Comments: 1-15, 16-26
The only thing wrong is that the blower is permanently stuck on half forward defrost and half floor. It's probably just a blown vacuum seal, but I have never bothered to get it checked out because it really doesn't bother me.
This car is an absolute trooper. It is my first car, and I could not ask for anything more. It has always been with me for whatever I need it for.
The 2.5 liter engine provides fairly surprising pep, and still gets good mileage. 22/31 mpg (not bad for a 13 year old car!)
I really prefer the bench seat to confining bucket seats that other cars have.
She is still running great and I will gladly keep her for as long as I possibly can.
This car is perfect, maybe not stick but my boyfriend gave this feature up so this aries k could spend this summer's night with us as one on the road of life...
I like the car, but I wish there were something to make it more stylish. It's comfy and cozy, it is great with gas compared to the newer cars.
My daughter bought this car as her first, it is perfect. She gets 26 miles to a gallon of gas and the best part is... it has only been driven 32,000 miles. It will be great for her to drive while in college.
I really like the Dodge Aries K car, but the only problem with it is the front frame member is rotting out, but the body is spottless I really like it and the gas mileage is great.
My son bought his first car last week a 1988 dodge aires. all the kids at highschool love it. it's a cool fun and inexpensive car. the only problem is that the vent stays open letting some air in. it's a wonderful car.
I got a 1984 dodge aries I payed $65 for it. it's a lemon when you push the gas to the floor you go 35 if ur lucky. one time we tried to pass a guy on a bike we couldn't even pass him how bad is that. when you sit at a stop light, stop sign, or just sit with it on it rattles and makes noises, and tries to die. it has an am radio which only you can only get the oldies station. it don't have a horn cause if you push the horn it blows the fuses out. it has rust spots and we have to open the trunk with a screw driver. when you shut it off it clunks, bangs, coughs, spits and sputters and the hood bounces and the dash shakes constantly. when you open the doors they creek, but at least so far it gets you there and back and it makes you laugh when you ride in it and other people get a good laugh.
My wife bought our 1988 Dodge Aries over a year ago. It only had 77,000 miles on it and now has 102,000. the car is reliable I had to replace a lot of things when she first got it because it was owned by an older couple that had it since new, every thing was original. I tuned it up new exhaust from front to back, new brakes rotors and one new caliper. the body is flawless with the exception of a few scratches on the trunk lid. I generally don't care for the lack of power this car has, but this car has to be the most reliable car we owned in a long time. not to mention with the snow we get in central PA this car will not stop I've litteraly pushed through snow in this car that other ones couldn't dream of. One other draw back is the fact that with the bench seat it makes it rough on me to ride with the wife driving because I'm 6foot tall and she is 5'4" which means my knees are in the glove box.
All in all these cars are great and the engines are gutless they are built to last.
To the person who posted on 1 January, 2004.
I have some terrible news for you. I'm afraid the engine block is cracked, and the only way to fix that, is with a complete rebuild.
But, on the other hand, it just goes to show you what great little cars these are. A cracked engine block, and still running. Wow!
I would readily recommend these cars to any-one; they knew what they were doing, when they called them, "Reliant".
---Joe.
To the original reviewer-I imagine you don't have as many friends since you wrote this review. At least I'm sure they don't turn their backs on you!
To the person who paid $65. for an Aries - what did you expect for that price? If you wanted reliable transportation
for $65. you should have bought yourself a comfortable pair of Nike's.
I Have an 88 dodge aries and I love it 33 mpg 2.5 power 100 HP and it was from orlando FL Very good little car only has 62,000 on it plus I have a reliant with 374,000 now that car has kicked ass..
Just to let all the brilliant people out there who have or are looking to buy a Dodge Aries: the odometer only goes up to 99,999 kilometers (I'm from Canada... maybe its different with the ones in the States). I've noticed that everyone is so impressed that "it only had 32,000 miles on it" or "it only had 95k on it". That's because the odometer has been around a couple of times... think about it.
I have a 88 dodge aries K. it was my great grandmas car and I got it as my fist car... i loved it! the water pump went bad though... and the only way to get some of the bolts off to replace the waterpump is to remove the timing belt and somthing else. so now it goes of to the junk yard, I am very upset about that... it was an awesome car. I'm gonna miss it.
Why would you send a car to the junk yard due to a defective water pump? That doesn't make sense!
To the person that has a water pump problem and wants to junk her Aries should really think of just replacing the water pump and water hoses at the same time. The car will thank you for it in giving you many years of good service and good mileage.
My '88 Aries LE Station wagon is a work horse and a "race car." I put a K&N high flow Air Filter and plan to put "MSD CD" Ignition Part #909927 that will increase HP, Mileage and Speed as a result. It's a race car in sheep's clothing.
Also I plan to put air shocks that will keep the car stiff on the corners and stabilize the car at higher speeds. I already have oversize tires...225x60x14 and wished the wheel wells would accommodate even larger ones, but it scrapes the inside well.
It is fun to experiment and find ways to soup up the car.
I have light aluminium wheels, (very expensive though) and try to put special mufflers (Magna flows?) and if it can be adapted, perhaps something like Brembo Brakes and inter-cooler Super chargers. It is such a cheap car to upkeep.
I would buy another for parts or just let me have your car before you junk it?
Sorry, Bub, but your K-car station wagon ain't never gonna be no "race car" no matter what you do to it. It's a disposable car. The one who junked hers over the water pump had the right idea.