The slick
1996 Dodge Stratus and Chrysler Cirrus are much improved since their 1995 model-year debuts because they finally offer a V-6 engine/automatic transmission combination that doesn't make them noisy slugs when brisk acceleration is called for.
``The [Mitsubishi-supplied] 2.5-liter V-6 and automatic work fine if you put a few thousand miles on the cars,'' Chrysler President Robert Lutz said in an interview early this year.
But I found the situation definitely doesn't improve with mileage. And Chrysler itself says, in its 1996 vehicle press materials, that the new Stratus and Cirrus have a ``revised [automatic transmission] torque converter on [the] 2.5-liter V-6 for more responsive performance.''
Happily, the 1996 V-6/automatic models provide brisk acceleration instead of lots of annoying engine noise and sluggish acceleration when you hit the accelerator, I found while testing a 1996 Stratus with the modified V-6/automatic transmission--a powertrain combination shared with the new Cirrus.
``We knew about the problem all along, which is why we fixed it for 1996,'' a Chrysler public affairs spokesperson recently said.
You could sidestep the V-6/automatic problem in the 1995 Stratus by ordering the car with a 2.4-liter, 150-horsepower four-cylinder/automatic transmission combination. But the 1995 Cirrus only came with the automatic and 2.5-liter, 164-horsepower V-6, whose power has been boosted slightly to 168 for 1996.
The irony was that the 2.4 four-cylinder engine made the Stratus faster than the same car with the bigger, more-powerful V-6--and faster than the Cirrus V-6. To lower its price, the 1996 Cirrus also is offered with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder.
Such automotive missteps make one wonder if it isn't wise to wait until a new car's second year to buy it.
However, all's fine for 1996, and the $14,460-$16,110 Stratus I drove with the 2.5 V-6 and automatic is one of the top buys in the small sedan market.
Forget the base, noisy 2-liter, 132-horsepower four-cylinder, which comes only with a manual transmission, and opt for the car with either the 2.4 four-cylinder or 2.5 V-6, which comes only with an automatic.
Stratus base prices range from $14,460 to $16,110, but the price of the top-line Stratus ES I drove was boosted by the $1,250 V-6 and $825 automatic.
The four-cylinder engines provide better economy, but the V-6/automatic combination offers the smoothest, quietest performance and delivers a decent, EPA-estimated 28 m.p.g. on highways--and a marginal 20 m.p.g. in the city.
While fairly small, the cab-forward design of the 108-inch-wheelbase Stratus makes it exceptionally roomy. The car easily seats four 6-footers, or five in a pinch. There is plenty of room in the trunk, which has a low opening that allows it to be easily loaded.
Instrumentation is good, and controls are well-located. Both front and rear seats provide decent support, but a fair amount of road noise enters the passenger compartment. And rear visibility is poor because of a high rear window.
All Stratus models are well-equipped, with even the base model having dual air bags, air conditioning, cruise control and AM/FM stereo. The top-line ES model adds items such as anti-lock brakes, precise variable-assist power steering, power door locks, sport suspension and low-profile tires.
The Stratus has a double wishbone suspension that helps delivers a supple ride and good handling. The ES offers the best handling, with its 65-series tires and higher-rate springs, but all models have decent braking during normal driving.
The Stratus has rigid construction, which makes it feel as if this will be a long-life car. Indeed, you might not want to trade it in for years, with its improved V-6/automatic transmission combination.