Rented the hot Challenger for a week....total POS to drive or even hoon.
Funny I liked it, and the Charger too, rented them with the 5.7 for years, each iteration gets better too.. The 6.4 and Hellcat must be even more fun. An then there are the Mt versions which you can hoon.
A manual-trans Hellcat (Challenger) is my current daily driver ... ... puts a smile on my face every day
I drove a Charger and thought it was total garbage. Having said that, I'd still be curious to try a Hellcat Challenger as I've heard they're fun. Only on the Challenger.
HC Challenger is a fun car, especially in the MT, to drive around town but the great part is driving long distances. Really fast, gets okay gas mileage and is really comfortable for long rides. Lease is up in 5 months.
In rental car world I went over a week from a 5.7 charger to a BMW 740. The BMW was probably faster, certainly more comfortable and refined, and driving down A1a I dint mind trundling along at 25 mph. The only thing missing was level 5 auto drive, you still had to steer it but it was a supremely comfortable place to be. The dodge, well who wants to go 25 in that, so I was slowing down making gaps and whipping up to 45 hearing the engine scream for miles. Then there was the inevitable burnout off a stoplight. On the highway it handles and braked just fine and the noise was incredible. You actualy had to focus on steering and it rolled along at 80-100+ just fine. I think or so I heard if you keep your foot in it, its still accelerating hard at 150. In other words a ridiculous car for the inner child. Im sure its too big and heavy to even considder a track, but for the road in most of USA where its highway and straight strips its fun, and thats the 5.7. Maybe it would get tiresome after awhile. the BMW was mature and coseting. A viceral alive car, vs comfort and refinement. I like the dodges, theyre like an old z28 except they handle and brake, and have room and relativly comfortable inside. A V6 would be pointless imo simply because a camry is a better car at that level. Oh and the reason why I swapped the charger rental for the BMW, my wife after 3 days refused to get in it and daughter found it tiring. Son loved it, but he liekd the back seat of the beemer too. The beemer is a future used car, a gas burner which might as well be an electric, the dodges are future classics. Still dont know what the Gt500 is for thought.
ahh that means the stick cant handle the 800 hp. limited to only 700. what a great time to be a car fanatic?
I got my lease for about $650 per month. Not sure what I will get next. Getting tired of having multiple cars where some don't get driven much.
I've owned two challengers - first one (Scat Pack) I bought in Fort Worth Texas (Meador Dodge) when they had a factory rebate program. Great dealership to deal with long distance. The second one (Hellcat) I leased from a local dealer that was a horrible experience. The Hellcat was a 2016 that had sat on their lot for over 15 months with no takers so I got a great lease deal.
Ford dealer who is working with me on a Gt350 said that other dealers are offering them 25K over list for their Gt500 allocations. Seems like its a great car for old dudes in the midwest to cruise around in.
wow, sean i didnt think youre a gt350 guy! i think its a really cool car. what turned you on to it? is it just for street or track too?
Any fast car in my book has to be able to go on track. Long tortured journey of thought. My son has my v6 equinox which I enjoyed driving over the winter. My daughter went to live in Uk so I've been driving her Honda HRV all 130hp and cvt, which is not exciting in any way, except maintaining momentum. Also work has changed so I'm not taking train to city every day, 2-3 days Im doing 150 miles per day, 50 of which are backroads. Over the summer that meant unwnated mileage on the M3 or truck, and I can lease a company car for this purpose in 20. A few times this summer took the elise to the track because the exige was down or I just didnt have the time/enrgy to deal with the truck trailer race gas slicks etc for the exige. The elise was as always low impact drive to the track fun come home and leave it parked till I have the time to cleanup swap wheels etc, which got me thinking. In comparison the exige is funtionaly a 2.5 day affair between loading up, track and then cleanup unpack. Last year I did 7 days at monticello and 6 at the glen plus 1 day at Thompson. Two of those days(thompson and MMC) were in the elise. That means I'm not using 8 days still available at monticello(gave a few to freinds), plus I need something fun for winter and the roundtrip comute. That got me lookign at leasing a Honda Type Rs as a winter driver and occasional track car to get low impact seat time. But that car has serious issues on track between overheating and eating front tires and its sorta a kids car on the road, even though I do like light small all rounders. Then theres the question of would it work in snow, and honda dealers want a lot for what it is. Also watched lots of videos(car porn) and wrote to various auto writers about the type r and Gt350. All I can say is a few Gt350 videos got the blood pumping. Then I went and looked at one, no contest. Plus while heavy they do work on track, and evryone who has tracked one has good things to say, and I spoke with a lot of people. The balance between design and raw agression, and its just a great motor. Kinda feel like I must get the raw non nannied cars while there while we can. The Gt350 I will buy as yet another summer road car and a drive to the track car for those days when I just want to hop in the car put the helmet on the passenegr seat and go play at MMc for a few hours. Between a longish production ruun and the advent of the Gt500 there are good deals to be had on Gt350's these days, 4-6k off sticker. Its the type of car I would buy and keep. Nothing like a screaming v8, plus merica. Which still leaves the winter driver/round trip question unanswered. My son says I should just lease a wrx for this purpose, theyre about $150-200per month less than the honda and have awd, although maybe more crude and less refined. Going to test one this weekend. Yeah the Gt350 just seems a must have, brutal american car for the road, which can handle and brake, plus it does work on track. Between the Gt350, elise and exige I should get in lots more seat time, lol. Plus I just really want one. The alternative is maybe a Challenger and a miata to leave at the track. But Ive got Gt350 on the brain now. Plus in 19 they really upgraded the car in terms of aero and suspension. They also got rid of the drilled rotors and have solids, which meas they figured some more things out for track use.
Tried the subie today, nice car, negatives were lots of road noise inside on highway and stiff bouncy ride, although not bad . Biggest drawback for me persoanly was the seats really sucked, 20 min ride and my back was feeling uncomfortable. Maybe the seats wear in or I need the recaro option. Lots of fun on backroads and quick in 1-4, languid after that, and it was a cold day. Steering was surprisingly great, brakes adequate seemed to lack sharpness but it was a new car. Price is good, $150 pm less than the honda, but the honda has recaros and a nicer interior would love to try a CTR for compro. One friend who I trust told me I would hate the Gt350, that its just too big and too dull witted on track compared to something lithe. Will need to try one of those too then. One mans junk is another mans treasure, have to try em all.
Appreciate the insights, helpful as I consider a GT350r also, and am curious about small hot hatches. Anyone with thoughts on the little Merc, something like A45s AMG?
How about audi rs5 sportback? Overweight and nose heavy but compensates well for it with engineering and build quality. Probably close to gt350 on track but much better on street. More $ than wrx but its being discontinued so probably get a deal on it. Sonoma green is gorgeous colot too
Yeah if the Gt350 is Rs5 sportback on track thats pretty poor, I think? But agreed as a road car the Audi is boss. Do you have the Audi run it on track, would love some realtime feeback. The WRX wouldnt be for track, just as a road car, I was thinking a 2 car purchase. But maybe I just need to ge ta good road car because its seems that short of a vette proche lotus there are not road cars that work on track.
