DITO

 

Uncle Jesse is rolling over in his grave! I'm just glad Dodge didn't try and use the new Dukes of Hazzard movie as a platfrom to promote sales on that piece of crap. I'm all about some classic chargers but the styling and the four doors is a disgrace to the nameplate. It'll go the way of the Dodo bird in a couple of years. Long live Daisy Dukes!

 

May want to rephrase that...

 

My wife and I are going to be having kids here soon enough, and she thinks her Focus is a little on the wimpy side. She thought she'd like to have her own Mustang, but then realized there will be no back seat for a baby seat.... we both agree that putting one on the left or right side is out of the question.... so she decided on a Magnum... until she saw the Charger. So, yeah.... she'll be getting a Charger R/T for the family car. It's gonna be sweet. I'll have my '06 GT and have every intention of mounting a Whipple or KB on top, so we'll have the coolest driveway on the block. What's killing me though is that we have to wait until we move to Florida before I can order mine, and she'll be getting hers before the end of the year..... C'mooooon transfer... its driving me nuts.

 

wait for the daytona RT the stripes are cool or even better the SRT8 if they ever come out with one of those

 

you eat Sh** :scratch:

 

And if you do why would you be grinning while you ate it?

 

You know... if it wasn't named "Charger" then I would think it's another great sedan from Chrysler. With the 300 and now this they are sure showing people that a sedan can be cool.

But everyone knows a Charger looks like the General Lee. If you can't jump it over the creek getting away from Sheriff Rosco P. Coltrane - or race it in NASCAR - then it's not a Charger.

It is a cool sedan though.

Back to the question... I would still buy a Mustang. But I think it's a personal thing.

 

Good to have you back Altoid, where you been?

Oscar

 

Let me add a twist that I should have done originally. Anyone with a GT put kid seats in back? I would have to occassionally, not every day. This was one item that had me looking at the charger option.

-socalfitz

 

oh um, isn't it great how everybody looks to compare the 05 mustang with almost every other car out there. We are at the top again, so move over guys.

 

I was looking at it the other way around - almost every other car out there is trying to compare to the Mustang

 

==Let me add a twist that I should have done originally. Anyone with a GT put kid seats in back?==

Not a GT, but yes, I've had to shuttle the kids in my V6 vert. It's not a big deal. Certainly not as easy as getting them into and out of a 4 door, but if you REALLY want a Mustang then that shouldn't get in your way.

 

My son rides in the back of my 05 vert all the time. He loves it. But he's 7. I don't know that a teenager would want to roll for long distances back there.

 

like I said earlier, a baby seat is not an option for me.... not because it's my Mustang (ok... a little of that too) but mostly for safety.... I would hate to have a side impact and kill one of my kids because they hit their head on the side panel or something.... so yeah... I'll have the Stang GT and my wife will have the Charger R/T. She thought that she'd want a blower too, because mine will have one..... I told her that might be a little over kill for the "family car."

 

My daughter is 2 and I've done it a couple of times. The LATCH sytem snaps in real quick. The only drawback is I scoot the passenger seat up so she doesn't kick the back of it. So when my wife rode in the passenger seat, she was a little more cramped than what she'd like, but it was manageable...granted, that's with a 1" clearance from my toddler's fully extended leg.

As far as the Charger goes...saw one at a dealership. I thought it looked ok. Definatlely had alot of room in it. Trunk was nicely sized, too. What I really didn't like was the auto-stick, and I thought the interior was kinda uninspiring.

 

You must be a youngster. An old phrase from the 70s, meaning you're having so much fun a mouth full of poo couldn't spoil it.

I guess that DOES sound kind of hokey though...

John

 

Hey, I agree with you on the utility of having two extra doors. I enjoyed the added convenience while driving my '04 Audi A4, but it got stale quickly and I started looking for a car that would get me excited about driving again. Enter Ford Mustang. The Audi was quick and responsive, but still couldn't hold a candle to the GT. Both cars had their pros and cons. The Audi's interior was superior; the fit and finish was impeccable. The quality of the materials was top-shelf. The comfort level was extraordinary. On the other hand, the GT planted me in the seat and treated me to a symphony, courtesy of a performance-tuned V8. Again, it's like comparing apples to oranges. It's all in what you're looking for in a car and no one knows that better than you!

However, I have to tell you that I was rather disappointed by Dodge's new "Charger." It let me down on many levels. While it may be a true performer in terms of speed and handling, I think it fell short of recapturing the essence of the "Charger" nameplate, just as that little four-banger did in the 80's. I think Dodge missed an opportunity to set things right, to revive a nameplate that for many embodied a two-door performance-driven hardtop. One of the things that really saddened me was the bland interior. Sure, it's purposeful, but it bores me to death. It's like a great wall of plastic in your face! No imagination, no bold statement, just lots and lots of flat plastic surrounding you. Yuck. They could have done a lot better IMO.

Many "performance sedans" seem to be a hodge-podge of design suffering from an identity crisis. It's a sports car...no it's a family sedan...no, it's both! I think if you want a sporty car, get a sporty car. If you want a family sedan, get a family sedan. The reaction to the Charger at this year's NAIAS in Detroit ranged from shock to disgust. People looked at this Frankenstein of a car and wondered "should I be impressed?" I know, it's all about compromise. But do you really want people looking at your car and saying "nice, but it's a shame it's got those extra doors."?

About the name: I think Dodge could have avoided the negative response to their new car if they just called it by it's rightful name... the Magnum Sedan! It's clear they wanted to capitalize on the Charger nameplate, but if they're going to do that, why not show the same respect for the car's heritage as Ford showed the 2005 Mustang?

Anyways, rant off. Here are a couple of pix I snapped at the '05 NAIAS. Judge for yourself.

 

Why are these cars being compared? They are completely different cars, one is a 2 door sports car, the other a large 4 door sedan. The Charger should be compared to a Nissan Maxima, Toyota Avalon, Ford Five Hundred, ect...

Besides this Charger is a lot truer to it's roots than the Charger of the early 80's.

 

Chris, you're right, that's one crappy interior! As for the rest of the car, its OK, but shouldn't be compared to our beloved Mustang. For me, if I was going the utility route, I'd get the Magnum. It looks better than any SUV and has a great engine available. That's what I don't understand, how many of these types of cars does dodge need. They need something a little more attainable than the Viper!