanses of glass, and relatively narrow windshield pillars.

2001 Dodge Stratus Coupe Review, Prices, Photos