Not Digging this Exhaust (Video) - 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Long-Term Road Test

Edmunds.com

Not Digging this Exhaust (Video) - 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8 Long-Term Road Test

I'm not a fan of the JBA exhaust on our 2007 Dodge Charger SRT8. Here's why, plus a video that illustrates the droning noise.

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kirkhilles1

I'm not a big fan of loud aftermarket exhausts. I'd ONLY want an aftermarket system if it delivers the highest quality materials and something that sounds stock while driving. Just a little extra noise when starting up maybe, but quiet while driving. That being said, I'm sure the OEM exhaust system is way overpriced for what you get, but might help a little with resale value.

banhugh

"I want to break the cycle of modified SRT8s and possibly add some resale value to the car"
Lol, that ship has been long gone. The increase of resale value will be less than the cost of the parts. Unless you buy used and install it yourself...

socal_eric

You have a lift available and are located in SoCal where the cars are fairly common. Offer to swap for a stock system on Craigslist or one of the forums specializing in the SRT-8 and the problem is solved (also nice quick tech article on installing and removing an exhaust system).

When working on the smaller PVO/SRT model, the Neon SRT-4, it's pretty common to find most of those for sale with loud, droning exhausts just like the Charger you picked up. My personal opinion is that it takes a lot of art and science to design a good exhaust system across all engine operating conditions and most aftermarket units just go for loud or to be "different", not necessarily for improved sound quality. There aren't as many people willing to pay the price premium for a well-rounded, nice sounding exhaust with quality resonators and mufflers when they can settle for something cheap even if it's louder or drones and doesn't harmonize well with the induction music.

It's very possible to develop an exhaust system that performs well and is relatively quiet around town cruising under minimal load. And for those thinking performance, loud doesn't always mean more horsepower. If it was me and you didn't want to try out tons of different aftermarket systems I'd go back to stock. Even if you didn't want to trade you can probably buy a nice stock take-off system pretty cheap and the SRT team did a pretty good job on it without as many tradeoffs as most aftermarket systems.

schen72

I don't understand the young people who put huge coffee-can exhausts on their cars. Even when I was that age, I never wanted that. I also like to retain my hearing when I'm 50.

markinnaples_

Pansy.

misterfusion

I wish I could remember who posted it, but an Edmunds user once said (in regard to loud aftermarket exhausts): "It's the mental equivalent of a 2-year-old banging pots together in the kitchen."

ctpaul

"deep throaty drone free experience" (internal valve for cruising vs acceleration) - so says the manufacturer

https://www.rockauto.com/catalog/moreinfo.php?pk=4674753&cc=1434601&jnid=453&jpid=1

5vzfe

This reminds me of our old 2001 Dodge Ram. My stepdad put an aftermarket exhaust on it when the truck's warranty ended (he was in his mid twenties at the time). That thing was loud. Coupled with a 5.9L V8, any trip, around town or on the freeway was a booming, buffeting experience. It sounded like a window was open slightly at freeway speeds, the noise that thing made was awful. His 2015 Tundra is much quieter - my stepdad says he wont be replacing the exhaust on it.

texanatheart

Stock is way too quiet, which is why most owners all replace it. The solution you seek is to pick a different aftermarket exhaust which meets your sound/noise preferences. I went with the Corsa in 2007 and have never regretted it. At the time, a lot of people were getting the Zoomers, but I felt like that one was way too loud all the time. Plenty of vids out there showiing various exhausts on the 6.1L cars. I have a couple posted of start up and revving, but I never recorded any interior sound comparisons.

socal_eric

And I personally find the stock SRT-8 setup just about right but neither of us are right or wrong, just wanting two different things from the same car.

If you're someone that thinks the stock setup is too quiet the problems I have with aftermarket exhausts is that while videos on the internet might give an idea what the aftermarket setup sort-of sounds like, they don't tell the whole story and are often difficult to compare (between stock and other aftermarket setups).

Was it filmed inside the car? Outside the car with a bumper-mounted camera? Filmed from the side of the road as the car drove by? Audio quality and your speaker setup? Full throttle, part throttle, etc... How does it sound to the human ear inside the car? At different rpm and engine loads? Odd harmonics or droning exactly at the speed limit you often drive? Does the system fit well or will there be occasional rattles from trying to fit a big pipe in a small place?

Optimally if I owned a car that I thought was too quiet or could benefit from a less restrictive setup due to stock exhaust tuning limitations (e.g. same small muffler used on base model and performance trim level) or due to performance modification I installed, I'd prefer to sample a bunch of different setups in person and not just for a quick spin around the block. Then if you find one you like and buy from a quality manufacturer it should sound the same and fit well.

This might be possible if you're an active member of a car club or community with other owners of the same make/model in your area but not everyone lives in a place where that's possible. And if I couldn't sample an exhaust I'd be hesitant installing one on my daily driver when it seems like most, not all, are tailored towards buyers looking for quantity (loudness) rather than quality (overall acoustic tuning).