Looking to buy.....help

[Nunzie]

Hi guys!

Here's the deal, I always wanted the Magnum but couldn't wait for it to hit the dealers floor so I bought a 04 Toyota Sienna (we have three kids and they have lots of friends). Two days ago my wife crashed our VW Passat to a point where it could be totaled by the insurance company.

I narrowed the list down to several cars and the Magnum is on the top of the list. The one thing that is holding me back to be 100% commited to the Dodge is that we owned a 94 Intrepid, a great car when it was running but LOTS of trips to the service center.

What models, packages and options on the Magnum can you recommend to me. The Hemi would be cool, but the 3.5 is what I'm looking at to keep the $$$ down...did I mention I have three kids? Also the All-Wheel drive option is on the top of my list since I live in the North East but I'm concerned about more moving parts to maintain.

Also, any recomendations for a good Dodge dealers in and around Massachusetts / New Hampshire will be welcomed.

[Brilliant R/T]

You might throw it out here that your looking to buy, there is a few for sale on this forum,. Maybe you could find one bye asking.

[NC-SXT]

I think you will find most of us here are very satisfied with the product. I for example have only been to the dealer once in over 2 years of ownership. Some others may have had a few issues but hey its a machine (one hell of a machine) . Good luck on your quest.

[Yarnam]

If you don't want to spend the $ for the AWD I can attest that the 2 wheel drive with decent winter tires is just fine. I live in a heavy snowfall area and it has worked just fine for me. That said if I had the cash i would get the AWD version, of course I would get the Hemi first and formost

[TC67CUDA]

I found and bought mine through AutoTrader.com Good luck.

[Electrofreak]

Well Nunzie, twice I've written up a veritable book (I'm not kidding you, the post was HUGE) with my suggestions, and BOTH times, halfway through, my computer crashed.

So, here's try #3... this time I'm on another computer and I'll make it a bit shorter. (EDIT- HAHAHAHA yeah right)

First off, I love my Magnum. I got it about 3 months ago. I live in Upstate New York, and I got the 5.7L V8 Hemi with AWD. I absolutely love the AWD in the snow, but what really makes the car amazing in the slippery stuff is the ESP Stability and Traction Control. It's like the car has a mind of its own when you start to slip. It basically takes over and makes the car feel like its scrabbling for a foothold on the ground. The best part is that it's standard on the 3.5L V6 SXT (if I remember right), so no matter what route you take, Hemi or no, you'll have this wonderful piece of technology in your car.

The AWD, as I said, is nice, and not having driven a RWD Magnum, I can't say how much better it really is in the snow. Keep in mind that AWD does cost an extra $2,000 extra as well as reduces your fuel economy by about 2-3 mg. With my Hemi Magnum, it definitely has a bite at the gas pump. If you want to watch the budget, I'd recommend the 3.5L V6. I hear they have plenty of spunk, are a bit more fuel efficient, and still a joy to drive. Only spring for the Hemi V8 if you have chronic lead-foot disorder, characterized by urges to mash the gas pedal to the floor after stops, and drive like a valet on speed (guilty as charged!)

As for other options, I'm 23 and thus don't have any kids (though my last girlfriend had 4!) However I definitely recommend the Protection package if you're going to be toting the kids around a lot. It includes side front-and-rear curtain airbags and self-sealing tires, as well as a cabin air filter for those with allergies (like me). I'm big on safety and I'm glad I've got the Protection package. I believe this option costs about $600 more.

The SXT comes standard with some pretty decent options already, I'm not sure how much more you'll want to spend (especially if you plan on putting 2 grand into AWD).

If you're an audiophile, you might want to go for the 6-speaker sound system which I have, and very much enjoy. It also runs about an extra $600. If you're REALLY looking for good sound though, you can probably get an aftermarket sound system installed for that much which is even better, so take your pick.

If your kids are the restless sort, you might want to go with the rear DVD entertainment center which is pretty cool, though costs almost $1,200. If you're thinking economically you can probably buy an in-car DVD player for a couple hundred bucks that mounts to a head rest and flips out that will do the job for a lot less.

I don't have the Navigation system in my car, though considering how often I get lost, it's something I sometimes wish I had. I've got the standard AM/FM and CD, which is nice, but I'd like to be able to play CDs with MP3s on them. The Navigation apparently integrates pretty well with the car, but as always, there are aftermarket versions you can get for less that function almost as well (but may need a costly install).

If you like leather, you can go for the Comfort Seating Group. It sets you up, for about $1,500, with all leather seats, front heated seats, and makes the passenger seat a power one. I've got it in my car, and while it's all rather nice to have, I wouldn't count it as a must-have in the car. It's fine for me because I like the leather, but the rear seats aren't heated, which might have your kids fighting over that toasty front seat during the winter when your spouse isn't riding along as well.

The Convenience Group III ($375) is more or less the dual climate control, which lets you have one side of the car blasting hot while the other side is a fridge. I haven't used it much, though the dual climate control does have a rather nifty temperature sensing feature that apparently uses an infrared sensor to look at the front driver and passengers body temp and determine how it needs to best route the air and at what temperature. It also takes into account factors such as whether the windows are open, the outside temperature, engine temp, etc. Kinda cool... though mine seems always to decide (no matter how friggin cold I am) that warm air should be blasted through the defrost vents and the floor vents. Maybe I'll see more variety from it during the warmer months. This package also includes automatic headlights and the one-touch up/down windows. (Having a 2005, I had to make a minor modification to activate my auto headlights and my windows only do one-touch down.)

Ok, before this gets too long, a few other options are the Bluetooth UConnect system ($360) which is nice if you like your car to interact with your bluetooth phone, letting you talk hands free in your car through a microphone in the mirror using your car speakers, make voice commands, save addresses and the like right into your car. Personally I get by just fine with a Bluetooth headset and a snazzy cell phone. I haven't gotten to try out my power sunroof much yet this winter, but I certainly look forward to the summer months with it. It runs about $1000. Then of course there's Sirius Satellite radio ($200) which I don't have (I'm happy with my CDs). The $250 roof rack, which I personally would rather not have (maybe I'll change my mind if I ever need to use it), $125 power adjustable pedals which I've hardly used (maybe you will if you and your spouse switch who is driving frequently). Rear Cargo organizer ($160) is kinda nifty, but then I just sorta toss my groceries in the back and clean up the resulting shake 'n bake when I get home.

And you never did say whether you were going to buy new or used. I almost drove to Connecticut to buy an AWD Magnum SXT before a member on this very forum pointed me to an Ebay auction for my current car. I went and met the dealer, drove the car, loved it, and bought it for a good deal (23.5k + tax) with only 10k miles. If you're looking to go used, there are plenty of nice low-mileage 2005s still out there, and if they only have had 1 previous owner, you get an easter egg deal... a 7 year 70k mile warranty exclusive to the 2005 model year, provided you pay $160 or so to get the warranty transferred over to you.

Last but not least, reliability. Most people on here have had relatively few service issues (with a few exceptions). The early 2005 models (like mine) have some bugs, but if you get the dealer to iron them out under warranty and perform all the necessary recall work you should be in the clear. There are a few of us on here with AWD vehicles, and I haven't heard of any actual AWD-related service issues yet, though it may be a bit too early to tell. Keep in mind that it's basically a Mercedes transmission and suspension in these cars, so it's pretty well built. On the plus side, when you DO need repairs, you don't pay Mercedes prices.

Looks like I wrote another book... but I hope this helps.

Good luck!

[joseph]

I found and bought mine through AutoTrader.com Good luck.

Me too, out of state, couldn't find a used fully loaded RT here.
Minimum options for me were Nav, and electronics convenience group, and black only.
I couldn't find it with just nav and elec. group, everytime I found one, it was either with nothing or fully loaded, so I got a used fully loaded RT for $23,500, I wish it didn't have the sunroof, I hate those things, completely useless to me.
Just go to the dodge website and learn about all the options and see what matters to you, that's what I did and I ended knowing more about options... than the dealer.

[dadshemi]

Take a look at Westboro Dodge Mag Pearl RT loaded 06 $7000 off invoice. Would probably go even less at this point I would guess. Bad time of year to sell cars etc. The also have 2 with the small 6 also cheap.

[MagNite]

Yes the First Generation Intrepids had thier problems (94-97) , but the Second generation (98-04) were much better. I had a 2001 Intrepid SE with the 2.7 and recently traded it in this last November for my 2006 Magnum SXT (RWD). I can say the Intrepid was the most reliable car I owned so far. I had to have a new water pump installed at 100k and 2 oil pan gaskets over the course orf owning it, and that's about it. I bought a used Magnum with about 16,500 miles on it and paid about $18,500 for it (that included an extended warranty to 60k miles) I saved aout 8k over new. I live in upstate NY and I can say the Magnum with RWD isn't as good as the Intrepid when it comes to getting traction...say when coming off a stop light. (the Intrepid is a front heavy car with 64% of it's weight in the front) Once it is going, it is fine. The brakes with the ABS is better than my Intrepid. The ESP keeps the Mag from fishtailing. I think if I install some Blizzaks on the rear in the winter it will be fine. Handling isn't as good as the Intrepid. This is a heavier, taller car with thnner tires (215's vs. Trep 225's) and my SXT didn't come with sway bars. No problem, I will add sways and maybe go to an 18" rim. The Magnum feels more solid than the Intrepid, pronbably because it's heavier. Gas mileage isn't as good, but not bad. Still wayyy beter than an SUV. With the 3.5 I get about 21 mpg mixed highway/city and 26-27 on the highway if I drive gentle (under 65mph). The 3.5 has some get up and go.... feels like a V-8. Overall, I am loving my Magnum. One thing you will have to get used to if you buy a Magnum...... lots of stares and plenty of compliments.... sigh.... what's a Magnum owner to do?

[Electrofreak]

One thing you will have to get used to if you buy a Magnum...... lots of stares and plenty of compliments.... sigh.... what's a Magnum owner to do?

Indeed! I love the way people crane their necks to look at the ride.

EDIT: Oh, and a word of warning about AutoTrader.com: a lot of AWD cars listed on there are actually RWD. I figured this out using CarFax (a good idea anyhow). The quickest way to determine if a Magnum is AWD or not if you have the VIN is to see if the 5th letter of the VIN is the letter Z. If it's not, it's RWD. I figure the reason for this is just lazy dealers; most likely AWD is the default setting for transmission type when they post a car's profile.

[CrAkD Magnum RT]

As far as service in MA gos I go thru Ira Dodge in medford. I bought my charger there and the guy kinda shafted me but its kind of my own fault I had no idea what i was doing. I traded my charger for a leftover 05 mag in NH that had been sitting and had tq converter shudder I brought it to ira they gave me a free rental and had it fixed in 4 days, then the battery died and i was in and out of there in an hour all replaced no questions asked and they didnt even sell me the car. so as far as service gos I have no complains yet. For sales any dealer is as bad as the next go in prepared to walk out everyone says it but its so true. before I got my mag i walked out on another charger swap and they called me for 2 weeks. Also dont take spot delivery. itd be nice to do it all in one day but going home and sleeping on it is a huge advantage you can mull over all the numbers and check out other stuff online and can still backout before taking delivery. overall im happy with my mag and plan to be in it for the long haul. most of the problems with these cars are minimal and can be worked out.

[PHANTZM]

Besides the oil changes mine has been in twice. 1st for a shimmy when driving , and a code 0300 coming up. 2nd was for the TSB to replace the valve retainers.

I love my SXT , though a 5.7 would be sweet. I already get in trouble with just the 3.5 .

Good luck ,
~Sui

[Nunzie]

Thanks for all the help!

The insurance company called me this morning and said the Passat is a total loss...so I'll be hunting for a used Magnum this Friday.

I'm leaning toward the RWD with either 3.5L or R/T. For some reason their is a ton of used R/T's for sale in my area.

Hopfully I can pick up a R/T then order four Blizarks from Tire Rack on steal rims

[Nunzie]

Take a look at Westboro Dodge Mag Pearl RT loaded 06 $7000 off invoice. Would probably go even less at this point I would guess. Bad time of year to sell cars etc. The also have 2 with the small 6 also cheap.

Is this vehicle on their web site? I didn't see it. I'll call them tonight.
Thanks!

[Nunzie]

How can I tell if a Magnum has the "Protection Package"?

Should I look for a special designation in the VIN or simply a SRS logo marked someplace in the interior?