Drove a 2012 Charger SRT-8 today

[L_Sludger]

A girl at the office next door owns a white 2012 Charger SRT-8. She let me drive it today.

One word: wow!

What a car. It's huge but very powerful. The torque is almost electric. The info LCDs are very cool too, love the gauges and geeky effects Dodge put into it. The fit and finish is superb to my eye and I could tell that this is no Dodge of yesteryear, it's a real world-class product. I would definitely own one of these.

The downside? I flipped to the fuel economy page on the instrument cluster LCD. What do I see? 13.4mpg average, and with 3/8 of a tank remaining, the distance until empty showed 69 miles. lol, what?

As a BMW 8-series owner says, the cost of cool ain't cheap.

A very impressive car by Dodge.

 

[dave1251]

Originally Posted By: L_Sludger
A girl at the office next door owns a white 2012 Charger SRT-8. She let me drive it today.

One word: wow!

What a car. It's huge but very powerful. The torque is almost electric. The info LCDs are very cool too, love the gauges and geeky effects Dodge put into it. The fit and finish is superb to my eye and I could tell that this is no Dodge of yesteryear, it's a real world-class product. I would definitely own one of these.

The downside? I flipped to the fuel economy page on the instrument cluster LCD. What do I see? 13.4mpg average, and with 3/8 of a tank remaining, the distance until empty showed 69 miles. lol, what?

As a BMW 8-series owner says, the cost of cool ain't cheap.

A very impressive car by Dodge.


I am not surprised at all by this. When Sergio Marchionne sat in a Chrysler car for the first time he immediately order a 1XX.00 dollar upgrade on the interior for all Chrysler's products because he was quite frankly not impressed at all. Good I am happy you are impressed by the 2012 Charger.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: dave1251


I am not surprised at all by this. When Sergio Marchionne sat in a Chrysler car for the first time he immediately order a 1XX.00 dollar upgrade on the interior for all Chrysler's products because he was quite frankly not impressed at all. Good I am happy you are impressed by the 2012 Charger.

I'd say that the interior fit and finish is just as good as a W220 Mercedes S-class. Dodge has made a quantum leap and I'm looking at them much more seriously now. The new Dart looks like a winner too..

 

[dparm]

I sat in a few Dodges at the Chicago Auto Show and I do not agree that the fit and finish is on-par with MB, and the S-Class at that.

 

[hattaresguy]

Originally Posted By: dparm
I sat in a few Dodges at the Chicago Auto Show and I do not agree that the fit and finish is on-par with MB, and the S-Class at that.


Nice cars but not an S class, sorry.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Luckily the owners love them. I would agree they do not match up in finer details but the overall fit and finish is quite high for a 50k car. Ask someone who is not a German car enthusiast! It's really quite an interior.

So is the performance. Only traps 1-2 mph faster than mine but VVT gives a table flat torque curve. Next year they get the ZF 8 speed.

BTW, easily cracks 20-25 on the highway with MDS.

 

[dwcopple]

My bro in law has a '12 R/T. The torque IS amazing. One thing I couldn't understand though is that the car had touchscreen controls for radio/HVAC/traction control but no navigation...[censored]?

 

[Scum_Frog]

The Charger SRT and Challanger SRT are two rockin' cars....love both!

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
My bro in law has a '12 R/T. The torque IS amazing. One thing I couldn't understand though is that the car had touchscreen controls for radio/HVAC/traction control but no navigation...[censored]?


That is optional on R/T.

There's even a Road Runner version of the Charger Body in SRT8 flavor with almost no options designed to be the lightest it can be. But it's a real heavyweight no matter what.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: Scum_Frog
The Charger SRT and Challanger SRT are two rockin' cars....love both!


I agree. The 300 has been too 'toned down' for me. I loved the edgy styling of the first gen, but the new 300 is too pedestrian and smooth and has lost that personality that went with the only truly original front end on the planet!

At least there's an SRT8 300C for the defense of the brand.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
Originally Posted By: Scum_Frog
The Charger SRT and Challanger SRT are two rockin' cars....love both!


I agree. The 300 has been too 'toned down' for me. I loved the edgy styling of the first gen, but the new 300 is too pedestrian and smooth and has lost that personality that went with the only truly original front end on the planet!


I actually like the new 300's styling better than the previous generation. I do agree with you about the front end, however. That big egg-crate grill was what set the older 300 apart. Chrysler could have done the same thing with these new ones by simply extending the grill down into the bumper area about six inches. That would have been totally unique--sort of like the grill on the Maybach Exelero.

 

[kkreit01]

Sounds fun. Pics of "girl next door" and car, or ban! (lol).

 

[dwcopple]

wasn't that front end a Rolls Royce Phantom/Bentley GT ripoff???

 

[dailydriver]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
There's even a Road Runner version of the Charger Body in SRT8 flavor with almost no options designed to be the lightest it can be.


VERY glad to hear this, but it would be cool if they made available a TOTALLY decontented, with very lightweight parts (and NO luxo/status/technogimmickry garbage, and manual EVERYTHING, with even a radio/air delete option), almost a 'body in white' type of club sport version in BOTH the Charger AND Challenger (with Tremec 6060 manuals available all-around).

Think of just how 'sick' THAT thing would be!!

 

[JHZR2]

Id buy the sedan if it was had with a manual.

No lazy american auto for me.

 

[G-MAN]

Originally Posted By: dwcopple
wasn't that front end a Rolls Royce Phantom/Bentley GT ripoff???


Only in the minds of people who've never seen a RR or Bentley, neither of which have ever come with an egg-crate grill.

The whole front end of the last generation 300 was actually based on the 1998 Chronos concept car.

 

[01rangerxl]

I think there are definite parallels between the last 300 and the Phantom aside from the eggcrate vs. waterfall grille, but there's nothing wrong with that.

If the cars weren't close, you wouldn't see Phantom body kits and grilles for the 300.

 

[L_Sludger]

Originally Posted By: kkreit01
Sounds fun. Pics of "girl next door" and car, or ban! (lol).
Please don't ban! lol. I'm thinking of asking this girl out on a date actually. We sat in the car for 20 minutes after I drove around in it just shooting the breeze.. I could tell that she was waiting for me to close the deal, but.. I digress. I might get around to it next week.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: G-MAN
Originally Posted By: dwcopple
wasn't that front end a Rolls Royce Phantom/Bentley GT ripoff???


Only in the minds of people who've never seen a RR or Bentley, neither of which have ever come with an egg-crate grill.


You got it. It really was a truly original front end. Still has a distinctive look but they took away the 'edge' in favor of a more smooth, mainstream look.

And despite the criticism, the interior of the first gen is aging well in my August 05 build car. No it's not flashy and doesn't have all the toys, but I'm much more interested in performance and comfort which the car delivers like an 80k import.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Originally Posted By: JHZR2
Id buy the sedan if it was had with a manual.

No lazy american auto for me.


While I am also a sucker for a good stick shift, this 5 speed NAG1 is the fastest shifting, most versatile auto I've ever owned. Chirps the tires at full throttle but shifts smooth and quick in the city, and responds instantly to your foot or even braking and cornering forces to be always ready to play.