Test drove a Challenger R/T

rebelgtp wrote:

wspohn wrote: Fat assed barge. Maybe for admirers of old style pony cars (now overweight 2 ton clydesdales) but not for admirers of real sports cars.

Tell us how you really feel...

I don't know how he feels but I know how he sounds...

It's not a sports car, never has been, never will be. Now if the discussion was about Corvettes? Yeah, THAT'S a sportscar. Always has been, always will be.

If you knew anything about either one, you'd know the difference :)

Unless your just looking for attention

In reply to nicksta43:

I think it is horse power envy looking at his garage list

Different strokes for different folks. Yeah these cars aren't small light weight 2 seat sports cars most of them are designed to actually fit 4 people, have enough power to put a grin on your face and appeal to that odd primal part of your brain where things don't always make sense.

And yet many people treat these 'pony' cars as if they were sports cars, which passes understanding for me. Maybe they are just unclear on the traditional concept of a sports car?

I know the OP never said it was a sports car - I guess what had me thinking about it was a Saturn Sky owner recently saying that he wanted to sell his car and buy another sports car - and then he said he was buying a Camaro!

Of the pony cars, (while we are on the topic) what do people prefer? The Mustangs are closest to the original concept and the Dodge seems the furthest away.

In reply to wspohn:

If you're talking about the new pony cars then I'd go Challenger>Camaro>Mustang. But I'm not a Ford guy. I don't like the styling of the Camaro and the interior is too small given how big the car is although I do enjoy the driving experience.

The Challenger has everything I would want right now.

I look at the Challenger (and other modern "Pony Cars") as a fun, good looking, and powerful highway and boulevard cruiser that has the ability to have some fun at the local street night at the drag strip. Growing up, that's exactly the car I always wanted. My friends and I all had (or still have, in my case) a car like that in our respective fleets. It's no corner carver, make no mistake, but I'd much rather own a Challenger or other pony car than a Miata.

There, I said it.

Oh, and for the record...

Challenger > Mustang > Camaro

The Challenger is a big car, but it's by far the best looking of the 3. The 2015's are even better looking, even the V6 base models. I really like the aggressive looks of the 2013-14 Mustang. The standard HID's and LED tail lamps look great. I have had some seat time in a friend's 2011 GT 6-speed manual, and it is an absolute weapon. The Camaro feels like it has teeny little slits for windows, the belt line is absurd, you can't see out of the thing, and the damn roof is too low. I have to do the "gangsta lean" at 6'1" to fit. It does have the nicest interior materials of the three currently.

Everything will be out the window when the 2015's arrive. The new Mustang looks amazing and so does the Challenger.

wspohn wrote: Fat assed barge. Maybe for admirers of old style pony cars (now overweight 2 ton clydesdales) but not for admirers of real sports cars.

speaking of asses.....

wspohn wrote: And yet many people treat these 'pony' cars as if they were sports cars, which passes understanding for me. Maybe they are just unclear on the traditional concept of a sports car? I know the OP never said it was a sports car - I guess what had me thinking about it was a Saturn Sky owner recently saying that he wanted to sell his car and buy another sports car - and then he said he was buying a Camaro! Of the pony cars, (while we are on the topic) what do people prefer? The Mustangs are closest to the original concept and the Dodge seems the furthest away.

For a lot of the general motoring public, and even many enthusiasts, "sports car" is a generic term for any sporty car. It's only us hardcore folks that like to get pedantic about it.

I will agree that the Challenger is the best looking of the pony cars, but, it would be my last choice by a very large margin. Ive driven all three and a GT Mustang with the track pack is my favorite drive by far, the Camaro SS is a good drive but I could never get over how ugly it is and the Challenger looks awesome, but it drives like a mid 80's class A motorhome.

Fobroader wrote: I will agree that the Challenger is the best looking of the pony cars, but, it would be my last choice by a very large margin. Ive driven all three and a GT Mustang with the track pack is my favorite drive by far, the Camaro SS is a good drive but I could never get over how ugly it is and the Challenger looks awesome, but it drives like a mid 80's class A motorhome.

I've driven only the Mustang and the Camaro and would echo what you said about those cars, but can't comment on the Challenger as I haven't driven it. Heaviest one of the three, I believe - is it largest too?

And yeah, the 'sporty car' thing may be why people talk of cars like this as 'sports cars' while we fanatics would never conceive of them as being anything of the kind. Shifting definitions, I suppose. And then there are the 'sports trucks', a contradiction in terms.....

Fobroader wrote: I will agree that the Challenger is the best looking of the pony cars, but, it would be my last choice by a very large margin. Ive driven all three and a GT Mustang with the track pack is my favorite drive by far, the Camaro SS is a good drive but I could never get over how ugly it is and the Challenger looks awesome, but it drives like a mid 80's class A motorhome.

I'd love to find a motorhome that handled as good as a challenger. The one I drove certainly did not drive like that.

In reply to nicksta43:

Compared to the Mustang and Camaro, it was a complete boat. It was outclassed in everything, acceleration, handling, grip, steering feel, brakes......I could not find a redeeming thing about the Challenger, except for the looks.

I see the Challenger as sort of a contemporary Jensen Interceptor sort of thing. I like them, they look seriously sinister in the right color. I'd love one, but why do all the reviews I read seem to say the Charger is set up better for driving between the two? I don't confuse them with "sports cars", but I don't particularly care either ever since I stopped wearing antique aviation helmets and goggles when driving.

wspohn wrote: Of the pony cars, (while we are on the topic) what do people prefer? The Mustangs are closest to the original concept and the Dodge seems the furthest away.

It depends. The original Challenger was also bigger and heavier than the Mustang and F-bodies it competed with. So in a way, the current Challenger is quite true to its roots.

I'm feeling a bit of deja vu here... about trying to apply logic to an illogical purchase.

There's very little that's "logical" about any of the three current "pony cars". It really depends on which one sets your heart on fire. I have a friend who is a die-hard Camaro girl. She'd buy a dozen new Camaros before a Mustang or Challenger, faults be damned. Those are just what she likes. In my case it's the Challenger. I know the Mustang is the better car... but to put it bluntly: I don't care.

"Logic" prevents me from buying any of them.

I don't have a problem with the current pony cars. I think they're really really good for what they are intended for, or at least what I think they are intended for. They're big, powerful, very comfortable cruisers that sound great, are quite readily available with 3 pedals that can eat up lots of miles but still boil the skins at will. Especially with a quick tune that gets rid of the TM. What's wrong with that?

In my opinion they are all pretty good looking, although the Camaro's looks are VERY dependent on colour to my eyes.

I'd be happy with any of the three.

Fobroader wrote: In reply to nicksta43: Compared to the Mustang and Camaro, it was a complete boat. It was outclassed in everything, acceleration, handling, grip, steering feel, brakes......I could not find a redeeming thing about the Challenger, except for the looks.

What year and trim package of Challenger did you drive because they have made several improvements over the years.

My in laws have an '08 Mustang that handles like piss and even my big ass Charger out brakes it and is about equal in the corners in all reality. The Charger far exceeded that Mustang in acceleration as well. But then again I have driven a '13 Track Pack Mustang GT that made my Charger look much more tame than it is. Just like on the original cars it is all about the options to really wake these cars up and get you that special "feeling".

I am really eager to try out one of the '15 Hellcat Challengers

One of my biggest problems with the Camaro is how damn expensive the things are getting for any of the "fun" models. Normally I would have been Challenger>Camaro>Mustang however when I consider cost as well I gotta go Challenger>Mustang>Camaro. Honestly even if I HAD the money to get a top level Camaro I would more than likely STILL go with the Challenger.

They were all 2013s, it was a R/T Challenger with a 6spd manual, Camaro 2SS with some sort of performance pack and the Mustang GT with track pack. The Mustang was the most fun by far and wide. Ive driven a few chargers since their introduction and Ive always found them underwhelming.

I haven't driven a challenger in a few years.....but I remember the only good thing about that one was the noise(second best sound for pony cars behind the 16/24/32v OHC mustangs)

As much as I am a fan of 3 pedals and a lever, the challenger/charger feel much faster with the 5sp auto behind them. I've been impressed with how those handle the power of the srt beasts(the only ones I'd ever consider)

Each of the new pony cars has strengths and weaknesses. Your like or dislike of them depends on what turns you on, and what repels you.

For me the Boss 302 (non Laguna-Seca) is the best pony car ever made. I'd rather have one than a new M3--- even if money wasn't an object--- they are that good. Sure they are big, heavy and the interiors are a bit cheesy-- but man do they work! The standard GT-- Track Pack is also a Hell of a car. As a total package-- for me, the Mustang wins. I don't like their lack of visibility, interior, or lack of interior space though.

The Camaro SS's chassis feels more planted than the Mustang's (non Boss) or Challenger in high-speed work. The LS engine is also a beast, that returns excellent hwy MPG. I'm not a fan of the Camaro's terrible visibility or interior though. Also, earlier cars have ridiculously restricted headroom, (in sunroof cars)making it impossible for me to drive with a helmet on.....and I'm 5'8"! If I was buying a convertible-- I'd choose a Camaro, as removing the top would solve the claustrophobic feeling, and the chassis feels better than the Mustang.

The Challenger is more of the cruiser of the bunch--- although the 392 model I autocrossed was shockingly competent for such a massive car. I like the Challenger's interior the best-- by a longshot. You can actually SEE out of a Challenger, real people fit in the back seat (at least with me driving), and there is no gimmickry to the insides. It's logically laid out, the materials feel long lasting (if a bit down-market) and it's a pleasant place to cruise around. I also love the pistol-grip shifter, although the feel is a bit too light and ropey. FWIW the general public absolutely loves the look of the Dodge-- much more so than the others. We had an R/T Redline around the office recently and folks were constantly rubbernecking, and commenting on how badass it was.

I like them all, for different reasons.

No one said every car we like has to be a sports car. I like all kinds, including pony cars. I had a Mustang GT before the 370Z, and although it was never my favorite, I still liked it well enough to buy one. Having had an original Boss 302, I've always been a bit of Ford fan if I had to choose between the big 3, but this weekend I got to drive a current Camaro SS. It drove a lot like the Mustang in that the steering was somewhat disconnected, but the power was simply incredible. I actually was impressed with it. I wouldn't trade the Z for it, but if I had to choose a modern pony car, it would definitely be under consideration.

I had the lesser potent versions from rental car companies few times. They were too big for me in the cities and I had hard times with the blind spots.

STR would fix the blind spot issue since there is no point looking back for traffic.

If my wife was able to see out of the Charger R/T we test drove when we were looking for a car, we would have bought it. It was a seriously good car that would've been perfect for long trips.

I've also driven a Camaro SS. Since it wasn't mine, I didn't do anything crazy in it, but I expected much more drama with the traction control turned off, but it was surprisingly planted. It was an automatic, though. Camaros also came in a FANTASTIC shade of green in 2011.

I've not had a chance to drive a Mustang, yet. They also have a good shade of green available at the moment.