deniss
05-05-2004, 04:32 PM
Folks,
I drove a few miles today to a dealer that had an RT in stock (black), so I finally had the chance to see this beast in person, inside and out.
All I have to say is WOW. It definitely looks amazingly handsome in person, and the pics indeed don't do it justice. It's one beefy car, which is so smoothly done, I would have bought it right there if I had the cash. The wheels and disk brakes are huge. The front is menacing, and the back is very sporty and elegant. The door handles are substantial and smooth-operating. The doors open smoothly, with a really nice THUMP when you close them. None of that "metallic" hollow feel you get with many American cars - very much Euro. Attention to detail is rather refreshing - not something I'm used to expecting from American autobuilders. Looking around it, you just have to marvel at the utmost perfection in exterior design and engineering.
The interior doesn't disappoint in the least. We are talking European-quality interiors here. Everything feels sturdy and substantial, looking good at the same time. Again, the pics don't do the interior much justice. The surfaces are very pleasant and rich-looking, and you'd be hard-pressed to find cheap-looking hard plastics that were abundant in the Intrepid and others like it. The switches feel really good. I have sat in MANY Euro sedans, including Audi, BMW, Benz, Saab, Volvo... While the interior may not be exactly Audi or BMW, it's definitely a Volvo or probably even better. The Benz influence is obvious, and the improvements in sophistication of the interior are countless. Leather seats are VERY comfortable, to the point of me almost not feeling them, while being supportive at the same time. The leather quality is soooo plush - you have to feel it with your own hands. This leather is definitely one of the best I've had my hands on. There is plenty of room (I am a big guy, 6'0, long legs) both in the front and in the back, with front seats pushed back even. The headlines material is great - no more fuzz and card-board looking stuff. More like an Audi or BMW-type headliner. What this car does NOT have that the Euro sedans have is complicated controls! Everything on the dash is simple, functional, and right to the point. No need to be a rocket scientist to operate this car. I'm sure this car's interior is also kids-friendly. The only thing that seemed to surprise me is how far away the windshield is front you when you sit in the front... And I had to really stretch my right hand to adjust the rear-view mirror. But this is no biggie for me. The visibility is just fine all the way around, though. The trunk isn't as huge as the pictures show, but it's certainly deep enough for a FEW suit cases. The materials in the trunk look good too.
It drives beautifully. It's a real tourer first of all, but a real mean cat when you put your foot down. The suspension is tuned beautifully to iron out any road coarseness or bumps, while basically showing no lean at all in turns. Quite amazing, really. It's got huge reserves of power, and it REALLY purrs when you put your foot down. I have no complaints at all about the tranny. I generally drive a stick, so I always complain about the auto trannies, but this one is alright. The steering is perfectly weighted, so that it feels nice and meaty but not tough. Pure pleasure. While the acceleration is not neck-snapping because it's rather smooth and civilized, it will push you into the seat real good. I have no doubt at all that it CAN burn rubber, but I had no chance to try that. You almost can't feel the speed - you'll be going 60 and thinking you're going 30. It's whisper quiet with all the windows/sunroof closed. I was completely content with its driving manners.
All in all, way to go Chrysler/Dodge!!! This is light-years away from any other American vehicle. I kid you not. This is a real European sport-wagon in sophistication, which an American muscle when it comes to powertrain. I think I found the car I really wanted. The only drawback for me is that it's not a stick-shift. But I suppose I can live with that for all the great things this car IS.
Some news I learned... The stock on these cars will be very scarse for a while. Dealers may just have a couple of these things, if at all, for at least another few months. RTs will be very rare for a while. This dealer in Jersey is the only dealer in 700-mile radius that has the RT and has several of them, actually. And they said they got calls from dealerships all the way from Midwest trying to acquire an RT for its stock. Also, Chrysler is out of Sunroofs currently. So, if you want the Magnum with a sunroof, you either find the ones already built, or you wait for about 3 months til they start coming off production again.
I hope this is helpful. Go and see this car for yourself. You won't be sorry :)
Denis
PS There will be no discounts of any kind, from what the guys said. But, he says, they aren't planning to mark this car up either. He claims that Chrysler does less mark-up in the way it prices its new cars now, and as a result, they give less discounts. I am not sure how true this is, coming from a salesman and all, but I'm just passing on the info I've been given.
I drove a few miles today to a dealer that had an RT in stock (black), so I finally had the chance to see this beast in person, inside and out.
All I have to say is WOW. It definitely looks amazingly handsome in person, and the pics indeed don't do it justice. It's one beefy car, which is so smoothly done, I would have bought it right there if I had the cash. The wheels and disk brakes are huge. The front is menacing, and the back is very sporty and elegant. The door handles are substantial and smooth-operating. The doors open smoothly, with a really nice THUMP when you close them. None of that "metallic" hollow feel you get with many American cars - very much Euro. Attention to detail is rather refreshing - not something I'm used to expecting from American autobuilders. Looking around it, you just have to marvel at the utmost perfection in exterior design and engineering.
The interior doesn't disappoint in the least. We are talking European-quality interiors here. Everything feels sturdy and substantial, looking good at the same time. Again, the pics don't do the interior much justice. The surfaces are very pleasant and rich-looking, and you'd be hard-pressed to find cheap-looking hard plastics that were abundant in the Intrepid and others like it. The switches feel really good. I have sat in MANY Euro sedans, including Audi, BMW, Benz, Saab, Volvo... While the interior may not be exactly Audi or BMW, it's definitely a Volvo or probably even better. The Benz influence is obvious, and the improvements in sophistication of the interior are countless. Leather seats are VERY comfortable, to the point of me almost not feeling them, while being supportive at the same time. The leather quality is soooo plush - you have to feel it with your own hands. This leather is definitely one of the best I've had my hands on. There is plenty of room (I am a big guy, 6'0, long legs) both in the front and in the back, with front seats pushed back even. The headlines material is great - no more fuzz and card-board looking stuff. More like an Audi or BMW-type headliner. What this car does NOT have that the Euro sedans have is complicated controls! Everything on the dash is simple, functional, and right to the point. No need to be a rocket scientist to operate this car. I'm sure this car's interior is also kids-friendly. The only thing that seemed to surprise me is how far away the windshield is front you when you sit in the front... And I had to really stretch my right hand to adjust the rear-view mirror. But this is no biggie for me. The visibility is just fine all the way around, though. The trunk isn't as huge as the pictures show, but it's certainly deep enough for a FEW suit cases. The materials in the trunk look good too.
It drives beautifully. It's a real tourer first of all, but a real mean cat when you put your foot down. The suspension is tuned beautifully to iron out any road coarseness or bumps, while basically showing no lean at all in turns. Quite amazing, really. It's got huge reserves of power, and it REALLY purrs when you put your foot down. I have no complaints at all about the tranny. I generally drive a stick, so I always complain about the auto trannies, but this one is alright. The steering is perfectly weighted, so that it feels nice and meaty but not tough. Pure pleasure. While the acceleration is not neck-snapping because it's rather smooth and civilized, it will push you into the seat real good. I have no doubt at all that it CAN burn rubber, but I had no chance to try that. You almost can't feel the speed - you'll be going 60 and thinking you're going 30. It's whisper quiet with all the windows/sunroof closed. I was completely content with its driving manners.
All in all, way to go Chrysler/Dodge!!! This is light-years away from any other American vehicle. I kid you not. This is a real European sport-wagon in sophistication, which an American muscle when it comes to powertrain. I think I found the car I really wanted. The only drawback for me is that it's not a stick-shift. But I suppose I can live with that for all the great things this car IS.
Some news I learned... The stock on these cars will be very scarse for a while. Dealers may just have a couple of these things, if at all, for at least another few months. RTs will be very rare for a while. This dealer in Jersey is the only dealer in 700-mile radius that has the RT and has several of them, actually. And they said they got calls from dealerships all the way from Midwest trying to acquire an RT for its stock. Also, Chrysler is out of Sunroofs currently. So, if you want the Magnum with a sunroof, you either find the ones already built, or you wait for about 3 months til they start coming off production again.
I hope this is helpful. Go and see this car for yourself. You won't be sorry :)
Denis
PS There will be no discounts of any kind, from what the guys said. But, he says, they aren't planning to mark this car up either. He claims that Chrysler does less mark-up in the way it prices its new cars now, and as a result, they give less discounts. I am not sure how true this is, coming from a salesman and all, but I'm just passing on the info I've been given.