Dodge Stratus

One in the Clouds

Known as one of the "Cloud Cars" alongside the Chrysler Cirrus and the Plymouth Breeze, the Dodge Stratus was considered the middle entry of the three. Sharing the JA platform with those two models, the Stratus was a midsize four-door sedan that, apart from the fascia, had little difference between its siblings. By the 2000s it was the last surviving member of the three, and was the only one redesigned.

The Last in the Sky

At first, only the Cirrus and the Stratus were released for the 1995 model year, joined shortly after by the Breeze, in '96. All three made Car and Driver's Ten Best list in '96 and '97 for their surprising interior size and steering ability. Two trim levels, the base and ES, were offered for the first generation, but engine options were plentiful. The base normally came with a 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 132 horsepower, but could be upgraded to a 2.4-liter, 4-cylinder engine with 150 horsepower. The higher ES trim came with a 2.5-liter V6 with 168 horsepower.

When the second generation debuted in 2000, the Plymouth brand was headed for its demise and Chrysler had plans to replace the Cirrus with the Sebring, making the Stratus the lone survivor. The JR platform, which was an updated version of the JA, featured both the Stratus and the Sebring, and brought the Stratus a complete restyling for the 2001 model year. Along with the other Cloud Cars, the two-door Dodge Avenger was also discontinued. Any new version was now known as the Stratus, which gave buyers a coupe option. The coupes were based off the Eclipse and came in two trims with a 2.4-liter inline-4 engine in the SXT and a 3.0-liter V6 in the R/T, which was intended to be a sporty version. The sedans came as SE, SXT, ES, and R/T with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 150 horsepower or a 2.7-liter V6 with 200 horsepower. While the Stratus was exceptional in size and space for a midsize sedan, it never lived up to Dodge's expectations and was replaced, ironically, by the sporty Avenger for the 2007 model year.