You chose your Challenger over the competition because......
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71 Posts
I was having a mid-life crisis and looking for a hobby car as I have a work truck and my wifes truck for transport. 1st got bit by the z car bug. Looked at those for about a month before driving one and was left unimpressed. The only thing appealing was the 10-15 K buy in.
A friend of mine passed away in late december and I travelled to my home town for the funeral. At the car rental lot I was given a Cadillac. (good funeral car) As I walked the lot I saw a black Challenger. I immediately went back inside and made them redo the paperwork so I can rent the Challenger. It was an SE, but it had a great feel. Turned lots of heads. I was done.
Even though it wasnt in my budget, seeing my friend in his casket made me realize that you only get one shot at life and no z car was gonna be satisfying. I went for it and bought my SRT and named it the "Sgt. Bill" after my Iraq war hero friend. He had been a Mopar guy since we met in 6th grade and he loved the new Challengers as well. He would certainly approve. The rest is history~!
A friend of mine passed away in late december and I travelled to my home town for the funeral. At the car rental lot I was given a Cadillac. (good funeral car) As I walked the lot I saw a black Challenger. I immediately went back inside and made them redo the paperwork so I can rent the Challenger. It was an SE, but it had a great feel. Turned lots of heads. I was done.
Even though it wasnt in my budget, seeing my friend in his casket made me realize that you only get one shot at life and no z car was gonna be satisfying. I went for it and bought my SRT and named it the "Sgt. Bill" after my Iraq war hero friend. He had been a Mopar guy since we met in 6th grade and he loved the new Challengers as well. He would certainly approve. The rest is history~!
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400 Posts
Wanted the new challenger but wasn't satisfied with 08-10
mainly because I had an 05 Viper & 06-Z06 & it didn't feel fast enough
The handling was sloppy relative to those cars & the interior was too blah.
REALLY wanted a convertible & only car I considered was a 2011 shelby gt500 vert but no automatic was a deal breaker since the wife doesn't drive stick.
The 392 hemi, little interior tweeks & white blue stripes sealed the deal
for me.
In a few months I'll have this beast paid off & will work on another ride.
Maybe the 2011 drag pack , shelby vert, 08 SSG Viper or will be patient & see what the 2013 viper will look like if it ever gets approved or if RG approves a Cuda / Challenger Vert I'll be 1st in line
mainly because I had an 05 Viper & 06-Z06 & it didn't feel fast enough
The handling was sloppy relative to those cars & the interior was too blah.
REALLY wanted a convertible & only car I considered was a 2011 shelby gt500 vert but no automatic was a deal breaker since the wife doesn't drive stick.
The 392 hemi, little interior tweeks & white blue stripes sealed the deal
for me.
In a few months I'll have this beast paid off & will work on another ride.
Maybe the 2011 drag pack , shelby vert, 08 SSG Viper or will be patient & see what the 2013 viper will look like if it ever gets approved or if RG approves a Cuda / Challenger Vert I'll be 1st in line
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214 Posts
I've owned many vehicles. The latest being the 2011 Challenger SRT-8. I just sold a 2009 ROUSH P-51B Mustang one of only 51 ever made, running well over 655HP and built to run with the best of them. The car was TOO FAST actually. The ride was ok, but it was not a cruising machine like the Challenger.
I also have an F-Body (99WS6) runs with NOS and has a heck of a lot of power also. Handles superbly and rides about the same as the Mustang.
I bought the Challenger due to the looks it has, no other car looks as good IMO. The Camaro wasn't even a consideration. I also appreciate the ride. I can drive all day and not have to rent a wheel chair when I get there because of a sore back.
Its not as fast as what I'm used to but it's fast enough.
Of all the performance cars I've owned, this one would probably win my vote for overall satisfaction now that they addressed the handling a little as compared to previous years.
I also have an F-Body (99WS6) runs with NOS and has a heck of a lot of power also. Handles superbly and rides about the same as the Mustang.
I bought the Challenger due to the looks it has, no other car looks as good IMO. The Camaro wasn't even a consideration. I also appreciate the ride. I can drive all day and not have to rent a wheel chair when I get there because of a sore back.
Its not as fast as what I'm used to but it's fast enough.
Of all the performance cars I've owned, this one would probably win my vote for overall satisfaction now that they addressed the handling a little as compared to previous years.
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71 Posts
I'm selling a 911 and looking at an SRT-8. Room for the whole family and I love the look.
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409 Posts
at 6'5", mustang was never an option. camaro was a distant 3rd after seeing it and the challenger when they were still concepts at the auto show. drove a carmaro at a chevy exhibit at a country music festival (wife likes country, i went for the BBQ) and while not terrible, it didn't wow me. although i could probably live with the car, i felt like i was fighting to be comfortable with the small interior and limited visibility.
which brings me to the only competition for the challenger (for me)...'69 Charger R/T. went back and forth for a while. the charger, challenger, and viper rt/10 on any given day are my pick for best lines on a car...with the 70-71 hemi 'cuda getting a very honorable mention. obviously the viper and cuda are out of the question with limited room and my limited funds respectively. i was leaning challenger over the charger due to convenience. although not afraid to, i wouldn't have the issues of having to keep the challenger running as i would a 40+ year old car. then the 392 came out and i was sold when i heard Bob say about 500hp (this was last summer so details weren't there yet) and Green with Envy.
which brings me to the only competition for the challenger (for me)...'69 Charger R/T. went back and forth for a while. the charger, challenger, and viper rt/10 on any given day are my pick for best lines on a car...with the 70-71 hemi 'cuda getting a very honorable mention. obviously the viper and cuda are out of the question with limited room and my limited funds respectively. i was leaning challenger over the charger due to convenience. although not afraid to, i wouldn't have the issues of having to keep the challenger running as i would a 40+ year old car. then the 392 came out and i was sold when i heard Bob say about 500hp (this was last summer so details weren't there yet) and Green with Envy.
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18,782 Posts
There really weren't a lot choices to consider:
* Mustang, while an improvement when the '05 came out, they're everywhere and the interior is tight on space, with a useless back seat. Plus there's tons of rental versions out there - how special is that?
* Camaro - the styling missed the mark. The common comment about the interior (and I agree) is the interior feels like a coffin...poor visibility and for a bulky car, the interior space doesn't fit a taller person very well at all - then there's the issue of the IP cluster and HVAC/radio - ugh.
* Challenger - the looks got me at first glance (I had a '74 B-body and always wanted an E-body as well back when). I got to sit inside an '08 (Red Letter Dodge tour) while my '09 was on order and I knew I made the right choice.
* Mustang, while an improvement when the '05 came out, they're everywhere and the interior is tight on space, with a useless back seat. Plus there's tons of rental versions out there - how special is that?
* Camaro - the styling missed the mark. The common comment about the interior (and I agree) is the interior feels like a coffin...poor visibility and for a bulky car, the interior space doesn't fit a taller person very well at all - then there's the issue of the IP cluster and HVAC/radio - ugh.
* Challenger - the looks got me at first glance (I had a '74 B-body and always wanted an E-body as well back when). I got to sit inside an '08 (Red Letter Dodge tour) while my '09 was on order and I knew I made the right choice.
I've all ways messed with Mopars. I knew when I seen the new Challengers that I would have one some day. They finally came down on them some and we found a FF Rt that the wife really liked. So I get to drive it and my other cars too. The 70 RoadRunner are the 70 340 Swinger don't compare in any way to the new one but we have a good time in all of them. Ronnie in Okla
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161 Posts
Im no hater! I actually like the Camaro, not so much for looks, but I love the interior. Was thinking about the ZL1, but it has a TINY trunk, just good for a Chapstick. (10 cf?) I carry test equipment and tools, so the Camaro doesn't quite do the job for me.
The coming 600hp GT500 is gonna be another great car, but I'm tired of the whole Mustang thang, since that's my daily driver now, for the last 100,000 miles. If I get the bug for more power, I'll supercharge the Viper, or wait to see what the new Viper is like. So I'm not looking for a real high horsepower car for my daily driver. Viper fills that need for me.
The Challenger looks the best of all the pony cars, has the baddest street presence, boldest styling. IT's BIG, and I like that, being 6'4", 245#. Nothing wrong with having a little comfort to go along with your great looking ride! And it's got the biggest trunk, (16 cf) this side of a Corvette (22cf), so that's great as a business car for me.
Boxster is too small, Cayman too, and no real trunk space. The Vette would make my customers think I'm charging too much, so it's not appropriate for the company image. Reasonably (!) priced Benz's are too dull looking, and the higher end models also are not appropriate for the company image, and overkill for a daily driver. I don't like Japanese cars, although I have high respect for them. I'm bored of trucks, been there.
Challengers are really cool cars, especially the 392! Fun to drive, great to look at, great performing for a fairly large coupe, and safe as well, with side curtain airbags et al, great crumple zones, etc. For my needs, the Challenger is the ONLY choice.
The coming 600hp GT500 is gonna be another great car, but I'm tired of the whole Mustang thang, since that's my daily driver now, for the last 100,000 miles. If I get the bug for more power, I'll supercharge the Viper, or wait to see what the new Viper is like. So I'm not looking for a real high horsepower car for my daily driver. Viper fills that need for me.
The Challenger looks the best of all the pony cars, has the baddest street presence, boldest styling. IT's BIG, and I like that, being 6'4", 245#. Nothing wrong with having a little comfort to go along with your great looking ride! And it's got the biggest trunk, (16 cf) this side of a Corvette (22cf), so that's great as a business car for me.
Boxster is too small, Cayman too, and no real trunk space. The Vette would make my customers think I'm charging too much, so it's not appropriate for the company image. Reasonably (!) priced Benz's are too dull looking, and the higher end models also are not appropriate for the company image, and overkill for a daily driver. I don't like Japanese cars, although I have high respect for them. I'm bored of trucks, been there.
Challengers are really cool cars, especially the 392! Fun to drive, great to look at, great performing for a fairly large coupe, and safe as well, with side curtain airbags et al, great crumple zones, etc. For my needs, the Challenger is the ONLY choice.
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411 Posts
Just hit an incredibly tricky sweet spot for me at the right time.
As close to perfect (personal preference) combination of design, speed, comfort, price, as I could find. Also don't generally see 47 of them every day.
As close to perfect (personal preference) combination of design, speed, comfort, price, as I could find. Also don't generally see 47 of them every day.
True. Saturday evening, in my garage, it was me, some nice tunes, & my new 392 - I drank multiple beers just staring. I find beauty in almost all cars, but this one... whew.
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384 Posts
Why I choose this car??? Well if I list all of my reasons I would easily be typing for 5 years. With that being said I will give you a few reasons why I choose this car. 1. When I drive in the fast lane people just move out of the way as if they were clearing the way for the King. 2. Like you said, the WOW factor is through the roof. 3. The sound of this 392 cu Hemi is the sweetest music to my ears. This is the only car that I would be just fine without a radio.
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3,584 Posts
lets see,
The challenger is bigger, slower, heavier and cost more than the camaro. Not a mustang fan so did not even look at it.
The camaro has no usable back seats. I have had 4 camaros and 2 trans ams.
I traded a 2007 C6 vette for my challenger and love it a lot more than the vette.
I think the Challenger is the best looking of the 3 pony (ok, fat ponies)cars in my opinion. I had a 1970 challenger and this new one looks so much like it compared to how the new camaro looks like an old 60's camaro.
I needed a car with seating for me, daugher and grand daughter and this fit the bill to a T.
I would of been absolutely in heaven if the Challenger was in the same price range at the SS camaro.
I have only put 60 miles on it but am loving every mile.
The challenger is bigger, slower, heavier and cost more than the camaro. Not a mustang fan so did not even look at it.
The camaro has no usable back seats. I have had 4 camaros and 2 trans ams.
I traded a 2007 C6 vette for my challenger and love it a lot more than the vette.
I think the Challenger is the best looking of the 3 pony (ok, fat ponies)cars in my opinion. I had a 1970 challenger and this new one looks so much like it compared to how the new camaro looks like an old 60's camaro.
I needed a car with seating for me, daugher and grand daughter and this fit the bill to a T.
I would of been absolutely in heaven if the Challenger was in the same price range at the SS camaro.
I have only put 60 miles on it but am loving every mile.
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895 Posts
I have had 5 mustangs, always loved them and always will, but when the concept challenger debuted in '05 (when rumors started) I was hooked. the look of the challenger is like none other. Not everyone has a challenger and I am glad!
It rides great, has history, has good power, a 6spd, and looks that kill!
It is one great car, I have always wanted one, and finally landed it!
It rides great, has history, has good power, a 6spd, and looks that kill!
It is one great car, I have always wanted one, and finally landed it!
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2,406 Posts
Exactly...and since there wasn't a Cuda to buy...there really was nothing else to even look at. Now if...
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384 Posts
Yes the Challenger is bigger, and does it cost more? The answer is yes. Now is the car Heavier? Again you are correct. However, I have to disagree with you on the Challenger being slower then the Camaro especially if you are referring to the 392 SRT8 because that is clearly not the case. As far as the 6.1, in my opinion its a toss up. Lastly the Challenger is a muscle car not pony car and believe me there is a difference.
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