Dodge Magnum

paisan

mineral grey mmmmm yum yum.

I'll buy it mostly cause I drive so many miles I'd go way over on milage on a lease. Also I'll likely tweak it a bit... Chip, Exhaust, brakes, suspension, intake, maybe a supercharger or turbo.

-mike

slam2

Everytime I've leased in the past, I've lost money. There are so many rules about the condition of a car when you return it that you have to be aware of and if you live in a larger city, you can really rack up the miles.

My RT is coming with everything but AWD, Towing package, and Nav system. I think the Radio is a must in today's age and should help the value of the car long term. The cost of it is relatively low too.
I know the dealers can follow it through dealer connect but you actually have to go through the railroad corp to follow it. The 800-992-1997 number loses it after that and they can give you the railcar number. You can track its progress from there.

Slam2
I can tell all of you that once the car leaves the factory, you have a hell of a time tracking it

paisan

Oh yeah I'm getting the towing package with my AWD one too. 3800lbs should be enough for my dad to haul his boat down to the lake every once in a while.

-mike

slam2

Everytime I've leased in the past, I've lost money. There are so many rules about the condition of a car when you return it that you have to be aware of and if you live in a larger city, you can really rack up the miles.

My RT is coming with everything but AWD, Towing package, and Nav system. I think the Radio is a must in today's age and should help the value of the car long term. The cost of it is relatively low too.
I know the dealers can follow it through dealer connect but you actually have to go through the railroad corp to follow it. The 800-992-1997 number loses it after that and they can give you the railcar number. You can track its progress from there.

Slam2
I can tell all of you that once the car leaves the factory, you have a hell of a time tracking it

slam2

Actually, I meant to say that if you're order has been taken and you'd like to track it, the 800-992-1997 number is great until it leaves the factory. Mine was shipped to Michigan from Canada and once it left there Dodge lost track of it. They did provide me the railcar number and I was able to track it through the railroad site. The dealers can also track it through their Dealer Connect application and will give you the information on it while it's in transit.

Slam2

foureyes3

Yeah, that has happened to me in a lease. There's no way a person can truly keep track of their miles on a lease. You really would have to have another vehicle to put those excess miles on it. A lease vehicle that is used as your primary vehicle will easily run over its miles. How does the radio help the value of the car in the long run? I seen people put expensive stereo systems in a car and it did not do them any good. I haven't been trying to track my car. It will get here when it arrives for me. I didn't get the all wheel drive. The South doesn't have that kind of weather like the North gets with all that snow.

foureyes3

I never considered it for using to haul boats. Some people just get a nice used pickup for the boat. I don't think I'll ever use mine for towing on purpose. It'll just be for work and fun in the sun. I liked your taste joke. It was very tasteful.

paisan

Yeah for me I drive like 40-50k a year, with my luck I'll enjoy the magnum too much to use it sparingly and then be upside down on the lease in the end. I am leaning strongly to get the pioneer DVD/GPS unit and replace the stock one with it then I can pull it when I sell it and put the stocker back in. As for towing, I wouldn't use it for more than a quick jaunt to drop the boat in the lake like 10 miles away from my house. Not really a "hauler" but just as a "just in case I need it" type deal. I have my Trooper for hauling. I hope to replace that in a few years with a 2 or 3 year old Denali XL

-mike

slam2

Well, to be absolutely honest, I'm a totally blind person who has been crazy about Mopars for years. I love the old Dusters, Cudas and Challengers. When this car came out and my wife talked about it, I decided to take a look at it via feel and planting my fanny in the seat. The car had something and that made up my mind. After thinking about the Nav system, I figured that for a person in my situation, it wouldn't provide all the bells and whistles that I'd need. There are other devices that will work a lot better for me.

I sure would like to take this car out into a large parking lot and switch it over to the manual side of the 5 speed, then let it rip. Of course there aren't any parking lots quite that large, so I get to play the passenger.

For those of you who can drive it, I'm jealous and for those of you who don't have one, I hope you get one. Think of me when you're out there and when you get a chance to tell us aabout the performance, please do...

Slam2

paisan

Here in NYC they just take the whole car. I'll be getting my front sides tinted to 15 or 20% so you won't be seeing anything in there

-mike

foureyes3

Well, I guess taking the navigation system would be the least of your concerns in NYC. I hope the security sytem holds up for you. Are you going to equip your vehicle with lo jack? I thought the cops have a deep concern about seeing people in cars that are tinted in that manner. They are concern about getting shot. What about the side windows? People do look in from the side of the car.

paisan

I get 20% on all my cars on all windows except the windshield. Haven't had a problem with the cops yet.

I've been very lucky as far as thefts and that's what insurance is for anyway.

-mike

slam2

I have to say that it is a hell of a car. Had a little trouble getting the Sirius activated but outside of that, it went smooth. As we use it, we'll let you folks know just how it does.

Slam2

foureyes3

Well, I definitely appreciate a report on the comfort,ease and reliable of using the Magnum on road trips.

LDegrelle

We are pretty much forced to go with a minivan for time being, but I want to get a Magnum down the road for samller jaunts that dont need all the different baby tools/dog carrier/etc . . . .

That will be about 3-4 years from now. I look forward to buying a 05-06 Magnum RT then and getting a nice deal. I love Mopar and my father or I have had a 318 in one or more of our cars since 1980. I cant wait for a Hemi but the high price is keeping me back right now.

Hope you folks getting them new really enjoy them - but dont beat em up too much for us poor slobs who buy your cast-offs when you upgrade to the next biggest thing!

msuriani

Given the announcement of the 300C SRT8 having the 6.1L 420/425 motor for Spring 2005, what's the take of a Magnum SRT8? 2006 model year?

sebring95

Personally, I doubt the 6.1L will make it into the Magnum. I think it will show-up in the Charger not long after introduction, but who knows. They're saying it's not going into the Charger initially anyway.

foureyes3

How much power is enough? Do we really need a wagon that can do 0 to 60 in 5 seconds flat? What's the hurry? I do think they made the wagon a little to heavy.How many people are going to buy a 300C with that much power? I love speed and power like the next person. Sometimes, it gets kind of crazy. You might as well buy a viper. These days of gas prices will really hinder the demand for such gas guzzlers. I admit I would not be a little tempted to buy a magnum with a 6.1 under the hood. It would be to tempting to face down mustangs, 350z, Camaro, Corvette, and any other challengers.

paisan

As long as the 6.1 comes with AWD so you can actually get the power to the ground....

-mike

foureyes3

It might come with 20 inch tires and chrome exhaust pipes. Do you think in all awd that all that power might burn out the tires? You think the esp might affect the race performance of a 6.1 magnum? This 6.1 magnum probably would cost about 40 or 50 grand. Is this vehicle really worth that kind of money?

paisan

Burn out the tires? Not to my knowledge. 40 or 50 grand for a E-class AWD car with over 400 HP from the factory? I'd think so.

-mike

foureyes3

You know you could spin a lot of tire and burn a lot of rubber with that kind of power. If they did make it would you consider getting one? I know I probably would consider it a great deal. Is this vehicle really worth this kind of money? They would upgrade the interior and the sound system. I want bigger tires and better rims. I admit I am more of a sedan guy than a big suv guy.

paisan

I would consider it, but wouldn't want the rims to be any bigger than 17 or 18. It would make an awsome car, I love the idea of a Big AWD Sedan I'm a big guy and like big cars, I'm also a race car driver so I like a car that has AWD and power. This would give me a great daily driver that is comfy for travelling to work.

-mike

foureyes3

Do you think in the long run the sxt engine will be able to hold up to the weight of the magnum? Or simply would be better to get the 5.7 because of the weight of the car? Or it simply doesn't matter at all? I figure being a race car driver you could answer this question.

paisan

The SXT engine should be fine in there. As long as you aren't always pounding on the gas out of lights etc and really pushing it hard it'll be fine. If you are the type who likes to push it hard all the time, then you will overstrain the motor.

-mike

foureyes3

What do you mean by pushing it hard? You mean race car driver hard or everyday driver hard? I do like to air my vehicle out from time to time. Hit the open interstate going about 80 some days. My driving style witin town limits is somewhat more tamed because of kids and lack of space to really air out the car. So you think the 3.5 should work just fine. Well, do you think 5.7 will hold up better than the 3.5? I read the 3.5 is not really for higher altitudes. But I think the 3.5 is a good engine.

sebring95

I don't think a few juants to 80mph is going to hurt anything, lol! That's about the speed my TDI has run for the last 90,000 miles! I'm sure the 3.5L can handle that. Constant full throttle acceleration funs might work it to death over time. Maybe if you ran it at 100mph or more all the time.

foureyes3

Good grief! A hundred miles an hour is really not how I plan on driving that way. I might as well wait for the 6.1 to drive in such an agressive dangerous manner. I think I have more than a few jaunts planned for the magnum. Well, I really wanted an Rt. But I am getting tired of waiting it. There are plenty of sxts sitting on the lot. I was considering maybe getting the sxt. I do plan on quite a few road trips once I get my magnum. That might be 80 quite a bit on the interstate. Maybe, I will holdout and get the Rt. Good things do come to those that are patient.

paisan

It's not the speed that kills the motor. What I'm talking about is gunning it off the line from light-to-light, or lots of stop/go where you really hammer the gas. Taking it up to 80/90/100/120 on the interstate isn't a problem at all. The weight + the 3.5 if your style is one of gas/brake/gas/brake will put extra load on the motor and wear it out quicker. At high altitude you might want the 5.7 only because the 3.5 will loose power at higher altitudes, and the 5.7 has more power to start with.

-mike

foureyes3

Well, that makes a lot of sense. I think I might go with the 5.7 hemi. The 3.5 is reasonable. I do plan on driving to Canada. I probably won't go to the mile high state. Do you think the vehicle will last longer with a 5.7 instead of a 3.5? I think the 3.5 should have more than 250 horsepower. I would have preferred at least 285 horsepower. I don't know why they have a 2.7 with 190 horsepower. That was truly a waste of money. A vehicle that heavy with an engine that small. I would not have put anything less than 3.0 with 250 horsepower. How do you turbocharge the magnum? Is there a way to get better gas mileage out of the 5.7 other than the 8 to 4 cylinder?
There should be a way to at least 26 miles a gallon out of the Rt version.

slam2

As Mike talked about, If you're planning on driving in the mountains, you'll more than likely suffer a little on the performance end. The 5.7 is there to provide some HP and fun along with the style. If you remember, we all had cars back in the 80s that had less than 200 HP. I remember even some quick little rockets having 180 HP. When you talk about the 3.5 having 250 HP, thats pretty good. I just sold a 2002 GMC Yukon XL with a 5.3 V8 and it had 285 HP. I gotta tell you that one had some weight and I thought I was doing well with that 285 HP. You're talking about the Magnum that is a better design andcan more than likely keep up with that GMC easily. Don't worry about the engine to much. Buy your magnum, enjoy it and don't tell anyone what you've got under the hood.

I have the RT and I like it but I think I like the sound just as much or more than the power.

Slam2

slam2

As Mike talked about, If you're planning on driving in the mountains, you'll more than likely suffer a little on the performance end. The 5.7 is there to provide some HP and fun along with the style. If you remember, we all had cars back in the 80s that had less than 200 HP. I remember even some quick little rockets having 180 HP. When you talk about the 3.5 having 250 HP, thats pretty good. I just sold a 2002 GMC Yukon XL with a 5.3 V8 and it had 285 HP. I gotta tell you that one had some weight and I thought I was doing well with that 285 HP. You're talking about the Magnum that is a better design andcan more than likely keep up with that GMC easily. Don't worry about the engine to much. Buy your magnum, enjoy it and don't tell anyone what you've got under the hood.

I have the RT and I like it but I think I like the sound just as much or more than the power.

Slam2

micweb

IMHO, it isn't speed or jack rabbit acceleration that kills motors (assuming you warmed up the car first). It's heat. And heat only kills motors by sludging the oil...which has hit the press recently in Toyota Camry engines, in VW 1.8T engines, in Chyrsler 2.7 engines. The simple, always effective solution is to use synthetic oil which has a much, much higher burn (sludge) point. Your choice, cheap or expensive (Walmart or Mobil 1) so long as it is full synthetic.

The Hemi doesn't really have any advantage if you use synthetic oil. If you don't use synthetic oil, the Hemi has the advantage of a "gentler" OHV (overhead valve) valve system that doesn't shear oil, vs. typical OHC (overhead cam) valve systems that sometimes shear oil, depending on the design of the followers. Synthetic oil tends to be far more shear stable than regular oil, in addition to being far more temperature (sludge) resistant. Oh yeah, there is one wrinkle to the Hemi - it doesn't always "loaf" like old time V-8's due to the MDS (multiple displacement system). When its in MDS mode, there is really a 4 cylinder equivalent engine driving your car, so think how hard THAT has to work relative to your full time 3.5 V-6.

I didn't used to believe in synthetic oils, but now I'd rather go 5,000 with full synthetic than 3,000 with conventional oils. Too many engine problems have been in the press the last 3 years...

rodney12

I got this info from http://www.media.daimlerchrysler.com

All-wheel-drive Vehicles to Go On Sale This Fall Starting at $27,900 (MSRP excluding $625 destination)

They go on to say...

2005 AWD Dodge Magnum SXT Model

The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the 2005 AWD Dodge Magnum SXT model is $27,900 (excluding $625 destination). This includes the added front differential, transfer case and all-wheel-drive front suspension, a five-speed automatic transmission with AutoStick®, 18-inch wheels and touring tires, performance disk brakes and a 19-gallon fuel tank with the 3.5-liter V-6 High Output engine.

2005 AWD Dodge Magnum RT Model

The MSRP for the 2005 AWD Dodge Magnum RT model is $31,370 (excluding $625 destination). This includes the addition of the front differential, transfer case and all-wheel-drive front suspension. (The five-speed automatic transmission, 18-inch wheels and touring tires, performance disk brakes and 19-gallon fuel tank already are included as standard equipment on the Dodge Magnum RT.)

I find it cool that even the V6 gets a 5-speed when AWD is involved.

foureyes3

I admit the sxt looks awfully tempting looking equipped with that kind of price. I wish they had given it the same sound system as the Rt. This wagon definitely looks like it is going to start a new trend.

dekester

After puting up with GM's customer dis-service on my Olds, I want to get an extended bumper-to-bumper when I get my Magnum SXT. Does it take over at 36 months+1 day/36001 miles? I can't see paying for the time the factory covers for "free".

Never bought an ext warranty before and I know the price is negotiable, so I have to shop around.

Help a babe out of the woods!

Deke

KCRam

I think the 3.5 should have more than 250 horsepower. I would have preferred at least 285 horsepower. I don't know why they have a 2.7 with 190 horsepower.

Ironically, my dad's 1984 Pontiac 6000 wagon had the 2.8L V6 with a stirring 110 horsepower...

Have we become power-hungry or what?

kcram
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Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

KCRam

Deke, stop by the Smart Shopper Board where you can find quite a few active and archived dicussions on extended warranties.

The DaimlerChrysler Service Contract is an "overall' time/mileage plan - 7 years/100,000 miles is from day one, not from the end of the 3/36. That does not mean you're necessarily paying for a warranty you "can't" use. That is simply how much DC is charging to extend what they already give you. It's actually cheaper to buy an extended warranty on day one than just before your 3/36 ends. If you'd rather put that money away until the end and try to earn some interest on it, that's certainly an option, but the price will go up.

kcram
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Smart Shopper and Wagons Message Boards

hardhawk

For an excellent price on your Dodge extended warranty, check out the Mark Roberts dealership in Bartlesville, OK. The sell the DCX extended warranties very competitively. They have a web site but the rules here prohibit me giving it or the phone number. They have a web site so if you do a search you will find them pretty fast. Use their price to negotiate with you local dealer to get a better price. If the local guy won't do it, then get it from the people in OK.

foureyes3

Those are Yesterday's standards. This is today's standards. I don't think pontiac wagon of yesterday could really keep up with the wagons of today. That's really not a lot of horsepower for a wagon this heavy anyway. There are folks talking about 6.1 in a magnum. Just because it's a wagon doesn't mean it can't be sporty and enjoyable. It's a sport wagon. It supposed to be fast especially going up against all these other vehicles on the interstate. Pontiac don't really have 110 horsepower engines in their vehicles of today. This is 2004 not 1984. I am sure 110 horsepower was plenty twenty years ago.

foureyes3

I can definitely see your and mike point. Just trying to make sure and not regret it later. Is the awd faster than the rwd rt? Or does it just hold the road better? I know mike said the awd puts the power to the wheels better than the rwd. I think that's what he said about it.

paisan

"faster" is all relative.

If you mash the pedal in a RWD off the line, and spin the wheels, v. an AWD where you mash the pedal and the car just GOES, then the AWD will be faster.

If you drift the car through a turn with RWD v. just hugging the turn with AWD, AWD is faster.

If it's raining or there is gravel and you don't spin off the road, then AWD will be faster.



-mike

corkfish

It also depends on how much additional weight AWD adds to a platform. The G35 system adds over 300 pounds of weight to the vehicle.

paisan

Well either way, if you are spinning wheels, doesn't matter if you have 900hp or not, the car will still be slow.....

For example, in my last race (real road course race) I beat out several significantly higher powered cars with my measly 137hp Subaru, here's who I beat:

NASCAR Truck
Mazda RX7
Mazda RX7
Mazda Miata
Spec Racer
Mazda RX7

All these cars went on an off-course excursion due to too much power/not enough grip and I beat them in the race... So it's not a matter of power but getting it to the ground.

-mike

LDegrelle

I am deeply envious of the power these machines crank out today. My current 5.2 V8 (damn LeanBurn) only puts out 140 HP, so I cant imagine what the Hemi would be like. I guess I will have to test drive to truly find out.

foureyes3

That's some pretty good driving to beat them with such a small engine. I am now deeply considering an all wheel drive. I am not sure how much wait the all wheel drive adds on to the magnum.

corkfish

That's strange, because I smoke Subaru RS's routinely with my 1993 SE-R. They're just to heavy to keep up with me.

fsmmcsi

The best way to get one is to make your own - set up a savings or investment, and put the money in it. If needed, you will have what you put in plus the increase. If not needed, you still have all of the money.

foureyes3

So is your vehicle rwd or fwd? I am not really familiar with Subaru except for crocodile dundee and lance armstrong.What is a 1993 SE-R? Corkfish do you have a magnun? Are you considering buying the magnum? Are you thinking about just getting rwd version vs the awd version? Do you race cars? Are Subaru RS's a good comparison to the dodge magnum? I am familiar with the magnum, but I don't know anything about Subaru Rs's. How much does one weigh and what is the horsepower, torque, rpm,and is it consider a sports wagon?

andre1

Now that GM if offering that insane 0% interest for 72 months (loan), has anyone heard if Chrysler is going to match it? If so, I'll be the first one in line to order a Magnum. I don't mind paying close to MSRP if I get 0% interest, otherwise I'll wait until I can get one closer to invoice.