Dodge Magnum - Changing Dodge's Brand Image

One of the brand names of automobiles and light to heavy duty trucks that is marketed by the German yet American-based company DaimlerChrysler AG is the Dodge. The Dodge was purchased by Daimler-Benz along with other Chrysler subsidiaries in 1998, and is now a part of the DaimlerChrysler company. As per last year, the Dodge brand has become popularly known for its production of its trucks which takes up around seventy-eight per cent of its sales.

The Dodge Magnum, as a name, has previously been used on quite a number of various Dodge automobiles. The new Magnum is the first car under the Dodge name to use the new Chrysler LX platform that it shares with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger. As per last 2004, the Dodge Magnum was revived as a station wagon. It has been made available with three engine options. The SE has the 190 hp, 2.7 liter LH V6. The SXT owns the 270 hp, 3.5 liter V6. And lastly, the RT features the new 5.7 liter Hemi V8. As per last year, it has also been made available with an all wheel drive on its SXT and RT models. One of the things that the new Dodge Magnum and the Dodge brand has to be proud of would be its being included on the Car and Driver’s Ten Best list for 2005.

This new vehicle has easily won the market’s heart compared to its predecessor, the Dodge Intrepid. One of the plans that Dodge has for the Dodge Magnum is for this vehicle to go on sale as a police variant so as to compete against the Ford Crown Victoria. These plans for the vehicle would be only made available to law enforcement, emergency agencies, and also government agencies. It will have the SXT’s V6 for its motor and the Hemi as its option. It will also take with it police-specific options like a steering-column mounted shifter, deactivated interior rear windows and locks, and also bulletproof glass that would be mounted between the first and second rows of seats and its cargo area.

The Dodge Magnum’s bold shape could redefine the American wagon for the new generation. It carries with it an aggressive signature grill, a broad-shouldered stance, and a cut-down greenhouse. It has an extreme access liftgate at its rear that includes a portion, thus increasing access to any cargo. Its interior, meanwhile, can take in five passengers with easy comfort. The driving position is considered to be excellent, commanding, and comfortable. As per its instrumentation, it is quite legible and arrayed intelligently. It also offers a host of advanced occupant-protection features that includes multi-stage front airbags and available side curtain airbags for its front and rear seats.

Although the new Dodge Magnum is not as spacious as midsize SUVs and has a limit on its cargo space due to its shape, these are quite overcome by its nice 3.5 liter, V6 engines and its Hemi V8s. Also, it has the quiet, composed ride that drivers love and it also is surprisingly agile for its class. Options for this vehicle include a power moonroof, heated seats, front- and rear-seat side curtains airbags, power seats with leather, and power-adjustable pedals.

The new Magnum is a great looking car that will get your neighbors talking as you rumble around the block. The unique styling of the Magnum will also attract gawkers in the form of 18-22 year old guys pointing for their friends to “check that out”. And a few people will approach you as you are filling up the gas tank to ask, “Does it really have a Hemi?”, with only a vague notion that it somehow makes the car better.

The Magnum is offered with many different engine sizes (either a 6-cylinder or 8-cylinder) with your choice of horsepower output of 190, 250, 340 and 425. The price of the vehicle also corresponds with the engine size starting at $30,345 to the expensive STR-8 model for $37,320. A big part of the mystique around this car is the Hemi engine. The Hemi is short for hemispherical combustion chamber, which creates more efficient fuel burning and allows larger valves for better airflow. Basically, it produces more power than an engine with its displacement would normally produce. (There are also drawbacks to the Hemi, which is why it isn’t the only engine that Chrysler produces).

The interior of the car looks much more expensive than you’d expect for the price of the Magnum. Since Mercedes bought Chrysler, the Dodge vehicles I’ve sampled have had a sharp improvement in interior quality. While on the road, the car is very solid and the seats are comfortable even on long highway runs.

As much as I like the looks, after driving it a while I really have to question the design concept that the Magnum offers. It is a station wagon built to transport a lot of people and a lot of stuff. But mating this with a powerful engine with the taught racing-like suspension is uncomfortable for both. It is like having a Corvette tow a small trailer, and you are in the trailer and the Corvette driver is 15 years-old, pushing the car to its limits. (Only an actual Corvette has a much more comfortable suspension than the Magnum). Even driving on smooth roads, the steering is very darty and difficult to control. And with a large car, all that weaving and road feedback is exaggerated for the passengers and everything you’ve stored in the back.

I like having a navigation system, but figuring out how to use it with the steering wheel controls made me frequently refer to the user’s manual. In spite of the high horsepower and low-end torque I played with when starting from a full stop, the RT model I drove averaged 20 MPG on the higway.

What I presume to be the target market for this car, those 18-22 year-old guys that I mentioned, will probably love this car. And as much as I love driving sports cars, the darty steering and sharp suspension make it too uncomfortable without any spectacular payoff. The 0-60 sprint is fun for a little while, but I’d pass on buying a Magnum as a daily driving vehicle.

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