Drove an R/T tonight!

[frank99ta]

I put my name on the list a while back, and the dealer finally called me today. So, I went down there to test it out. First off, my daily driver is a 2005 Corvette. I've had an 05 and 07 GT and 2 04 GTOs, so I have a lot to compare to. Now for the info. Of course, the car is a very large car but very roomy inside with plenty of room. I would say there is more cabin room up front than my wife's Tahoe. The seats were very comfortable and the fit amd finish was very nice. The car I drove was loaded with the sound system with the sub that sounded awesome. The shifter felt more comfortable than I thought it would based on how it looks. I would say it was in just the right spot where you could rest your arm on the glove box and still be able to shift. Like the mustang, it has the tilt and telescope wheel which was pretty comfortable but didn't go down as low as I would have liked. Now, I have to say it.. I hate the steering wheel. It felt huge and seemed like it didn't fit the flow of the interior. It was big and flat, like it belonged in a school bus. So, I got the seat situated and everything was in the right place and felt very comfortable. So, on to the test drive. The car has a very nice rumble to it. Dodge did an excellent job with the exhaust for a stock car. The clutch was a smoothe as butter. Most of the newer cars clutches have a very limited range where the car will engage.The clutch to me felt old school and had a wide range to engage the clutch. It went in with ease and the gearbox shifted very smoothely. The throw between shifts was fairly close and the car rode smoothe. Overall, the car, to me rode like a cadillac and shifted smoothe as silk. This is my first test drive in a hemi, and it was a very nice motor. Now to answer the power question everybody wants to know. Off the line, I would say the weight drags it down a little. Once it gets rolling, it'll get up and go. From 0 to 60, the mustang felt quicker, but that may be from the weight of the challenger. For the average person, the car is plenty fast. Definitely quick enough to get into plenty of trouble. I really like the car and enjoyed driving it. The sticker was 37k. For me, the enjoyment of the vehicle is weighed against what I have to pay for the vehicle. At 37k, IMO, its over priced. I would buy a GT for 27k, and enojoy it even more because I saved 10k. However, if I could buy a Challenger for 29 or 30, I would buy it over the mustang because its a nicer better with better quality. For right now, I'm keeping the vette. When you compare the performance of the vette to the challenger, there is no comparison. The salesman was very nice and I told him to call me when he gets an SRT in. Maybe that will be more my speed.

[dodgeboy90501]

Nice write up, ya kinda have to agree on the steering wheel, but also got to realize it would have cost them money to certify another one. Its the same steering wheel they use in all the lx's. Would have really like to seen an updated version for the old style steering wheel. Was the car loaded or this dealer mark up?

[Hal H]

That's a rarity - dealer had a 'stick R/T available for a test drive!!

All that's around in my area are auto R/T's. I'm curious what your impression is compared to the GTO's that you have had?

I drove a 'stick GTO back in '05 - I remember a fair amount of driveline lash, but the engine was pretty responsive - this was on a GM sponsored event at a former airfield, so it wasn't like the typical test drive.

[frank99ta]

The dealer isn't charging any markup. The car was just loaded, but it didn't have the nav or the sunroof. Oh, and that plastic chrome wheel cover is ridiculous. Would it have cost that much more to actually chrome the wheel??
Compared to the GTO, it wouldn't be close. The 05 GTO runs low 13's. How bad would an SRT beat up on an R/T, and there is your comparison. The ls2 motor pulls hard especially in the higher rpm's. The GTO was a big disappointment. The drive train was awesome, but the body style just sucked. The funny thing is, the new G8 is a 4 door GTO. Funny what a name and an extra door will do for a car. The Challenger is awesome in the body style and interior, but I was expecting more from the drive train. Oh well, I guess I'll wait on the SRT or maybe the camaro.

[kevin2323]

the rt runs mid 13s with a stick so it is fairly close....it would probably be a drivers race.

[aviscomi]

The sticker on my auto R/T was $29,900 and I was able to get about $1,100 off that. I wasn't concerned about the MyGig, lighted console or any of the other "bells & whisltes" that drive the price up. Afterall, they all look the same on the outside and have the same engine. Besides, I have a loaded 2008 Cadillac CTS to play around with buttons while I drive...

[Abnmarine]

Good review. I agree on the wheels. I would of rather bought some aftermarket wheels for that price. You have to admit though that driving a R/T right now draws a lot of attention. Much more than a Mustang that has flooded the market. I'm hoping that Dodge doesn't produce many with the economy the way it is.

[frank99ta]

yeah the car does draw a lot of attention, just like the mustang did. When I tried to buy a stang when it came out, it was 5 to 8k over for a GT. One year later, I bought the car at invoice. About 18 months after that I got a 1500 rebate, 1000 loyalty, and 2.9% financing. The Challenger is expensive now, but in a year, it'll be a different story. With some 0% financing and some incentives, the challenger is going to be a hell of a bargain.

[SRT8U]

Originally Posted by frank99ta

I put my name on the list a while back, and the dealer finally called me today. So, I went down there to test it out. First off, my daily driver is a 2005 Corvette. I've had an 05 and 07 GT and 2 04 GTOs, so I have a lot to compare to. Now for the info. Of course, the car is a very large car but very roomy inside with plenty of room. I would say there is more cabin room up front than my wife's Tahoe. The seats were very comfortable and the fit amd finish was very nice. The car I drove was loaded with the sound system with the sub that sounded awesome. The shifter felt more comfortable than I thought it would based on how it looks. I would say it was in just the right spot where you could rest your arm on the glove box and still be able to shift. Like the mustang, it has the tilt and telescope wheel which was pretty comfortable but didn't go down as low as I would have liked. Now, I have to say it.. I hate the steering wheel. It felt huge and seemed like it didn't fit the flow of the interior. It was big and flat, like it belonged in a school bus. So, I got the seat situated and everything was in the right place and felt very comfortable. So, on to the test drive. The car has a very nice rumble to it. Dodge did an excellent job with the exhaust for a stock car. The clutch was a smoothe as butter. Most of the newer cars clutches have a very limited range where the car will engage.The clutch to me felt old school and had a wide range to engage the clutch. It went in with ease and the gearbox shifted very smoothely. The throw between shifts was fairly close and the car rode smoothe. Overall, the car, to me rode like a cadillac and shifted smoothe as silk. This is my first test drive in a hemi, and it was a very nice motor. Now to answer the power question everybody wants to know. Off the line, I would say the weight drags it down a little. Once it gets rolling, it'll get up and go. From 0 to 60, the mustang felt quicker, but that may be from the weight of the challenger. For the average person, the car is plenty fast. Definitely quick enough to get into plenty of trouble. I really like the car and enjoyed driving it. The sticker was 37k. For me, the enjoyment of the vehicle is weighed against what I have to pay for the vehicle. At 37k, IMO, its over priced. I would buy a GT for 27k, and enojoy it even more because I saved 10k. However, if I could buy a Challenger for 29 or 30, I would buy it over the mustang because its a nicer better with better quality. For right now, I'm keeping the vette. When you compare the performance of the vette to the challenger, there is no comparison. The salesman was very nice and I told him to call me when he gets an SRT in. Maybe that will be more my speed.

Nice writeup...but you can buy a Chaly for 29-30k...we just did 28k for our 5.7L!

[BMC Performance]

Originally Posted by SRT8U

Nice writeup...but you can buy a Chaly for 29-30k...we just did 28k for our 5.7L!

Yes! I got the base R/T (w/ Sirius as the only option) for $28k and I couldn't be happier. I have several Mustangs, 1 of which has 3x the power than the R/T but I am in love with this car and am so glad to have it!