After about a dozen years with no changes to the JPC fleet, last spring and summer led to a full turnover. A new 2023 Dodge Charger GT came into my life in May of 2024 and it was followed shortly thereafter by a 2007 Mazda3 hatchback in top-level Touring trim. I reported on these two cars shortly after getting them (here) (and here), and figured that the time is right for an update after an opportunity to live with each for awhile.
Years ago, I wrote a tongue-in-cheek piece about How To Make Your Own Curbside Classic. The short version was to pick something normal and boring, then keep it in a garage and barely use it so that it will outlast all the rest of its kind. I feel like I have reached the stage in life where I am doing just that. The Charger isn’t exactly boring, but they are common enough (especially when you include the ones with light bars and police insignias). That I have just eked past 5,000 miles on the car after nearly 18 months of ownership puts me easily into the future CC category. I have joked that when I was young, nothing said “old man” like a green, low mile Dodge sedan. It must still be true.
Before I bought the Charger, I was certain that I was completely finished owning new American cars. This made me sad, but my experiences with Asian cars over the past two decades had been so good that I saw little reason to stray from that path. But stray I did. And so far I couldn’t be happier about it. In short, I loved this car when I picked it up and I still love it.
I love the way it drives. The 3.6L V6, at 300 horsepower, makes this the most powerful car I have ever owned. I love the easy and copious flow of torque that is constantly ready. My driving style has become fairly sedate, but when some power is called for, I want it. Now. And this drivetrain gives it to me. The 8 speed conventional automatic has proved to be every bit as delightful as the engine. It shifts crisply, doesn’t hunt for gears or do random harsh shifts (like the FWD Stellantis products I have driven) and is the kind of transmission that almost never reminds you that it is there. Yes, there are more gears than I need and that added complexity will probably come back to bite me (or someone else) in the future, but for now it is quite nice.
I love the lack of modern electronic nannies. I have come to despise “adaptive” cruise controls and automatic stop/start engines. The Charger has neither. Jason Shafer recently wrote of his disappointment with needing a touch screen to make adjustments to his HVAC system. The Charger has electro-mechanical buttons and knobs. The car hits a perfect medium for me – it is modern enough to have essentials like a back-up camera and easy connectivity to my phone for maps and entertainment, but is an old enough design that the newest fads (whether for style or for cozying up to Uncle Fed) are absent.
I made use of the car’s all wheel drive feature on a couple of bad weather days last winter, and can report that the car is confidence inspiring in slick conditions. Wanting to keep this car for as long as I can, I have tried to avoid driving it in salt season, but having the AWD available when you have to get somewhere in snow is a plus, and its operation has been both competent and unobtrusive. In dry weather? This thing sticks to the pavement like nobody’s business and feels as planted and as sure-footed as the best Mopars I have driven. Occasionally exploring the car’s cornering limit in a highway entrance ramp that comes out of a tight turn is almost as fun in this Charger as it was in my Miata. Although more care is required in the Charger, because (unlike in the Miata) there is enough power to get me into trouble.
We have been spoiled by many years of owning minivans, so our packing habits for a trip had become quite undisciplined. Fortunately, it is just the two of us and the Charger’s rear seats fold down, providing plenty of room for bulky luggage and such. The trunk is large enough (although not by much) for the bulky mobility aid that Marianne has been using. And while we are talking about the practical stuff, the car’s MPG computer tells me that lifetime MPGs are over 20. We recently took a trip over a long weekend and got 28 mpg out of our best tank of (regular) fuel. This combination of performance and economy is something that I could have only dreamed about in my younger days.
Finally, I remain completely in love with the car’s looks. I love the styling, and consider this one of the best looking larger sedans of the past couple of decades. And I remain in the thrall of the F8 Green paint on the car, and regularly get compliments on it when I am out in public. To conclude, this car makes me happy when I walk up to it, and happy when I drive it. And when I walk away from it, I still have a tendency to glance back at it and smile. Yes, Stellantis is not known for overspending on components, but I have yet to experience any service issues. A (free) tire rotation and oil change at the 12 month mark has been it.
The car that has allowed me to make the Charger’s life such an easy one is my cheap and cheerful little Mazda3. This car, which cost about $3k to get into (including some immediate repairs needed to get it back on the road) has been almost as trouble-free as the Charger, despite having racked up over 12,000 miles of hard commuting. The only significant trouble I have had since the immediate shakedown period has been the pesky plastic belly pan under the powertrain. Whether from age, wear, cheap parts or a mechanic who was not as careful as he should have been, it fell on the ground once, was fixed with zip ties, and then fell off again and was removed. That and a new set of Michelin tires have been the only deviations from trouble-free driving.
It helps that this is a joyful little car to drive. The engine starts right up, has plenty of power and is mated with a 5 speed automatic that is as smooth and unobtrusive as the 8-speeder in the Charger. Its manner reminds me a lot of the NA Miata that I had a few years ago, right down to the thin and hollow sound of the doors slamming. The car is lightweight and tossable, and the fat tires encourage aggressive merging on entrance ramps. In short, this thing is a hoot.
My lifelong bad habit with old, cheap cars has been to bond with them, and then to treat them like “real cars”, which requires fixing everything that is even a little bit wrong. I am trying to avoid that temptation on this car, and the rust and dents that afflict the Mazda are helping me to stay on my 12-step program for driving cheap beaters. (“Hi, my name is Jim and I spend too much on cheap cars”). There is some clunking in the front suspension that would probably require some new bushings to quell, and a check engine light that has periodically illuminated because of a code related to one of the engine sensers.
I could replace shocks and struts, and could take the door panel off the drivers door to work on the sticky lock mechanism that makes locking the driver’s door with the remote a hit or miss affair. I could also tear out the headliner to address an antenna ground that is probably causing the poor radio reception on hot, sunny days – yes, that last one is weird. But I probably won’t do any of those things. An old friend once worked in a gas station, and told me of the mechanic’s advice to almost everyone who came in with minor car complaints on an older car: “Drive it.”
I have taken that long-ago advice of Buzz from Schererville Shell and am not stressing over the car’s minor faults (which are few) and focus on the things that work well. Like the cold a/c, the hot heat and the functioning seat warmers. All 4 power windows work, the remote locking works on 4 of the 5 doors. It is the happy man who can keep his wants separated from his needs. Or is that the lazy man. I can never remember.
In its own way, this aging Mazda gives me joy too. It helps that I wanted one of these when they were new, but the lack of sufficient rear headroom for the two tall sons who were at home at the time was a deal breaker. Those lads (now 6’3″ and 6’6″) are now out of the nest and the back seat headroom is a non-issue. Mr. Average Build is quite comfy once I fall down into the firm black leather, which came with the car’s top Grand Touring trim level. Then I get to enjoy a car that has almost no bad habits, and is a fun and engaging drive every time. Even better, Marianne is happy to ride in it from time to time (like when it is raining out and she doesn’t want to get the Charger dirty).
I have reached an age and a state in life where I consider myself a fairly simple guy with some pretty basic requirements for a car. Each of these cars meets or exceeds those requirements in pretty much every way. And when it comes to two cars owned by a car guy, what could be better than a pair that makes me momentarily wonder which one I would rather drive today?
JP, Thanks for another great Adventures in Motoring story. Back in 2023 my beloved 2016 Passat was reaching it’s golden years which meant it was time to move it over to in-town only errands 2nd car status. I wanted a comfortable vehicle, minimal electronics, power windows, back up camera, heated seats, and have it be nimble enough to navigate New England winters. I went down to my local Chevrolet dealer and after viewing the inventory I was about to leave disappointed not being able to find a vehicle to meet my criteria and budget. As I was turning the Passat around to leave the salesman runs out and said he found a vehicle that would tick off my wish list. Out back they had a new 2024 Trax with everything I wanted, nothing I didn’t want, and it was at my price point. It’s been two years, 23k miles, great mileage and comfort and has taken me from Connecticut to Maine. The sad ending to my story is it will soon be time to bid farewell to my Passat. 10 years, 145k miles, and minimum service issues it has served me well and it will be missed. Thanks again for the continuing contributions to adventures in motoring.
It’s a sad day when it’s time for a beloved car to go away.
It is an excellent thing indeed when ones greatest vehicular challenge is which car would he rather drive today.
Great photos of the Charger!
Thanks! It’s a great thing to have a pair of cars that satisfy most of my moods.
Your Charger is the automotive equivalent to a fine wine…it just keeps getting better. Had we not had a specific need when we were car shopping a little over a year ago, we may have been looking for a leftover Charger. We test drove one in 2013 and my wife really likes them.
The Mazda still looks good and the color is great.
You’ve reminded me there is a 15 year ownership update about a certain Ford van that has been written but needs one picture to be scheduled.
We count ourselves fortunate to have found ours when we did.
And Wow, 15 years on your van already?
There is not a bad angle on that Charger.
I agree!
I don’t think I’ve seen this Green on a Charger before.
Very Nice.
Very occasionally I will see another, but not often. It’s at its best in bright sun.
My wife and I have also been enjoying the benefits of owning a small, inexpensive, “beater car” to help save wear and tear on our “good cars”. In our case, the beater car is a 2010 Hyundai Elantra that I purchased new way back when my daughter was in high school. When she graduated from college (after a grueling process that took a longer than any of us expected) we helped her get a better car and took over ownership of the Elantra.
The Elantra still runs and looks pretty good for a 16 year old car with almost 170K miles. The paint still holds a shine after waxing, and there’s minimal rust. While the Elantra is no rocket ship, every time I drive it I’m reminded that it’s light years ahead of the 1970 VW Beetle that I drove when I was in college. It has no problem keeping up with traffic, and drives quietly up to about 75 MPH when it starts getting buzzy inside. The Elantra fits in just about any parking space, and we don’t really worry about whether it picks up another parking lot ding or whether someone will steal it. We’ll even put a “Club” on the steering wheel when parking in a bad area just as a reminder to the Kia/Hyundai Boys that their time would be better spent stealing someone else’s car.
Waxing? 🙂
I have not even run the Mazda through a car wash. I figure it’s at a place where washing it will just speed up the corrosion process.
I was shocked to learn you can actually get a modern car without the engine start/stop feature. I get that many drivers do not like cruise control due to the almost constant need to disengage it when coming upon slower traffic, but since adaptive cruise control solves that problem, I don’t get the irritation at that accessory.
Count me in as puzzled too. The complaint I’ve heard is that you “get stuck” behind a slow car. What would you do if you had conventional cruise, just run into it rather than changing lanes or disengaging/reducing speed?
Plus and it is a big one on many cars with adaptive cruise you can change it to regular cruise, I know that is the case on the cars with adaptive in our family. You many have to did through some menus to make that change but I’m told it will persist through key cycles meaning you only need to make the switch once.
When I use cruise, I use it to stop looking at the speedometer. If I overtake another car, then I make plans to go around to pass. If I’m not overtaking traffic then everything is cool. Until adaptive cruise, then I glance at the speedometer and see that I am going 7-10 mph under my set speed.
I live with it Day to day in my truck and it is a constant irritant. Cruise is about maintaining a set speed, and that’s the way I like it to work. Adaptive cruise is one more feature that tries to think for me. I want to think for myself.
I use CC for the same reason: I set it at 9 mph over the limit to keep me from getting busted. Or in the case of the van, to set it at the speed I want it to go. I’m telling the car what speed I want it to drive at.
Having said that, our driving very rarely involves heavier traffic. Case in point: we just came back from a 4000+ mile trip down to and through New Mexico, and the total freeway mileage was minute; almost all of it was on very quiet (often desolate) 2-lane highways and roads. If I lived in a large metro area I might be able to get the point of adaptive CC, although I’d have to try it first.
That’s exactly what adaptive cruise does, it limits your TOP speed. It will not exceed that speed just like regular cruise control unless you override it by pressing the accelerator or adjusting the top speed via the switch (just like regular CC). When you come up on a slower car and for whatever reason you decide not to pass it, it adjusts your speed down (temporarily) to match that slower car, the distance between cars can be set by you as desired usually with three choices, seven in a Tesla. If the car in front of you speeds up or pulls over or exits (disappears), then your car will re-accelerate to your original set speed but not beyond it. If you plan ahead and decide to pass that car before you are behind it it just maintains the speed you set assuming the other lane is clear, just like regular CC. If you decide to pass AFTER you are already up on the car in front of you and the speed has reduced itself, as soon as you pull out the car accelerates to your predetermined speed.
It is REALLY good in mixed commute traffic with stop and go, some systems will slow the car all the way to a stop and then when the car in front moves, your car moves along with it. However different systems differ in this regard, some have a lower limit, some go all the way to zero. I did a video demonstrating it in the Alfa Romeo Giulia review we published here back in 2019.
In very short form what it does is it automates you pushing the Decel and Resume buttons if there are cars in front of you that limit you driving at your desired speed. If you drive with normal CC you presumably notice you are encroaching on traffic ahead and if there is room you signal and move over. Adaptive is no different.
To me, the point of adaptive cruise control is an attempt to eliminate the constant toggling of the ‘cancel’ and ‘resume’ buttons when coming upon slower traffic.
While I like the idea, there is most definitely a variation on how it operates by manufacturer. GM seems to have a nice choice of distance at which the feature begins to match the following car.
OTOH, Stellantis is rather craptacular, with the shortest distance being comparable to the longest with my GM vehicle.
So, what I end up doing, is when the adaptive part begins slowing me down, I’ve gotten into the habit of hitting the go pedal to pull into the left lane to get around the slower vehicle. Otherwise, it just takes too damn long to execute the whole process.
The bottom line is some adaptive systems are set-up better than others, meaning the ‘adapting’ involves the driver, as well.
I have had adaptive cruise on my last 3 Toyotas and love it. On the newest one, it can bring the car to a full stop and then a tap on the “resume” buttton allows the car to move forward again once the car ahead begins to move.
I especially like it for “flying in formation,” that is in busy but moving traffic on freeways like the DC Beltway and Long Island Expressway, where you can never maintain a constant speed because of ever-changing traffic density and periodic slowdowns.
I consider the adaptive cruise control on my car a bit hazardous. When changing lanes, the unit seems to have a lag time as to which lane it should be targeting.
When driving in the right lane, coming up on a slower car I will change lanes to the left lane to pass before the adaptive cruise control starts slowing me down. Even though the left lane is clear ahead, as I get closer to the car in the right lane, the cruise control will suddenly jam on the brakes. This doesn’t happen consistently. It is always a surprise.
The danger occurs if another car in the left lane approaches at an even higher speed. Some drivers believe that they need to get close to anyone traveling slower than they are to send a message to get over so they can pass. The last thing they expect is that I’ll jam on the brakes with no obstacle in sight.
This may be a problem with my particular car. Naturally the dealer can’t find any problem – and the unit does work right most of the time. However the few times it has occurred scared me away from using the adaptive cruise control.
Mine doesn’t act this way; in fact, once I begin to move to the left to pass, the car starts accelerating immediately (no lag and certainly no braking).
Still trucking?
Nice post to start the day.
Yes sir! And thanks.
I, too, have a tendency to bond with old cheap cars and want to fix everything wrong with them. Thankfully, my mechanic always tells me when it’s time to stop and let a car go.
“Thankfully, my mechanic always tells me when it’s time to stop and let a car go.”
Marianne sees this as her job. 🙂
Nothing says “old man” like a green SIX CYLINDER Dodge sedan 😀. Fortunately (at least in the horsepower department) this is no Slant Six. Nice car especially with AWD.
As for the Mazda, I rented one of that vintage and color for a day in Oregon a while back. My first or at least longest experience with a modern automatic in a 4 cylinder car. Almost as good as a stick on back roads in the Cascades. A nice pairing.
Haha, the 6 cylinder bit makes this even truer!!
Yes, I have decided that you have to experience one of these old 3s to appreciate them.
I love your Charger; who could have imagined 30 years ago that this is what a Dodge six sedan would be?
I know!! The last 6 cylinder Charger I drove was a 74, and boy what a difference!
Talk about bonding with old, cheap cars? Oh boy, do I have that disease! I’ve had my old Karmann Ghia for 6 years and had my ’66 Corvette for 27. That Corvette was bought for $15k, so pretty cheap. It was a real wrench to sell it, as I had used it as a daily in my Paris years and also done some serious trips and rallies with it. Great memories of winding that Big Block Chevy out and still my favorite car ever in the rain(!).
Those two cars couldn’t be more different – coupe vs. convertible, water vs. rear air cooled, front vs. rear engine, 425 vs 48hp. Steel vs. fiberglass, Bill Mitchell vs. Luigi Segre…
However, they both combine great looks, dependability, and fun. Good parts supply and ease of maintenance, too.
So I guess I get very attached to my cars, either because I buy something I have really wanted, or they find me like the Ghia did.
With the Mazda you have a seemingly bulletproof, fun to drive machine that you can park and not worry about. You are enjoying every drive, probably more than someone with a pristine high end vehicle. True “car guys (people?)” don’t need a showy ride meant to impress other people – they are sufficiently secure in themselves and their tastes to enjoy a vehicle that may not be appreciated by others.
Another thing – when we had our Jeep many of our neighbors and friends also had those, or Dodges, both cars and SUVs, and never had a bad word to say about them, despite their poor reputation for quality. My BMW X5 driving colleague who was always ragging on Stellantis quality had to have his motor replaced at 20k miles and suffered constant electrical problems.
The Charger received one of the best facelifts ever done – that rear lamp graphic is so recognizable and the front end stll looks modern to my eyes. Old man colors these days are silver, or one of the many shades of grey. F8 green is a proper color in a sea of grey, white or black. It also shows off the body lines to great effect. No wonder people comment on that – it literally brightens their day!
Thanks! I agree on this face-lift, and couldn’t believe how old it was at first.
I’ve facelifted cars before and you usually have vry few parts you can change – generally lights, fascias and maybe front fenders. The idea is to make it look as new as possible, or at least different, to signal the mechanical changes or updates normally done at the same time and try to correct any design problems. Often the aerodynamics will be refined as well. I had the pleasure of doing the facelift of the first Cayenne with Steve Murkett, where, along with getting rid of the pinched “face” we reduced the Cd from 0.42 to 0.35. The only sheetmetal changes were to the front fenders.
The surprising thing with the Charger, which shows just how well it’s update was done is that the facelift was sold for longer than most car generations are ever on the market for.
I prefer the proportions (luckily, they were always good) and rear end to it’s replacement – seems that buyers do as well…
J P, you have found a good automotive balance and variety between the two cars. I love the green on the Charger and man, does it look good against the fall leaves!
Thanks, and you will get no argument from me.
I should have mentioned what an interesting paint color the Mazda has. In some light it is ordinary gray, in bright sun it is almost blue, but with a slight golden shimmer. I would hate to try to match the color!
I’m glad to see you’re still liking the Charger. I’m still happy with the Challenger, too, although I’m making a mental list of things I may or may not have checked out while it’s still under warranty. The driver’s door handle needs to be pulled way farther than the passenger door handle to open the door, and the brake booster doesn’t hold vacuum for more than probably 12 hours, so when I push the brake to start the car, you have to give it a little extra leg. Nothing big, and I may not even subject myself to having to deal with a dealer about those minor problems, but aside from them and a pretty lethargic touchscreen, it’s been a good car.
Your Challenger has probably seen quite a few more miles. I have noticed a hard brake pedal after the car has set for awhile and wondered if this just isn’t the beast’s nature.
Yep, I just rolled over 15,000, and I didn’t start noticing the brake pedal until a few thousand miles ago.
I wouldn’t have said that Chargers normally do much for me, but the colour on this car is great. Beautiful photos as well. And from the driving description it’s clear I should be reconsidering my vague (unfounded) Stellantis assumptions. 🙂
I am not completely sold on Stellantis, but this was an old design that had been in production for a long time. One thing I am noticing is an almost total lack of new Chargers out on the road, despite the car having been in showrooms for awhile now.
A woman who works at my dentist’s office has a Challenger in your color Jim, and wow does that color look good in person.
Thanks for this update and wow do I miss your writing. I’ve always enjoyed your posts.
Having a choice between cars that satisfy your mood of the day is huge. It’s great you love them both. I can relate to this, as I love all three in my own fleet for different reasons. The Mustang, for its more connected experience; The Civic, which handles like it’s on rails and quite a hoot to drive; or the 2019 CX-5 Grand Touring I bought for my wife for a more refined, yet still somehow sporty driving experience (if you want to call it that… Zoom Zoom as they say).
I’m also glad to hear that you’ve had no issues with the Charger. Having driven one of these V6 powered Chargers (and its Chrysler 300 sibling) in rental form, I can honestly say that each had plenty of power for this old man. Both were a little older than yours and rated at 292 horsepower which was more than enough.
Thanks Rick! I can say that after my Miata and this 3, I have become a Mazda fan.
The Charger is a real gem in that green! Fall colors really suit the car. I would not mind owning one just like yours. Glad to read that you like the 3.6. I only got to experience it in a rented Pacifica on a West Coast trip three years ago and it was a perfectly competent engine for the five of us travellers and our luggage, be it in the vast deserts of Nevada or in the hills of San Francisco.
The Mazda, though, is the one I can relate to more. I did not drive a 3 of this vintage, only its platform-mate MPV 5 and it seemed put together really good even after 440 thousand kms showing up on the dials. I also liked the strong 2.0 engine and the stick. The driving experience in these Mazdas on the Ford Global C-Car platform is a really satisfying one, as I got to prove later with even a short drive with a friend’s 2010 1.6 diesel hatchback of the following generation.
Saving an old car is an interesting topic for me, too. Two years ago, our relatives offered our family their surplus 2004 Peugeot 307, left by their deceased retired parents. With only 115K kms on the clock, overall good condition and two recently mounted full sets of winter and summer wheels, 600€ was more than an acceptable price and it graced our fleet. Until that time, I did not like these Peugeots much and would not even consider them while choosing a car. Being carless at that time with the 2008 Ford C-Max in the shop after a collision, I jumped at the opportunity to drive the small Peugeot and it grew on me. Even with its small, 1.4 88 HP gas engine. And not much extra equipment, although even radio and A/C were still an upgrade from the previous family beater. With my girlfriend, we took many trips in the old Peugeot – not only Ikea and grocery shopping in the city, but also visiting our families which is a 2-3 hours of highway and country driving. After acquiring it, I was thinking about retrofitting some OEM pieces like factory hands-free, cruise control, seat upgrades. Then the reality kicked in – in a few months I would return the car to my parents and they would not care about these upgrades. The first „upgrade“ it will get will be probably a sagging headliner replacement. So it has become an extra car in my parents‘ driveway, saving the wear and tear from the „nice“ car they have. It usually parks in our street driveway instead of being kept behind the gate like the others, and by this is the most convenient one to choose when in need of a car. As of writing this comment, I left the Peugeot at home after three months and 2500 kms of another stand-in period.
Looking back on what use we got from the it already after two years and 22K kms – not bad for 600€!
Many happy miles from Czech Republic to your family and cars!
Thanks, and I agree that the fall colors look particularly good with this car. And having a spare car that gets shared around the family is a great thing.
Have you heard this joke? A young boy asks his Mother; “Mommy, what happens when a car gets so old, beat up, and worn out that it barely runs? His Mother answers wearily. Somebody sells it to your Father! (rim shot!)
Driving old fully depreciated cars that are still in good (relative term) running condition is a great idea in saving money and preserving your “good car.” It is always nice to have a new, or newer, lower mileage, nice car. This will be available for that spur of the moment road trip that can be made without worry, or an extreme amount of vehicle preparation.
Three hundred hp V6s that get good mileage, the future is better than we would have ever could have hoped for back in the 1980’s!
Trying to fix and maintain everything with a twenty year old car is what I do with my hobby cars. I try to find something “interesting” and still in good shape and try to improve it a bit. My older cars are in pretty good shape, but it is nice to keep a newer car in the stable. Now that I’m an old Man I want something around that is reliable and comfortable. However cars are now so well made that with care, they can run reliably up to 200,000 miles. Here in the Bay Area rust is not a factor. I still drive my old, over 100K cars on long trips.
I don’t have a car with adaptive CC, but I like the cancel and resume feature. I can cancel the cruise without stepping on the brake and losing my inertia. My Mustang has regular CC and I have to tap the brake lightly to cancel it. That’s not quite as convenient, but it’s better than my truck which doesn’t have cruise at all. Good to hear that you’ve been happy with the Charger.
I agree that it is nice to have a new (or at least new-ish) car that you don’t really have to think about. I would be fine taking the Mazda out on a trip, but would want to give it a good check-over first. The Charger doesn’t really need the check-over, at least not so far.
Glad to hear that you are still enjoying the Charger. A close friend bought a brand-new blue one, with the V-8. He has hardly driven it. I’m guessing there will be several mint, low-mileage Chargers and Challengers at various car shows in the coming years!
I agree with you that Chargers and Challengers are the kinds of cars that will see a decent number kept in prime condition. They also seem to make up a large proportion of cars I see pulled over to the side of the road with police officers talking to the drivers. Which is why I didn’t need that Hemi. 🙂
I’ve been waiting for this update and thoroughly enjoyed it.
I retain good memories of a rental upgrade to a Dodge Charger base sedan in 2023. The car was tight, rattle free, and quiet. The transmission was smooth, quiet, and responsive in operation. The seats and ride were very comfortable. With the base engine it still had enough power to hold its own on the freeway with three passengers. Your car is far more powerful, a stunning looker – and a keeper.
I often wonder how much longer I’ll keep my 2010 Infiniti G37. At 15 years and 66K it still looks and drives like new and is the best, most enjoyable car l’ve ever owned. I’m glad it has push button start and an excellent back-up camera with trajectory but your assessment of some other tech driver assists I would like to have gives me pause.
Thanks for the review of both cars.
Thanks! A agree that the Charger is surprising for how solid and quiet it is. You kind of expect the good road manners, but I was amazed at how vault-like the body is.
While I think we’re about the same age JP, it’s interesting your situation fits mine about 25 years ago. After experiencing severe pain with several 80’s US products, I went to Toyotas. But in 1999 I was intrigued with the new Chrysler LHS and was able to purchase one near invoice. To my somewhat surprise, it was a great, trouble-free car. It had the 250 hp SOHC V6 which I thought was more than adequate, so I can see how the more powerful Pentastar would suit your needs.
I haven’t purchased another US product, but that’s mostly because I’ve lived overseas – have stayed with Toyotas and now a Volvo.
Thanks Jim. I liked the LHS of that era, and have known some people who had very good experiences with Mopars of that platform.
As a car guy, my first reaction would be something like…. Ugh you bought a Charger GT with a V6? What!
But, you as a car guy probably made the wisest choice as the V8 does add weight up front. I remember some years ago driving an Accord V6 vs one with a 4 cylinder. The 4-cylinder car felt lighter and more nimble, just as the test reports had reviewed. Same with the Charger?
I was hours away from buying a ’23 Charger RT. Made a last-minute decision to instead go with a Lexus ES 350. Just wanna relax now. Happy Thanksgiving!