I just got back from a 1300 mile round-trip business trip. Decided to take the SRT-8 instead of flying, had one co-worker with me plus a trunk full of equipment (maybe 300 lbs counting our luggage).
Loved it!
Its the least tired I've been after making that trip either by air+rental car or by car all the way in previous cars I've owned. Very comfortable vehicle for most types of road- it didn't even get too painful over miles and miles the aging concrete + expansion joint sections of I-10 in Louisiana, and absolutely flawless on the smaller roads and blacktop interstate. Got the rain-driving test in a real frog-choking downpour near Baton Rouge, also. Very stable and capable, though I avoided the outer lanes with puddles more than I might have in a truck or SUV.
Rolling average MPG (by the computer) ranged from 22.5 up to 24.7 (and the latter was running 79 mph- my usual estimate of how much over the 75 limit I can run without getting bagged) on I-10 coming back toward Houston. So just for reference, its getting 2 mpg less than wifey's PT Cruiser does at best, while having a solid 320 horsepower advantage
Oil temps ran about 221-223F on the highway consistently. Pennzoil Ultra 0w40 and RP filter. ~2500 miles on oil, 5400 miles total on car at the end of the trip. Oil level didn't move a tick, which surprised me a little with so few miles on the engine. Looking forward to a mid-life (3k mile) UOA on the Pennzoil Ultra 0w40 soon.
My one gripe (no surprise) is tires. Stock tires are Goodyear Eagle F1s, and while they are very capable performance tires, they still mirror all my previous Goodyear experiences: noisier than they should be, and tend to need re-balance more often than Michelins or BFGs. I will not be going back with Goodyears when these wear out- which I'm guessing by the low treadwear rating won't take all that long... :-/
Loved it!
Its the least tired I've been after making that trip either by air+rental car or by car all the way in previous cars I've owned. Very comfortable vehicle for most types of road- it didn't even get too painful over miles and miles the aging concrete + expansion joint sections of I-10 in Louisiana, and absolutely flawless on the smaller roads and blacktop interstate. Got the rain-driving test in a real frog-choking downpour near Baton Rouge, also. Very stable and capable, though I avoided the outer lanes with puddles more than I might have in a truck or SUV.
Rolling average MPG (by the computer) ranged from 22.5 up to 24.7 (and the latter was running 79 mph- my usual estimate of how much over the 75 limit I can run without getting bagged) on I-10 coming back toward Houston. So just for reference, its getting 2 mpg less than wifey's PT Cruiser does at best, while having a solid 320 horsepower advantage
Oil temps ran about 221-223F on the highway consistently. Pennzoil Ultra 0w40 and RP filter. ~2500 miles on oil, 5400 miles total on car at the end of the trip. Oil level didn't move a tick, which surprised me a little with so few miles on the engine. Looking forward to a mid-life (3k mile) UOA on the Pennzoil Ultra 0w40 soon.
My one gripe (no surprise) is tires. Stock tires are Goodyear Eagle F1s, and while they are very capable performance tires, they still mirror all my previous Goodyear experiences: noisier than they should be, and tend to need re-balance more often than Michelins or BFGs. I will not be going back with Goodyears when these wear out- which I'm guessing by the low treadwear rating won't take all that long... :-/
