1989 Dodge Spirit ES 3.0 V6

Summary:

An unassuming race car

Faults:

My head gasket blew at 120,000 miles--while I was racing a 1995 Acura 3.1 liter.

The driver-side power window was broken.

General Comments:

With the standard sport-tuning and suspension, this car's speed was surpassed only by it's ability to hug the road.

Quite roomy, even for people over six feet tall--I'm 6'2" myself.

There was a little computer in the dashboard that told me actual miles per gallon, average miles per gallon, estimated time until fuel runs out, how long I'd been timing this, and it even did it all in metric!

The back windows went all the way down!

There is only one thing better than owning a 1989 Dodge Spirit ES--and that is owning a 1989 Dodge Spirit R/T!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 12th April, 2002

1989 Dodge Spirit Base 2.5

Summary:

Great as a first car for one who is starting out

Faults:

My head gasket blew at 190000kms (118000 miles).

Timing belt went at 180000kms (112500 miles).

General Comments:

The car is very reliable, considering its very low operating costs.

My model is the base, which does lack power, though it's performance is still respectable.

The insurance and fuel costs are also low.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 26th August, 2001

1989 Dodge Spirit ES Mitshubishi 3.0 V6

Summary:

An unexpectedly fast car

Faults:

One power window was broken.

General Comments:

This car was FAST for a four-door sedan.

It came standard with a sports tuning and suspension.

It got exceptionally good mileage for a V6 (23 city/36 highway).

It had a computer in the dashboard so I could keep track of fuel consumption.

The driver's seat was electric and had lumbar-support. The other seats weren't as comfortable, but they were nice.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th May, 2001

27th Jan 2002, 13:35

23/36? Where did you get these numbers from... your own personal mileage? EPA is 20/26 for the V6 in these cars. 22/28 for the non-turbo 2.5L 4cyl.

29th May 2006, 16:29

Most people would get near the EPA model, but it could easily vary by +/-15% so an EPA of 20/26 could give a fuel mileage of 30mpg on the highway. I have an 89 Spirit ES 3 speed auto with the 2.5L turbo. It has an EPA of 19/24, but I was able to squeeze out an average of 32mpg on a 190 mile trip recently. (The engine was already warm before I fueled for the trip and I traveled about 59 mph for most of the trip with the Memorial Day traffic.) Most of my driving is usually in town so I usually average about 22 mpg. These cars are very light weight have plenty of torque which gives them plenty of pep. They are also surprisingly roomy for such a light car. I was very not very pleased with the cramped (crab forward), less attractive (jelly bean) and slower selling Stratus. (Of course fishing tale rules also apply to gas mileage stories. When the Honda Civic CRX came out many people claimed to get over 73mpg.)

1989 Dodge Spirit ES V-6

Summary:

Dependable, but Dodge isn't good!

Faults:

Two power windows don't work, fog lights are out, burns oil badly, radiator leaks, oil leaks.

General Comments:

This is a dependable car, I've used it to drive to Florida and back, but it has too many problems that need to be fixed. I'd recommend getting a Geo Metro, or a good gas mileage type vehicle. The car handles the road pretty well.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 15th March, 2001

9th Sep 2001, 04:48

Are you for real? You buy a car with 120,000 miles on it and complain about some minor issues? Do you even have a clue as to what kind of care the car had before you owned it? Sheesh!!! There is no pleasing some people!!