Hey all, first time here. So i hope you guys can help. I have a 02 Grand Prix SE which has to go because of all the problems i am starting to have well that and what i have heard about dex cool and such. So i was thinking of getting a charger. My brother and dad said i should go with a honda but no way they are way too expensive and i don't want a 4 cyl, anyhow i am wandering how reliable are the chargers? I would buy an Se as i can't affort the r/t. Now i have read mixed opinions about this and the 2.7 seems very problematic (tranny problems, bogging out in puddles, etc) so how reliable is the 3.5? Also is it a fuel hog compared to the 2.7? Gas mileage would be very important as well althought i don't think i would get 27 on highway like the 2.7. I also have been debating the magnum se,is the 2.7 as problematic as the charger?. So any knowledge you guys can pass on would greatly be appreciated.

 

First of all - welcome to our forum. We'll see if we can help you make an informed decision.

First - stay away from the 2.7. There have been reliability problems, and, that is basically the Charger's rental-car engine. IMHO, it's just too small for a car the size of the Charger.

Second - I think that the 3.5 is a very good engine. It's been around for a while in one form or another, and has, I think, a pretty good "track" record.

Third - as far as gas mileage - don't believe everything you read. Real world experiences are usually much different than the "lab" results that the EPA uses. I have an '06 R/T and I can get anywhere from 25 to 29 mpg on the highway at 75mph. Around town, unless I am REALLY workin' it hard, I rarely get less than 22 mpg.

There have been problems with the o-ring on the tranny dip stick tub leaking; having said that, I'm not sure about the new models. I think most everyone here has had that fixed - free - by their dealers.

Some have reported other tranny problems, i.e., shifting poorly, especially from first to second gear, and making weird noises. I believe that some of this is traced to the ESP - Electronic Stability Program. When the ESP is "engaged" and if the tires start slipping, especially going around a corner (easy to do with the Hemi ), the ESP will kick in and, if it kicks in hard enough, it will seemingly, almost kill the engine. It also makes a terrible noise when it kicks in. I've driven mine pretty hard at times, but have only experienced some "problems" when I forgot to turn off the ESP (also part of the traction control system). When the ESP is turned off, no problems at all here.

I think that the 3.5 V-6 is a very good, all around engine. I've seen some around here that run pretty good, too. Hope this helps some. When you consider some of the SUVs and cross-over vehicles available, and see what their EPA mileage estimates are, the Charger starts looking better and better. Oh, by the way - I was just looking (on-line) at the new Dodge Journey. It's being billed as Dodge's first cross-over vehicle. With the 2.4 litter 4 cylinder engine, it's EPA estimates are 16 and 25. The R/T version with the 3.5 V-6 are 16 and 23. I'm not totally believing these figures because if the Journey is as big as it looks, that little 4 cylinder engine is going to have to work pretty hard to lug it around. I think the V-6 (which is available in the SXT version) will get better than the EPA estimate of 16 and 23.

Whatever you do, good luck. If you do end up with a Charger, no matter which version, we hope you will come back and visit us. All of what I said are my personal thoughts and the results of my own, real-life experiences with my R/T.

dave

 

74scamp, i was planning to get one next year, butdoes your r/t have the road and track package? But other than the o-ring no problems? I'm planning to get a brand new r/t with the road and track next year, just curious.

 

Hey thanks. Very informative reply you have given. Well i plan on going to test drive the charger and the magnum this weekend. The dealerships have a few listed for anywhere from $ 16,500 up to 20,000. They have them listed as SE just i will have to see if it's the 3.5's

Heck maybe if the price is right i will go with an sxt. But i may also go with the magnum.

Thanks again,
Pat

 

A little update. I went to look at chargers yesterday and got to say wow what a large car. I love that the battery is in the trunk. The dealer told me (don't know if i believe him) that the charger sxt does about 36 mpg on highway. Either way i am 97 % sure getting a charger, the other percentage is reserved for checking the magnum out

 

Unfortunately, mine does NOT have the road and track package. At the time, I knew more about the Charger than the dealership did and they said it wasn't available. Well, we all know that it was. Really, just the o-ring, and the fact that I think there is something wrong with the struts on mine. I'm actually putting new Monroe struts on this weekend.


dave

 

Hmmmm. I'd be a bit skeptical about 36 mpg. Remember, the Hemi has the DMS system whereby it goes into 4 cylinder mode when just cruising. This morning, at 75 mph, on the way to work, when I reset the mpg screen, it went to 30. I still think the 3.5 is a great motor. I really have to be playing pretty hard to get mine down to less than 20 mpg, though. Not trying to steer you towards the Hemi, but I think 36 may be a stretch for the 3.5. It's only rated at 25 mpg highway in the new Dodge Crossover - what's it called, can't remember now.

dave

 

74scamp.

do you have any mods helping you to get 22 in the city and 25-29 on the hwy? My wife's 07 R/T only gets 17 in the city and at best @75-80mph with cruise control it got 23.5

 

I do have some mods. Whether they help with the mpg is, I suppose, subject to conjector. What I've done is: Magnaflow exhaust, MP CAI, Flash Paq tuner. Not sure where you are located, but there has been some thought (by me?) that here in the great southwest (New Mexico) I'm almost a mile high. It's possible that the computer leans out the fuel delivery some to compensate for the low density air (i.e., lack of air). That would tend to contribute to better gas mileage. Having said that, I'm dying to get it into the midwest with some really good, dense air, and see how it performs there.

dave

 

I'm in Nashville TN and my altitude changes depending on where I'm at...but 900 ft is a good average i guess. Did you feel a difference when you added the mods?