Chrysler hasn’t had an easy time selling cars (as opposed to trucks and minivans) for the past decade or two. As sales of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry have risen, its sedans have been pushed to the sidelines. Few people shopping for a sedan even think about the Dodge or Chrysler brands anymore, much less stop by a dealer for a test drive.

Clearly, Chrysler couldn’t hope to regain consumers’ attention simply by knocking off the Accord and Camry. It had to do something radical. In 1993 it tried extra-swoopy “cab forward” styling. The Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde did grab consumers’ attention. Sadly, too few signed on the dotted line, in part because the cars looked and felt cheap inside, lagged the Japanese competition in refinement, and suffered from a few quality lapses. In 1998 the LH sedans’ styling got swoopier still, but sales remained lukewarm.

Seeking a replacement for the LHs, Chrysler (now under German management) decided that swoopy just wasn’t cutting it. At any rate, the swoopy thing had been maxxed out. The windshield and backlight could not be laid any flatter. The replacements would have to be at least as radical—going mainstream would just result in total anonymity—but radical in a totally different way.

The solution: a return to the way American cars used to be. Through the late 1970s the typical American car was a large, V8-powered, rear-drive sedan. Or, if a person needed to haul a lot of kids, a wagon. In its new large cars for 2005, the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum, Chrysler has sought to capture the flavor of those sedans and wagons from Detroit’s heyday, albeit with some significant updates under the skin. For one thing, all-wheel-drive is available as an option.

The question is, after deciding that the Japanese know the formula for the perfect car, and witnessing Detroit’s mixed attempts at knocking off this formula, are Americans ready for an unapologetically American sedan and wagon?

Styling

With the Magnum, Dodge has sought to create a wagon men would want to drive. They might have succeeded too well. With the same low pillbox-like greenhouse as the 300, but continued even further rearward under a roof sweeping ever lower, this is one tough-looking wagon. In case the greenhouse alone doesn’t get the point across, there’s also a front end that could have come off a Dodge truck, with tall blocky headlights and a large crosshair grille. Perhaps people can be tempted to buy a wagon instead of an SUV if the wagon looks like a truck? (The Magnum is even classified as a truck, but that’s for corporate average fuel economy reasons, not marketing.)

I say Dodge has succeeded all too well because I can’t imagine many women being attracted to this car. It’s so macho. But then many women drive SUVs and even pickups, so I could well be wrong here. If a woman wants to feel tough, the Magnum will help.

Maybe the real issue is I’d personally like a less blocky design, especially on the front end. I find the 300, with its more upscale, relatively fluid lines, more attractive. Maybe when Dodge gets a sedan Chrysler can get a wagon? I joked with the salesperson about importing one from Canada. It seems that the car must be used or the warranty can only be serviced in Canada.

At 198 inches (an inch longer than the 300) the Magnum is significantly shorter than last year’s Intrepid and about the same length as the 300M, but it rides on a 120-inch wheelbase, which is seven inches longer than the LHs’. This makes for far shorter overhangs than on the LHs, much less traditional American iron. Even the similarly lengthy 7-Series from a manufacturer known for tight proportions rides on a two-inch-shorter wheelbase. Short overhangs tend to make a car look purposeful and sporty, and they certainly do in this case. This brick on wheels, especially in wagon form, looks like it could punch through walls and keep going.

In another throwback to old Detroit, the top-of-the-line V8-powered Magnum RT features additional chrome trim. After years in which blacked-out or body-color trim was upscale, and chrome was for tasteless Americans, it seems chrome is truly back. Courtesy of the Germans.

There is one big caveat with the styling. The 300’s tall bodysides need big flashy wheels to avoid looking a bit plain. The 17s on all but the RT—which has 18s—don’t quite cut it. And to think it wasn’t long ago that 17s seemed huge. (When they go on sale this fall, all all-wheel-drive Magnums, in SXT as well in RT form, will have standard 18-inch wheels.)

Unlike the Chrysler 300, the Dodge Magnum is available in bright colors. Though maybe only one bright color, Dodge’s signature extra-cost bright red.

The Magnum’s interior is far less successful than its exterior. Similar to the 300’s, but with almost no faux metal trim and lower grade door panels, the Dodge’s interior really could have come out of a work truck. It’s very drab, and limited color choices to light and dark gray doesn’t help. Many of the materials, especially on the door panels and center console, look and feel cheap, even flimsy. The cloth standard in all but the RT wouldn’t seem out of place in an entry-level subcompact. These days, such an interior doesn’t even cut it in a $20,000 car, much less one that ranges up to $36,000. The 300’s interior is livened up a bit by (once? Still?) fashionable faux metal bits, and does feel more upscale, but it also could be much nicer.

Accommodations

The Magnum’s 120-inch wheelbase and upright greenhouse yield a very roomy interior. Once upon a time rear-drive cars were inherently less roomy. Well, that was when live axles were the norm. An independent rear suspension permits both the rear suspension bits and the driveshaft to be packaged much less intrusively—no huge hump here.

Roomy is not the same as airy. The Magnum not only looks like a bunker on the outside, but it feels a bit like one on the inside. Not only are the windows short vertically, but the windshield is much more upright and significantly further from the driver than today’s aero-sedan norm. As a result, the view forward from the driver’s seat again recalls a fortress—or the view from inside the Hummer H2. Seeing traffic lights if you’re first in line can be an issue. I advise stopping further from the light.

I like an airy interior with a lot of glass, yet did not mind the opposite within the Magnum. It’s at least different, and contributes to the car’s consistent, distinctive character.

The driver’s seat in the 300 was better than I recalled at the auto show, where I found it large and comfortable but lacking in lateral support. Perhaps some last minute adjustments were made—or was it the thick coat I wore on my test drive? Well, I drove the Magnum in warmer weather, and thus without a coat, and return to not being impressed with the seat. It’s acceptably but not exceptionally comfortable, and lateral support is marginal.

The controls are generally well laid out and easy to operate. One exception: the cruise control is actuated by a small talk behind and above the turn signal. The last time I recall such a stalk for the cruise control in was part of a $99.95 aftermarket kit from Sears. Not the right kind of retro. The cruise control location forces the turn signal to a lower than usual position, around 8 o’clock. I suppose a person could get used to it there, but during my test drive I kept reaching for a stalk that wasn’t there.

The Magnum’s rear seat is very roomy, with over 40 inches of legroom. That said, the LHs’ rear seat was a bit more comfortable. Although the 2005's rear seat cushion is higher off the floor than the average sedan’s, another inch or so would be ideal. As is thigh support is good, but not great.

The Magnum offers a decent amount of cargo volume, but less than a 197-inch vehicle might: 27 cubic feet with the rear seat up, 72 with it down. The sweeping rear roofline rules out tall items. Underneath a thick removable floor is a significant amount of additional storage space. Why have the floor then? Because without it the cargo floor would not be flat. The rear hatch innovatively extends over half a foot into the roof. This both makes it easier to load large items—they can be dropped in rather than slid in—and enables the hatch be opened in very tight spots.

The glove compartment is at best average in size. The center console storage compartment is thankfully far larger.

On the Road

I drove the SXT, which is powered by a 250-horsepower 3.5-liter six mated to a four-speed automatic, and the RT, which is powered by a 340-horsepower 5.7-liter V8 mated to a five-speed automatic. The May 2004 Car & Driver claims the former powertrain is good for a 7.5 second run to 60, and in June Road & Track measured an eight-second run. It does not feel nearly that fast. I would have guessed nine flat. Whatever the numbers, this engine does not feel as strong as the 195-horse 3.8-liter in my wife’s Olds Intrigue, which is good for a roughly eight second run. Not only does it not feel as strong, but it feels merely adequate throughout its range, from idle up to redline.

I cannot imagine what the base car’s 190-horsepower 2.7-liter feels like. This engine coupled with a four-speed auto geared for efficiency (at 60 the 3.5 turns about 1900 RPM, and the 2.7's final drive ratio is just a little shorter) just won’t cut it in a nearly two-ton wagon. (With curb weights ranging from 3855 for the rear-drive 2.7 to 4336 pounds for the AWD Hemi, the Magnum weighs about 130 pounds more than the already hefty 300.) After all, even in the 3500-pound LHs the 3.5, much less the 2.7, set no one's blood aboil.

Basically, if you want an engine that feels strong you’re going to have to get the 340-horsepower, 390 foot-pound 300C. C&D recorded a 5.3 second sprint to 60 in the 300. To my backside the car didn't feel quite that fast, but close. The engine feels very strong at all RPM, and the transmission kicks down smoothly and readily.

The engine's sound quality is somewhere between a traditional American V8 and modern DOHC design. I drove the Cadillac CTSv and Pontiac GTO the same day I drove the 300C, and the 5.7-liter in those GM products is much less refined than that in the big Chrysler sedan. People attracted by the Magnum's styling will like how it sounds--they belong together. While the HEMI will make the car for a good number of people, I suspect that the majority would be best served by something in between the 3.5 and 5.7.

Fuel economy differs less than I expected by engine, in large part because the V8 runs on four cylinders when cruising (I couldn’t detect when the second four cut in and out) and is fitted with a five-speed automatic. The EPA ratings for the three are 21/28, 19/27, and 17/25. Midgrade gasoline is recommended for the 3.5 and 5.7, though.

Handling is a mix of classic American character and European capabilities (the latter courtesy of a Mercedes E-Class-based suspension). Combine the large body, bunker-like driving position, and non-sport suspension tuning and the Magnum is not a car that ever feels agile, or even sporty.

The steering is precise, but not very quick. Feedback is better than the mainstream sedan average, but that's not saying much these days. The wheel is large in diameter, not exactly enhancing the sportiness of the car. As in just about every car I drive, I'd like more detailed communication of what's going on where the rubber meets the road.

My initial impression was that the SXT understeers more than the RT, but the salesperson claimed that the suspension tuning is identical, and that was just my right foot talking (i.e. V8-induced power oversteer). I wondered if as in the 300 only the V8 gets a rear stabilizer bar, but the thought this wasn't the case. I looked it up when initially writing this review and, sure enough, the Dodge site says a rear stabilizer bar is part of the suspension, without any "RT only" qualification. Still, I suspected otherwise. I went back to the dealer and looked underneath the cars. Lo and behold, the RT has a rear stabilizer bar, but the SXT does not.

Why would this be? It's possible that Chrysler's engineers felt the RT's more nose-heavy weight distribution required a rear stablizer more. Also, the RT is the performance model. The bottom line either way: the suspensions are not identical.

Even in the SXT understeer is moderate. Push through this initial understeer and you'll find a very easy to modulate chassis. The level of understeer does not build much with speed, and in my experience never became an outright plow towards the curb. Especially with the V8 a touch of power-induced oversteer is easy to come by. As in the 300, I confidently drove the Magnum like I would old Detroit iron—put a palm on the steering wheel rim and toss it this way and that through the curves.

I pushed the Magnum harder than I pushed the 300 to check out the stability control standard on both the SXT and RT. Before the test drive I thought the salesman was full of it when he claimed that this system was much better than that in the Cadillac CTS and any other car below $50,000. Well, it seems he’s right, at least with regards to the Caddy. I found the system in the Caddy a pain in the rear, cutting in and totally killing the joy at the slightest provocation. In contrast, the system in the Magnum cuts in gradually and incrementally, and does not disrupt the flow of power. Flooring the car in turns yields a slight noice and vibration from a braked rear wheel and just the right amount of power to move swiftly yet safely through the turn. Impressive, actually. Once the system cut in when I didn’t feel it was necessary—I felt like I had the car in a very balanced moderate slide—but I generally felt no need to disable it.

Good thing, because you can’t. There is a button on the dash to turn the stability control system off, but it doesn’t really turn it off. At first I was confused when driving the 300, as I felt the system intervening no matter what I did with the button. It turns out that this button only disables the traction control and delays the intervention of the stability control. The latter cannot be entirely turned off. Unless you want to drive tail-out through every turn like in the those good old car chase movies, not an easy thing to do here at any rate (at least not with the 3.5’s torque—even trying to I could only get the rear end to step out a bit), then this isn’t a bad thing.

Driving the Magnum harder than the 300 did unearth one additional issue: especially on the SXT but even on the RT the outside front tire starts squealing earlier than necessary. So if you drive this car hard you’ll risk coming across as a crazed idiot.

If you want a true sport suspension and performance tires, then you'll either have to go the aftermarket route or wait till the 2006 SRT version of the 300 and/or Magnum.

As with the 300, I drove the Magnum over a road that thoroughly upsets many performance sedans, and it was thoroughly unfazed. Tar strips and uneven pavement could be felt, but the edge was certainly taken off the rough stuff and there was no sign of the loud clomp-clomp that plagues many German cars. It seems that with the V6 models at least Chrysler tuned the suspension for balanced ride and handling, so while it excels at neither it does very well at both. With their lower profile tires, the 300C and Magnum RT ride just a bit more stiffly. Too stiff if you’re used to a Lexus LS, but otherwise acceptable.

Car & Driver recorded a sound level of 70 decibels at 70 in the 300, a middling number these days when the family sedan average is in the high 60s and the luxury sedan average lower still. Well, the 300 seemed much quieter to me. Cruising along at 40 I thought I heard a slight amount of wind noise, but then the salesperson (who must have read my mind—I didn’t say anything) turned down the HVAC blower. Said blower was not at all loud at a moderate setting, but it turned out to be all I was hearing. With it turned off the car was just about silent. At 80 on the highway the car also seemed as quiet as any $30,000 sedan I’ve driven, and quieter than most.

Well, in the Magnum wind and road noise seemed more prominent, about in line with the amount measured by C&D.

All in all, I was impressed by the performance of the new Magnum. While no sports car, it faithfully recalls the character of traditional American wagons, but with much tighter, much more precise responses when called upon. Though the V6 car won’t appeal to a true enthusiast, for most wagon buyers it should serve well. The V8's massive thrust is more in tune with the character of the car, and makes it more fun to drive.

That said, this isn't my kind of driving fun. I would prefer greater agility from the chassis, something that might be impossible with a 120-inch wheelbase. Sadly, no short wheelbase version appears to be in the works. If Chrysler were to create a 5-Series-sized car off this platform (perhaps with a 113-inch wheelbase), and make the V8 available with a six-speed manual and tighter steering, I'd be in heaven.

Dodge Magnum Pricing and Price Comparisons

For quick, up-to-date pricing, and especially user-specified price comparisons, check out the website I created: www.truedelta.com. Why yet another vehicle pricing website? Well, I personally lacked the patience to keep using the others. They were too slow and required too much effort, especially when trying to compare prices. So I taught myself some programming and created a site where there is no need to dig through option packages, prerequisites, and the like one by one -- the TrueDelta algorithm figures these out for you in one swift pass.

Of the $4,000 difference between the SXT and RT, $715 and $595 are accounted for by the leather and Boston Acoustics sound system, respectively. Figure another $200 for the RT’s foglights. So the V8 engine, fifth transmission ratio, and larger, higher performance tires cost about $2,500. This is a bargain considering what the import brands charge for their uplevel engines. The only problem: you have to buy an almost fully loaded car to get this engine.

As with more and more cars, features are bundled in a way that will not appeal to many people.

For example, to get heated seats on the RT you must order a $925 package that also includes automatic climate control (not available on the SXT), power adjustable pedals, and a power passenger seat. On the SXT these features—with the exception of automatic climate control—are included with leather in a $1,440 package.

The Magnum RT notably starts $3,000 lower than the 300C. What do you give up? Not much. The above-mentioned $925 package is standard on the Chrysler, accounting for a third of the difference. Another $625 is accounted for by the RT’s optional Electronic Convenience Group (trip computer, alarm, steering-wheel-mounted controls, compass, outside temp). So it seems that about half the difference is content, the other half badge.

Overall, the prices seem very reasonable. They’d seem even nicer, though, if the interior weren’t so drab.

Last Words

As with the 300, The new Magnum’s fate rests on three attributes: styling, performance, and character.

The Magnum’s exterior styling is truly love it or hate it. It’s not the look I’d personally be going for, but I admire its distinctiveness. That said, I like the 300 better. The interior is more of an issue. It has also sought to recapture the flavor of old Detroit, and does so, but unfortunately this flavor tastes more than a bit plain and cheap.

The performance of the 3.5 is merely competent. Okay, maybe even very competent. But if you’re seeking a thrilling driving experience, the RT is the only way to go. With a 340-horsepower V8 it offers a huge bang for the buck.

Character is probably the most important element of all. The styling, performance, and feel of these car form a coherent whole, which I always like to see. Chrysler’s German management sought to recapture the spirit of old Detroit iron, and has succeeded not only in doing so but doing so in a nicely updated way. Like the 300, the RT feels big and brawny, but never sloppy.

With the V6 this character is of a tightened-up traditional large American wagon. You know, the kind your parents or grandparents used to drive. Is there still a market for this sort of car? Quite possibly. First of all, many of those parents and grandparents are still around. But this car is just good enough to win over a new generation to the cause.

I give the SXT four stars, and the RT five. Although the latter still has a few faults, most notably the steering and interior, it's a steal.

A Note on Dodge Magnum RT Reliability

I cannot practically cover reliability within the context of this review. However, many people are interested in such information, so I've started collecting my own data. Results, once they are available, will be posted to my site, www.truedelta.com, with updates every three months.

Unlike other sources, TrueDelta will clearly identify what difference it will make if you buy a Magnum rather than another vehicle by providing "times in the shop" and "days in the shop" stats (among others). You will be able to specify the number of years, annual miles, and types of repairs to include in Dodge Magnum RT reliability comparisons.

Before I can report results, I need reliability data on all cars--not just the Magnum--from people like you. To encourage participation, those who help provide the data will receive free access to the site's reliability information. Non-participants will have to pay an access fee.

For the details, and to sign up, visit www.truedelta.com.

A link to this website and alphabetized links to my other vehicle reviews can be found on my profile page.

Some of my reviews of related vehicles:
Chrysler 300C review
Chrysler Pacifica review
Infiniti FX35 review
Nissan Murano review
Saab 9-5 review
Volvo V70 R review
Amount Paid (US$): 32000
Model and Options: SXT and RT with no options