Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Dodge Magnum

1202123252634

Comments

  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    87 or 89 octane no 92-93 ever.........
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    Mobil one oil and refrain from beating the car !
    It is a dodge,lol.
    Buy a mustang to beat, and cruise this ride.Its a staion wagon and in my day all staion wagons had big engines.Im a day when most cars are gerbil powered or have after market stuff slapped on it to a degree it hampers performance.
    Its a sad sign of the times.Cars like the magnum will fade away fast once fuel hits 3.00 per gallon so enjoy it while you can ...
    Gas is going to hit 3.00 this summer and will be 5.00 a gallon in 3 years ..Just like in europe .......
    This will make what ever ammount of srt 8 magnum extremely rare thay plan to only make 5000 per year if that ..I bet they launch the srt8 for a year and it will disappear with 6mpg city 13 highway and thats with a tail wind.
    Its a wagon nothing more !

    You make the call.

    Hemi means nothing to me as long as the car gets me to work and back ..
    I also read in the manual several intetresting things that where mentioned such as for city driving or under load always take the car out of drive and move to the next lowest gear manually preventing the over drive from kicking in.

    Dodge recommends this so car dosnt cycle into Overdrive under load or on an incline,pulling a trailer etc..city driving.
    Makes sense to me and I see what they mean,saves a shift.
    Saving the trans .........
    I really like this car so far and if things go as plan and it dosnt get hit Ill baby it way beyond her last payment .
    I figure Dodge may have actually built a car that may last longer than 5 years ,for the first time in a long time.Im sure there is a lemon or two out there ..evrey car line has issues it is amazing how few the magnum has for such a new platform.
    I run 89 octane w mobile one as soone as its oil change time.
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    As the cars breaking it still Im getting 16 city /23 highway thats at 60 mph thought bump it up and watch the mileage drop.
    Appox 275 miles per tank till empty so the computer says,I noticed that number till empty was 212 when I bought the car and its rising weekly..Interesting.
    Still havent programmed my garage door opener to the homelink feature yet ..
    Very cool feature to be able to open the driveway gate and garage door and turn off security system all with the homelink buttons in the above console.
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    UGH!! If some one told me to take my hands off the wheel to correct as that service tech did I assure you that would have been on tape,see if you can get him to repeat that and have a digtial recorder in your pocket .
    !!Law suit time!!
  • exfordmanexfordman Member Posts: 9
    I placed the original post.
    They quoted me 7.7% through Chrysler Fin..I declined and got 4.39% through my local credit union. It was a seamless transfer. The dealership had my crdit union electronically linked. My car came out to just under 29K with tax and title. Tax is 8.25% here in Nor California.
    Traded in my [non-permissible content removed] '96 Toyota tacoma..99K miles..and they gave me $4,000 trade in...yikes..was gonna sell it to my neighbor for $3,500 ..The dealer really wanted to unload cars.
    My recomendation to all is wait for a good deal..they will come..
    I just realized that I bought my car the last week of the first quarter of '05..may have had something to do with the deal...dunno...happy driving..
    Hey anyone got any stories about cars they killed at a street light. These RT's are frickin rockets
  • jarhead1988jarhead1988 Member Posts: 4
    I've had a couple of encounters with some younger Marines in their Mustang GT's and Camaros around here (in N.C.). They pull up and start bumping the accelerator, thinking they have caught an SXT or maybe just taking a look at the Magnum (still pretty rare around here), then I drop the autostick a gear and give her a little nudge.... :D Nice to watch them fade away in the rear view, the Hemi really hides it's power until you give it a nudge and off you go!
    I have to admit, having a speedometer that reads 80 at the halfway point is a dangerous weapon for a man in mid-life crisis mode....
  • jarhead1988jarhead1988 Member Posts: 4
    Just wondering how other folks are doing on insurance rates with their Magnum RTs. I traded in a 02 Dakota SLT 4x4 Quad Cab with full coverage (USAA) and my insurance jumped about 30 bucks every 6 months with the auto switch. Funny though, their computers place the Magnum in the "minivan" category! I said look my other car is a Chevy Astro, I can send you a picture of a "minivan" if you are confused. They did not seem amused.
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    awsome ride isnt it.........Congrats .
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    You got a great deal enjoy her and treat her right........Welcome to the club.
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    It was so funny some guy in an Audi s4 stormed right up on me in the left lane.
    I was doing 75.I let him by then I caught right up to him in a flash .I saw him looking in his mirror wonder how he liked it.LOl.
    I went about 1 mile at 90 then punched it, so did he and I pulled away from him .In a wagon,lol.
    I heard him power up thats when I hit the gas and walked right by him.The wife let out her typical yell ,she wasnt too happy ,lol.

    He didnt look happy,either.As I smoked by his 50-60k S4
    Nice to humble his upturned nose.....In a dodge!!!!!!!!!

    That was an s4 audi too boot.
    On the highway this car is awsome.
    One guy at the gas station stopped to talk with me and he stated it looked like my magnum could eat other cars as snacks,just looks mean.I agree ,and it does when needed..
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    I just slapped a K&N air filter in and noticed a drop in MPG ,and ideas..
    Thats highway driving too boot. Any ideas?
    I most likely will put the old paper filter back in if this is common,on;y using the K&N for fun ..
  • elcid95qelcid95q Member Posts: 1
    These Continentals seem to be prone to that at 14k mine are cupped like crazy, and I will be lucky to get 20k. I plan to alter the size to a 245/55/18 and get either BF Goodrich or Michelin.
  • altaholiconealtaholicone Member Posts: 25
    Mine never got above 17 on the highway and I drove very conservative. It could be the whole car has defects. I sure hope I get a good one...someday...I really like it. And it hurts so to hav eto do all this with the dealers and Chrysler co. :sick:
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    I hear yah ,,,,,,,,Big time!!
    It wil work out just keep on them like a pit bull..
  • altaholiconealtaholicone Member Posts: 25
    Then try taking your engine out and puting it back in. I mad mine pull left a little. :)
  • psydocpsydoc Member Posts: 4
    Hey folks; for those of you taking this car to high speeds, how stable is the magnum at, say 80-100 mph? Does it hug the road? I remember how my 92 camaro got its second wind at 80 and snuggled down to the road and became very stable up to 110. Im hoping the daimler-benz suspension is worth the money.
  • shiposhipo Member Posts: 9,148
    Considering that this car is being exported to the land if high/no speed limits (Europe) as a Chrysler 300 Estate Wagon, and considering that the basic suspension design is from the W210 E-Class Mercedes (which was good until well north of 150), my bet is that it will be nice and stable at any speed you can drive it at here in the States.

    Best Regards,
    Shipo
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    A writer with a national newspaper would like to interview someone who was looking at a Chrylser/Dodge/Jeep vehicle, and wasn’t sure whether to get a Hemi but in the end paid the extra money for the Hemi. The writer is specifically looking at the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum or Jeep Grand Cherokee. If you fit what the writer is looking for and you are willing to be quoted in a newspaper article, please send an email with contact information to kholguin@edmunds.com by Monday, May16, 2005, 5pm Eastern.

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • jarhead1988jarhead1988 Member Posts: 4
    I have seen a number of posts from folks who have done a complete tire/wheel replacement. However, broke folks like me might be wondering what sizes the stock RT rims can hold, perhaps to find a better value/longer lasting tire?

    Anyone out there done this?
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    contact tire rack ,they have tons of info on this..
    Im interested also what others have found....
  • jarhead1988jarhead1988 Member Posts: 4
    I like tire rack and have bought tires through them for my other vehicles in the past. However, the site only seems to show the "authorized" conti tires on there and no other size options appear there. I'm sure there has to be some other sizes that will fit on the stock rims, but I'm hesitant to risk testing another size until I heard some feedback from others.
  • seadoosandiseadoosandi Member Posts: 19
    go to www.discounttire.com They will give you other size options.

    SeadooSandi
  • spammagnetspammagnet Member Posts: 1
    I bought my 2005 Magnum SXT (built 11/04) about six weeks ago. I've driven it about 1800 miles so far, mostly in-town commuting plus a recent 400 mile round-trip to the third coast where it lived up to my cargo handling expectations by carrying two windsurfing boards on the roof plus a ton of gear inside with plenty of room left up front for me and my passenger.

    Now that I've fully adjusted from my previous car (a '99 Pontiac Grand Prix), I finally found some time to take it to the dealer to address a couple of issues which showed up during the "shakedown cruise": the (in)famous right pull issue, a single loud "pop" noise in the dashboard (usually heard only once in the morning), and a "clunk" sound at the rear end of the car when taking off slowly from a complete stop.

    I'm happy to report that the dealer didn't offer any excuses - no "that's a safety feature" or "it's just road crown" mumbo jumbo - they simply took the car, worked on all three issues, and returned it to me the next day. (They kept it overnight to reproduce the "pop" sound.)

    And now, the results...

    :shades: The right pull was addressed by "adjusting the sub-frame" and re-aligning the front end (TSB 02-003-04). I noticed an immediate difference while driving home. So far, it feels just right!

    :) I won't be certain they fixed the dashboard "pop" sound until a couple of mornings have passed, but they found TSB 23.018.05 to be an "exact match" for the problem.

    :confuse: Their solution for the rear end "clunk" noise was to "tighten suspension bolts". The ride does seem a bit smoother so maybe this needed to be done (or maybe it's a placebo effect?), but the noise has not disappeared. I can't pinpoint the source of the sound, but I suspect the differential or the drive shaft connection (U/CV joint?) to the differential.

    I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on the dashboard issue for now and award them a score of 2 out of 3 for the first attempt. I plan on taking it back in the morning to have another crack at the last issue.
  • seadoosandiseadoosandi Member Posts: 19
    I've got it up to 105 and cruised for about 10 miles on my last roadtrip. It was awesome!!! Very smooth ride. Still trying to wipe the grin off my face. :shades:

    SeadooSandi
    05 Magnesium Pearl RWD RT
  • judescarjudescar Member Posts: 14
    I am curious as to why ALL the dealers are not doing this to fix the problem. :lemon:
  • jerrybojerrybo Member Posts: 3
    I installed a airaide filter on my magnum RT. I drive about 110 miles a day three days a week most at speed 60 to 75 mph. I gained about 1 mpg. HP increase is not noticable with that much hp, but the roaring sound of the intake is awsome when power is applied. The filter, cold air box and plumbing took about 20 min to install.
  • jerrybojerrybo Member Posts: 3
    I have owned my magnum for 8 months, the most after market stuff is on ebay. I have had good luck with them.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You folks can talk directly to a Tire Rack rep if you'd like in the discussion at this link: Ask Connor at The Tire Rack.
  • slam2slam2 Member Posts: 23
    We started experiencing the right pull problem a few months ago and have had it into the dealer 2 times. The first time, we were told the car needed an alignment, the second time, we took the TSB provided by Donna. Neither of these fixed the problem. We sent in our Lemon law form and now we've taken our car back under direction from DC and found that to do a correct alignment, we need a caster bolt kit which is required to put this car back into spec. I'm not sure they really know what the problem is but I do know that any of you who own a Magnum will need to get this kit to get a proper alignment for your car.

    My car was built in September of 2004 and outside of pore paint and clear coat, less than what I'd call decent enterior, and the nagging dash light issues, it has been OK. It is fun, it is fast and people to like the looks. The only thing I know is that I paid 35K for it and I want my money's worth.

    It is a black RT (Forgot to say that)

    Slam2
  • exfordmanexfordman Member Posts: 9
    Hey all. I just bought a Mad rt rwd...Manufactured in march '05
    Mine doesnt pull to the right, but I noticed the steering wheel is slightly cocked to the left under straight driving. If i take my hands off the whhel, the car does not pull, but the wheel is still slightly to the left. ???? Anyone now whats up..should I bring it in? My neighbor just bought a '05 hemi ram 1500..hers pulls to the right...hmmmm...
    Everything else rules about this car...Hold the auto tick to the left for 2 seconds, she will downshift to the optimal acceleration gear, and let her rip. Anyone noticed how fast this car coasts. On the freeway I am constantly coasting faster thancar ahead of me and having to tap brakes to slow, or down shift...I think its cause this sucker is so heavy
  • exfordmanexfordman Member Posts: 9
    I noticed that dodge says that the hemi's max hp (345) is at 5000rpm..mine seems to pull harder after 5000...up to its shift point at 5800...feels like it could go even further, anyone else feel the same?
  • tjf2000tjf2000 Member Posts: 61
    I have an 80 mile round trip commute to work each day and I am tired of driving an SUV... I am looking for a good highway cruising car, yet I need the capabilities of a wagon. Could anyone give me an idea of what sort highway mileage they have been getting with the Hemi. I am not expecting miracles as my current SUV (which has a V-8) only gets about 18 on the highway. I would just like to gather as much information as possible before I move forward. Thanks in advance.
  • hardhawkhardhawk Member Posts: 702
    I routinely get 25 on the highway in my RWD RT. That is driving at 70 MPH with the cruise control on. Who would imagine this kind of MPG from a 340 HP hot rod!?!
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    I noticed only a slight pull also to the left on unlevel surfaces.. Its very characteristic of europeon steering when under power.Its more the crown of the road ..I live in Michigan land of horrible roads,considering detroit is in our stae its an insult the condition of michigan roads......
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    I agree mileage is great in my opinion .Im getting 17 in city and 23-24 on highway and its not broken in yet ..

    My c5 vette in 6th gear at 75 mph runs at 36-41 mpg depending on the grade of road ....
    I love that car as much as this new magnum ..I wish they put a 6th gear in the magnum ..
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    My magnum rt awd does the same thing it redlines at 5800 rpm ..Drop a gear and this thing is insane .......I dont it it often knowing I want my car to last ....
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    my bad my wheel is straight I notice a slight left pull on poorly crowned roads...I like it to be honest keeps me in touch with the road conditions.
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    I double that .....get a radar det.......
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    Thankyou Ill be hoping in months to come more goodies will emerge for the public to jazz these things up a bit..
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    At 1500 miles my mileage improves to 14-17 city 23-25 mpg highway and thats with good conditions..My Rt is AWD it may effect mileage some having the awd system .. I find my self driving with a light pedal in my magnum the cars is heavy and can make you feel like your doing 40 mph when your really doing 60 mph..
    Watch your speed I noticed that right away the car is like my old 64Buick(dual qauds) it would coast for ever in nuetral...Its the weight and it feels good for a change to have a solid car underneith me like back in the 60s and 70s when cars where real ...

    Ive warned you if you Drive it and youll buy it..
    Nothing better than enjoying a ride to work and back than bounceing home in a truck ,I got rid of my SUV Ford explorer Eddie bauer 5 years a go for that same reason I hated the ride..Esspecially after a long day at work I dreded my ride home at times..Bought that subaru which was ok for a year and then forget it it was too small of a car shoulder to shoulder driving isnt my bag..
    Serious ithe magnum rt is one great car and smooth,great looks and beats knocking around in a truck .......
    Road noise isnt an issue at all its extremely quiet and well sealed ..
    I just dump an noisey LL bean outback HR6 model for the dodge magnum as a work car and never have looked back .Its better on fuel than the subaru and roomier..The Ride blows the subaru out of the water..
    They did their work on this wagon its a keeper in my garage I Drove 8 cars from Volvos to Audis,suv's you name it and the magnum won hands down and its my daily driver..

    Find a 2005 and get a great year end deal Rt of coarse..
    Load it up of find one on a lot they love to sell dealer stock cars..at a much better rate..
    hack the msrp by 4-5k and ask them if theyll deal ..Walk out a few times theyll sell you car car sooner or later ..Dont bend though.

    You wont regret it..The magnum has a 5 star crash rateing to boot..
    The cars going to europe this year for the first time in 25 years,good for dodge.
    They are really picky over there so they have done something right ..

    My opinion the magnum is and will be the benchmark for many cars to come...
    I love it and drive it more than my vette..
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    No way the wife would allow me to buy a car that gets 6-7 mpg city and 10 highway.Thats driving with a light foot too boot...Insane........
    I laughed when I read the specs no way I could justify that type of car .No dragon wagon in my future 340 horses is enough ..Hell I buy a hummer before that .
    I feel they will make a very small # of the srt 8 magnums.I heard only one year of production now the fuel issues have hit...
    Its a dreamers car IMO.
    With gas at 2.50 going to 3.00 a gallon they need to rethink that concept...
  • pushbuttonpushbutton Member Posts: 16
    If you have the dual A/C you have AutoLamp (headlights come on at dusk or with the wipers).

    Using small screwdriver simply remove the knob. Insert the screwdriver tip 180 degrees away from the white indicator and gently pry it off.

    Inside you will find a slot from about 10 o'clock to 1:30 o'clock. At 2 o' clock you will see a black boss (detent)...leave this one alone. At 3 o'clock you will see another boss the same size. Using a dremel tool (with a tissue in the slot to prevent dust contamination of the insides) remove the second boss. Diagonal cutters will probably work too, but isn't pretty! Replace the knob by pushing it back on the "D" shaft.

    Your switch will then rotate one position to the left of the "O" (off) position where the "A" (auto) sign is on the 300C switch. If you are really clever you can borrow one of the kids gel pens and make your own "A".

    Unfortunately I didn't discover this until I blew $46 on the real switch...so if anyone needs an extra...

    ::::RANT MODE ON::::

    Why the $^*# did DCX pay extra (adding the boss probably cost about $5,000 in tooling insert charges and duplicate inventory, etc.) to take away a freeby? This is not what I expect of a major player in the car market.

    ::::RANT MODE OFF::::

    I discovered this when I went back to do a permanent radar detector installation...had to take 1/2 the car apart to do it right.

    bye and good luck
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    Interesting ill try it soon ,my [non-permissible content removed] is there is no tail gate relase for inside the car or gas door lock .. .Maybe headlight wipers..or sprayers would be nice too......
    auto wipers!!!! psi monitors..the list goes on.

    I want then to do a great factory dash kit..and door pulls and arm rests.......
    The latch or key pops the gate..
    Its just strange not to have that simple of a feature or all windows down at once on the power windows ..

    I do like the dual zone ac controls they work flawlessly.....
    the ESP sytem and AWD are unreal and work in harmony fine with the tranny always smooth ..
    Im tired of beating aroung in work vehicles etc this car rides like the old lincolns did .......
    Thw wife always cold and Im always hot and the system works better than any Ive had in any car to date..Ive owned 35 cars .
    The defrost is incrediable it clears the windshield in seconds..
    I figure this is stuff they add in the next years to try to get return sales.Im talking about other items also like new head lights better exhaust .Interiors ...All and all I like pieceing it all together myself my dash kit is on order ........
    I too am shocked they can put adjustable pedals in but no locking gas door..
    I havent had to buy a locking gas cap in years....
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    I cant find much for the interiors of these car to date,im sure they will be making cool stuff soon enough however if anyone knows of and place that carrys interior items let me know please...Im looking at a great 70 piece wood dash kit its about 300.00 not bad.

    I want wood door pulls and arm rest so not to discolor and dirt y console and center console arm rest...
    The dash kit include the over head storeage in wood also look fantastic in the car ive seen pics..
    The stainless is too much the wood looks awsome makes the car interior look very high end..Im stoked Im just hoping you guys may have some recommendations on dash kits etc...
    I want to do this right .......
  • exfordmanexfordman Member Posts: 9
    Does anyone know how you can tell when the Mag drops into 4 cylinder mode. How fast can you cruise on the freeway and have her drop to 4 active cylinders. A light o nthe dash that would come on when 4 cylinder are deactivated would be nice. My Mag rt does not have the fuel consumption display, which could probably tell you just by seeing your MPG's raise. Any ideas?
    Thanks all
  • imbluedogimbluedog Member Posts: 1
    Just some info for other Magnum RT owners. If you have experienced any type of shudder, jerking, or shaking during acceleration, there is a serious problem with your transmission. There is a service bulletin for this. Where the dipstick meets the tranny, apparently fluid leaks out and water gets in. Their solution to this problem is to seal, flush and replace the filters for the transmission. This did not work for my car. It is now going back in for work with only 3400 miles on it. If you have not had this problem, atleast take your car in and get it the service bulletin work done on it. Hopefully you will not have a problem.
    Other than that, I am extremely happy with my RT. I have had mine up to 130mph and the ride was SMOOTH! I will be adding the Borla exhaust soon. Anyone have a recomendation for air intake? I'm looking at the Volant or the AirRaid? The spelling may not be right on those, but you get the idea.
  • seadoosandiseadoosandi Member Posts: 19
    You doubt what? Got the best radar det on the market...valentine one. :P

    SeadooSandi
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    nodoubt ,without the radar det youd be screwed if stopped at that speed...
    In Michigan they cut up your liesense if caught speeding 25 over ....
    Anything over 100 mph is instant chop up of your card...

    Good luck .......
  • deasundeasun Member Posts: 11
    Has anyone got to large dogs into the back of this car ?
    Whats your experience with them in it ?
    example Large dogs = German Shepard/Bernese/Irish Wolfhounds .

    Thanks
  • kowalskikowalski Member Posts: 94
    half the car apart, I'd believe it.
    Man I have no idea how to work on these new cars they have no room for anything...
    Not like the old days ...Im gonna try the switch switch .Thanks for the info ..
Sign In or Register to comment.