1993 Dodge Spirit Review - A Turning Point For Dodge...

[@chrisstevenswrites]

The AA body was the last car built at the Chrysler plant in my home state before it shut down for good. Used to see them everywhere because of that, but they've become rare finds over time. Just basic transportation but fairly decent-looking.

[@jonathankleinow2073]

My parents had a 91 or 92 Plymouth Acclaim, white with burgundy interior. It had bucket seats up front with a center console, and it even had cup holders at the back of the console for the rear seats. It had the V6 engine. We towed a small U-Haul trailer from Cincinnati to Florida with it, and it made it, although Dad had to turn off the A/C through the hills on I-75 in Tennessee to keep it from overheating. Dad traded it in for a 1994 Eagle Vision, which was a huge upgrade.

[@weegeemike]

Neat story! I love the Eagle Vision and the other LH cars...revolutionary for the time and they set the automotive design trend for the next 15 years.

[@LuisUrbieta]

Even though it's low on tech by modern standards I truly think it looks good.​@@weegeemike

[@aenoymotors]

That ol' car was off the road for so long, fixed by us, and is now seeing daily driving usage yet again. They may be boring and mundane but those AA cars are tough and resilient.

[@RustyZipper]

It looks as if it just left the dealer showroom yesterday!

[@unitedcity_mc4421]

I don’t think they’re boring.

[@earlscheib7754]

I'm surprised someone spent the money to resurrect a rusty $800 car.

[@mopargm9329]

When I was 2 my father bought a brand new 92 Spirit R/T. Pretty badass for a 4 banger and especially back then. It was quicker 0-60 than my 04 dale Jr supercharged Monte Carlo ss I currently own. But the Spirit was t boned in 94 by a jeep GC and totaled and my father got out and beat the fuck out of him lol. From then on it was a new 96 Intrepid ES, his 02 Intrepid R/T. I ended up with both the 96 I was 12 lol my father bought the new 02 R/T and gave me the 96 ES, the R/T at 19 and i bought an 02 300M special a few years back. Still love these cars

[@markbradl8651]

I can’t believe that is still running

[@91dodgespiritrt]

That's what your parents say when they see you. HA, HA

[@landonbenford8369]

I can't believe it didn't run for 16 years and it's back from the dead!?!?!😳😮🧐

[@colinschmitz8297]

@@markbradl8651 I'm not. Those were pretty durable.

[@johneli495]

I remember when these used to be advertised all the time on TV in the 90s. It was probably the cheapest cheap car in the market

[@louiearmstrong]

$2600 MSRP according to KBB

[@Help_im_sad]

As a 90's baby, i cant tell if i have an affinity for 80's ad 90's cars because i grew up riding in them OR if I'm impressed by their durability because i can still see some driving 30 years later, sadly most 80's cars i loved like the Ford Escort hatchback are no longer on the road, and even in the 90's, my moms had one that had holes in the floor where you could get soaked like Kalahari when it rained 😂 memories

[@cubsfansupreme07]

My first car back in 2000 was a ‘93 Plymouth acclaim so this takes me back. Also I’ve noticed you’re doing videos in my hometown of Machesney Park, IL! I live in Rockford, IL now but it’s right there. This video in particular you filming right across the street from where I grew up! I know that church parking lot you’re filming in also.

[@shaunmiller3342]

You should do a video on the Dodge Shadow, those cars were pretty nice

[@bwofficial1776]

Everyone has seen a Spirit just like this rolling around their town with more rust than paint. The K-car was really showing its age by the time these came out. I remember that radio from some Chrysler products my family had. If I remember correctly, each preset could have two channels programmed to it and pushing the button would swap between them.

[@thesam19841]

I had this exact car, except plymouth acclaim, white with red interior... it was a pretty reliable car, and still nice and clean in 2002... survived a couple of unusual accidents that it shouldn't have... I guessed mine up with chrysler LeBaron and Dodge Spirit RT parts

[@gm12551]

This was my grandmas car. Except it had tinted windows, had an AM/FM radio and had a cushion on the drivers seat and a quilt on the backseat.

[@SMGSpiritRT]

Also my grandma had one, but normal seats on front, red velour interior and had the Acclaim tailights (because in Mexico the 91 came with those). Really beautiful car and we had it until been stolen. I still remember with cheers and makes me to buy one nowadays :3

[@MuteCrimson]

this was my childhood car! thanks for reviewing this Zack, it brought back a lot of good memories :)

[@doug6191]

2:47 - The airbag in these cars (and other Mopar models) arrived well ahead of the requirement.

[@landonbenford8369]

In 1988 EVERY car made by Chrysler had a driver's side airbag as Standard equipment!!❤

[@colinschmitz8297]

FYI, They already had airbags in the 91 models.

[@DanoFSmith-yc9tg]

My old man bought a v6 ES model brand new in 91 when he left an esso service station for a Dodge dealership mechanics position, we had it until the late 90's, he sold it, then my mom had 3 of them, various models and years, at different times, and the first car I drove was a burgundy 89 base model with the 2.5, drove the shit out of that, it ended up in a pond at one point, let it sit for a day, and it started up again. My uncle eventually bought it and drove it for a while. I'm going to pick up a red 91 es v6 from Edmonton right now actually. Purely for the nostalgia

[@91dodgespiritrt]

Get a '91 or '92 Spirit R/T or a '92 or '93 Daytona IROC R/T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You won't regret it.

[@MrCBG]

I had a hand me down 94 Plymouth Acclaim in college. There’s almost no noticeable difference between the Acclaim and the Spirit. Maybe I have rose colored glasses, but what a great car at that age. Great mileage with the 4 cyl, but plenty of space for friends and shenanigans.

[@kkrezagang4606]

Looks like something you’d see on a used car lot in 2012.

[@GrindingGearsZero]

make that 2002.

[@Enchilada750]

@@GrindingGearsZero make that December 1993

[@christopherconard2831]

In the 90's and early 2000's they were common on the corner used car lots. What Chrysler didn't sell directly at dealerships, they more than made up for in fleet sales to rental companies. They dumped them by the thousands after 2-3 years when buying new cars. By the third or fourth owner most were used up, usually because of delayed maintenance, and weren't worth fixing. But if you only had $500 and needed something to get you to work and back, there were plenty of cars like this available.

[@91dodgespiritrt]

@@GrindingGearsZero It's STILL better than whatever piece of shit your driving, "clown".

[@91dodgespiritrt]

@@Enchilada750 Do they even have motorized vehicles in your 3rd world shithole? "ENCHILADA BREATH"? HA, HA And if they do, do you park it inside your clay hut? HA, HA

[@Satya-jr6ml]

surprised that it actually stood the test of time with that Chrysler engine!

[@Karmy.]

It's also in the same condition that every 90s Chrysler product still somehow on the road is in lol

[@Satya-jr6ml]

@@Karmy. Exactly hahaha

[@stillbill6408]

The 2.5L Chrysler was an excellent engine. It was a single overhead cam with roller followers, fuel injection, beefy forged crank and rods with more than adequate main and rod bearing diameters. The block was extra beefy and well able to withstand the loads imposed on it by its turbo charged variants. It delivered 20 to 32 mpg (naturally aspirated) depending on how and where I drove it. I know as I owned one and put over 200,000 miles on it (A Chrysler LaBaron). I changed the timing belt twice (around 70,000 miles and again at 160,000 miles as this part of regular maintenance) and when I sold it, the AC still put out icey, cold air. The transmission never gave me a seconds trouble (I changed its oil and filter at 35,000 mile intervals). Many friends and family members as well as rent-a-car businesses that I know of have had similar experiences with this product. It bewilders me how people insist on disrespecting what was an excellent drive train and vehicle (K car variants).

[@weegeemike]

Chrysler engines for the most part are pretty solid and reliable. It's the rest of the car that'll fall apart 😅

[@stillbill6408]

@@weegeemike With all due respect, I and my family have owned Chrysler Products since the mid 1960's and have never had any of them fall apart. We have gotten more than reasonable service from them (hence, repeat buys) and have also owned other domestic and foreign products (which provides us with a worthy point of reference). Overall, they gave us the best bang for the buck and have proven to be durable, reliable, easy to maintain with very affordable maintenance cost. My biggest compliant would be paint oxidation on the 1990's model vehicles.

[@doug6191]

7:34 - that C pillar was a USDM thing, also seen on the Topaz at Ford and Grand Am/Calais at GM. The imports didn't do that.

[@alternateself1244]

Bring back plush rides and mechanical simplicity

[@pokedude104]

I remember seeing some of these around as a kid. They did not last very long though. I couldn't tell you how long its been since I've seen one on the road yet every once in a while I still see a honda or toyota from that era kicking around.

[@weegeemike]

Fun fact: the Spirit was the first car to get the then-new Dodge "Rams head" emblem that would go on to be Dodge's logo/emblem for roughly the next 20 years.

[@aurorayoru5333]

This is so nostalgic we had this as a family call when I was a young kid we had the one with gold wheels and trunk cargo rails.

[@vado575]

I had 2 of these cars!! I loved them .. Good on fuel and very roomy

[@jacobtonge5386]

A true survivor brother

[@genericsomething]

I had a '91 Spirit with the 3.0 V6. That thing was invisible to cops!

[@sneakerfreak2002]

Maybe when it was under 10 years old BUT… if it’s 20 plus years old with peeling paint? Every cop in town will have their eye on you

[@genericsomething]

@@sneakerfreak2002 ~ It was in 1998 and 1999. The car was white with blue interior. I sold it, after driving it only a year, when I moved to another state. That Spirit and my '86 Celica were my two favorite cars of that era.

[@969thewhip]

I got my worst speeding ticket in a 93 Spirit. It was a loaner car while my 94 Sunbird was in the shop. That one was equipped with the 3.0 V6 so it definitely has some power for a grocery getter.

[@fastmover2598]

It was no threat to the dominance of the Accord and Camry.

[@rickjames6867]

Surprised this one still goes down the road. 💙

[@someonecalledeulogio2280]

It was popular in mexico, because we only had 5 options: nissan tsuru, vw passat, ford topaz, chevrolet cavalier, and the dodge spirit

[@ratlord5282]

@@someonecalledeulogio2280 me personally, i'd take the passat over those ovther cars

[@weegeemike]

Nothing was a challenge to those cars then, and there's no car that threatens them now. Something that HASNT changed in the past 35 years

[@kc0lif]

but it was.

[@loveisall5520]

I was in my mid thirties when this and the Plymouth Acclaim were sold. I rented several of these for business trips. Yes, as a car guy all my life it was certainly not thrilling to drive. But, neither were most of the cars then, as was also true before the 'malaise era'. I've always been blessed to love all cars, not just the fast and sporty ones--though I love them too. I found these pleasant, easy to drive and relatively roomy for their size. Thanks for the review!

[@scottbeegle9291]

I had a 91 Spirit. It was red with a red interior. It had the 2.5 in it. It was not fast, but reliable. Out of all the cars i owned it is the one I still wish I had. I also had an 89 Plymouth Acclaim.

[@wojciechklasa2660]

Interesting color combination!

[@gm12551]

This was my grandmas car. Colors and all.

[@damagingspark7]

This car has the perfect beater aesthetic. The random spots of missing paint and mismatched tires make it seem like it was purposely done up that way for a movie or tv show.

[@91dodgespiritrt]

Or for a stupid video like this one. HA, HA

[@palebeachbum]

I miss these cars so much. My mother had a 1992 Plymouth Acclaim. She had it for 7 years and 182k miles. It was a great car overall. It had the typical Chrysler peeling paint of the early '90s and the head gasket blew at 160k miles. A common failure on the 2.5L engine. Overall though, fantastic car. It was a compact, economical, cheap-to-repair car with big car aspirations with that interior. So plush. So comfortable.

[@drewjansen7825]

I also think it's a handsome and space-efficient design. And panel fit on the Acclaim/Spirit twins seemed tighter than on the original K-Cars. But you're right...except for the R/T, a real snoozer to drive. And I want one.

[@robertdiehl9003]

A tried and true keeper that lasted 30+ years. Damm good car...

[@geraldscott4302]

I'd like to know why the white (and ONLY white) paint peeled off all American cars during the past several decades.

[@wigletron2846]

They didn't clearcoat white. Some Hondas had the same issue back then.

[@kc9scott]

GM cars of the late '80s pretty much all peeled. What I've heard is that it was due to paint formulation changes to reduce VOCs, either to low-VOC or to water-based paints.

[@jimmyjimjims7483]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone pronounce Mitsubishi quite the way you do lol. I bought a mostly teal one of these for $400 once and although the exterior was basically bare metal by that point it ran and drove absolutely perfectly, I was astounded. These were actually very peppy when they ran right

[@selenelacaze9883]

3:22 and even better these radio units have a fader button to balance de sound between front and back, and this is quick and awesome and easy to use, you don't need to navigate some fucking menus to get to the fader setting.

[@jacobmoore4797]

This is a great analysis of this beautiful car!

[@SeanMather]

The first car I drove was a 1995 Dodge Spirit with the 3.0 V6. Thing was comfy and it could haul ass if you dropped the hammer. I loved it, but it developed classic Mopar transmission issues and my parents sold it to a mechanic. It was metallic green with rare double gold stripes. If I ever had extra money I would totally find and restore one.

[@KevinGoldLVL]

My first car was a 93 Plymouth Acclaim with the 3 L v6 that I bough off an older women for 700$, great memories it was in great condition, still regret not taking care of her, it's was a pretty cool car!

[@doug6191]

5:01 - Wrong. This model was designed & released well after the CHMSL requirement. That wasn't an afterthought. It was a budget decision.

[@cameronlovesevolve]

a friend of mine had a powder blue Plymouth Acclaim when we were in high school - his parents drove an Impreza WRX so my friends and i would constantly bug him to take us driving in the Subi hahah.. good times in the Acclaim tho! Religiously it ran like dogshit when it rained and eventially was hauled away after the transmission went out.

[@redwolfmaddox3986]

A person in my neighborhood has a mid early 90s dodge shadow…….just kinda sits there and sometimes is gone

[@pizza2437]

2:20 the women that i like gain hundreds of pounds in the span of a couple years.

[@JWCustoms]

This was my first car. I had a 95 Dodge Spirit. It had a V6 and it was awesome.

[@davidsherrick898]

That paint and body have seen better days! My old girlfriend had an Acclaim. Loaded except sunroof

[@takethecurseOFFwashingmachine]

I have several memories of being a kid in the 90s being driven by friends dads who smoked in a dodge spirit……you have 3 types of friends parents who smoked. Those who wouldn’t do it with you in the car, those who would, but had the courtesy to open the window. And of course the all too common dad who didn’t give two shits and smoked with his kids friends in the car and all the windows rolled up. Today they would turn you into a tic toc video and burn you at the stake. The 90s were the end of when this was tolerated

[@juelsokoo]

This was very first car before i left to the army. Leave for 8mos thinking my mom was taking care of it and just parked. Come home pick up my girl on her graduation and the car blows up on us on the freeway! Because while i was gone the whole time my oldest sister was driving it hard without a oil change. I was so embarrassed and sad so i bought a 1980 300D benz and drove her into the ground... Yup!

[@ManiaMusicChannel]

My dad had a 95' one, a work horse man

[@blautens]

I had one of these as a loaner for 6 weeks while my 1993 Caravan was waiting for a new trans. It wasn't awful. It was a car. It had AC. The rear seat had head room, unlike the dumb sloping roof cars of today. There, that's my review.

[@fastmover2598]

My parents bought a new 1990 Dodge Spirit (unfortunately), and, being objective, it was okay overall; however, as the mileage increased, it really showed its mediocrity. I had the misfortune to receive it with approx. 90k, and it had nothing but problems: the transmission would suddenly shift into neutral; it would turn off while idling; the a/c leaked; it would shake violently while driving around 70 mph; and it had other issues. When I bought a '97 Honda Accord, I was in heaven (received 500 bucks for the POS Dodge trade-in), and I experienced the essence of quality and reliability. By owning that Dodge clunker, I learned first-hand why the Big Three have been struggling.

[@wigletron2846]

And the big 3 are still trash today

[@91dodgespiritrt]

"it really showed its mediocrity." You father bought a "mediocre" car for a "mediocre" family with "mediocre" money, EVIDENTLY. That's how car purchases ("UNFORTUNATELY") usually work, "genius". HA, HA

[@timfordfalconxf7714]

This Dodge Spirit lost its Spirit a long time ago ( did it ever have one ) AND for that i love it

[@theczar6171]

I had the Chrysler LeBaron version of it. And I’m gonna tell you I actually miss that car. That V6 was plenty good for power in that thing. And it was comfortable.

[@highlycaffeinated6864]

My dad had a Dodge Spirit RT turbo that I got to learn to drive on. Remember that thing being pretty fast, a lot more fun than these rental fleet versions.

[@Rich_123]

This is the only car in existence to have amber plastic as part of the taillight cluster yet does not have amber turn signals.

[@TehNubTwinz]

My first car! A red 1993 Dodge spirit, got it when I was 15 in 2012. It eventually died when the wheel fell off the axles lmao

[@Mossy_0]

When did it did

[@asn413]

i had one exactly like that save the interior. i could sure use it now XD

[@zjones9876]

brings back driver's ed memories

[@danielcamacho6123]

hey zack i put in a new headliner in my wagon

[@Karmy.]

I just saw one in a junkyard a few days ago lol

[@johneric3886]

Nice work I enjoyed this video. And I did subscribe to your channel.

[@dave11686]

Very cool to see this

[@42luke93]

Too bad it is cars like this falling apart have front bench seats. I Wish new ones had it.

[@jacquesc3166]

Best 3rd brake light ever though? 1993+ Mazda MX-6 Mystere.

[@markmyers8775]

My mother was very proamerican car until she owned a 1994 Dodge Spirit which may have been one of the worst cars I had ever seen. It was in the shop much more than on the road. As Rodney Dangerfield once joked, "It got more mileage vertically than horizontally." That and the fact that the dealer she bought it from had some of the most inept mechanics. She finally decided to get rid of it and ended up buying a Toyota Camry. My mother passed away a few years ago, but that Camry is still with me and it still runs great.

[@slandon1977]

You need to drive a Spirit R/T.

[@91dodgespiritrt]

YES!

[@davinp]

The last boxy models. By the '90s, it was time to retire the K car platform

[@91dodgespiritrt]

When was your brain retired? An hour after your birth? HA, HA

[@theasker76251]

I think that this and the Chrysler Version are quite common in Mexico

[@Dankcatvacs]

synth wave came from the 80s like the amiga 600 hell even comodore music is synth wave isn't it? one good thing is the 2.2 is non interferance

[@gerrettmcqueen7001]

I’m surprised in 1993 they were still using a 3 speed auto

[@senseicorey9979]

Someone....uh.....really loves this car

[@musimero]

Drive the Spirit turbo and tell us if is boring 😊

[@moderateminneapolita]

Some hubcaps would go along way.

[@landonbenford8369]

3:20 Zack, have you heard 80's music?? Of COURSE music was more important than power windows!! Genesis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Thompson Twins, Def Leppard, N.W.A.?? MTV and VH1 when they ACTUALLY Played music videos? Are You Kidding?? I guess you had to be there.😎😎

[@nb7466]

My buddy had a Plymouth acclaim in highschool. It was a slow turd that never died

[@91dodgespiritrt]

it wasn't made to go fast - especially if it had the base engine 2.5 - in it, "GENIUS". DUH.

[@nb7466]

@@91dodgespiritrt it had the 3.0 V6 Mitsubishi motor genius. My aunt had the same motor in a Lebanon and it was a lot faster. Genius

[@mbd501]

Looks like he got a mint-condition model to test drive.

[@robertdiehl9003]

If I had money, I'd buy that car and make it into a stretch limousine...

[@robertdiehl9003]

A simple $ 35.00 Rust-Oleum paint job and it will look brand new plus a hubcap or two.

[@grimreaper5521]

I haven't seen one in 20 years

[@nmpawel80]

this car is just NASTY on the inside... i would have worn gloves YUCK

[@TechProYoutube]

My dad had one in like 2003 or 2004 i never saw it tho

[@musimero]

Deserves to be restored

[@adamhanby8220]

You should've made a Dr House joke.

[@jamesweddle184]

To quote Luke Skywalker: "What a piece of junk!"

[@trafficracer124]

it aged about as well as a banana visually

[@91dodgespiritrt]

Ok If you say so, "banana brain". HA,HA

[@Mauscmkwk]

It’s got about 3 months left

[@ja-kaz]

The name of this car can’t be any more ironic

[@christopherjones9821]

Had had to of these cars😄👍in till the Heads blow out 😂

[@kc0lif]

it's basic car that works. not k frame sorry. it's front drive of course there's no console. driving is driving it's not supposed be exciting it gets you where you going done.

[@earlscheib7754]

The poverty of that dodge

[@SS-sw8de]

DOOOOOOOO IIIIIIIIIIT🎉💯

[@robertdiehl9003]

Easy to parallel park in the city.

[@SpectrumRefurb]

lol no one reviews clean examples of these old chrysler cars... they are out there, why are the reviews always of the beat down ones.. smh.

[@jason.kchantziaras8456]

looks more like a heart less Spirit !

[@runoflife87]

AKA Chrysler Saratoga. Pathetic name choice😂

[@91dodgespiritrt]

"Lebaron" in the US.

[@yash.kapoor]

Looks like a knockoff 90s Lincoln Town Car

[@91dodgespiritrt]

Very similar shape. I have both a '91 Spirit R/T and a '94 Lincoln Continental. FACT: that particular generation of Continental came out in 1988 and was produced until 1994. The Spirit/Acclaim/LeBaron came out in 1989 and was produced until 1995.

[@michaelcoffey7362]

😀

[@FatSquidward]

Airbags weren’t required until 1998.