Used Viper or new Challenger

[Magnumcharger]

I was just talking to my wife this morning about buying a used Viper vs. buying a new Challenger!
IMHO: more HP, cooler look, just as impractical, and probably more collectable over the long term!
The only problem would be the bank, and the loan on an older car vs. a new car loan.

For instance:
http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-Dodge-Dodge-Viper-RT-10-Convertible-W0QQAdIdZ117863330
and:
http://halifax.kijiji.ca/c-cars-vehicles-cars-Dodge-2009-Dodge-Challenger-R-T-W0QQAdIdZ111457927

Your thoughts?

[WingCharger]

Does this really need to be discussed?

[richard pettys 73]

WELL AT LEAST YOU GET A FUL WARRANTY WITH THE NEW CHALLNGER AND YOU CAN PICK THE RIGHT OPTIONS THAT YOU WANT..  ..ALL YOU GET WITH THE VIPER IS MORE HORSEPOWER AND A STATUS SYMBOL 

[Mopar2Ya]

IMO. There's no comparison, the Viper is on another level. The SRT8 would make it closer, but still the Viper is a sports car/super car purpose built chassis/etc. The Chally is based off the LX, a standard E Class platform derivative. If they made the Viper w/automatic trans I'd have one already. The cost to convert is big $. I'm in no way bashing the Chally, I want both. GL w/the decision.

[RD]

viper, hands down. no ands, ifs, or buts about it.

[Magnumcharger]

Does this really need to be discussed?

nope.

[Daytona R/T SE]

Have you ever sat in a Viper?

I wanted one in the worse way, then a friend of mine bought one, I slid behind the wheel, grabbed the steering wheel, looked forward- right across the top of the windshield header. Decided I didn't want a car I couldn't fit in with the top in place.

Another time I had the opportunity to sit in a GTS coupe-I was barely able to extract myself from that sardine can.

Are ALL car designers 5 foot 2 ?

On the other hand I have been in the new Challenger, Plenty of room inside for a full grown American man like myself

[mauve66]

i agree the Viper is funner and more long term valuable but think of the insurance difference also, for the price of a Viper you could get a SRT8, delete navigation, get cheapest stereo (who keeps the stock stereo anyway?) and add a supercharger, almost Viper performance and no insurance hit,

another thing is to think about the fact that they are trying to sell the viper line, will it survive? what will parts cost if a smaller company runs the line?? of course if they kill it maybe it will go up in value???

shop the loan some more, their are companies that would give you a better rate due to what the viper is, ie: not the everyday grocery car


you have a hard choice to make, i envy you though, hard to choose between a Silver GTS with ghost stripes and a Plum Crazy SRT8 with white (or black) stripes









i need to go to the casino, megabucks is up to 32 MILLION now.....................................

[mikepmcs]

I was actually just in that exact position! 
I was tracking late 90's to 2000 and even a 2001(I would only consider a GTS by the way and it could only be blue, red, or yellow and had to have the stripes)

Those vehicles in that year range are just about the same, cost wise, as a new challenger.

Loan wasn't an issue with USAA as the rate would just increase a little due to the model year of the Viper being over 7 years.

Insurance would have increased.

Maintenance, due to the fact that it would no longer be under warranty, would also be very expensive should something go wrong. 
I actually bid on a few before I started in on the research for an 09 Challenger.  As I was doing the research I again thought to myself....Why am I concentrating on an 09 R/T(because an 09 SRT-8 was just too far for me to stretch the old budget)  When I can start looking at an 08 SRT.  Started searching and guess what....  I found out that you can find an 08 SRT Challenger with very low miles and it would still be under warranty, etc....
and the biggest thing...it is a limited production car which in my warped little mind told me that someday it will be worth more than any 97-2001 dodge viper.

My choice was easy after that, just finding one reasonably close to me was the hard part. I got lucky and found an 08 just like I wanted with every option well below 40k.  The color combo, what more can I say...have you seen my other car(look left)

Much more user friendly car with plenty of room and all the power I need.  Now I can spend a little more money and tweak it with exhaust, diablo, maybe some cutouts(for effect), maybe some wheels, etc...  The electronics are incredible and the stereo is very adequate(i must be getting old)

Here is #3647 of #6400.  Now, please, won't you join me! 

[captnsim]

Challenger...Fast, fun, comfortable, able to drive on real roads, and lower cost to own. It's new...some other dill weed hasn't over reved it or some such thing. Plus vipers are getting a little dated style wise.

[Magnumcharger]

Wow! That Challenger sure ia beauty!
And it's nice to see somebody else thinking along the same lines.
And you're in Maine...not far from me. How many SRT8's have you seen for sale?

[mikepmcs]

And it's nice to see somebody else thinking along the same lines.

Oh yeah, when I read your thread I thought the same thing and couldn't type fast enough.(like I was afraid you were going to buy the viper in the next 4-5 minutes or something)   

[Foreman72]

both will cause heads to turn but i'd go w the chally...not that vipers aren't killer but i mean...cost of viper + ownership and 2 b way more than chally + ownership

[mikepmcs]

They are on feebay all the time.  I was bidding on at least 8-10 of them when I landed this one.
Mine had 750 miles on it BTW.  That's new enough for me.

The other one I wanted looked exactly the same and it was in Missouri.  

There are 18 on ebay right now.  A lot of them I have bid on.  Including the one in Missouri. I talked to that guy more than once and that would have been my second choice had I not happened upon the one on Long Island.  It couldn't have worked out better for me as Mike Musto was kind enough to go give it the once over and his approval was all I needed as far as condition.  

[Magnumcharger]

And it's nice to see somebody else thinking along the same lines.

Oh yeah, when I read your thread I thought the same thing and couldn't type fast enough.(like I was afraid you were going to buy the viper in the next 4-5 minutes or something)   

Nope...although I have been given the thumbs up from my better half to buy whatever I want.
I too have been tracking Vipers, for years now. And since the Challenger arrived, I've been momentarily sidetracked by them.
OK,  - obsessed - is probably a better word.
I don't want two car payments on the go right now, so I'll be taking my savings and paying off my wife's car before I make a move on any fun ride for myself.
I love the Viper roadsters....but the new Challengers have ALMOST made me forget about them.
Funny - as I barely fit in the Challenger, I know I'd have to put a seat track kit in any Viper I'd consider buying.
And even in the Challenger, the seat is all the way back.
I showed my daughter the 1/4" space that she'd have for her legs, and she said I may as well have a two-seater...which got me thinking Viper again!
Dagnabbit!

[mikepmcs]

Here's my thread and check out the write up Mike did on the Challenger. He posted the link in there somewhere.

I imagine he would tell you that for him he might go with the Viper for other reasons. But I knew for me that I would never get to use the Viper for what it was intended due to where I live and the roads, etc.... that among the other reasons I listed previously.

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,55101.0.html

[mikesbbody]

Challenger 

[69bronzeT5]

Challenger 

[Sublime/Sixpack]

If the used Viper was in excellent condition and a blue GTS I'd go with it, otherwise a new Challenger.

[73TXRallye440]

I sold my Viper, id highly recommend the challenger.

[Back N Black]

I vote 68 Charger 

[chargerboy69]

No question. . . A Viper. My best friend purchased his a few years back. He has done a few modifications to it, and I must say it is an amazing car to drive.

Here is a picture of it on my wedding day.

The second is a Star Wars Viper they had at the Star Wars Celebration III in Indy. Yes, I am a Star Wars dork.

[Go Hogs Go]

Generation II Viper GTS. I've had 5 Vipers, 3 rt's and 2 GTS. The rt's are o.k, but I don't like roadsters or convertibles in general for that matter. The rt is a pain in the butt. It looks cool with the top off, and looks like it has on a hair piece with the top on. Also, if you leave the house with the top off, and a rain storm pops up your getting wet. The trunk is to small to carry the hard top, and the soft top is so complicated to assemble it takes 30 mins. IF you take it with you. (it takes up the whole trunk) I'd buy the Challenger over the rt. However, the Viper GTS is the man. It has more room, larger trunk, and will clobber any Challenger SRT 8. I've driven a Challenger SRT-8, and in a straight line it could make it interesting for a moment. Anything else, the Viper rules. At 145 mph the GTS feels more glued to the road than at 70, and at 145 ( the car had plenty left, but the road did not) your sensation of speed is about like doing 70 in your regular car. The 96-98 GTS will run 188 mph stock and is just on another level. Right now you can pick up at nice 1997-99 GTS with good miles for around 30K. The best part is that the Viper will hold its value, and you'll not have to worry about getting hammered on resale. The Vipers also qualify for collector car insurance through Haggarty, and American Hobbiest. My insurance ran me $500 a year with $0 deductable. I never had any maintence issues with my Vipers, but I take care of my equipment. Good luck with your decision, I wish I was in your position right now.

[bull]

Have you test driven either of them yet? I would do that first and see what you think. You might absolutely hate one or the other enough to decide right then.

That said, if you have to do a loan (which I wouldn't recommend) I would think getting a loan on a Challenger would be easier because it's new and the dealers want to move them. A used Viper would require a private loan and I would tend to think that would be difficult to get, especially these days. But hey, what do I know...

Of the two I would probably prefer the Challenger because it's a muscle car. The Viper is an exotic and exotics usually don't do much for me by comparison.

[73TXRallye440]

a buddy of mine cracked his viper's frame at 145 mph!