You chose your Challenger over the competition because......

4743 Views 49 Replies 41 Participants Last post by Lord Warlock, Apr 17, 2011

faticaz2

Discussion Starter · Mar 26, 2011

Lets face it, if we're spending that kind of money on a challenger, we had the option of spending it on alot of other cars out there. But we chose the challenger(for good reason!!).

Why did you?

I did( GWE on order), because nothing out there compares to it in road presence alone. The WOW factor of this car to me is something that I didn't see in the competition. If I didn't go with the challenger, my second choice would have been the camaro, but the WOW factor of that car to me is far below that of the challenger. Can't you tell I'm going NUTS waiting on mine!!!:headbang:

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Onemanop

· #2 · Mar 26, 2011

Why?

The physical dimensions made it more practical for a family of four, than either the mustang or camaro. There were other minor issues, but as any vehicle is not perfect, that was what clinched it for me. It's road going manners and comfort on long drives makes me happy I chose it, but then, I never even drove the other two.

Hemispherical

· #3 · Mar 26, 2011

Competition?

What competition.... I didn't know anyone else made a Challenger...... :bigthumb:

As far as I'm concerned.... it was a Challenger or nothing and it all came together this year..... :thumbsup:

Hurst 41

· #4 · Mar 26, 2011

faticaz2 said:
Lets face it, if we're spending that kind of money on a challenger, we had the option of spending it on alot of other cars out there. But we chose the challenger(for good reason!!).

Why did you?

I did( GWE on order), because nothing out there compares to it in road presence alone. The WOW factor of this car to me is something that I didn't see in the competition. If I didn't go with the challenger, my second choice would have been the camaro, but the WOW factor of that car to me is far below that of the challenger. Can't you tell I'm going NUTS waiting on mine!!!:headbang:

My brothers were MOPAR guys and we were always going to the dealerships and races. Their favorite was the Challenger, hence, it became my favorite. I always loved the clean lines of the original. Once they reintroduced it in 2008 (?) I knew I was in trouble. Took a couple of years but I finally got one.

I'm 50 now and not so much of a speed demon or racer. I like the fact that the Challenger has such good looks, a great powerplant, a 6 speed, lots of room and it's comfortable and a great touring machine.

Hope that answers your question.

a14umbra

· #5 · Mar 26, 2011

I've always liked Mopar. But I did look at the Camaro. I think it's a sweet looking car. But it only seats 4. I have 3 kids, and while the back seat is only an emergency seat (our other car is a Grand Cherokee), it's nice knowing it's there.

Bottom line is, even disregarding the seating thing, I would have probably gone with the Challenger. I think it fits an old dude like me.

Plus, it's Mopar.

huggytree

· #6 · Mar 26, 2011 (Edited)

the main reason is 5 passenger.....i may have went with the Camaro is i could fit my 3 kids in it....the Camaro isnt perfect at all , but for similar performance and a $8-10k savings i probably would have gotten a Green SS

the Challenger looks better and now for 2011 it performs better...

i think Chevy has a much better build quality....i dont see damaged $50k cars at a Chevy dealership(i saw a IE in horrible condition w/9 miles on the OD)....i knew the Challenger would need more future repairs and have more issues....i wanted a fast/muscle car and the challenger was what fit my family....

Im glad that the 2011 performance is ahead of the Camaro.....i have another new Chevy and am used to the hard dashboard....i think the Camaro interior is much more stylish than the Challenger, but agree w/ most that the Camaro interior looks cheaper(can it be better and cheaper?)...when you sit in the Camaro the 1st impression is WOW....when you sit in the Challenger you say 'its nice'.....

The Styling of the Challenger is a work of Art!....i can stare at it and examine it for hours...the Camaro has a nice looking front, a decent/retro side view and a horrible looking back end

Mustang has a nice interior(style wise), but looks horrible outside....very tiny...i had a 1990 5.0 and had so many problems i vowed to never buy Ford again....so it would have never been a consideration.....based upon performance only the Ford 2011 5.0 is an incredible value....i can see why Ford sells tons of them...

Very happy with my IE...if i had 2 kids i probably would have went Camaro or considered a Shelby(even though its a Ford)...if i had no kids i would have gotten a Vette

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John Lang

· #7 · Mar 26, 2011

Reason for a CHALLENGER

I looked at Corvettes, Cadillac CRST-V, Supercharged Mustang's, To much money as far as my Wife's concerned ! The Mustangs W/Supercharger not available w?auto ! The above cars are as RARE as Humans With FEET ! The Challenger is way Kool for an Old Geezer like me ! End of story !...John Lang

Moper

· #8 · Mar 26, 2011

I bought a Challenger for several reasons.

I want a dealer nearby for service and support. Dealers for many brands in my area are close to an hour away.

I want a big back seat for kids.

I need a big trunk for cargo.

I need an automatic.

My wife says I can't afford a Bentley.

I want to relive the glory days of my youth by driving a cool muscle car.

It was "Momma" approved.

Oh yah - It looks great and hauls azz!

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FFchris

· #9 · Mar 26, 2011 (Edited)

i was going to buy a black caddy EXT in june , and i started watching the roads and seen them everywhere, i wanted something somewhat unique and that wasn't it. i looked at a astin martin DB7 and almost pulled the trigger on that but something didn't feel right with it when i test drove it, the fit for me wasn't there . i looked at Z06 but no good for family cruses. i had a camaro 22 vert in'02 didnt want another. i looked at everything and didn't even consider a challenger. i went to the dealer with my brother when he was dealing on a jeep and walked the lot. i saw the row of challengers and walked to the end and saw the FF srt-8 had a look in side saw the sixgear and window sticker of 54k. didnt think anything of it. a week later i told my wife about the "pink" challenger with the shoe polish writing on the window from december ( it was mid feb then) she said to ask about it and keep an eye on it. i called the dealer and they offered me 6k off msrp and within 2k of what i wanted for my trade. i countered at 8k off msrp, and 1k more on my trade + cover,splash guards and bright door sill plates and the deal was done. next day i drove it home in the slush and the muck and havn't driven it since.
the real connection for me was because my wife's very first car was a '74 cuda, 360 auto car, was repainted in panther pink with a black white interior. when i sat in the FF for the first time and looked to the passenger side i had an instant vision of her with poofy 80's hair and acid wash denim! sold right there, i would have paid full msrp and given them my trade LOL for the memories that brought back to me.

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HemiFan

· #10 · Mar 26, 2011

I've always liked performance cars, especially "muscle cars" - owned a few over the years, very happy with them. Always liked the look of the late 60's to early 70s MOPARs too. When the big 3 US manufacturers all had some new muscle on the street, I wanted to get back to something like that from my Euro-go fast sport sedan. Really liked the look and "attitude" of the Challenger - but when I drove one, that cinched it. Exactly what I was looking for...

Heywood

· #11 · Mar 26, 2011 (Edited)

Not a strictly Mopar fan, but a gear head. Love them all and have had most of them. Every different manufacturer. The list is long.

There were +'s and -'s to them all. I was looking to get out of my 07 H2 Hummer that was ticking me off with being in the shop all the time for little things. My search was narrowed down to 3 models only:

1. 2010 Camaro (50k tax in)
Still had the sour taste of the Hummer (GM parts fail) -
No Nav -
Dash set up -
Back seat for my 16 yr.old daughter -
426 hp +
Looks +/-
Sight line driving -
Seeing them on dealer lots as trade ins after they just came out (Feb.2010) -

2. 2010 GT-500 Vert ( 69k tax in)
Back end -
Back seat room 50/50
Price with tax -
Too many Mustangs Around -
The rest I really liked

3. 2010 Challenger SRT8 ($58 all in)
Well I bought it, so it did everything the Camaro didn't. Loved the look better than the GT-500, and was priced right in between the other 2.

It fit my needs for what I was going to use it for. Not many around. My wife absolutely loves it. It was her pick right off the bat. She uses it as her daily driver weather permitting. It draws, sorry, commands attention like nothing else on the road.

She had 4 requests and I agreed with 3 of them. 6 speed, Sunroof, SRT, and Black. I have enough trouble keeping it clean as I like it with HO let alone black.

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KS-SRT6spd

· #12 · Mar 26, 2011

It is the only option that had 5 seats, I have 3 kids.
It is the only car that to me looks old school bad azz!
I bought it in 09 and you rarely ever saw one on the street. Still it turns heads and people point it out! So its great on the wow factor!!
I wish it was alittle faster but that will be fixed with a Kenne bell here in about 2 weeks installed by HHP!
So it is perfect in everyway to me!!

19johned53

· #13 · Mar 26, 2011

The wife and I are both 57, married 37 years. We've been around all sorts of automotive "fads", but the "muscle car" era has always been engraved in our heads.

When I spotted that DY R/T C on the lot, the looks alone almost sold me. WOW FACTOR...............yes, and I don't get wowed that often.

After the "walk around", and the "test drive", I loved everything about it. The size, room, comfort, and performance, were all there.

In my mind, the Challenger was "it", and thoughts of a Camaro or Stang weren't even considered.

Now if GM did a retro of a '68/69 Camaro as well as Chrysler did the Challenger, then I could say that there was some "competition". But they didn't, and there's not IMO.

That's my story and I'm sticking with it.

Ok. Elefunt Man

· #14 · Mar 26, 2011

Brand loyal since 9 years old. MOPAR or no car period!

Lord Warlock

· #15 · Mar 27, 2011

Before the R/T, i was driving a supercharged 04 mustang cobra, the new shelby was identical inside to the car i'd been driving for 8 years (in room, maybe not comfortwise) Shelby cost more than an srt8 did, and while i would take a shelby none of the GT's currently available drew the lust for a new ride.

I've owned camaros, imports, multiple ford mustangs, and several mopars over the years. The new camaro did not excite me, i thought it looked fine, just wasn't impressed with the interior, it felt cramped to sit in just like the mustang did. When i sat in the challenger, it felt like a larger car inside and was comfortable, and had fairly good visibility out the sides and front (rear was limited) I had waited for dodge to build the new charger for years, only tobe disappointed with the four door design, and even if the body didn't look bad, it did not fester in me to buy a new charger, even though i had a 69 R/T charger in the garage already.

The challenger however had very interesting looks, enough queues from the past to make it interesting, a good suspension, capable power, and lots of options available to make driving a new car entertaining. It fit the whole family on trips across the state (teenagers in back seat) it came in a dramatic color (DY Yellow with black R/T stripes) it had 2000.00 worth of free mopar accessories included, and it had wheels that i liked enough so I wouldn't want to swap them out anytime soon. The one i selected had a few options i originally didn't want and wouldn't have ordered if i had gone that route, but the dealer discounted it enough so the options i didn't care for were basically free. I paid less than what i would have paid for one without the sunroof, HID's or NAV. Getting those included made the car much more fun to drive and i'm glad i have them now.

I was due to drive another mopar, every 10 years or so i buy another mopar, and i'm glad of the choice i made this time. In this case, i chose to buy my first new car ever, after 13 cars over the years, it was my only new car for myself. Its supposed to last me 6 to 10 years, and after that i hope i can store it alongside the other paid off hobby cars (also Dodge R/T's) I've made a few changes to make it more comfortable, a little different than the rest, and more functional, but nothing radical that will jeapardize a warranty.

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jigo23

· #16 · Mar 27, 2011

Looked at mustangs and camaro's but it was love at first sight when they rolled the chally up out of the warehouse. Sitting in it just reinforced that love, but driving it was pure LUST!

actually to me it was the perfect blend of retro yet modern styling and can't beat the hemi. One BAD A$$ machine! The Wow factor is certainly there. My son always tells me "I can't take you anywhere" because somebody always comes up to talk about the car LOL.

dudeuconfuseme

· #17 · Mar 27, 2011

I looked at cadi, mustang, camaro, even street rods. I went with the callenger for 3 reasons. Headroom, style and the fact that you can bolt on kick ass HP. Could not get in & out of the others, cept the cadi and $65K is crazy.

Heminator

· #18 · Mar 27, 2011

-styling
-road presence/gravitas
-sound
-enough room for 6'2" driver and 4 real adults
-big trunk
-driving experience/feel
-'11 suspension/chassis/steering upgrades
-Brembo brakes
-392 Hemi engine upgrade
-DWB/white stripe paint scheme

In the end though, it's all about emotion. I don't care what kind of numbers the competition puts up, if a personal use muscle car doesn't melt your brain, stir your heart, and grab you by the jewels and say 'drive me like you stole me', it's not worth owning. The Challenger does that for me, the competition doesn't.

Countless strangers walk up and gawk at the 392 - gas stations, car wash, parking lots, cruise nights - it's like a magnet. Mustangs and Camaros parked near it might was well be invisible.

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NewMuscle

· #19 · Mar 27, 2011

mopar or no car

OttoPilot

· #20 · Mar 27, 2011

I must be in the target market for the Challenger because the combination of retro style, retro color (PCP), power, comfort, room for luggage, and handling were perfect for me.
I drove the Camaro and Mustang but each had fewer of the above.
I am extremly happy with my decision.
This is the first Mopar I have owned, having always driven GM cars. But GM did their best to p!ss me off through the 80s and I vowed never again.

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