Suicide Machine under $40,000

What will you choose?

A 4-door with menacing looks that has a decent fuel economy and so-so acceleration?
Or...
A muscular hotrod that lets you jump off lights, putting the owners of more expensive Lexus, BMW and Audi models sucking down the aroma of burned rubber?

It all depends how much you can afford but, whatever your choice, the Dodge Charger has a reply for you.


EXTERIOR

I’ve never appreciated the 2005 Dodge Charger’s looks as much as I did the Bentley-like styling of the Chrysler 300. But, the Charger is not without its own glamour. The exterior still offers the same “big car” looks as the 300, and still offers the same customization abilities of the 300. The car’s design gives it lots of clout within the hip/hop culture with its menacing looks – like a monster ready to pounce on something.

Naturally, the desire for a car’s exterior comes down to personal taste. Fortunately, the Charger’s colorful tail and front light assemblies may be enough to convince potential buyers that there’s lots of muscle under the hood. Of course, one glance at the small yellow L.E.D lights in the front assembly might lead some to ask, “but why?”

This vehicle’s irregularly shaped nose, grill and proportions makes it a clear competitor with Ford’s new mustang.


INTERIOR and FEATURES

If you do fall in love with the exterior, it may be a glance at the interior which turns your stomach. Those who have been used to riding in Mercedes’, BMW’s and Audi’s will take one glance at the Charger’s humble cabin and think “what the hell were they thinking?”.

The interior of the Charger hasn’t changed in the 08’ models much from the older models released in 05’ onwards.

I would estimate that more than 80% of the Charger’s interior comes from the 300’s parts bin (or vice versa). Everything about the Charger looks like everything you’d find inside the 300 with the exception of brand labels with “Dodge” or “Chrysler” on them.

Lets take a look at the Center Stack Console.
Everything about it is geometrically equal to the Chrysler’s. It is mostly plastic, and mostly “hollow”. You get exactly what you pay for. If you pay less, you get an FM/AM radio with a CD player that reads MP3’s on CDRW’s. Pay more, and that CD player gets ripped out and replaced with the MYGIG Navigation system (more on that later). Pay less – you get plastic caps. Pay more – those plastic caps become switches for heated seats.

The same principle applies for the driving position. The steering wheel is an ugly, featureless stump with the Dodge Ram logo on it. But if you pay more, you get steering wheel controls that allow you to control the Navigation system and radio without having to take your hands off the wheel. Information is also routed to the dashboard L.E.D display so you don’t need to take your eyes off the road to see the “next turn” prompt or the radio station. And that steering wheel is the exact same wheel as was used in the Chrysler 300. It seems as if the bigwigs at Chrysler were determined to save as much money on parts as possible by making the 300 and the Charger virtually the same car.


TRIMS and OPTIONS

The Dodge Charger comes in many flavors depending on how much cash you’re willing to give up to get your hands on one.

On one end of the spectrum, you have the SRT-8 Charger, which depending on dealer equipped options, can cost anywhere from $34,000 to $38,000. The SRT-8 features the same renowned 425 Horsepower HEMI 6.1 Liter engine that the previous Chrysler’s featured. This beast gets the Charger to 60mph in around 5 seconds but, also nets you around 9 -10 mpg. Considering Premium unleaded is nearly $3.50 a gallon, it is an unwise investment for anyone not ready to spend near $5000 a year in fuel costs. It also goes through tires at a rate comparable to the petrol it guzzles since an SRT Charger is coming with no less than the OEM 20” wheels and performance tires. Higher grade Brembo brakes are a standard, as well as “SRT” embossed leather seats with sporty bolstering. [0-60 in 4.8 seconds]

On the opposite (and less interesting) end of the spectrum, we have the SE and SXT Chargers. The SE features the 190 HP @6400 RPM 2.7 Liter engine that Chrysler has been using in the base 300 since inception. If you are looking for the lowest annual fuel costs, this is the way to go. Unfortunately, your takeoff power and passing power is sluggish. The engine doesn’t feel torquey till’ you reach 4000 RPM . Once your RPM hits 4000, it feels like she is ready to race. Current EPA ratings show the engine offers around 20 mpg City/ 25 Highway.

The SXT gives you the more powerful 350 HP 3.5 Liter V6 (used in the 300 Touring). I have no complaint with this engine as it gives you plenty passing power and plenty takeoff power - “I’m racing everyone today”.
The downside of course is that you lose around 2~4 miles per gallon especially since you’d probably be pushing the car a little harder during average driving if you happen to have a lead foot. The SXT also offers you the All Wheel Drive option which is a definite must-have if you are in overly icy or wet climates. After having driven multiple cars based on the LX platform, I must concede that all of these cars, both 300 and Charger, suffer from drifting issues and understeer during aggressive driving. The AWD models feel firmly planted.

Just as the HEMI –C was the most important model for perpetuating the impression of power for Chrysler’s LX platform line, the Dodge Charger RTfeatures the same 340HP HEMI 5.7L V8 as the Chrysler 300C. Power is never at a minimum here – this monster can propel you in ways you never imagined a car under $40,000 could. It is basically the epitome of the modern 4-door muscle car which hungers to be let out almost as much as it thirsts for middle-grade unleaded. Note to Exxon: I’ll be sending you a little more of my check this year.
RT’s are offered in a higher output 350HP “Daytona” version with Black HEMI decals, Black rear spoiler and a slightly more attractive front fascia design, but, you can expect the asking price to be in or around the price of a Chrysler 300C with few add-on options.


DRIVING

For everyday driving, the Dodge Charger offers every bit of comfort that the 300 does. These are huge, spacious cars both back and front – even for people upwards of 6ֹ. The rear seat fits up to 3 average people well and the front offers ample leg room for driver and passenger alike. The trunk is deep and spacious enough for you to get all your Walmart groceries inside without a problem. The trunk also allows you to fold down the rear seats for pass-through loads but, it doesn’t feature the intelligent rubber floor backing that the 2008 Chevy Malibu does.

The SE on the road feels much lighter than the RT and the SRT8 since it weighs around 320 pounds less. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, this car experienced plenty of understeer during aggressive cornering – which is an inherent problem with the LX platform I’ve noticed. All but the RT and SXT’s with AWD seem to suffer in this manner so it is with that in mind that I thoroughly recommend AWD despite the consequential loss of some miles per gallon.

All of the Charger’s, by default, suffer from some poor visibility (a problem also in the 300). The A and B pillars are thick to the point of increased driver blindness, while the window width is small enough to be considered “slot like”. Most “heavy” Americans wouldn’t be able to squeeze out of windows this narrow in the event of an accident.

Of course, if you are willing to overlook some poor visibility issues and the cheap plasticy interior, the Charger will make for a very civilized ride since it owes its poised suspension to the designers of the 300 and thus to the borrowed elements of the Mercedes Benz E-class. Steering is exact, confident and never feels sluggish, but, just place a palm on the wheel of the R/T or SRT8 and you’ll instantly feel a difference in the car’s weight.


TECHNOLOGY?

Besides power, you can also consider a Navigation system as an option – the new “MyGIG”. MyGIG is a touchscreen operated, Hard Drive based Navigation system that is a great improvement over the Navi in the older Chrysler 300.
MyGIG allows you to store nearly 1600 songs on its 20 GB Hard Disk (1GB is reserved for the Navigation data) and uses the Gracenote lookup engine. If you put in most CD’s, with defineable digital codes, Gracenote can automatically access the CD Data Base and retrieve track information. If you have children with iPods or a USB travel drive, MY GIG allows you to connect directly to a USB slot on its face and access data through the touchscreen.
MyGIG also features U Connect, a fancy name for Bluetooth access for cellphones so you can speak hands free through the car’s speakers.

I have two main disappointments with the MYGIG. Number 1, the system is just a head unit and it looks like “just a head unit”. Similar to the rest of the car, the MyGIG is modular and can be pulled out and substituted. For the Charger this is ok, but for the more “upscale 300”, it should have a more integrated look.
The second disappointment is that the USB cable stretches down from your head unit to whatever iPod or device you plug it to. Why ? It looks sloppy. Why didn’t the designers put the USB input out of sight in the little plastic alcove they seem to have placed out of sight for you to place the device you are hooked to? Why doesn’t this little plastic spot have a retaining device so things can’t fly out of it during a short stop?
Too many cost cutting measure were taken with the Charger and 300 and it will be an eye sore for people used to fancier interiors on the Japanese models – especially cars like the Infiniti M35.

Of course, the 6.5 inch touchscreen does take a lot of attention off the plastic face of the center console.

The higher model Chargers also feature the newfangled “automatic temperature control” (to auto lower/raise cabin temp) and the “automatic dimming control” (to automaticaly dim/raise the lighting on the instrument panels) . R/T and SRT’s feature electronic brake assist which give more power when your trying to stop yourself from hitting the next guy after hitting high double digit speeds. R/T’s and SRT’s feature electronic stability, premium floor mats (with emblems) and leather wrapped shift knobs. Depending upon what the dealer has ordered, you may also see a lot of crossover parts from the 300 like Tire pressure monitoring gauges and L.E.D light fixtures to name a couple.




FINAL THOUGHTS?

Not happy with the features your Charger comes with? Just go on EBAY!. They offer every conceivable part for this car there. If your willing to spend a little, you can change anything on your Charger from the doors to the wheels. Most of the interior parts (including the seats) can be swapped with the 300’s so you have a wide array of customizable options.

The Charger is a “love it or leave” it car. A great car for college students and newbies to the workforce but because of its looks, may seem a bit too “scary” to be a family car.
You aren’t getting the best interior quality, but, if you spend more, you can get plenty of power and upgrade any eyesores you might have.

Its not hard to see why the Charger and 300 have rejuvenated Chrysler. This is a great American Muscle Car.



Also visit the Chrysler 300 for 2008 here...
http://www.epinions.com/content_405173603972