[greydh]

I know this is a Dodge charger forum. This is NOT a troll or an attempt at being stupid/funny. This is not meant to be a domestic vs. import thread either. PLEASE give me advice that is as unbiased as possible :embarrese despite this being a charger forum. I've been eyeing the charger for several weeks and I've been drooling. It looks gorgeous and the Hemi on the RT makes me wanna cry.

With that being said. I'm deciding between cars right now. trying to stay under 30k if possible.
I'm shooting for either the Accord EXv6 or Maxima SE or Dodge Charger RT.

Solely based on bang for the buck..I'm leaning towards the Maxima. But my heart is crying out CHARGER!

One thing that has me double thinking the charger tho is reliability. I know with the Maxima and the Accord - reliability is set. Not so sure about the charger. I know with the Maxima and Accord...10-15 years from now...as long as I do the maintenance...there will most likely be few problems. Dunno about the charger.

My biggest concern is that I want a car that lasts.

PLEASE help me think this through logically...not emotionally. because my emotions say CHARGER - but I want to be as logical as possible.

Convince me to either go Charger or one of the other two.

 

[GLHS837]

One item of interest as far as reliability. When I bought my 2003 SRT-4, the other communities deridied the car about reliability. For almost 3 years, we have been saying that this generation is different.

I just got a look at Consumer reports 2005 car issue. One thing that caught my eye was that 2003 was the last year reported for Neon reliability. While every other year has at least a few black marks, 2003 is all red. Which means better than average.

Does this apply to Charger? I certainly hope so And I'm willing to gamble 40K based on my last 2 years with my SRT

 

[mmaloy]

If this helps, remember 3yrs/36,000 of warranty usually takes care of bugs as it were. :happy: Mike

 

[milkdud99]

If an engine is taken car of the right way... and thats not just using synthetics and oil changes...... it will outlive its owner! now im not big on import cars. (and thats mainly because kids turn them into rice racers) but if you are one to take car of a car and have everything done properly and timely, then it doesn't matter what car you get!

 

[offandon]

I was in a similar situation as you. I WANTED the Charger, but all I really NEEDED was a reliable car to get me around. They are giving away Accords and Camrys now ... easy to get them well below invoice. It basically came down to me deciding I wanted to be happy when in my car and if I went with an Accord it would have just been a way to get me from Point A to Point B ... the Charger gave me an intangible happiness. Was it worth the extra money? I don't know, but I also don't care anymore ... I am just happy. As for reliability, I would agree that most of it comes down to maintenance ... this is my (our) 4th DC car since 1996 and I have yet to have a major issue ... just maintenance costs and one warranty repair of a steering issue on my 1999 300M.

I would say that if you drive the Accord V6 and then go drive a Charger R/T that you may not leave the dealer without one ... be careful. :happy:

 

[JSA 007]

Given your other choices, I'd have to logically say go for the Charger for these reasons:

1) Drivetrain- V8 to the rear wheels vs. V6 to the front

2) Styling- The Charger has bold, aggressive looks. It makes more of a statement on the road rather than try and blend in.

3) Prestige- It's that intangible quality that comes with saying "I drive a Dodge Charger R/T" that you just don't feel with an accord, camry, or maxima.

I don't know enough about the interiors of those other cars to comment, but the Charger offers plenty of space and comfort.

 

[AFcharger]

Why do you need the car? I was going to get a hybird accord (gas) but did the math and found it it wouldn't save me money due to the new car payment. Plus I wanted a fun car to drive and fell in love with the GTO. I was actually looking at one when I passed a Charger on a DC lot. Test drove it and a week later put money down on one. I think for what you get if you compare a Charger to other similiar cars its a good bang for your buck.

My need: a fun car to drive, with power, and people asking what it is. So i bought a Charger. Never been a fan of the car everyone has. So again, what is your need for the car?

edward

 

[Inferno Charger]

One item of interest as far as reliability. When I bought my 2003 SRT-4, the other communities deridied the car about reliability. For almost 3 years, we have been saying that this generation is different.

I just got a look at Consumer reports 2005 car issue. One thing that caught my eye was that 2003 was the last year reported for Neon reliability. While every other year has at least a few black marks, 2003 is all red. Which means better than average.

Does this apply to Charger? I certainly hope so And I'm willing to gamble 40K based on my last 2 years with my SRT

(Off Topic)
I don't know what people dissed the Neons as far as reliability for since I have owned one since 1999 and bought the other one later down the line to use as a weekend toy. My Neon has done well for all of these years aside from the warrenty issue with the headgasket and valvesprings & the stupid sunroof that never worked right due to a bad design (not a Dodge issue but a vendor issue). I don't consider those issues to be seriously big since all and all the car has run like a champ for years. The big stink with the Neons was the very first year or two of the Neons that gave everyone the impression that they all were POS cars. I know of alot of Neons that have seen well over 200,000 miles with little issues.

(On topic)
I made my decision to puchase a Charger (2007 SRT-8 Charger to be exact) over the look of the car but the price is IMHO well suited for what you get as compared to the imports. Besides the whole thing with imports being better then domestics is a hold over from a long time ago when they really were better then domestics. The quality is pretty much right on but the public just assumes that the domestics suck still.

Later

 

[chargershed]

.

Solely based on bang for the buck..I'm leaning towards the Maxima. But my heart is crying out CHARGER!

One thing that has me double thinking the charger tho is reliability. I know with the Maxima and the Accord - reliability is set. Not so sure about the charger. I know with the Maxima and Accord...10-15 years from now...as long as I do the maintenance...there will most likely be few problems. Dunno about the charger.

My biggest concern is that I want a car that lasts.

PLEASE help me think this through logically...not emotionally. because my emotions say CHARGER - but I want to be as logical as possible.

Convince me to either go Charger or one of the other two.

Reliability is set- according to who? The perception is that they are more reliable, not necessarily fact. Publications like Consumer Reports use past reliabillity as the sole indicator of future performance, not the most scientific, considering the publication. most of the parts on the charger were designed by Mercedes-Benz, and most would agree that the germans over-engineer everything. as a service advisor for dodge, I can tell you that I have only seen a handfull of magnums coming in for problems, and only 1 for a drivability issue. The powertrains on most cars don't give you the problems anymore it's almost all electrical, and most vehicles give you the same problems as they age.If you were comparing V6 models, it would be tough not to choose an Accord, it will be quicker than the v6 charger...probably gets better fuel economy as well. the Charger has more room inside than the others and is as sporty as them as well. If you throw in the R/T it's no contest, styling is in the eye of the beholder....Reliability isn't going to be an issue with these cars...good luck!

 

[Dutch]

I know this is a Dodge charger forum. This is NOT a troll or an attempt at being stupid/funny. This is not meant to be a domestic vs. import thread either. PLEASE give me advice that is as unbiased as possible :embarrese despite this being a charger forum. I've been eyeing the charger for several weeks and I've been drooling. It looks gorgeous and the Hemi on the RT makes me wanna cry.

With that being said. I'm deciding between cars right now. trying to stay under 30k if possible.
I'm shooting for either the Accord EXv6 or Maxima SE or Dodge Charger RT.

Solely based on bang for the buck..I'm leaning towards the Maxima. But my heart is crying out CHARGER!

One thing that has me double thinking the charger tho is reliability. I know with the Maxima and the Accord - reliability is set. Not so sure about the charger. I know with the Maxima and Accord...10-15 years from now...as long as I do the maintenance...there will most likely be few problems. Dunno about the charger.

My biggest concern is that I want a car that lasts.

PLEASE help me think this through logically...not emotionally. because my emotions say CHARGER - but I want to be as logical as possible.

Convince me to either go Charger or one of the other two.

First off, for most people, buying a car is an emotional and not logical choice. Keep that in mind.

I would caution you that Maxima reliability is not all that great. I urge you to look into that more closely. How many 10-15 year old Maximas do you see running around? However, your statement that if you take care of it it will last is true - of the Charger as well as the Maxima and Accord. It is also true than all manufacturers make lemons, so you could get screwed no matter what you buy.

Another thing to consider is that if something does go wrong, which car will be cheapest to fix. Because of the simple pushrod design of the engine, rear-wheel drive layout, etc., the Charger is going to be cheaper to fix than either of the imports.

If you're considering bang for the buck, I'm surprised you're leaning towards the Maxima. Since you're cross shopping them, I assume you're looking at a Maxima that costs about the same as an R/T. The Charger offers you the exciting looks, more interior space, more trunk space, more towing capacity, more horsepower, a ton more torque, and rear wheel drive. The Charger can do a lot more than a Maxima, thus providing more bang for the buck. At least that's how I look at it.

Go drive them all and buy the one that puts the biggest smile on your face. You're going to own it for a long time, so you should buy what you like. Even if you have to take the Charger to the shop one extra time per year, it's certainly worth one day and maybe $200 per year to have a car you love versus saving that trip to the shop and having to drive a Honda Accord.

 

[epoch]

Don't forget that the other cars are japcrap, and won't impress anyone.

Ever.

 

[JohnnyG]

If your on this board asking this question,to me,its a no brainer,you've already decided---ITS THE CHARGER!!! So now go-for-it,and be happy!! Your heart will be glad you did!!!

 

[SOLD!]

I actually considered the Accord V6 and the Altima SER and the Charger SXT. All 3 were within my budget and had 4 doors. I actually leased the car, so reliability was not the main concern. The decision came down to 2 points, rear wheel drive and better styling. The SER was more expensive and the Accord the cheapest and neither car got me passionate about getting them. They both just seem to do everything boringly well. I've never seen heads turning to check out the Accord or the Altima but with the Charger, I've had a collegue driving a 7 series ask me what car I was driving. Can't get better than that!

 

[DAYTONA_R/T]

cars I have looked at/test driven

Charger
CTS
350Z
Mustang
TL
BMW 3
Accord
Avalon
GTO


but Ordered a Charger Daytona...

Of course everyone on here either has or plans to get a Charger, or is just a troll...LOL, so of course we will all tell you to get it... but in reailty, get whatever you feel is right for you... as you are the one that has to drive it eveyday....