Hey guys i'm 17 years old and i'm turning 18 in May, and with that comes a new car from my wonderful parents
Well anyhow i've been looking at the 2006 charger and i've fell in love with it. Unfortunity my Mom hasn't, we test drove and it handle incredibly well. Obviously like any parent shes afraid that i'll be going 130 off a cliff, but lets cut to the point.
We are considering the R/T Model, but is the road and track addition really worth it?
Also any idea what the car really gets Gas Mileage wise cause Gas is getting up to 3.30$/gal where im from?
And this might seem dumb but i was talking to just a random mechanic about the Hemi engine and he said if i tried to strech it over 400hp that it would develop more ware and fall apart, not being an extremely knowlege able about cars, i'm not sure if this is true or false?

Thanks for the Help

 

Well HoboDan,

You're gonna hate my reply. [&o]

As an old man with kids your age... No 17 year old has any business going anywhere near a 340hp car unsupervised. Any parent that would consider it should have their head examined. Handling, airbags, anti lock brakes and traction control be damned. Sure you'll be safe but what of the people you just ran into?

On another note.. Damn I am feeling really old. I worked for every car I ever owned, except my very first one. It was a 1973 Capri that was given to me by my oldest brother when I got my license. I have also only been in one major accident in my 40+ years. Care to hazard a guess in which of my 20+ cars that I have owned it was in? You guessed it! I started from scratch after that and appreciated every car I ever owned/earned after that.

All this being said, the Charger base or SXT is one HELL of a car with a 250hp V6. You can get most if not all of the same amenities without 'I choose to die today' torque and horsepower.

I'm quite sure that you are the exception to the 17 year old rule and can handle all that horsepower. Of course if you are that exception, you'd probably be wise enough to know the V6 gets much better mileage and is a better choice for a fine young man your age.

 

MDS or not, the mileage with the 5.7 isnt going to be much better than the low 20's. At least that's what the people around here get with them. As far as beefing up the 5.7, sure there is going to be some prolonged wear on the drivetrain with extra power, but its not going to just fall apart on you. That aside, road and track is pretty much personal choice, if it was me i would not just get an R/T, but the Daytona R/T. Stands out from the crowd alot better. The 3.5 is probably the most practical choice, decent mileage and plenty of power.

 

Well, I gotta agree with everyone here on this one. Get the SXT. I rented on while visiting my daughter in Florida, and it was a GREAT car! I'm nearing 60 [:-], and 340+ hp is a lot of power. It's 340 hp different than 340hp of yesteryear cars. So, talk to your parents again about the SXT, IF you've got your heart set on a Charger. Its a fine, damn car!

dave

 

the road and track edition is really up to you.. yes the newer charger is an nice car expcelly now tha the engine can drop down to a 4 when you dotn need all 8 clinders.. i would say your gettin anything from 15-20 miles per a gallan if your not always punching it.. get a radar dectector like i did in my charger.. its a really nice car and its one of the safest out there.. does great in snow or rain.. cause its alittle on the heavy side i dont think that you can hydroplane the thing.. your mom has the right to have those thoughts but conciter this.. tell her ok.. if you get me the car and i will promise i will stay out of trouble.. if i get in trouble once you can take it and trade it in and ge me what ever you like.. that is what i did befroe my dad finally let me buy my 69 charger r/t and place a 600ci hemi under the hood.. and i havent gotten in trouble.. ive gotten stares and ppl envying me but not in trouble

 

Hey man,

Everyone here is right, I'm 18 and have a Charger R/T and it has a lot power to start out with. I have no tickets and no crashes, but that's me. If you have expireance driving well then maybe you can go with the R/T, but if this is going to be your first car then go with the 3.5 v6 high output, that still got some good power behind it, and will save you a ton of money compared to the HEMI.

 

Hobo Dan. If you have to get a Charger, forget the Hemi until you get thousands of no-accident miles and experience under your belt. Unless you hit the lottery, the insurance for an 18 year old as the primary driver in a 300+ horespower car (of any brand) will break the family bank. Save your parents' money, go to college, and buy a new Daytona when you graduate.

 

I'm going to weigh in here too -- I have three sons -- 19, 21, and 23. My oldest had a 2003 ZO6 Vette at 20, and now has a 2005 Subaru STI. My second son drives a 2001 Pontiac Grand Am GT, and my third son in COLLEGE , drives a 1995 Dodge Intrepid. They are all good drivers, I brought them up as well as I could with car clubs and car shows but kids will be kids and tickets have been issued. However, nothing serious, never any drinking involved thank God. However, their friends like to drive those high-speed rice burners now adays, just like I did with Roadrunners and 440 police cars. Certainly the kids, er, young adults, are all different and PERSONALITY takes a big step in driving habits. All parents want their kids in an Army tank for safety, and we pray everytime we see you leave the driveway and feel relief when you come home. I agree with most posters here to GRADUALLY step up to a Hemi Charger, because any kid will try and find the speed of light with whatever they drive [8D], and I must tell you that the more power you have to easier it is to use it -- and use it they will. It doesn't mean anything now, but just member whatever you do, effects us parents ten fold... in a car, be as cool as you can. Just my fatherly advise.

 

Hello Dan !!

Lets answer some of your basic questions first:

The Road and track package is the europeon handling package that assist the driver through auto leveling, torque control, suspension & electronics. Frankly its the option that takes the dodge evolution from a Charger muscle car to a Mercedes under wraps. In my view, it is worth the additional cost in that it gives this vehicle handling charactaristics substantially ahead of most other american made units.

Fuel milage should be a primary consern for you and your parents. The 5.7 Hemi stock will likely get you somewhere in the 16's. Your likely to be driving alot of city streets, stop and go; if I know a young man playing with the horse power, your likely to spend alot of time with the paddle shift and bypassing the MSD that would otherwise allow you to drop to the economy ranges. Best plan on spending 50 bucks a week for your 270 mile range.

Would I endorse the purchase of the 2006 Daytona RT for you? Sure I would.. I'd explain to your parent that this is a 2 ton vehicle, exceptional safety features, and fully adjustable performance charactaristics and will likely have a better than average resale. They can spend 500 bucks for a programmer and tune the unit back, set the speed & rev limits would be my first course of action before letting you loose on city streets.

If they can afford the 35K for the vehicle as a generous gift to their son entering maturity, surely they can kick for the $200 a month insurance payments, $200 dollar a month fuel bills, tires, oil changes, brakes and transmission service. Question I would ask you is, is it worth it to you should you need to take over payments and operating cost??

As a parent there are so many things to think about when considering their son or daughters welfare. Heck Pal, experiences bring up ghost of your parent's past behaviors and mistakes; *If I got cought doing 1/10 of the nonsense I did, they'd throw me under the jail*, and frankly can worry a parent spitless. Add to this the personal liability for your parents, should you involve others or other's property in an accident, You can well understand why your parents might pause before entrusting this much performance into the hands of a young man.

My advise to you is the same as that of others. Encourage your parent to purchase you the 3.5 liter high output v-6. Kiss them on the mouth for compromising between the exceptional looks & ammenities of the Charger, with the common sense of moderate performance and economy.

Good luck Pal

 

I gotta agree with Zedd.

I have a daughter who'll be driving in a few years and there's no way I'd let her loose with a 350hp, Hemi powered vehicle like the Charger (or even my old Magnum R/T I traded in). And giving a high performance vehicle like the Charger R/T to an 18 y/o just begs for trouble. I see enough of the high school kiddies around here in their souped up rice burners thinking they're all that and a bag of chips just itching to race and get in trouble.

Sorry if I seem to coming down on you but I'm not trying to. it's just that a Hemi Charger is a LOT of automobile. Yeah, you'll look cool and all and your friends will be impressed (probably more with the fact mom and dad got you the car) but sooner, rather than later, one of your buds will want to race you (yes, it will happen) or you'll get to feeling cocky and try to challenge every bad boy out there. You can't help it, no teenage boy can help it. I was the same way myself and it cost me big bucks in insurance premiums due to my own stupidity.

One last thing, and you probably won't like it either, but until you actually work and PAY for your own car (or anything for that matter) you are never going to appreciate it.

As for how the R/T handles I can tell you they stick to the road (when using the ESP). You'll be able to handle any twisty, turning back road you can think of at speeds that would make other cars fly off on the curves. In bad, snowy conditions I would prefer to drive my Magnum R/T over my 4WD Ram because it was so stable (due to the ESP). That alone is the only reason I would recommend it. As for mileage the only way you'll see 23mpg or better is if you take it on long trips. If you drive locally (even if some of that is freeway driving) expect to see 18mpg tops (and that's without using the A/C; if you use A/C expect it to go to 16mpg) Those Hemi's suck the juice. Lastly there's no need for you to boost the HP. If you do then you can expect the engine longevity to suffer. It's a fact that the more power you try to eke out causes the motor to wear faster. The components can only take so much stress before they begin to wear and fail. More power accelerates this process. I'd leave it stock and enjoy that unless you have tons of money or plan on dumping the car in a year or two.

-G-