I had one '89 Shadow and one '89 Daytona. Both were 4-cyl turbos with a 5-speed. Both cars ran great and served me well other than the timing belt breaking on the Shadow (I bought the car with 120K on it, so I had just assumed it was replaced). I was out of town on a Sunday when it happened. I talked a gas station owner into letting me use his tools to replace the belt in their parking lot after I hitch-hiked a ride to and from the local parts store where I bought a replacement belt. Good times!

 

You broke one and it didn't beat the valves to pieces?? Man you were lucky.

 

Should I even consider a Jeep?
I'd be great for a summer college commute and great in snow(maybe) but I'd freeze my face off.

 

Okay Tanner I'm going to give you a full list of different Mopars and tell you what common problems they had as well as their advantages.

K-based cars (Shadow, Daytona, Spirit, Lancer, Dynasty, Acclaim, Sundance, LeBaron, New Yorker, Fifth Avenue, Imperial, Aries, Reliant, etc.) The 2.2L/2.5L were fundamentally sound engines. The problems they tended to have was the head gaskets would start to leak and have to be replaced on automatic models from what I've seen first hand between 150K-175K. These engines like to stall a lot but start back up easily. They are not powerful by any extent NA. They like to go through thermostats so keep an eye on that. I cannot testify about manual or turbo models. The 2.6L I4 is a Mitsubishi engine. I've seen a few cases where the head gaskets went out on these things at about 60K. They are not generally as reliable. The 3.0L Mitsubishi can be a great engine or the mechanics best friend. I've seen both. We were left stranded once due to a computer problem. The engine burned oil, the starter went out on it, etc. The 3.3L & rarer 3.8L (only found in the rather ugly looking Dynasty, New Yorker, Fifth Avenue, Imperial) is a pretty much bullet proof design. I've seen many with over 200K without having any major problems. Some of the V6 models had the A604/41TE Ultradrive. These transmissions are not exactly as bad as people claim they are, but they need to have the transmission fluid flushed on them every 30K with ATF+4, unfortunately, there are a lot of foolish shops that still think you can subsitute Mercon/Dexron which you CANNOT. If you get a V6 Chrysler product with a 4-speed auto make sure the previous owner took care of it. The I4s used the A413 or some other torqueflite based automatic. These were very reliable and had a better reputation.

LH cars (Intrepid, Vision, Concorde, LHS, New Yorker, 300M, Prowler) These cars fun cars to own and really nice; however, you have to know what you are doing when you shop for one. The 42LE transmission was the only choice available and it needs to have the transmission fluid flushed every 30K with ATF+4. You need to keep an eye on the steering system as they sometimes had steering issues. If it is less than smooth as butter when turning it and makes any noises whatsoever, run away as fast as you can. The 3.3L was available in these and I know the up 20s to low 30s is possible with these. This would be the ideal engine for you as they require little maintenance and are easy to work on. The 3.5L is a good engine, it just requires a timing belt & water pump change after about 75-105K miles and this is a pain in the neck to do and kind of expensive. Also the intake covers the spark plugs so it is also a pain to work on. Avoid the 2.7Ls at all costs. The 3.2L is also okay

Cloud cars (Stratus sedan, Cirrus, Breeze, Sebring Sedan, Sebring Convertible) These cars are fuel efficient and fast. They have a more updated 41TE but the same rule applies. The body integrity was quite good. The weakness is the powertrains. Now, I don't know many people who had these cars, but the few that I knew were pleased with them; however, the engines do not have the best reputation. The 2.0L & 2.4L in the early years were known for leaky head gaskets. The Mitsubishi V6 had electrical problems and a few odds and ends here and there. The 2.7L should be avoided as they were known for oil sludge issues.

Badge engineered Mitsubishi coupes 90-05 (Avenger coupe, Sebring coupe, Stratus coupe, Talon, Laser) I cannot testify about the Stratus coupe or 2nd gen Sebring coupe, but I know that Avengers and 1st Sebrings had a lot of problems with paint, seals, breaks, and electrical problems. My knowledge about the Talon/Laser is limited but the few that I knew with them didn't have positive stories so I'm not sure if I would recommend them to you.

Neon-The people I knew that had them either loved or hated these cars. The 2.0L seemed as though it tended to last better if it was equipped with a manual and if it was produced after 1998 due to a better headgasket. The paint was a weakness, but they are practical fun little cars.

Jeep: The only one I would recommend is a Cherokee as long as it has a 4.0L AMC (a 2.8L Cherokee is before Chrysler took over and that is a GM 60 degree V6 an engine I love to hate [gushing oil leaks, failing alternators, carburetor problems galore, sometime intake gasket problems, sometimes head problems, etc.) preferably a 1991 or newer due to having a Chrysler fuel system as opposed to a RENIX that is harder to get parts for. Many times Wranglers go through a rough life and have things to repair. The Grand Cherokee had a lot of electrical issues & the Quadra-Drive system had flaws, but was okay besides that.

 

Well. I was not expecting a long list of cars from anyone but. Hey, helps me out. Thanks RLSH.

 

How bout an Omni GLH? I only saw one on autotrader and it was a custom project that wanted 3300, but that would be kinda cool and cheap. They can be quite quick because they're so light.

The Neon is probably the more logical choice.

 

You're welcome Tanner. If you decide to look outside of Chrysler I can provide similar lists on GM, Ford, and possibly on Toyota. If you have the talent of being able to work on engines, a Neon might not be a bad choice. They are quick for what they are and very fuel efficient.