Dodge Spirit: which version to buy
For a 1988–1995 Dodge Spirit sedan, the choice is among three catalogued versions: 2.5 AT, 2.5 MT, and 3.0 AT. All three are Gasoline, FWD, no boost, 2 valves per cylinder, 61 L tank, 120 mm ground clearance, independent spring front suspension, dependent spring rear suspension, ventilated disc front brakes, and drum rear brakes.
For a 1988–1995 Dodge Spirit sedan, the choice is among three catalogued versions: 2.5 AT, 2.5 MT, and 3.0 AT. All three are Gasoline, FWD, no boost, 2 valves per cylinder, 61 L tank, 120 mm ground clearance, independent spring front suspension, dependent spring rear suspension, ventilated disc front brakes, and drum rear brakes. The split is engine size plus gearbox: the two 2.5-litre cars share 102 hp and 183 Nm; the 3.0-litre automatic is the only six-cylinder and the only four-speed automatic.
There is 1 generation. There is no later Spirit in this dataset to “wait for,” so the decision is which of these three powertrains fits how you drive.
Specs that actually differ between versions
| Version | hp | Nm | Displacement (cc) | Fuel | Cylinders / layout | Boost | Gearbox / gears | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 AT | 102 | 183 | 2501 | Gasoline | 4 / Inline | No | Automatic / 3 | FWD |
| 2.5 MT | 102 | 183 | 2501 | Gasoline | 4 / Inline | No | Manual / 5 | FWD |
| 3.0 AT | 143 | 232 | 2972 | Gasoline | 6 / V-shaped | No | Automatic / 4 | FWD |
Same 2.5-litre engine on 2.5 AT and 2.5 MT: 102 hp (75 kW) at 4800 rpm, 183 Nm at 2800 rpm, compression 9, bore × stroke 87.5 × 104, multi-point injection, 92-octane. 3.0 AT is 143 hp (105 kW) at 5000 rpm, 232 Nm at 2400 rpm, 2972 cc, 6 cylinders V-shaped, compression 8.9, bore × stroke 91.1 × 76, same injection type and 92-octane.
Performance and mpg: what the extra power and extra gears buy
0–100 km/h (measured for all three): 2.5 AT 13.8 s, 2.5 MT 12.4 s, 3.0 AT 10.7 s. Switching from the 3-speed automatic to the 5-speed manual on the same 102 hp engine cuts 1.4 s. Moving from 2.5 AT to 3.0 AT cuts 3.1 s. 3.0 AT is 1.7 s quicker than 2.5 MT.
Top speed: both 2.5 versions 172 km/h; 3.0 AT 192 km/h (+20 km/h).
Fuel (L/100 km):
- 2.5 AT: city not measured, highway not measured, mixed not measured.
- 2.5 MT: city 14, highway 8, mixed 10.2.
- 3.0 AT: city 15, highway 9, mixed 11.
Against the only 2.5 with measured economy, 3.0 AT uses +1 L/100 km in the city, +1 on the highway, +0.8 mixed. That is the measured fuel cost of 41 hp and 49 Nm.
Power per litre (from the given displacements): 2.5 AT / 2.5 MT 102 hp ÷ 2.501 L ≈ 40.8 hp/L; 3.0 AT 143 hp ÷ 2.972 L ≈ 48.1 hp/L. The V-shaped six is the denser engine on this sheet, not only the larger one.
Peak torque arrives 400 rpm earlier on 3.0 AT (2400 vs 2800), which is the arithmetic reason the automatic six can still beat the 5-speed four despite carrying more mass (see weight below).
Dimensions and weight: what is measured, what is not
Wheel sizes: not measured on all three.
Ground clearance: 120 mm on all three. Tank: 61 L on all three. Gross weight: not measured on all three.
Kerb weight: 2.5 AT not measured; 2.5 MT 1245 kg; 3.0 AT 1294 kg. The six-cylinder automatic is 49 kg heavier than the measured 2.5 manual.
Weight per horsepower (only where kerb weight exists): 2.5 MT 1245 ÷ 102 ≈ 12.2 kg/hp; 3.0 AT 1294 ÷ 143 ≈ 9.0 kg/hp. The 3.0 is heavier in kilograms and lighter per horsepower.
Which generation changed what
Only 1 generation (1988–1995), sedan, 3 versions, all dated 1988-01-01 to 1995-12-31. No restyling generation in the data. You are not choosing a newer chassis: you are choosing gearbox count and cylinder count on one sedan.
What does not change between versions: FWD, Gasoline, no boost, 2 valves per cylinder, 61 L tank, 120 mm clearance, independent spring front, dependent spring rear, ventilated disc front, drum rear, 92-octane. Buying “up” does not buy a different driveline layout or a different brake type in this catalogue.
Which version to buy and why
Buy 2.5 MT if you want the lightest measured car and the lowest measured fuel use. It is the only 5-speed Manual. It matches 2.5 AT for 102 hp, 183 Nm, 2501 cc, 172 km/h, and 120 mm clearance, but it is 1.4 s faster to 100 km/h than the 3-speed automatic four. Mixed 10.2 L/100 km is the best measured figure here. Kerb 1245 kg is the lightest measured. You give up two-pedal driving and you give up 41 hp versus the six.
Buy 2.5 AT if you want the same 102 hp four without a clutch, and you accept that economy and kerb weight are not measured. It is the only 3-speed Automatic. It is the slowest 0–100 (13.8 s) and shares the 172 km/h cap with 2.5 MT. Versus 3.0 AT you save 41 hp, 49 Nm, 20 km/h of top speed, and 3.1 s to 100 km/h — and you cannot compare fuel because city/highway/mixed for 2.5 AT are not measured. Do not assume it matches 2.5 MT at 10.2 mixed; that number is not in the data for this gearbox.
Buy 3.0 AT if the point is pace and an extra automatic ratio. It is the only 6-cylinder, V-shaped, 2972 cc, 143 hp, 232 Nm, 4-speed Automatic, 10.7 s to 100 km/h, 192 km/h. Versus 2.5 MT you pay 49 kg, +0.8 mixed L/100 km, +1 city, +1 highway, and you lose the 5-speed; you gain 41 hp, 49 Nm, 1.7 s to 100 km/h, 20 km/h top speed, and ~3.2 kg/hp less mass per horsepower (9.0 vs 12.2). Versus 2.5 AT the same power/speed gaps apply, plus one extra automatic gear (4 vs 3). Fuel still cannot be compared to 2.5 AT because that version’s consumption is not measured.
If the question is “what does the extra money buy” with only these numbers: the step from 2.5 AT to 2.5 MT buys 2 extra gears and 1.4 s, not more horsepower. The step from either 2.5 to 3.0 AT buys 471 cc, 2 extra cylinders, 41 hp, 49 Nm, a 4-speed automatic, 20 km/h, and (versus the measured 2.5) 49 kg and about 0.8–1.0 L/100 km. Chassis, tank, clearance, drive, fuel type, boost, and brake types do not change.
Reliability / problems: this dataset does not list failure rates, recalls, or ownership faults. What it does list is mechanical sameness: all three share FWD, the same suspension and brake labels, no boost, and 92-octane. Differences that can affect ownership cost in the numbers we have are gearbox type (3-speed Automatic vs 5-speed Manual vs 4-speed Automatic), cylinder count (4 vs 6), and measured fuel only for 2.5 MT and 3.0 AT.
Short pick: daily automatic and you want the measured quicker car → 3.0 AT. Daily automatic and you want the smaller four with no extra cylinders → 2.5 AT, knowing mpg and kerb weight are not measured. You will shift yourself → 2.5 MT, the only Manual, lightest measured kerb, best measured mixed mpg, still 102 hp.