2001 Dodge Intrepid ES 3.2 W/Autostick

Summary:

Hands down, the best car I have ever had

Faults:

Just recently, the air conditioning started to blow warm. Have yet to have it checked out.

It seems no matter what your driving habits are, I have found that the brakes wear out frequently on this car.

General Comments:

We absolutely love this car. We purchased it new with 19 miles on the clock, and this car has paid for itself over and over again. I just feel that putting 155,000 miles on this car, allows me to write an honest review.

I wish that I could keep this car forever. However, my teenage daughter is starting to drive and it will soon be hers. Within the seven years of me owning this car, we have only had to do routine maintenance on this car. I will be bringing it in this week to have the AC checked out, but other than that, it has been near flawless.

We have the ES model equipped with all the bells and whistles. It does have the 3.2 engine, which I hear is the better one. Good power, great efficiency. We have taken this car on many family vacations and have gotten 30 mpg on the highway, which I think is pretty good for a car this size. You can easily fit four adults with room for their luggage in this car. Everyone rides in comfort.

We have owned many cars, and I just can't say enough good about this one. Before this, I had 2000 Olds Intrigue that was in the shop more than I could drive it. We have also owned 2 Toyotas, a Corolla and a Camry, and I have yet to be impressed with a Toyota vehicle. The features for the price found on the Intrepid just can't be matched. I will hate to see this car go, But I will be purchasing another Dodge vehicle, for both myself and my wife, as she is now experiencing issues with her 06 Impala. But I just felt that I needed to give credit where its due, and this car deserves it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 30th June, 2008

8th Jul 2008, 13:33

Agreed, I love my Intrepid. Best Car I've ever had. I have over 200,000 miles on my 1999, and I just can't get myself to trade it in!

2001 Dodge Intrepid ES 3.2

Summary:

I would buy it again in a heatbeat

Faults:

Brakes seem to wear fast.

Driver side window squeaks.

General Comments:

Overall, I cannot even begin to say how good this car has been to me. Never once let me down.

I had a 1997 Intrepid before this and was also a great car. My 2001 is a huge improvement over the previous model and I absolutely love it.

I do have the ES version with the 3.2 motor, which is similar in power to the previous 3.5 I had, Only is much more quiet, smoother, and gets much better fuel mileage. Doing mostly highway driving, I average between 28-30mpg. The 3.2 is rated at 225hp (I believe), while the previous 3.5 was at 214. Both engines are much better than the 2.7.

The interior is also much better. The only complaint I have is road noise could be dampened more. Otherwise, materials are good, seats are comfortable. There are tons of features. (power windows/locks/mirrors/seats/keyless entry/premium sound) I found it to be very well equipped for the price I got.

So far, having put 60K on the car, I have replaced brake pads twice, but perhaps its just my driving habits:-)

Overall, I would definitely recommend this car to everyone. Just make sure to find history on the vehicle first, as the 2.7 seems to be troublesome. My sister also owns an Intrepid, but it's an 02 with the 3.5 and she is also very happy with it.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 18th April, 2008

18th Apr 2008, 22:23

Well, my last Dodge was totaled in 2006, and I now own 2 GM's and a Ford.

The all-around best and most solid car I ever owned, however, was a 1990 Dodge Omni 2.2 non turbo. The car was faster than the Mazda RX-7 I also had, got incredible gas mileage (35mpg+ highway) and when I sold the car in 1999 it had 240,000+ miles, ran as good as new, used not a drop of oil and had had no repairs except 2 timing belts, 1 heater hose, 2 brake jobs and, of course, tires and batteries.

The car's A/C still worked perfectly (and had never had freon added), and the CV joints had never been replaced (our Honda Civic's CV's were clattering like crazy at just over 40,000 miles).

Although our "mileage champ" was an old 6-cylinder Ford Granada (325,000+ miles), it didn't keep the "new car" feel like our Omni did right up until we sold it. Chrysler builds incredibly solid and reliable cars. Thank you for sharing your review.

2nd May 2008, 21:48

Agree with the original review. I believe that Chrysler makes great vehicles, just not a good 2.7 engine. All makes have a dud once in a while (yes, even Honda and Toyota) this just happens to be Chrysler's. Do I think that they should have stepped up and done something about it? Absolutely. Are they the only company who has tried to look something over? Absolutely not. Just doing the research before buying a car can be your only help. Check reviews on VW's previous Jetta models, Toyota's 2003 Corolla, GM's ALero/Grand Am/Malibu. These vehicles have never been great. But there are other great cars from each of these companies. I personally own a 2001 Intrepid ES, did some research before buying, and I could Not be happier. Never once let me down. Anyway, that's my "2 cents" and Thanks for the great review!