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March 3, 2009
Mr. Angry Reviews the 2009 Challenger R/T
By Mike Musto
RideLust.com
Big cars—I love ‘em! In fact, both my personal cars are over 18 feet long, which may be why I was so attracted to the new Dodge Challenger. When you first see the car in person you come to realize that this sucker is HUGE! Seriously, it’s a big boy.
I received the car on Friday morning, which was great because I had the whole weekend to really play with it and put it through its paces. This particular example was a dark blue ’09 R/T six speed, and it was loaded with every option. Navigation—check! Sunroof—check! Heated leather seats—check! 376 HP—DOUBLE CHECK!
Now, I am generally pretty critical about most cars, but you know what? I REALLY like this thing, and here’s why: it doesn’t pretend to be anything it isn’t, which simply means it’s a muscle car. Big, brash, ballsy and in your face. It makes all the right noises and stirs up all the right emotions when you hit that start button. The tried and true 5.7 liter Hemi burbles to life with a great sounding exhaust note, and lets the driver know they started something that was meant to get them into trouble. Tap the go pedal and the noise only gets better.
There is a lot to say about this thing, so I think I’m going to break it down by category. Again, this is generally not my style, but like I said, I like this car so it deserves to get the full treatment.
Continue reading after the jump!
Exterior:
As soon as you see the Challenger, you know immediately that something different is going on. The car was built for one purpose, and for a very small, select group of drivers. It is not a family truckster, it is not a grocery getter, it is not meant to be a fuel efficient eco-box. It is built to make every family toting, grocery getting, tree hugging driver out there forget about daily life and have a little fun. This car is about tire smoke, noise and in-your-face presence. It wants to be the bouncer at the door of that club that won’t let you in because you wore the wrong shoes, that’s what the Challenger is.
Now, is the styling perfect? Well, no. But it was one hell of an effort. When viewed from different angles, it looks, well, different. Looking at the car from behind makes me think of that song, “Fat Bottomed Girls” by Queen, as the Chally definitely has a little junk in the trunk. However, when you look at it from a pure side profile, that pork chop ass seems to disappear. Same with the front. From an angle you see a really large front bumper but the more you walk around the car the more it disappears—strange.
Interior
In just about every other review it was noted that the interior was simply a carry-over from the Charger and 300. This is true, but it works just fine in this setting. Big fat analog gauges in plain sight that can be seen without obstruction from the steering wheel, with inset digital displays that showcase everything from oil temp to tire pressure. The in-dash navigation unit is easy to operate with a simple push button screen that is fairly intuitive and cleanly displayed. Sitting just below the nav are your climate controls. Again, no BS, just good basic knobs and buttons that make everything work as it should.
Interior room, however, is a bit cramped for more than two people. The back seats are usable, but are more suited to kids rather than full-sized adults. One note of warning to back seat passengers: when exiting the car, WATCH OUT FOR THE FRONT SEAT BELTS! The front belts are anchored to this rail that is located right at the base of the doors, and every time someone got out they caught their foot on it. So FYI on that one.
The front seats, lifted from the SRT models, are great and provide nice support. Notice to tall drivers, though—head room is lacking. I am 6’4″, 240 pounds, and with a helmet I would not be able to fit my big melon inside this thing. I say this because if you plan on taking the car to the track, whether it’s a drag strip or road course, you’ll need a helmet and if you’re big like me, you ain’t gonna’ fit.
I am always wary of cars with a center console, because my right leg always butts up against them and they tend to be very uncomfortable, but in the Challenger I didn’t have this problem. For those of you who know what I’m talking about, you will appreciate this. Smaller folks will also enjoy this car, as the seats offer loads of adjustability. My wife is just 5 feet tall and had no issues finding a nice seating position. So guys, if you are trying to get the wife to buy into you getting a new Chally, this could be a selling point. Seriously, my wife now wants one now… BOOYA!
Performance
Now this is the big one that I am sure everyone wants to know about. Again, ’09 Challenger, 376 HP, track pack car with 3.76s and a 6-speed. I’ll start out by saying that I don’t really like the transmission in this car. Now before all you diehard manual weenies go nuts because of that statement, let me tell you WHY I don’t like it. First off, I’m a road course guy, not a drag racer, and because of that I tend to move towards a paddle shifted car. For drag racing I think it will probably be ok as the ratios are very close together, just keep in mind that you will be shifting this thing very quickly. Another issue I had was that the clutch did not engage until the pedal was 3/4 released, that means there was a lot of travel between your left foot and the floor before this sucker actually grabbed a gear. This car came to me with 1,000 miles on it, so I don’t know it’s history and that may be why. I’m also a city dweller so shifting every three seconds gets really tiresome after awhile. If, however, you live someplace where you can really explore the joys of a manual, then I’d say go for it. The shifts are crisp with short throws and it’s a hell of a lot of fun. Braking wise the Challenger R/T was good but not stellar, as it could use a bit more in the way of binders.
The 5.7 Hemi is simply a joy and when coupled with that glorious exhaust note you’ll feel like you’ve been transported back in time to the movie “Vanishing Point.” Chrysler nailed the sound of this thing and I mean NAILED IT! That low burble just sounds badass. Once you get it on the road the Challenger is deceptively quick, but doesn’t really feel that fast, and I think the reason for this is that the power delivery is extremely smooth. Notice, I didn’t say wasn’t fast, I said didn’t feel fast. The long and short of it, though, is that this sucker moves and anyone that thinks 0-60 in 5.5 sec and a top end of 170 mph is slow is a bonehead pure and simple.
Ride quality is superb around town and on the highway. Although the suspension is a little soft for my liking (that means I’ll need to buy the SRT8). Another minor performance annoyance on this car would have to be the lack of road feel. Yes, the car gives a great ride and does handle, the problem is it doesn’t tell you it’s going to handle, meaning there is very little transmission of road feel from the front wheels through the steering wheel. That means you really have to “hope” the car makes that tough corner you’re going to take, because it sure as hell isn’t going to tell you.
So, as you can see, I like this thing a lot. It’s a great car that does exactly what it was built to do. For those of you that own one, I would love to hear your thoughts as well. Now this coming weekend I’m getting hold of an SRT 8 Challenger, so ya’ll will get a real back to back comparison in the early portion of next week… Stay tuned!
Comments
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brivan
Mar 7, 2009 at 7:49 pm
For comparative reasons in scale,perhaps a side-by-side to its older counterpart model would help.
BigMike3023
Mar 6, 2009 at 7:39 am
I understand the notion of paddle shifting, but I still prefer the old 5 or 6 speed stick even on the track. Even in city driving, manual gearbox never bothered me. Guess it just depends. But these cars are sweet, I wouldn’t buy one due to the price for the performance, but they’re definitely cool to look at and admire!
roadagent
Mar 5, 2009 at 8:12 pm
If you liked this one you’re going to LOVE the SRT8.The Autostick is a pleasure to drive and even at WOT you can hardly feel it shift.The car handles like a dream,I had the pleasure of driving a BMW 545 in Germany,not the watered down American version,and I’d say it handles as well as that.Maybe a bit rigid over bumps for some peoples taste but that’s what a sport tuned suspension offers.
babygirlspeeds
Mar 5, 2009 at 6:16 pm
THIS WILL BE MY NEXT CAR!!! Got to test drive one and it was sweet… Love the look too it’s still got all the style of the original but more aerodynamic to compete with the futuristic “bubble cars” everyone is making now.. I do have to agree the interior was cheap looking… but it was comfortable.. and the rest totally made up for that for me..
80-zcamaro
Mar 5, 2009 at 11:15 am
I am glad that the Challenger came back, I ever get the chance to get one I will be. I want one in either black or white though when that day comes it will be more to do with the price lol.
Now if Dodge would do something about the Charger, I never realy understood it. Other than a few body line styling cues from the 68-71 they do not look anything like a Charger, and a 4 door?????. It’s as bad as in 1975 when sharing the body style from the Chrysler Cordoba and just changing the grill bars and tail lights, slapping Dodge on the car instead of Chrysler and calling it a Charger. I love MOPAR and I have always wanted to see the Charger come back and it looks like I am still waiting.
kbevere
Mar 5, 2009 at 5:32 am
i love the car and color but i dont care for the inside. to bla! but i still would take it.
sugrand01
Mar 4, 2009 at 9:53 pm
man that things so badass and i love that color dont really like the shifter though
wsbob
Mar 4, 2009 at 7:52 pm
I WANT ONE SO BAD
siskokid1
Mar 4, 2009 at 6:49 pm
is it a 5 speed or what???
carsman710
Mar 4, 2009 at 6:46 pm
dangit. it made my comment twice. it said that my comment was already there. i checked and it wasnt. then i made a change and it posted. stupid i-net and comp lag.
carsman710
Mar 4, 2009 at 6:45 pm
the chargers and challengers will never be as good as they where in the old days. but i like this one. wish they could make something that is as close as possible to the old body styles though. the hemi’s arent as good as they are today as they were in the old days.
carsman710
Mar 4, 2009 at 6:42 pm
the chargers and challengers will never be as good as they where in the old days. but i like this one. wish they could make something that is as close as possible to the old body styles though.
74Furyous
Mar 4, 2009 at 5:39 pm
Kudo’s (or cuda’s?) to the Dodge boys for giving it a proper manual tranny. It may not be ideal when beating around the city but that’s what the Prius is for. To get the full effect of the car you gotta row your own. Now how about a shaker hood?
MrAngry
Mar 4, 2009 at 5:05 pm
Dude, we got 8″s of snow that day… I’m lucky the car was as clean as it was and btw, you’re right, it would make a VERY FUN grocery getter!
StickShiftRick
Mar 4, 2009 at 3:27 pm
I enjoyed this review actually, thank you. The need to rationalize it to your wife in order to purchase one hardly befits the stereotypical badass motif however, haha! Also, it would have been much appreciated if you took an hour out of your way to clean her up before taking the pictures. Anywho, the breakdown was great and you didn’t just state things without backing it up with reason and logic–kudos to you sir! I DO however, given it’s size, think it’ll make an EXCELLENT grocery getter ;D
MoparRob07
Mar 4, 2009 at 7:51 am
Great review Mike! I drove an auto R/T awhile back. I love driving my Charger Daytona, but the Challenger having the VVT, 20 more horses than my Daytona and having the 3.06 rear-end. Acceleration was dangerously smooth! It lit the tires and before I knew it, I was at 85 mph!
My dislikes, Dodge should have kept the concept dash. The last complaint is the GoodYear Eagle RS-A tires. Terrible wet traction and side wall design. Dodge needs to find a better tire to keep up with the these LXs.
nova_strife
Mar 4, 2009 at 7:09 am
For me, this car is as close to heaven as I think I’ll ever get. I think Dodge really nailed the look of this car, there’s nothing else like it on the road (although I’ve been told “That’s a really nice Charger!” and, worst of all, “Is that the new Mustang?”). I have to disagree about the 6 speed, I absolutely LOVE mine. However, I don’t drive in the city, so I suppose our view points would have to be slightly different.
You have totally got the part about being good at what it was designed for down pat. This isn’t a twister-killer, it’s for very fast straight lines. That doesn’t mean that it can’t handle the twisties, just keep in mind that it’s not as small and nimble as, say, my mom’s Sky. But it’s still hella fun.
I’m glad to see another Challenger in my color! That’s the first blue one I’ve seen besides mine!
histyle
Mar 3, 2009 at 10:51 pm
As someone who owns a Black R/T and can tell you I LOVE mine. This is the first new car I’ve bought that I’ve LOVED right out of the box. It’s also the first car the Miss didn’t complain about me buying… In truth she steals the keys and leaves me with her new Toyota she HAD to have lol.. The interior is spot on for what the car is. This isn’t a luxury car! This is a brutal ground pounding muscle car. Those who complain about the interior need to go buy a BMW because they miss what this car is all about. Big, brash, load, mean! It’s a muscle car deal with it lol!
___nes___
Mar 3, 2009 at 7:39 pm
Pretty good review. The transmission is a big turn off though. What’s the point of all that power if you can’t put it down correctly?! It seem like overall it’s a good car.
AudiobahnV8SHO
Mar 3, 2009 at 5:46 pm
I don’t like the interior a whole lot, it looks like they didn’t put nice enough materials in it. I WAS really turned off on these things since I read that they have more horsepower than the Mustang yet do the quarter mile a few tenths slower. They look from the side like a Camaro, in fact a BIG GM fan friend of mine thought it was the new Camaro. I think they ook pretty cool otherwise, welcome back to the game Dodge! I like this retro-ride better than GM’s horrible interpretation of the 69 Camaro (Tailights? How do they make sense?). I am eager to see if Dodge can make a Challenger that will run with the GT500, but from a die hard Ford man. Welcome back to two door RWD V8 cars Dodge keep em coming!