I know this is just the normal charger forum, but the srt-8 doesnt seem very active. I really like the new chargers and am looking into getting an srt-8. My son is about to turn 16 and instead of getting him a ram, we would just get an srt-8 and share vehicales. I would like to know yalls opinions on them in every aspect. How they handle, sound, gas milage, interior and exterior cosmetic issues. Anything and everything please .

 

Fuel millage won't be near as good as an R/T and with some mods an R/T will run with the SRT-8. Plus with the R/T your 16 year old can learn to drive and handle the responsibility of a powerful machine as you slowly add more power. Just my .02c, ok honestly I'm just jealouse my parents didn't buy me such a sweet ride when I was 16... or 18...or 21..or..

will you adopt me?

 

lol. Well it definatly isnt going to be his car, he is going to use it. He also will be using a 2006 mega cab laramie, lol. My brother recently purchased a r/t and it was great it just wasnt a srt-8. I just wish you could get a srt-8 AWD. I guess I could get r/t AWD and get headders, exhaust, ect. But I still wouldnt have a srt-8 would I? Plus I like the enterior of the srt-8's as well.

 

Squirtbottle,
We've gone over this many times: a dad trying to behis kid's best friend, buying a 425 HP car for him to drive... I had 14 years as a law enforcement officer, 20 years as an EMT, and am a dad of three twenty something boys, so I feel I am qualified to my opinion -- NO 16 year old has any expierence or business to be behind an SRT8 or a Charger Hemi steering wheel. Do what you want, but character withstanding, your responsibility is to be a dad -- I'm sure you are a fine one, but,the boy can wait awhile...
Like I said, just my opinion.

MN

 

Thats why I say an R/T but I'm Jealouse or however you spell it. I Have been in an SRT-8 and an R/T and didn't notice a dif, but I wasn't looking. Plus if your going to go without the fuel milage of the LDS? I would want the new 426 stroked version of the HEMI. Now thats something to motivate him to keep his grades up and drive right. But like MNBOY said its your choice. In all honesty if you have the money for an SRT-8 and want the boy in a fast car look into local dirt track racing. That will teach him skills and responsibility. Not saying you haven't already done that i'm just speaking to the general public.

 

I agree with mnboy!
The worst things is that he would only drive it on occasion.
At 16 he needs something fun and safe so he can learn the difference between the controls on a car and the controls on a Playstation. I had a 71 charger when I was 16, almost killed myself and friends several times, lucky to be alive. As far as the car goes, for you, it is superb, I bought an 07' SuperBee SRT8 about a month ago and it is one of thebest "feeling" cars I've been in in a while. Great handling awsome power. I've lost it a few times the first week just doing simple burnouts in a parking lot. Now I'm used to the power and give it the respect it deserves.
Have fun, do the toughest job, be a dad.

 

Well I am sure my son can handle it. He has been driving my truck since I got it, and he takes it out by himself many times. We live in a small town and I would know if anything ever happened. He is already an excellent driver and I have faith in him. Like I said, we will be SHARING the vehicales and I wont be scared to take it away from him at any time. We have jetskis and a polaris ranger now and everytime he takes either out it is his responsibility to clean it up and put it back. He only didnt do it once, lets just say he didnt make that mistake again. He is a good kid ranked very high in his class and has a good head on his shoulders. If we dont get the charger then he will probably get a hemi ram 4x4. I know he will probably end up doing some stupid stuff, but so will I, lol.Oh, and I am not in any way trying to be his best friend, he will only get to drive it when I am not, and who knows how often that will be.

 

Well I hope you have seen that some perfect strangers shared their concern about you and your son's safety above anything else. These are fantastic machines with the ability to excite and thrill both driver and passenger. Your son sounds like a great young man and he deserves a father that cares enough to want to reward him for being one of the "Good Ones". The SRT8 is one of the hotest things on the road right now and I think it would be a great reward for you, for raising a good responsible son. If hehas been used to"earning" things his whole life, give him what he wants.For saftey, trucks are tall and bouncey, small fast cars can get stuck under those trucks.
Good luck to both of you and enjoy life together.

 

SRT-8 for a 16 yo? Are you nuts? A 16yo needs a car that needs some work. He should provide the work to make it run and keep it running. Instead of buying bolt on accessories, he should be diagnosing and fixing his main transportation. The first car is one that you learn the hard lessons of life on. Decisions you make fixing and modifying that car should directly impact your mobility, as well as bank account. This is the time to develop traits that will guide you through the rest of your life. It is OK to make a mistake on a fixer-upper, it is crying shame to botch up one of the true great cars of our time, the SRT's.
A recent survey of 5th graders, which asked the question, "What will your first car be like?", was appalling. The overwhelming answer was a new Corvette! The majority did not think that they would get anything less than a new car. Back in the day, I would have been happy to get any old rust bucket. This generation is going to stumble, and stumble hard. Make your kids earn the right to drive a $40,000 car, don't give it to them. I have been working for 25 years and I still cannot afford (or choose not to afford)the $7000/year depreciation that a car like that entails.
The most surprised car owners are the $40,000 + car buyers that find that their car cost them $15,000 in depreciation in the first year. Recently I talked to someone thatpaid $47,000 for a Jaguar X in 2002,they want $16,000 for it. But guess what? Blue book retail is $13,500 and trade in is $10,300. What else could you have done with that money? Five years $36,000...

[sm=rant.gif]

 

Looks like you got abunch of good advice from others, including parents <= including myself.

mnboy has some real world experience/insitewith situations that most of us will be spared from seeing or living through. Others, including myself, agree the SRT8 is too much for a young man of 16. A R/T 5.7 has plenty of power combined with good MPG (totally dependent on driving habits) and is very sutable for enjoyment.

You sound like a level headed father. I'm sure you choice will built on logic and notone built on hast.