The new Magnum is a great looking automobile which may get your neighbors speaking as you rumble around the block. The unique styling of the Magnum will also attract gawkers in the shape of 18-22 year old guys pointing for their mates to “check that out”. And some folks 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 auto better.

The Magnum is offered with many different engine sizes (either a 6-cylinder or 8-cylinder) with your selection of hp Output of 190, 250, 340 and 425. The cost of the vehicle also corresponds with the engine size beginning at $30,345 to the pricey 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 better fuel burning and allows larger valves for better airflow. Basically, it produces more power than an engine with its displacement would usually produce. (There are flaws to the Hemi, and is why it isn’t the sole engine that Chrysler produces).

The interior of the automobile looks much dearer than you would be expecting for the cost of the Magnum. Since Mercedes purchased Chrysler, the Dodge autos I have sampled have had a sharp improvement in interior quality. While on the road, the auto is very solid and the seats are cosy even on long road runs.

As much as I like the looks, after driving it a while I have to question the design idea the Magnum offers. It’s a station lorry built to transport a large amount of people and a large amount of stuff. But mating this with a robust engine with the taught racing-like suspension is uncomfortable for both. It is like having a Corvette tow a little trailer, and you are in the trailer and the Corvette driver is fifteen years-old, pushing the vehicle to its boundaries. ( Only a Corvette has a way more cosy suspension than the Magnum ). Even driving on smooth roads, the steering is very darty and hard to control. And with a large car, all that weaving and road feedback is exaggerated for the passengers and everything you have stored in the back.

I like having a navigation system, but figuring out how to use it with the wheel controls made me often refer to the user’s manual. Regardless of the high horsepower and low-end torque I played with when starting from a full stop, the RT model I drove averaged twenty Miles per gallon on the higway.

What I presume to be the target market for this car, those 18-22 year-old guys that I mentioned, will often love this automobile. And as much as I like 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.

For more reviews about sports cars, visit thesupercars.org and while you are at it, you might also want to have a look at Dodge Sprinter used.