Thinkinig of a Magnum purchase

[BCHN HME]

I'm the owner of a '09 Challenger R/T. Hemi-Orange, 6 speed with Trak Pak. My wife can't (won't) drive it much due to it being a manuel so I'm thinking of a magmum.

Looking for suggestions as to which one...what year, options, color, has the potential to increase in value over the years, not for me, but for my kids or grandkids.

My #1 grandson has been promised the Challenger so...I'm looking for something for my # 2 grandson. As I have 8 grandchildren (5 boys & 3 girls and counting) I'll be thinking of the other cars in the Dodge line up in the future, a Charger, a 300, Jeep, maybe an SRT6 and an SRT 4.

Just kidding all. The Challenger is mine and the Magnum will be for my wife. All you Magnum freaks...lets hear what you say.

[472 R/T SE]

I don't think you can go wrong with whatever one you buy. I will say this. I bought my '05 Magnum R/T in the summer of '09 & it has not depreciated yet value wise. As a matter of fact, before I said that I checked Kelley blue book. I redid it several times & each time the value is actually more.

The only thing I wish I would have done was buy an SRT8 instead of the R/T. They're absolutely awesome highway rigs.

[magnum lover]

Depending on what your plans are for it the year won't matter. The 08 Magnums have a different nose and interior (console and dash). Some 05's may have issues with a programmer. There are threads around with the minor differences. Decide what features you want and what you may upgrade, then find your Magnum. Good luck!

[injunwiz]

You can't go wrong with the Magnum. I still like my R/T as I get the best of both, power of a V8 and decent mileage with the 4 cyl mode. I'm old (lol) so got a loaded one with power everything, heated seats, NAV, you name it. Not THAT old though, lots o' engine work so over 400 HP/450 ft lbs torque and still am getting 17 MPG around town! Oh, and Silver is the best color. White too plain Jane, Black always looks dirty, Red attracts the "law".
My wooden nickels worth...

[customtronic]

I have an '05 RT that I bought new in '05 and haven't had a single problem with it. Although I only have 37k miles on it it has been a great car. I will be selling it soon but if I wasn't looking for a new project I'd be keeping the thing forever.

[CT-MSRT]

depending on her needs and your location which looks to be California, i'd say an 06+ and no AWD to keep the maintenance down. Some of the early 05 issues were fixed in 06 and newer cars. unless she will be seeing very poor weather often, the AWD just adds more parts that can break and lowers the gas mileage.

Hemi's are tough freakin motors whether it be a 5.7 or 6.1 so i'd involve her more from the styling point of view. If you do maintenance yourself, the SRT's really don't cost much different at all from the R/t's since there are low cost alternatives to all the consumables like brakes, tires and rotors. SRT's have obvious performance, styling and comfort advantages and their prices are quite comparable for what you end up with.

have her sit in a couple. you can really get a better idea for the feel of the car if you do. Another part depends on her height. My wife is petite and the adjustable pedals makes driving the car way safer for her so be sure if you need them, you pick a higher line car that comes with that package. 5.7's and 3.5L cars tend to get similar miles on similar fuel if you are on the highway a lot so keep that in mind as well.

Pick your intended use, pick your trim level and most importantly, always go with a magnum.

[SXTRED]

Just bought my second Magnum both were 05's. Was trying to buy an 07 R/T or an 06 SRT. Wanted the 07 R/T for the suspension durability improvements. The SRT for the same reason but 06 had the right red. In the end the 05 I found was a fairly rare deal low miles factory two tone custom leather and some minor tweaks plus a Borla exhaust system pushed me over the edge.

When I was looking (nation wide) I saw some nice Magnum's for sale. Some with very low miles including a few here. But I was shopping for the right Red because my family would only have the same red as the 05 SXT. Could not have a sun roof due to my height. So I passed on a lot of good deals. You should be able to find a nice ride have fun enjoy it.

[karfreek]

Funny you should bring this up, I'm thinking of selling a Magnum...

Jay

[blastnum]

I am the sec owner of my 05 Mag. Orig owner put 95k or so on it and I am at 116k now. The dealer that serviced it for the orig owner did no work outside of typical maint. Since I have had it I have done oil pressure switch and my rad is starting to leak. I consider that all very good track record for the car. I have had no front susp issues that some speak of here either.
Clearly you know what to look for, some say stay away from the 05??? But a clean one you almost can't go wrong. I would get a loaded model, more toys.
I am a FIRM believer that the Mag will be a collector car. Low production numbers, no so popular, FAST, loaded with options. This combo sounds familiar of the late 60's, early 70's models.

[formerice]

I would think a 2008 MSRT8 in the long run would be the best investment because of the rarity. Only 29 Steel Blue ones were made and I believe a few have been wrecked. Mine is a 04 build RT and really no issues. Quick enough to have cost me my license, quick enough to have hurt a few Mustang and Camaro owner's feelings. One poor guy blew the motor in his low miles mint SS 454 Chevelle as we crossed the line, Magnum 1 car length ahead. Magnum is not only a fun car, but a practical dare I say it--- station wagon. OK, maybe station wagon from hell!

[cleary524]

Everything above! Also, the insurance cost is cheaper too. Insurers don't consider the Magnum a sports car, even with the HEMI.

My AWD has been relatively low maintenance. Nothing on the motor or transmission has been problematic for me. I had my transfer case serviced for shudder and a front drive axle replaced due to leaky CV boot, but both were under warranty. As for suspension, like most LX's, the front end is the weak link on these cars and you'll likely be faced with some minor front suspension/steering components to contend with. Fortunately, they are very easy front ends to work on.

Can't go wrong with the HEMI Magnum...a station wagon that haulz azz!

[Leviathant]

First off: A car is a bad choice as an investment. I bought my 2007 Magnum w/ ~40,000 miles on it for just under $14,000 a year and a half ago - it was nicely optioned and well over twice that much new. If you want to invest your money, buy stock in Apple or in energy companies. Factor in the cost of repairs, insurance, and maintenance, and you'd be lucky if you got your money back, even if you kept it bone stock and low mileage. A 2008 SRT8 in some hard to find color might certainly be a rare find - but even more rare is an SRT8 that someone else hasn't beaten up. Driving it like you're supposed to isn't going to help it keep value.

That's part of why I went with an SXT. I went with a 2007 because although I am in the minority that likes the styling of the 2008, part of the downside to the limited release of that year is the dwindling supply of parts for the car. By 2007, they had worked out as many bugs as they were going to work out in that generation of Magnum, and there is a very large pool of used parts thanks to the vehicle being in production in that form for several years, and for sharing so many parts with the Charger. It was pretty obvious from the photographs I found in between the seat cushions that the car had been a family car, and that whoever put the 40,000 miles on it did so very gently - but I still had to replace an outer tie rod end within a month of owning it.

If it got stolen or destroyed, I'd probably try to find another low mileage 07 Magnum to replace it. It's been a surprisingly great car. Getting ready to take it on a month-long road trip around the US with my wife starting on Saturday. We had planned on getting it just for that, then selling it afterward, but we've really grown attached to the car, and now we'll probably drive it for a very long time, pretty much until it falls apart.

[m37ral]

I have an '05, and it has been (and still is) one of the most trouble free cars I've owned. Get an R/T or SRT you will regret it if you don't. Also the one thing mine doesn't have that I really wish it did- EVIC! Make sure yours has this.
I have 125,000 miles on mine and the oil comes out almost like new at changes (I've always used mobil 1 and 3000 mile interval changes, cheap ins.).

[Gdragich]

Personally, I would steer away from an 05 (own one and love it, but the slower PCM, rats nest wires, etc). Best Mag would be an 07 or 08 RT with the Road and Track option package (SRT style seats and suspension upgrades). Hard to find, but worth it for must better interior comfort.

[NOTPAID4]

I'm probably hard to be the one to talk as we have SIX magnums. I have THREE and the wife has THREE. One is an 06 SRT, one 06 SXT and FOUR 05 R/Ts and we love them all. Two of our 05 R/Ts are everyday drivers; wifes' had 157,000 miles and mine has 137,500 miles and BOTH run FANTASTIC.