2001 Dodge Stratus Sedan Sporty coupe-like styling with four-door practicality. By Bob Plunkett, New Car Test Drive .com

Dodge has totally redesigned the mid-size Stratus sedan for 2001. With its sleek new shell and all-new interior, this four-door sedan shares only its name with last year's Stratus. It rolls on a stiff new platform and is powered by stronger engines, including a 200-horsepower V6.

This new mid-size sedan acts as sporty as a coupe. Better handling and improved road manners put the Stratus in the same league as the best-selling mid-size cars from Japan, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord. In spite of the sleek styling, there's plenty of room inside for four people. And the bottom line is attractive.

Dodge splits the Stratus four-door sedan into two models: SE and ES.

Stratus SE ($17,830) is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with dual overhead cams that generates 150 horsepower. SE Sedan comes standard with a four-speed automatic transaxle.

Stratus ES ($20,465), the luxury version, provides a 2.7-liter dual-cam V6 rated at 200 horsepower. It comes standard with a four-speed automatic with AutoStick.

Several safety systems show up as optional gear for both models, such as ABS ($565) and side-curtain airbags ($390). The V6 may be added to the base Stratus SE for $850.

Appointments for Stratus SE include gear usually seen on the list of options, such as air conditioning, and power windows, mirrors and door locks. The V6-powered ES adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a premium sound system with CD player and other features.

(The Stratus label also applies to a new two-door Dodge Stratus coupe. Despite their shared name and styling, the coupe should not be confused with the sedan, as they do not share chassis, powertrains, or components. Instead, the Dodge Stratus sedan shares components with the new Chrysler Sebring sedan.)