Dodge Charger 2006+

jimhemi · January 2005

I may have misread you. As long as we are in agreeance that 4 doors is bad on American Legends that originally had 2 doors then all is well. I thought you said you would buy 1 in a second.

Anyway, what did you think of the job Popular Hot Rodding did?

For those that missed it, this is the link to PHR's site. http://www.popularhotrodding.com/features/0404phr_dodge/

They came up with an AWESOME Charger based on the LX platform that everyone said couldn't be done, including Chrysler. I'm partial to the Orange and Black ones on the bottom. They also did a few versions with 4 doors, and as bad as the idea of a 4 door Charger is, they "blended" them in and made them almost invisible(Think 99 Concept). PHR made what the Charger should have been.

Jae, the 66 Impala is a nice car.

gsemike · January 2005

The PHR concepts have a nice slope and roundness to the nice which makes it look like it's acutally supposed to be sporty. Why is the front of the new Charger so upright? It's a real turn-off.

jae5 · January 2005

Thanks, the 66 is a lot of fun, especially when I switched over from points to the HEI and did some other things to it. Again, IMO a "real" Impala, not that re-badged thing that's out now.

As for the PHR concepts, I really like those as well. This is what DCX should be building for Dodge. This would definitely be a "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" kind of car. But wonder how it really would act on the MASCAR circuits.

Don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I really dislike it when companies reach back to their past and take a great name from a great car, and stick it on something new thinking it's going to magically make the new car great. It just burns me.

jimhemi · January 2005

Agreed. They would sell really well on Monday and the rest of the week if that's what they could truly race. NASCAR rules dictated the common template theme and the need for a 4 door car to compete with the Monte Carlo and Taurus that compete now. The PHR design is to wild and would never have been given template approval. NASCAR is silly with the fact that Ford and Chevy don't even offer a rear drive V8 in either the Monte or Taurus. Silly rules, with respect to common templates and homiligations. NASCAR is a whole nother subject.

xmf314 · February 2005

DaimlerChrysler will auction off the first production 2006 Dodge Charger on eBay along with the fake NASCAR body shell that was lifted off the car during its Detroit Auto Show introduction earlier this month.

The auction will take place on eBay beginning Tuesday, Feb. 1. Bidding will close on Thursday, Feb, 10.

http://money.cnn.com/2005/01/27/pf/autos/charger_ebay/index.htm

jimhemi · February 2005

Here is another ruined American Icon. This is from the Dodge website. Wonder why my posting from yesterday has dissappeared? Kirstie H? Nothing was offensive.

http://www.dodge.com/autoshow/news/news_daytona.html

Allpar.com has these photos as well.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/lx/dodge-charger.html

Kirstie_H · February 2005

Check your e-mail... it's not deleted, it's just been moved.

jimhemi · February 2005

Ah, my bad. Thanks

corkfish · February 2005

Are people forgetting that the 70 and 71 charger weren't the first or last ones made? The original charger and the later versions weren't to pretty either.

m1miata · February 2005

After seeing the photos of the Charger for 'o6 with the black on the hood reminds me of my old Opel Manta Rallye. Now that WAS a great looking little car. The hood was all a satin flat black and the sides had black stripes on a light yellow car. That was 1973. They also had a model that year which looked like a miniature Corvette. As for the looks of the 'o6 Charger, well maybe it looks better than in a photo. Maybe they should have just kept this one off camera, if, like some say, it is better looking up close and personal. America had such cool looking cars in the late 60's to earliest 70's, so where did they go wrong? I must say to Chrysler/Dodge has gone out on a limb with some interesting new car designs. The PT Cruiser, Intrepid and 300M. to name a few are pretty cool looking cars. And yes, even the new chop top ,Checker cab, blunt nosed bully looking 300 is interesting and yes new. With some imagination, and in a dark color the 300 can be considered somewhat of a Bentley class car.... but I don't know yet if it is my cup 'o tea. The Magnum is cool if you want a wagon with attitude.

gsemike · February 2005

"The Magnum is cool if you want a wagon with attitude." yup... and zero visibility.

taki3 · February 2005

Does anybody know yet? I have been unable to find pricing...

woodstock3 · February 2005

Chrysler/Dodge has taken a lot of heat for making the Charger a 4 door. But they are profitable, and I think they have a plan. Dieter Zetsche has said that they are planning to launch 16 new models before the end of 2006. If that mix for the LX platform is sport wagon (Magnum), 4 door (Charger), then maybe an LX 2 door Mustang chaser (Challenger?) is in the works for next year.

If this is true, Dodge had to name the 4 door something, and Charger had the most impact. Also,they couldn't say anything about the 2 door because it would affect 4 door sales.

Personally, I think that the 300C looks better than the Charger. I don't like the ugly truck grill. If I wanted a Dodge Ram, I'd get one.

Anyone know when the 300C SRT-8 will be available for order?

fireball8 · February 2005

I could live with the four-door if I had to, but this new Charger is just ugly, and it DOESN'T look like a Charger should. How Chrysler continues to miss the boat on the muscle car scene is beyond me. They have a livery with some of the most storied models in history and they continue to squander it with this kind of embarassment.

Asthetically, a few small changes with deference to the Charger's traditional styling cues and they would have had a car that would have dropped jaws and caused grown men to weep.

Observe:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/Henry_R/Chargercouldabeen.j- - - pg

Here's the original, as planned for production:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v37/Henry_R/Chargerprofile-base- - - .jpg

I kept the same wheelbase, but straightened up and lengthened the quarters and the clip slightly, raked the sail panels and reshaped the rear window slightly, got rid of that stupid door guard, added the brake scoop applique on the front doors, squared-off and raked the wheel wells, and stretched the shoulder into the rear door further. Add some mag wheels and the obligatory Scat Pack stripes (and a pentastar emblem behind the front wheel), and you wouldn't be able to keep them in the showroom, IMO.

What a shame it didn't happen this way.

jimhemi · February 2005

Not to bad. Still ugly, but less ugly. Photoshop is great. I like it a little longer in the back. Still, if they had done your first one like that and called it the Dodge Cornet, no one would have complained. The name is what stings the hearts of the Charge faithful. Can you rework one based on the new Daytona?

This being from Allpar.com

http://www.allpar.com/cars/lx/dodge-charger.html

We don't need the massive wing, but it seems that the decals make it look a little better, blacked out hood and all.

turboshadow · February 2005

I like the Go ManGo color, and I bet it will have a nice rumble with the single pass muffler. I hope they don't add more than 500 or so dollars for the package, but I'm betting it will be near 1500-2000, so I'll just take a regular R/T in black...

Turboshadow (who can bolt on his own 89 dollar muffler)

andyman73 · February 2005

I'll go with the 24.99 Thrush glasspacs thankyouverymuch!

fireball8 · February 2005

I won't have the time before the weekend, but I'll give it a shot. But really, what's the visual difference between the Daytona from the base Charger? And once again, we see a legendary name - Daytona - relegated to designating an upgraded engine option on an ugly car. It should have been something special in its own right. I'd have loved to see a "Petty Blue" superbird available, too (Plymouth, RIP).

Still, since the Charger (Daytona) is RWD, they could justify a prominent spoiler, unlike these kids with their FWD tuners and those dopey bolt-on wings. Also, I actually think it would be easier to integrate a nose cone into this car's lines too and, compared with most other cars on the road, it wouldn't even look unusual - everyone's got an aerodynamic front, these days.

The problem with this kind of tweaking is the length. The car gets longer by almost two feet if they extend the quarter panels like I have shown and then put a nose on it as well. I suspect one of the reason's DC has snubbed this car down is to keep it under "6 meters", like the 300M. This was intended to make the car more attractive in Europe where everything is smaller, and some governments actually impose punitive taxes on owners of cars longer than 6 meters. My response to that is a) are Europeans really going to buy an American car that simply looks like a European car? and b) how big is the European market for American cars, anyway?

DC's become way to Euro-centric for me, and they appear to have lost touch with the American affinity for performance and nostalgia. Ford sure hasn't. The new Mustang is possibly the nicest version of that car ever, IMO.

I think Pontiac has come up a little short on looks with their new GTO, but I had heard that car will see a new body style soon, and that may fix everything. It has the performance, though (optional 400 HP?).

On that note, when was the last time Chevy, Dodge, Ford and Pontiac all had stock production cars that could do sub 15 second 1/4 miles and turned out 300+ HP all for the price of an upper-mid range car? Aesthetics aside, this is a great time for American (muscle) car enthusiasts.

pkrwud · February 2005

The last Dodge Daytona was a 2.2L FWD G-body, that made better 1/4 mile times falling from an airplane. I am having a hard time believing they did as good a job as they have with the new Charger. Sure, we may like it better with only 2 doors, but a simple fact that DCX has learned is that, in their case anyway, coupes don't sell. My sources tell me that any idea of there ever being a coupe version of the new Charger is nothing more than a pipe dream. So what? Have you ever been to Australia? I moved there for a while back in 1986, and the first thing I noticed was damn near every single car there had 4 doors. The hot rod Holdens had 4 doors, and even my roommates Ford Escort RS2000 had 4 doors, and that thing was a rocket!

I look at it this way; a Hemi powered Charger is a lot better than a Corolla with Nova badges on it. Besides, it's going to get better. The SRT boys have just completed their version of the Magnum. The 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 will be available in this country this summer, and will have, among it's many performance tweaks, a 370ci Hemi with 425 horsepower. This isn't a concept, it's reality. No one would have ever believed, even 5 years ago, that 2005 would see a 425hp Hemi station wagon. The best news, again, according to my sources, is that this same engine will be installed in an SRT Charger by this time next year. If we're really lucky, the SRT Charger will also get the rest of the AWD driveline as well.

I don't think anyone would have a viable reason to hang their heads in shame, just because the 425hp Hemi Charger has 4 doors instead of two.

"Does anybody know yet? I have been unable to find pricing"

The R/T will start at around $28k.

Take care,

~Chris

jae5 · February 2005

"Sure, we may like it better with only 2 doors, but a simple fact that DCX has learned is that, in their case anyway, coupes don't sell"

No, not really. Overly high-priced, and/or de-contented and/or ill-conceived coupes don't sell. The neo-GTO proved that. Also, high-priced four-doors don't sell either, Mercury Marauder proved that. Many think that just because it's a coupe it won't sell, this is what killed the coupe, particularly the performance coupe market. No, what killed the coupe market was the constant rise in price. There is a 2dr coupe market out, but with the drive towards 4drs, this market is drying up. And in turn, we are forced to either get a 4-dr, or keep our 2-drs.

Again, just because a vehicle has a hot engine, a great name from the past, doesn't mean it's going to sell.

gsemike · February 2005

You do see enough 2 door Accords, Solaras, Monte Carlos, Gran Prixs, G35s and even Sebrings on the road to suggest that there is at least some market for them. The Solara and Monte Carlo are two of the lamest, ugliest cars available today and people still buy them.

Maybe if the Charger were a 2-door, it would draw in some incremental buyers instead of competing for sales against the 300 and Magnum. What is DCX gaining by cannibalizing sales?

jae5 · February 2005

Totally agree, my point exactly. There is a 2-dr market out there. Granted there are some 4-door cars that I like, but VERY few. The IS300, GS400, 94-96 Impala SS, 300C and a few others, but again, my main focus is on the 2dr market. Right now a 2-dr suits me just fine. Will there be a day when I "need" a 4-dr, sure, but it won't be a bastardized reincarnation of a past 2dr coupe.

I just get a little upset when the "there's no 2-dr market" phrase is used when a company stops making a coupe.

As stated b4, we all pretty much knew Dodge was going to have a version of this platform, but to call it Charger, Daytona, or R/T, is a G-D shame.

karenarn · March 2005

I recently found a range on a website 23K-31K.

jimhemi · March 2005

Was the rise in price year after year. What normal person can afford to pay $35K for a Mustang Cobra? Why not up your social status not to mention reliability with a Lexus, Acura, or BMW? People want more features and creature comforts, such as adjustable, heated cup holders to keep your coffee warmer longer. They need heated leather seats and the ability to open car windows with the key fob. Traction control too, because we've forgotten the timeless art of pedaling the car off the line.

lordaddy · March 2005

Its not the same thing as a Intrepid, there is a big difference! Last time I looked the Intrepid didnt offer a HEMI under the hood.

rik4 · March 2005

so what did it bring.

hayneldan · March 2005

It brought $75,100 for the Victory Junction Gang Charity. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=4524472377

andresimp999 · March 2005

Any one have a sense of the price?

Do you think it will have some sort of Skid Control/Stability Control? (I'm assuming traction control is a yes.)

I live in Cleveland, anyone drive a rear wheel 300C or Magnum? Just how bad would it be in the snow?

I think it is a cool car!!!!

cfazzari · March 2005

The NY Auto Show rep indicated the Charger Hemi will be around $33 Thousand and the SRT-8 will be in the low to mid $40 Thousand range. The car IMHO is stunning and brilliant. Take a look at the original 1966 Charger and you'll see today's inspiration. Now the bad news - the interior door panels are made of hard molded plastic that are not engineered well - the panels actually roach back and forth against the glass!! One other thing - I was ready to end my search ofr a new car TONIGHT - but a rear wheel drive car? In NYC? PLEASE!! As soon as it would snow you KNOW the car would need to stay in the driveway. You would think they would have learned from the 300 C....

cfazzari · March 2005

The NY Auto Show rep indicated the Charger Hemi will be around $33 Thousand and the SRT-8 will be in the low to mid $40 Thousand range. The car IMHO is stunning and brilliant. Take a look at the original 1966 Charger and you'll see today's inspiration. Now the bad news - the interior door panels are made of hard molded plastic that are not engineered well - the panels actually rock back and forth against the glass!! One other thing - I was ready to end my search for a new car TONIGHT - but a rear wheel drive car? In New York City? PLEASE!! As soon as it snows you KNOW the car would need to stay in the driveway. You would think they would have learned from the 300 C....For now the new Impala SS or the Lexus 330 are in front of Charger.

cfazzari · March 2005

Dude...my 1999 Intrepid has 150,000 miles on it and stills purrs. The suspension needs overhauling but I would not be surprised to see the drivetrain go ANOTHER 150,000 miles before something major (engine, tranny, etc) needed to be replaced. One can only HOPE the new Hemis perform as well.

shipo · March 2005

Errr, why would a Charger have to stay in the driveway if it snows? Rear wheel drive cars have been successfully negotiating snow covered roads for over 100 years, and modern cars with traction control and All-Season tires (or better yet winter tires) do extremely well in the white stuff.

In my case I've spent the last six winters driving RWD cars in the NYC metro area as well as further north in New England (much more snow than NYC, not to mention lots of hilly winding roads to contend with), and find that not only are they quite wonderful to drive in snowy conditions, they are easily the match for any FWD car that I've ever had.

If you want a Charger, then buy a Charger. If it snows, drive it anyway. It shouldn't be a problem unless you have also decided to have the wheels shod with high performance summer only rubber, in which case you should indeed leave the car at home. Of course that also applies to a FWD car running on summer tires.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jimhemi · March 2005

I agree with you shippo, why sit in the driveway? I drive a crown vic around the NJ/NYC area and have had no problems since taking off the factory, STOCK, Good Year Eagle RSAs and replacing them with snow tires in the winter. I have no problems with slipping and sliding, unless I play with the gas,then of course it gets squerly
The factory tires that come on any car are pretty much junk unless you're buying a very expensive model. Remember that the car manufacturers cut deals with the tire makers and it is all about profit and how cheaply they can be obtained for. Does anyone think Good Year is selling their tires to the car manufacturers for top dollar? Do you think they make the tires really good with the best materials right from the start? There would be a lot of cars driving around with 65,000 miles on the odometer and on the original tires then.
The new Charger will have a stability control system and optional traction control. For those that can't handle that while driving in the snow then shame on you. It's all about the tires, nothing to do with the car being front wheel or rear wheel drive.

cfazzari · March 2005

Sorry I don't agree with you. I've been driving since 1976 and every RWD car I've ever driven SUCKS in the snow. And if you're stuck behind a plowed parking space, you might as well wait until the spring with a RWD. And I'm no where NEAR alone on this assesment...I met a guy with a 300 HEMI at the car wash and you should have seen the praise for his new car suddenly stop when we started talking about slush...all that sales talk about traction control this and that is all just talk. In fact Chrysler is now offering AWD on it's 300 - Why the sudden change on a 1-year old design? Bottom line - THIS buyer will not buy a RWD anything. And I'm part of a pretty big club. Period.

shipo · March 2005

I think you missed the point...

"...it's all about the tires."

My car, which was equipped with summer tires from the factory was utterly useless in even a quarter of an inch of snow with said tires. Once I swapped them out for a winter set, my car became virtually unstoppable. How unstoppable? Well, since moving to New Hampshire 2.5 years ago, we've had two winters that have had over 100" of snow each, and the only times I've not been able to drive my car was when the snow was well deeper than than the ground clearance of my car. Keep in mind that here in NH it is no where near as flat as it is in the NYC area, my street alone has a 7.5% grade.

It's all about the tires.

Best Regards,
Shipo

cfazzari · March 2005

I had Michelin All-weathers on my Cougar and they were fine when the roads were dry. I paid $100 each for them back in 1993....I did not skimp on the tires. As soon as the roads got slick the car would fishtail at the slightest insult. I simply was never comfortable with the damn thing in slippery weather (the car went 230,000 miles on it's original drivetrain before it was donated). I'm at a loss as to why your NH RWD cars act like snowmobiles and mine act like snowsleds. No one likes the new Charger more than I do but I vapor-lock whenever I hear about RWD. And like I said even the 300 Hemi guy (Plus a Lexus guy on my block) are not happy with their rides between November and March. So what's your secret? What kind of tires are you putting on your ride?

shipo · March 2005

The tires that you had on your Cougar have a mere fraction of the capabilities of a modern dedicated winter tire. Comparing that car with a 300C/Hemi Charger with dedicated winter tires and traction control is a total Apples to Oranges comparison. They just ain't the same.

Case in point my 530i (equipped with winter tires) is the BEST winter car I've ever driven, and I've driven quite a few (9 FWD cars, 1 AWD car and 6 RWD cars).

When you say, "I'm at a loss as to why your NH RWD cars act like snowmobiles and mine act like snowsleds." I have no option but to repeat again, "It's all about the tires."

As a point of comparison, the All-Season tires on your 1993 vintage Cougar bear little resemblance to the capabilites of a 2005 vintage All-Season tire. In the same vein, the capabilities of those 2005 vintage All-Season tires bear very little resemblance to the capabilities of a 2005 vintage dedicated winter tire. They just ain't the same. Until you give it a try, you simply cannot believe the transformation that winter tires can make in how a car drives.

As for what tires I'm running, Michelin Arctic-Alpin winter tires. Mind you that that really doesn't matter all that much. Many manufacturers make winter tires, I chose the Arctic-Alpins simply because they seem to run much quieter than most winter tires, at the expense if a very small amount of traction.

Best Regards,
Shipo

jimhemi · March 2005

The tires make it, regardless of what you drive FWD or Rear drive. I have dedicated snow tires that I use on my Rear Drive Ford Crown Victoria. I bought the Bridgestone Blizzaks and they are amazing. Handle great in the snow. The factory high speed tires they use on the Police Interceptors are useless in rain, not worth trying to move when it snows. My Father has a V6 Camry and it spins and slides and it is FWD. Bottom Line, unless they are dedicated snow tires, all seasons just can't compare. Tire Rack has the comparables, can't beat them for the price.
I run the Michelin Hydro Edges(put them back on last weekend) and they are great in the rain and awesome on the dry. Handle really well when you get some "heat" in them.

cfazzari · March 2005

Ok...I hear ya. And it's made an impact. I am guessing you use the winter tires on the rear only. Believe me I WANT to grab one of these Hemis...

My only other gripe about the new Charger (and hey if you can fix this one you should become a salesman for them) - the interior of the car is extremely cheap and bland. The interior door panels are made of hard molded plastic and don't fit properly against the glass (and that's in the TWO models I saw last night, so it's not just an isolated incident). I like my sports cars to have some leather or padded vinyl on the dash and doors....this car looks like the inside of a gypsy cab.

cfazzari · March 2005

JH: Shipo was on me for missing the point, not you. I'm not in love with the idea of putting snow tires on a RWD car (I remember my father used to do that in 1968)....but I suppose that's part of buying the thing. I DO know this - I run my FWD Intrepid through snowbanks and it chews the [non-permissible content removed] up and spits it out. No snow tires on the front either. I'm getting tired of hearing myself complain about this....I only wish the0 damned thing came AWD...it would shut me up.

jimhemi · March 2005

I run snow tires on all 4's. Bought a set mounted and balanced from the Tire Rack. It was $89 a tire, plus $40 for the rim. Well worth the price. It handles like it's on rails in the snow. I keep them in the shed till late Nov. then jack up the car and swap.
I was at the autoshow Sun. and the interior is what it is. It's all prototype, not to mention the BEATING that those cars take at the autoshow. Saw so many with shifter knobs missing, radio button stolen. I even saw one guy lifting the plastic HEMI cover off of the Yellow Daytona that they had. Wouldn't be suprised if people weren't pulling the panels off and on just to see what's behind it. Oh yeah, gas caps were missing on several makes and models. Total beating!
I think the hardness of the plastic is probably going to stay. Parents have a HEMI Durango SLT and that was the only complaint vs. the last generation was the hardness of the plastic. Maybe something to do with durability? I noticed theirs hasn't scratched like the old. Possibly better for UV protection?

jimhemi · March 2005

CF:
Go to this link
http://www.allpar.com/cars/lx/lx-cars-snow.html
The guys at ALLPAR.com tested a Hemi 300C and Magnum with AWD and RWD in snow and ice. Think you might be suprised. If the snow still is an issue, Jeep makes a nice ride too

cfazzari · March 2005

First, I've gotta say Thank You to both of you (JimH Shipo) for all of the feedback. I've just started research on actually buying a new car and I've already got about 8 different vehicles on my list. I'm months away from buying so my friends at Damlier-Chrysler have a few months to spruce up the interior of the Charger. I was writing down a few models last night (Impala SS, Grand PRix GXP, Buick Lucerne, Lexus 330) and I stopped dead in my tracks when I was the new Charger. I'm still leaning towards the SS, but test drives will have the final say on the matter. It should be a fun few months. Thanks Again!

rorr · March 2005

"I am guessing you use the winter tires on the rear only."

Why would you NOT put tires with good traction on the wheels which steer the car? :confuse: You act as though the only circumstances which require traction are acceleration (only worried about the tires which receive power).

jimhemi and shipo are right: you want good performance in poor weather, worry about tire design FIRST and whether the vehicle is FWD or RWD second.

Hey, we got smilees!!!

iowabigguy · March 2005

I've got a 2003 Ram 1500 Quad Cab with the Hemi, locking differential and 2 wheel drive. Like my 2 wd Dakota before it I use dedicated snow/traction tires on all 4 corners. My Dakota had Bridgestone Blizzack snow tires and my Ram uses Wrangler GS-A traction tires in the winter. It goes and better yet stops as well as all the expensive 4 wheel drives around here in the MidWest. Tires definitely make the difference. The 20" Goodyear Eagle LS tires that came on the truck slip even if you just think snow.

shipo · March 2005

Just like other folks have chimed in and said, I run all four wheels with winter tires. I figure why have just good rubber on the rear and leave the fronts with no braking or turning capabilities. With winter rubber at all four corners, you get the best possible acceleration, handling and braking possible for your car.

Regarding the interior of the Charger, errr, sorry, t'ain't much I can do about that one. :P

Best Regards,
Shipo

fsmmcsi · April 2005

I have a 2006 Magnum on order because I need the cargo space, but sure wish I could buy a Charger, as it is the best looking of the LX cars and one of the best looking and most functional new cars available. I have seen them up close. The SRT version of the Charger is even nicer. While I like the 1969 or 1970 Charger and the Barracuda from that time period, I would not want to drive one when the modern cars are better in every way. Ford has just the product for anyone who wants a two door car styled like a 1968 model (the only things missing are the skinny chrome bumpers). Production of the 2006 Charger, Magnum and 300 started just after Easter, and the factory is now working three shifts. I understand that over half of the 2006 output will be Chargers, and I suspect that DCX will soon need to assign additional LX (300, Magnum, Charger) production to another factory, since the Charger offers far more for the same price as many competing models, and offers options/upgrades (especially the HEMI and AWD) not available on many of those competing models).

cfazzari · April 2005

I agree with you on the exterior appearance of the Charger. Drop-Dead Gorgeous.
However the interior looks cheap. As I stated in other posts, the interior door panels are hard molded plastic, as if vinyl or leather have suddenly become too expensive. Even more disturbing is that the door panels on TWO different models in the NY Auto show did not sit flush against the glass...there was a gap that could be squeezed wider and narrower!! This is about as crappy a thing as I've seen on a new car...ever. The only thing that compares is my first car - a 1973 Torino that had a hard rubber mat as it's "carpeting"...Lastly, I WISH the damned thing came with AWD, like the 300 was forced to offer.

fsmmcsi · April 2005

I expect that the production cars will be better built than the cars at the auto shows. I have not observed any such problems on the 300s and Magnums I have examined and driven. I agree that the door panels and whole interior could be fancier. I would prefer light and dark tan, or some other colors, not just shades of gray. At least the 2006 Charger and Magnum have the metal on the center stack, not just the black plastic used on teh 2005 models. Various aftermarket dash kit companies make additional trim for the doors and elsewhere. I suspect that nicer interiors may come along in future years to keep the cars "fresh."

gsemike · April 2005

For the price of the car, they should get it right the first time. They're following the GM strategy of putting out flawed, overpriced cars and then trying to catch them up. Problem is when they get it right a couple of years down the road, the nameplate will be too devalued for anyone to care. This car will end up just like the G6.

Dodge Charger 2006+

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