The 2005 Dodge Magnum
This week, I had a chance to drive the Dodge Magnum Hemi. This wagon is the sister of the new Chrysler 300, sharing almost all major components. It's been well documented that the Magnum and 300 are the first real prodigy of the 1998 merger of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler to form DaimlerChrysler AG. These cars have Mercedes engineering and parts bin components everywhere. Trust me; this is good news for Chrysler. It remains to be seen how this strategy may erode the Mercedes brand.
The Magnum looks sleek and sporty. It has a hunkered-down masculine look without the Dick Tracy look of the 300. My insurance agent's girlfriend bought the mid-level Magnum (with the 3.5L V6). She loves it and gets tons of attention anytime she is out with the car. My insurance agent wanted the Hemi V8 version of the Magnum, but he was afraid that if he test drove it, he'd buy it! My friend who dismissed the 300 as a rental car and said it looked like a K car, saw the Magnum and loved it.
I believe Dodge has tapped into the unconscious psyche of the tail end baby-boomer generation. The Magnum is the first really cool station wagon to come out of Detroit in 30 years. These baby-boomers, now in their 40s and 50s, remember the family station wagon, road trips, The Brady Bunch and other nostalgic feelings surrounding this era and the station wagon that mom drove in the suburbs. The hit TV show, That 70's Show, features an Olds Vista Cruiser wagon in its opening credits and as part of the fabric of the family.
If you look at most SUVs, they are really just a modern update of the station wagon; but on a truck frame. The Magnum is the first modern update of the great American station wagon, complete with rear drive, a sporty ride and the tight feel we now associate with German sedans. The other element combined in the Magnum Hemi is the allure of a muscle car from the glory days of Detroit in the 1960s. Yes, the 5.7L Hemi pushrod V8 isn't exactly a modern engine, but most buyers simply don't care. It sounds great and the acceleration is even better.
The Magnum is a good size. It's not nearly as huge as most SUVs; but there is ample room for four people. The back seat is comfortable and contoured, complete with fold down arm rest and cup holders. The front seats are spacious and comfortable. The leather is a high-grade hide that doesn't look like it will crack tomorrow. I was able to find a good driving position with the 8-way power seat adjustments. The steering wheel manually adjusts both for rake and reach. I liked the driver's seat; but in more aggressive driving, I think it would need more lateral support.
The car I drove had every available option. The DVD navigation console contains the satellite and terrestrial radio functions. I found it well placed in the dash and easy to use. The automatic climate control functions were a different story. The climate control is set by a large round knob. There is no digital readout on the navigation screen, just the numbers on the dial. For some stupid reason, the driver's control is slightly different from the passenger's control. The automatic mode for the driver is right in the middle of a useless high/low fan function. There should be a very distinct "click" for each mode, but there isn't. I had to really concentrate to get it to be in the automatic mode. Details are important.
There were a few more disappointing details – none of them deal breakers for most customers. I'll list a few here: Only the driver's window is auto down, but not auto up. It seems like a pretty simple thing to have the driver and passenger windows fully automatic. The technology has been around for a very long time and it's standard on many cars in this price range. The headlights don't have an automatic on/off sensor. I'd expect this car to have this feature. I liked the all in one key; however, there was no separate button to pop the tailgate open and when you do open the tailgate, it's heavy and not easy to close when you have things in your hands. I also don't understand why the rear window can't either roll down or pop up for easy access.
The Convenience Group II option package adds the dual zone climate control, heated front seats, power front seats and power adjustable pedals. What they don't tell you is that only the driver's seat gets full power adjustment while the passenger seat gets power only for the bottom part while the back has to be adjusted manually. I also find it inexplicable that there is no memory function for the driver's seat. Again, this is a simple detail that apparently didn't make the final cut because of cost. But how much would a memory function and automatic up/down window switches really cost? Not much.
So in contrast, the option packages add the HomeLink 3 door opener, a sophisticated, integrated Bluetooth hands-free communication system for your cell phone, complete with voice commands, a multi-function trip computer, ambient temperature, compass function and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. These are all useful functions that make the driving experience better. I'd gladly give up the heated seats in exchange for automatic window switches!
The combination of the Mercedes 5-speed automatic and 340 hp V8 is absolutely seductive. Torque is available on command with a quick jab of your right foot. The transmission is so smooth and responsive that the Auto Stick mode really is not needed. There are significant blind spots because of the large "C" pillar/tailgate area; however, you don't notice it until you try to do lane changes. I don't know how well you adjust to this as you live with a car; but again, most owners won't care during the buying process.
Rear drive is a blessing for Chrysler/Dodge. For the busy multitasking driver, you can let go of the steering wheel and the car doesn't deviate from its straight path. I found the steering precise, with a slightly heavy German touch. I like that very much. The turning radius isn't as good as my S320, but it is still very good. This model has the "self-sealing" tires. I found the grip excellent and the sacrifice in ride quality wasn't really noticeable on the test drive in Glendale.
The build quality is noticeably the best in Chrysler history. The doors closed with a reassuring, solid "thunk". Interior dash and console plastics remind me of near-VW Golf-level quality. The door and side panels disappoint. Dodge reverts to Neon quality for those items; however, unlike GM, at least there is a plastic cover for the armrest screw.
My last concerns were service and gas mileage. In LA, Dodge dealers are far and few between. The good news is that you can take it to a Chrysler dealer for service. The combined network is serviceable. The gas mileage is probably going to be abysmal. The window sticker says 17 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. I did a quick check of the onboard computer and it showed 6.7mpg over the 60 miles already driven. To be fair, most of that mileage is test drive mileage. However, even if you double that, I'm betting that the car won't get more than 12-13 mpg in city driving. Consumers are more conscious of gas consumption these days with soaring gas prices. That said, I doubt that anyone buying this wagon will care about gas mileage. Hey, my Mercedes S320 only gets about 13 mpg in all-city driving conditions. If you average in longer drives and highway driving, I think the Magnum will be better than most SUVs and certainly much cooler!
Glendale Dodge (www.glendaledodge.com) is the closest Dodge dealer to me. I arranged for my test drive through their web site. I was shocked and very happy that I got a response to my inquiry the same day - both by email and telephone call. Eric Grombacher, Internet Manager, is, by far, the most responsive, genuine salesperson I've met in years. We arranged for an appointment the next day, I arrived on time and he was prepared with the car and a handshake. He even had his own business card, not just a cheap card with the last roadkill name crossed out! There was no pressure, just information and courtesy. The dealership has the Chrysler Five Star rating as one of its top dealerships in terms of sales and service; however, Eric deserves the stars. He was so nice and non-pushy that I came close to wanting to buy this car. There was a $5,000 dealer markup on the car. I told him I'd pay sticker, but no more. He offered to ask his uncle if they would remove the markup if I bought the car that day. I declined; but I can read people fairly well, and I know that they would have easily removed the markup to make the sale and please the customer. Considering many dealers are sticking to the insulting markup, I found the attitude refreshing and welcome.
I think that the Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 will be very important to the future of Chrysler. I'd definitely recommend the Magnum to friends and family, if it fits their needs. I'd also send them to Glendale Dodge for a better sales experience. The Magnum has all the ingredients for success: Great looks, big engine, lots of torque, rear drive, slick transmission and lots of useful electronics gadgets.
As an update to last week's editorial, my friend bought the Infiniti FX35. He though it looked great and he loved the Bose sound system. I think that another major factor was that he got a great test drive and was treated very well by the Miller Infiniti in Van Nuys.
