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Driven: 2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Page 2

 
5 10,369 views Feb 4, 2010

2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8

The Challenger’s also reasonably pragmatic. It’s a two-door, and dumbly, there’s no latch release to auto-slide the front perches forward to allow rear-seat access, but headroom is limited in the aft quarters anyway, so this really isn’t an ideal family car. Um, duh! Then again, rear seats split 60/40 and flip forward, so biggish packages will slide through the trunk into the cabin. And because the Dodge is big, this extra cargo capacity makes the Challenger more useful than either the Camaro or Mustang.

Now a few words about the Challenger’s remaining challenges. 1. The molding around the trunk lid repeatedly fell off on our tester every time we popped the hatch. 2. Speaking of the trunk, the gutters outside the aforementioned molding are sloppily finished, with multiple seams and visible bolt heads attaching the trunk-lid hinges. How come? Cars that cost half as much show more refined finish work. 3. Trim grades feel cheap. There are excellent, supportive leather seats in the SRT8, but elsewhere trim just seems like an afterthought, especially where hands meet surfaces, such as the steering wheel and in the plasticky feel of buttons and knobs. Note to Chrysler: the new Dodge Ram  interior is a step in the right direction. Even better: study VW.

Why nag? This is a nearly $44,000 car; the details need to be as refined as you’d find if you bought any other $44,000 car. From Audi; From BMW. And these days, from Ford, too. Don’t argue that because this is a muscle car that doesn’t matter. That’s no excuse; the tiniest details matter, regardless of the genre of car—or personal electronic device. We live in an age of extremely high quality fit and finish. It’s not 1970 when the first Challenger was born and all that mattered was the quarter-mile time. Sorry Chrysler. It’s 2010 and I own a piece of you (as does the rest of the American tax base). We want you to succeed. To do that you must obsess over every little detail.

Lord knows your competition already does.






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Comments (5)

  1. By  cheap r4 Posted: 2/4/2010 7:09pm PST

    it's obviously far easier to compare the Challenger SRT8 and the Shelby Mustang. At $46k and change, the Shelby runs $5k more than the Dodge, but then, the Mustang buyer gets 115 extra ponies under the hood. Some might say that's a toss-up, but I think it all comes back to brand loyalty.
     
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  2. By Peter Posted: 2/4/2010 7:46pm PST

    Nice write up. I think you nailed the essence of the Challenger very well. It is beautiful to look at, it's very comfortable to drive and it's a sheer joy at WOT. Ralph Gillies (CEO, Dodge) has already stated that the interiors are getting 'a work over' and will be ready for 3rd quarter of 2010. If he's right (and why doubt him), it will make this car even BETTER!
    As for the comment regarding the Shelby -- for the $5k difference, I can make up the 115 HP easily ;)
     
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  3. By JKD Posted: 2/5/2010 9:03am PST

    Correction - Fiat and the union workers own Chrysler now, not us... We have some loan interest in GM and that's about it. Chrysler is now mainly foreign-owned building their wares in Mexico and Canada. I like the car but if they don't succeed, tough luck. Toyota does more for the US than this company.
     
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  4. By khlkhlk Posted: 2/5/2010 7:26pm PST

    It's sad that our great leaders stole and sold chrysler to Unions and other nations companies.
    So much for the stockholders.
    heck Obama why didn't you just pull a Chavez and outright take it over.
    Going from MB to Fiat is like dating your freinds mom then dating his grandma.
     
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  5. By jerome Posted: 9/19/2010 8:29pm PDT

    Ok. I own a 2010 Black SRT8 and I am not having a mid life crisis but I have heard that comment. I had my eye on the Challenger since 2007 and the article written hits the car right on the head. One day wile driving on I-75 I saw a real nice 2009 Mustang approaching from my rear. I slowed to get a look and they slowed to look at the SRT8. The passenger in the Mustang pulled out a camera and took a picture of my car. Now that was awesome.
     
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