drove an sxt magnum

**baggedintrepid** · 05-13-2004, 08:46 PM

:? i just wanted to report to the site while i was at my dealer naggin the sales manager about my delivery date he let me take a black fully loaded sxt magnum for a couple of hours...i wasnt at all impressed.the interior was very plain and it was exactly how i ordered my r/t leather with dark slate grey ..the worst part was the plasticy squeak coming FROM the rear (sounded like the back hatch was flexing) as i came in and out of parking lots....the car got alot of looks ..the highlight was when i returned the car my sales manager was taking the car home and we raced...i got to tell you i didnt even spray on him and i left him about five car lenghts behind FROM a dead stop...in my 2.7 intrepid .he said he gave it all it had.did i mention how bad the car shifted it almost felt like a cvt. i also drove a hemi 300c and wasnt all that impressed with the power it wouldnt break lose even with the esp turned off unless i did a nasty power break session witch me and my sales manager did ..

**nlancaster** · 05-13-2004, 08:55 PM

dude.. I dont know what was wrong with that 300c you drove but I test drove a 300c and had trouble keeping FROM burning out with esp off.

**E8502** · 05-15-2004, 06:09 PM

Posted this over at Allpar:

"Just drove a Magnum today, awesome even though it was a V6. It was an SXT model, which as Scott said, is much less glitzy then a 300. The main thing that surprised me was how fast it was for its size and weight, and the fact it was a V6. Otherwise, cargo room is great, except for the rear hatch which hinders visibility and room to LOAD bulky stuff. Handling was very good, at least as good as my LHS or an Intrepid R/T. Brakes were awesome, hauled the car to a standstill with great composure. Leather was nice, same stuff as the 300's have. Back seat room was also good, but the LH cars have more. I don't like the black headlight surrounds and the 17" hubcaps, both gotta go.

Anyhow, I'm impressed with the Magnum as much as the 300.

"

**njmac** · 05-15-2004, 09:45 PM

I was also dissapointed in the shifts on the SXT I drove. Power was ok. They said it was 250hp, but my 225hp '90 Lincoln LSC with 107k feels much stronger and shifts much better. I'm eagerly awaiting a Hemi test drive.
I do however like the simplicity of the interior, I find it to be very nice. After all I'll be concentrating on the road, not a flashy console.
I noticed no squeeks. The car seemed very solid.
The other iffy thing was that I had to hold a button for what felt like 30 seconds to eject my CD FROM the stereo.
Guess I won't be so eager to ORDER one anymore. I'll wait till I get to drive a real RT before I make my final decision.
Nick

**DSMLVR** · 05-16-2004, 06:58 AM

I was also dissapointed in the shifts on the SXT I drove. Power was ok. They said it was 250hp, but my 225hp '90 Lincoln LSC with 107k feels much stronger and shifts much better.

Remember that this is a NEW CAR. Once the vehicle has been driven a bit, the tranny learns YOUR shifing and the engine get to running, I think you will change your mind.

**DMAG** · 05-16-2004, 12:49 PM

Yup, if you "get on it" a bit, the tranny adapts to your driving style. You'll notice much crisper shifting.

**E8502** · 05-16-2004, 12:54 PM

Humm, I didn't find any problem with the tranny, but maybe that's just me.

Everything felt great.

**baggedintrepid** · 05-17-2004, 07:03 PM

it may be the fact that im used to my intrepid witch for its weight andtiny little 2.7 that coudnt (till i had it built) hauls assand i drive alot of other cars with power on a regular basis still i must say it felt slow even to a friends 300m special witch he also drove the magnum i drove and said it felt alot slowerit did handle a nd brake nice once again not as sporty as i thought cant wait for my r/t .by the way carmelo anthonys magnum is on the news stands....in dubs mag CHECK it out

**Radman** · 05-20-2004, 11:39 AM

Test drove an SXT Magnum yesterday afternoon. Here's my take FROM a VERY short test drive.

Exterior: The car looks better in person than in pictures. Very muscular and aggressive stance. Very distinctive.

Interior: Plain, this one had cloth, but seemed very solid and well laid out. Never turned on the stereo and this one didn't have a moonroof. Plenty of room front and back. I'm of average height, 5'10", and had loads of room in the back seat. Cargo area looks like it could hold anything I'd want to throw in it. Very dissapointed by the lack of seat/mirror memory.

Driving: Visibility was much better than I was expecting. Good view out the back and over the shoulders which suprised me because the the windows looks small FROM the outside. The ride was very comfortable and quiet. Again, better than I was expecting. Plenty of power, although I'm looking forward to driving the RT. Can't comment on the handling as I really didn't get a chance to try it out on some curves.

This car is the latest in a long list to capture my wandering attention. However, it fits my needs very well. My wife wants an auto and 4 doors. I wanted something that looked great, has some decent performance numbers, and gets respectable gas mileage. I thought the new GTO would fit the bill but it gets the same mileage as my truck, but with premium gas. Same goes for the RX-8. The magnum will actually get a little better mileage with regular or mid grade. I'm nopt turned off by the fact that it's a station wagon at all, I like the extra space. Hopefully, come the sept to jan time frame, a Silver RT will be in my garage.

Jason

**DMAG** · 05-20-2004, 02:42 PM

Thanks for the review Radman...welcome to the site!

Hope you end up with that Silver RT too!

**Radman** · 05-23-2004, 11:55 AM

Took the SXT back out again yesterday with my wife. We took a significantly longer drive this time including some freeway time.

The car was quiet and the ride good at all speeds, we went up to 80. On the back rodes the steering wa crisp and linear, as were the brakes. The transmission definitely needs time to adjust to the driver, I punched it a little after a turn and it stayed in third rather than downshifting to second. I'm very confident that the problem is related to the tranny not adjusting to driving style yet. Not much else to report except I like it even more after havinga longer drive. The wife loved it too, and the looks grow on her everyday. She calls it a woman's car made for men and honestly, she's right. It seems Dodge did it right though.

Jason

**E8502** · 05-23-2004, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Radman

Took the SXT back out again yesterday with my wife. We took a significantly longer drive this time including some freeway time.

The car was quiet and the ride good at all speeds, we went up to 80. On the back rodes the steering wa crisp and linear, as were the brakes. The transmission definitely needs time to adjust to the driver, I punched it a little after a turn and it stayed in third rather than downshifting to second. I'm very confident that the problem is related to the tranny not adjusting to driving style yet. Not much else to report except I like it even more after havinga longer drive. The wife loved it too, and the looks grow on her everyday. She calls it a woman's car made for men and honestly, she's right. It seems Dodge did it right though.

Jason

How did it feel at high speeds?? I only had the one I drove up to 60.