2000 Dodge Intrepid Review

A spacious and handsome family car with the moves of a sport sedan.

Family-sedan buyers typically want four things in a car: room, style, safety and reliability. Dodge delivers all of this and more in the modern-looking Intrepid. Equipped with a huge interior and gigantic trunk, cutting-edge cab-forward design, and proving itself dependable over the long haul (in our experience, anyway), the Dodge Intrepid represents an excellent argument to avoid cookie-cutter Accords and Camrys for a car with personality.Three trim levels are available: well-equipped base, sporty ES, and performance-oriented R/T. Base models include four-wheel disc brakes, air conditioning, rear window defroster, power door locks and windows, cassette player, cruise control, power mirrors and a tilt steering wheel. ES adds antilock brakes, HomeLink integrated garage door opener, fog lights, premium sound, white-faced gauges, alloy wheels, remote keyless entry, eight-way power driver's seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a full-size spare tire. Opt for the R/T and enjoy a higher performance engine, suspension, exhaust and brake design, plus fog lamps, a 120-watt AM/FM stereo with cassette/CD player, leather-wrapped shift knob and 17-inch alloy wheels. Base models, and bottom-rung ES versions, are powered by a twin-cam, 24-valve, 2.7-liter V6. Making 200 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 190 foot-pounds of torque at 4,850 rpm in base models, this engine moves the 3,400-pound Intrepid along adequately. More impressive is the SOHC, 24-valve, 3.2-liter V6 available in ES models. With 225 horsepower at 6,300 rpm and 225 foot-pounds of torque at 3,800 rpm, this engine's better low-end grunt gets the sportier ES off the line with verve. R/Ts get the Chrysler 300M's 3.5-liter V6, but in the Dodge it makes "only" 242 horsepower (11 less than the 300M). Changes to the Intrepid are limited for 2000. Tether-ready child seat anchorages have been added along the top edge of the rear seat, cars sold in California meet LEV standards, and five new colors are available. A midline CD-cassette combination stereo is available, and base models get new seat fabric. ES models have rear-seat cupholders integrated with the armrest, and when equipped with the 2.7-liter V6, now come with AutoStick as well as a boost in power and torque, thanks to a new variable-intake system. ES also can be ordered with an in-dash, four-disc CD changer. If interior space is your No. 1 priority in a sedan, the Intrepid is hard to beat. Rated a large car by the EPA, Intrepid competes with smaller models in price. Room is ample for five adults, and for a family of four, this Dodge seems downright cavernous. It's almost limo-like. The Intrepid, with its good looks and commodious cabin, has carved a niche on this crowded and scarred battleground.