Concensus on 06 Charger RT

[gnrl01]

I would get the Challenger, it looks bad! The 06 Charger is growing on me but it still should have looked more retro like the new challenger!

[Big Lebowski]

  Ok #1
    I hate the front grille, it gives me shivers thinking about how ugly that front grille is. It's identical to the awsome 1992 Dodge Dynasty. But it's not identical, your right, it's uglyer. The '06 Charger front grille looks like a sucker fish's mouth with a hook in it.

  Ok #2 "IS" the oversized Neon rear end "ALL" they have in the "style" department.

  Ok #3 My 2 door 500 hp Six-pack, 2600 stall, 4.33 geared, street slicked Charger will SMOKE the SRT-8 at the drags. And I don't care how nice the 4 door joke handles and stops, if i wanted that I'd buy a Nissan Ultima.

[FastbackJon]

Two-Door Charger Supremacists Unite!

[69_500]

So is this really the concensus? Where is OneBadSuperbird to weigh in on this topic? I haven't seen him in almost a month.

My side is this. Its a great car. I love the fact you can won multiple RWD V8 powered cars from Ma Mopar now.

[ITSA426]

I love it.  My son bought an '06 SXT for his first new car buy.  We put 1300 miles on it between Christmas and New Years.  29 mpg on the interstate.  Roomy and comfortable as all get out.  It's similar to the 318 auto cars of "the day" in that it's good, basic, transportation.  Nicely equipped.  He also owns a '66 Charger and a '66 Coronet.

I bought a top banana R/T Daytona.  Not quite as quick as my 426 but probably not intimidated by my stock 440 4 speed Charger either.  Magazine reports pitting the new car against a new GTO and a '70 R/T favor the new car.  Regardless of the name I liked the car enough to consider it when I needed new transportation.  Loads of creature comforts and the Daytona exhaust has just enough sound for me while adding a small amount of HP.  I'm not even a little bit disappointed.

We have 10 running, driving, first generation Chargers in the family; with most engine and transmission combinations.  They're all different, and they all feel different and drive differently.  Calling my 318 3 speed car a muscle car is a big stretch.  Charger was never just about muscle.  There was always a certain amount of class to the line, compared to the rest of the Dodge lineup of the day.  Look at it for what it is.

[69_500]

What year is your HEMI Charger, ITSA426?

Always good to have someone who actually owns one weigh in on  the subject.

[TK73]

I love it.  My son bought an '06 SXT for his first new car buy.  We put 1300 miles on it between Christmas and New Years.  29 mpg on the interstate.  Roomy and comfortable as all get out.  It's similar to the 318 auto cars of "the day" in that it's good, basic, transportation.  Nicely equipped.  He also owns a '66 Charger and a '66 Coronet.

I bought a top banana R/T Daytona.  Not quite as quick as my 426 but probably not intimidated by my stock 440 4 speed Charger either.  Magazine reports pitting the new car against a new GTO and a '70 R/T favor the new car.  Regardless of the name I liked the car enough to consider it when I needed new transportation.  Loads of creature comforts and the Daytona exhaust has just enough sound for me while adding a small amount of HP.  I'm not even a little bit disappointed.

We have 10 running, driving, first generation Chargers in the family; with most engine and transmission combinations.  They're all different, and they all feel different and drive differently.  Calling my 318 3 speed car a muscle car is a big stretch.  Charger was never just about muscle.  There was always a certain amount of class to the line, compared to the rest of the Dodge lineup of the day.  Look at it for what it is.

I'm sure many members here would appreciate some pics of your old Chargers and the new Magnums next to each other... 

[69_500]

If your classic 426 is a stock car, with a 3.54 or even a dana 4.10 rear end I'd say the new SRT8 would give it a run for its money in a quarter mile. Then blow past it on the top end if you ran it for say a mile and a half.

[69fourspd]

Saw the new Challenger in Detroit.  Looks pretty slick.  I would probably wait for it......... Just my 2 cents. 

[plum500]

[in reference to the SRT-8/performance argument...]

And there's cars that will kick the SRT-8's butt. Yay.

Not really the entire point. Besides, after ~40 years, one would hope for some improvements. I don't think anyone ever wanted them to build, bolt for bolt, component for component, material for material: a '66, '68, '71 or what have you.

[69_500]

I think people's biggest compaint with the car is that it is 4 door. I'll agree I was hoping for a 2 door, but if they are making the challenger in a 2 door then that fits that build, and they need the Charger to fit another segment of the market. The Charger wasn't ever a pony car, so it was definately going to be a full size car in today's market.

[PocketThunder]

What year is your HEMI Charger, ITSA426?

Always good to have someone who actually owns one weigh in on  the subject.

1966 i believe. 

[Brock Samson]

I love it.  My son bought an '06 SXT for his first new car buy.  We put 1300 miles on it between Christmas and New Years.  29 mpg on the interstate.  Roomy and comfortable as all get out.  It's similar to the 318 auto cars of "the day" in that it's good, basic, transportation.  Nicely equipped.  He also owns a '66 Charger and a '66 Coronet.

I bought a top banana R/T Daytona.  Not quite as quick as my 426 but probably not intimidated by my stock 440 4 speed Charger either.  Magazine reports pitting the new car against a new GTO and a '70 R/T favor the new car.  Regardless of the name I liked the car enough to consider it when I needed new transportation.  Loads of creature comforts and the Daytona exhaust has just enough sound for me while adding a small amount of HP.  I'm not even a little bit disappointed.

We have 10 running, driving, first generation Chargers in the family; with most engine and transmission combinations.  They're all different, and they all feel different and drive differently.  Calling my 318 3 speed car a muscle car is a big stretch.  Charger was never just about muscle.  There was always a certain amount of class to the line, compared to the rest of the Dodge lineup of the day.  Look at it for what it is.

Sir, 
I respect your opinion and manner of expressing it.

Thank you.

 

[ITSA426]

Sorry I haven't put pics on yet.  I'll get to it eventually.  My 426 hemi is a '66 with 4 speed and 4.10 DANA in the back.  Coincidentally it's yellow so I waited for the Top Banana color to be released on the '06.  The R/T Daytonas are limited to 4000 of each color.  The Daytona is upgraded from the R/T in exhaust and some suspension and just plain class.  Lots of nice things about the car and I'm not ashamed of buying it. 

I tow my '66 with a Yellow second swarm Rumble Bee and am having my trailer painted yellow.  Rumble Bee people seem to feel yellow is the faster color so I had to paint the trailer yellow just to keep up with the truck.  I'm not a fan of trailer queens but at 6.5 MPG on 110 leaded it's cheaper to drag it than drive it most places.  Receipts show the engine work was done by Dick Landy Inc.  The car is originally a California black plate car.  Second gear is a thrill, a real thrill.

I don't claim the new Charger deserves to be on the show field with the classics, but I feel the same about Prowlers and Vipers.  If you lock the back doors and crawl between the front seats over the console it's just about as easy to get into the back seats as the '66.  Loads more space once you're there. 

[Shakey]

Sorry I haven't put pics on yet.  I'll get to it eventually.  My 426 hemi is a '66 with 4 speed and 4.10 DANA in the back.  Coincidentally it's yellow so I waited for the Top Banana color to be released on the '06.  The R/T Daytonas are limited to 4000 of each color.  The Daytona is upgraded from the R/T in exhaust and some suspension and just plain class.  Lots of nice things about the car and I'm not ashamed of buying it. 

I tow my '66 with a Yellow second swarm Rumble Bee and am having my trailer painted yellow.  Rumble Bee people seem to feel yellow is the faster color so I had to paint the trailer yellow just to keep up with the truck.  I'm not a fan of trailer queens but at 6.5 MPG on 110 leaded it's cheaper to drag it than drive it most places.  Receipts show the engine work was done by Dick Landy Inc.  The car is originally a California black plate car.  Second gear is a thrill, a real thrill.

I don't claim the new Charger deserves to be on the show field with the classics, but I feel the same about Prowlers and Vipers.  If you lock the back doors and crawl between the front seats over the console it's just about as easy to get into the back seats as the '66.  Loads more space once you're there. 

So where are the pics man?   

[694spdRT]

I met ITSA426 at the Charger Meet in Madison. I am pretty sure one or more of these is his and the rest are owned by his friends from Minnesota.  I don't remember seeing the yellow Hemi though...he did have a no option '66 Charger there also.

[Johnny SixPack]

I agree with those that say the "06 Chagnum is not a bad car.

Hell, I may even go as far as to say it's not bad looking.

It's definitely got potential as something other than a Charger.

Why oh why didn't they just call it Enforcer?

[plum500]

That, and the cop cars, look like Panda bears.

[TK73]

I LIKE the "Panda" Enforcer

[Johnny SixPack]

I LIKE the "Panda" Enforcer

Thanks!

It was a SEMA car IIRC before I 'chopped it:



The Chagnum could easily have stood on it's own merits IMO, but instead DCX seems to have gone with "cover our collective @$$es" strategy and used the Charger nameplate to help insure the public's interest.

Unfortunately for us, and for them, they were wrong.

But I believe the car has it's good points, especially considering what else is out there.

Would I buy one?

No.

For the cost of the SRT8 Chagnum I'd just go the extra mile and buy a STS-V.

[TK73]

I much prefer the 'chopped" pic, swiped it already if you don't mind... 

[Johnny SixPack]

I much prefer the 'chopped" pic, swiped it already if you don't mind... 

[skibuff]

I own both a 1969 Charger R/T with a 440 magnum, 4 speed, and Dana 60  with 3.54:1 rear gears as well as a 2006 Dodge Daytona (GoMango color).  I didn't buy the the new Charger as a replacement for the '69 as there is no replacement for it, IMO.  However, I did want a larger car with with aggressive styling that could get up and go and still accomodate the wife and kids (which my '99 WS6 Formula could not.)

This may disappoint some of you Charger purists but my 4,200 lb 2006 Charger (or Magnum sedan as some of you prefer to call it) just ran 14.1 seconds at 99 mph at Mason-Dixon speedway in Hagerstown, Maryland on May 7.  That is a better time than my '69 ran in stock condition (the car is no longer stock so I can't compare now).  The best run I ever got from the stock '69 was a 14.4 e.t. (don't remember the trap speed).

The fact is that the new Charger has more similarities to the old Charger than it does differences.  Both are 5 passenger cars.  Both ran low to mid 14 second quarter mile times stock.  Both cars are excellant handling cars for their respectives weights and time period.  The biggest difference is the 4 doors vs 2 doors.  IMO, the 4 doors on the new Charger don't hurt the styling at all.

I've owned my '69 Charger R/Tsince January 30, 1973 so I'm definitely a Charger loyalist.  So before you bash the new Charger on the fact that it has 4 doors, try driving one.  The new Charger maintains the tradition just as well as the old Charger. 

[Shakey]

Welcome to the site skibuff.   

I am also a fan of the new Charger.  I actually was looking at an SRT8 a couple weeks back but $52K CDN + taxes - ouch!

I am not quite ready for a new car but will seriously consider the new Charger if my Wife absolutely puts the kibash on the 2dr Challenger ideas.     Got two baby seats to consider!

Post some pics of both of your cars when you get a chance.

[Silver R/T]

ya post pics of your cars...