1981 Plymouth Champ review from North America

At 75000 miles the muffler went bad. At 110,000 miles in rapid order the clutch, electronic ignition, & something else needed replacing. The manual transmission needed coaxing to shift at times. At 130,000 miles I thought the engine was "getting weak". Spent a lot of money, but the mechanic never could find the problem. Continued to drive. After thousands of miles I finally figured the engine was OK, but the brakes were "very slightly on". New brake pads & rotors solved things! Wow! At 140,000+ miles, one cylinder had low compression & started to use some oil. At 146,000 miles & 21 years, the water pump failed, & I drove other cars.

Ran great for 110,000 miles except for muffler repair, giving reliable "back & forth to work" service. Champ averaged 42.7 mpg to work, & would hit 50+mpg on hi-way trips! Saw lots of mtns, canyons, & logging roads through the last of the 20th century. Saw lots of national parks, monuments, & states too. The Champ loved heights, still getting 40mpg at 10,000 to 12,000 foot altitudes despite not having fuel injection. Sold it after 22years. Saw it once around town 2 years later.