First Drive: Is 2011 Dodge Charger still style over substance?

( http://www.TFLcar.com ) Forty four years ago the very first Dodge Charger rolled off the assembly line and for much of that time some would say that the Charger has been style over substance. For 2011 Dodge says that's all changed. Now that Dodge's parent company Chrysler is owned by European Fiat, the new Charger is a much more of a blend of European driving dynamics with more traditional American car muscle. But you have to wonder does it all work.

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[Defenstrator]

@notecages25 As the family guy who wants some muscle this is the only car in the market that provides. It. Wife and two kids isn't going in a mustang or camero. You want two doors you buy a challenger, this is for us family tupes that want to enjoy driving during the week and have some fun on the weekends. I'm not saying your one of these, but I see a lot of people talk about how they want these powerful cars, but I'm one of the only ones I know that's actually got one.

[joerose60]

I test drove a 2011 accord excellent car but it didn't put a smile in my face, drove a Camry and I almost fell asleep when the sales person was describing the reilability record of the Camry very good car but soulless and very boring!! Just drove a Dodge Charger R/T and it woke me up, the look of the interior and the sound of the V-8 that no rice burner from japan can't match, put a smile in my face instantly and I just puchased one! Thank you Dodge and thack you Fiat!! Bella Macchina!

[dust1n1269]

my buddy just turned 18, got him one of these. its funnnn to go cruisin around the weekend nights in it!

[blueduster74]

@betatalk357 that's the base model. the hemi has 370hp, the srt 470hp. just depends on what you can spend. i agree with you on pay vs costs these days. nuts.

[betatalk357]

@blueduster74 Dodges have some consistency, other than those piece of shit Fords which have tranny problems 2 years later and GM vehicles that fall to pieces in less than 60,000 miles. But they need to pick up the pace in terms of fuel economy, performance, and reasonable prices for today's marketplace.

[betatalk357]

@blueduster74 Avenger rt came as a 4cyl? I thought, for 28k, it should've came with the v6. My supervisor has a newish Jetta. He recently spent 3k replacing the valves after the timing chain went and had to order the parts from Germany. Hyundai and Kia started off with engine problems in the '90s, but since they redid all of their cars, its an unknown right now.

[betatalk357]

@blueduster74 My '96 stratus was okay, but 140bhp wasn't enough for that car. The 4 speed auto was horrible. Acceleration was terrible, it was better to drive fast with the car once you got up to speed, which was rarely. The brakes got warped each year trying to stop a 3,000 lbs. car with useless drum/disc brakes. 15 years later, their "improvements" is 4 wheel discs and get an extra 30bhp out of it? The New Dart has 184bhp from its 2.4; another measly 14bhp up from the Avenger's 4cyl.

[betatalk357]

@blueduster74 So then, hows the Big 3, much less any auto maker supposed to become profitable if it becomes too much of a hassle to have a decent car at a decent price that they give up and go mass transit?

[betatalk357]

@blueduster74 Yes, but people's pay rates has remained at a steady rate for 20 years. Recently, due to the recession and we're about to go into another one, pay is steadily decreasing. How can a working poor man be able to afford houses and cars that keep raising in prices? Now we have 72 month car loans. Back in the '90s, it was 60 months MAX.

[Spetznaz666]

Would this car be able to handle twists and turns like say a BMW 3 series? Or at least close to it? Maybe like a VW GTI?

[blueduster74]

@betatalk357 and remember, these 25k cars were half that 20 years ago. houses and cars have doubled in price over that time.

[blueduster74]

@betatalk357 how is this different fron your imports? every car company does it this way. always have. they are worse about it actually. a golf, civic tercel or avenger? hmmm, i know which one i'd take having driven all of them in the last 2 years.