I rented Dodge Magnum for our trip to Yosemite and back. I have to say, this is the first American car of the recent generation that I am seriously impressed with.
Exterior: I love the lines of this wagon. Seriously badass.
Passenger and cargo room: more than plenty. Passengers in the back had plenty of leg room, and our daughter in the child seat couldn't reach the front seats with her legs, so no kicking in the back either. Trunk is just huge. We loaded all our stuff, including backpacks, jogging stroller, baby backpack carrier and suitcases, and there was still plenty of room for more. Seats are comfortable, and interior plastic doesn't feel cheap.
Handling: very nimble. Excellent turning radius for tight parking lots, and very agile on those twisty mountain roads. I was hauling ass in the pins and turns easily passing traffic on the road. Since this was a basic SE rental model, I can only expect better performance with more expensive models on good tires and rims. The steering wheel was too light though, I'd prefer more of a 'road feel' to it.
Power: this is the part that sucked. Basic SE model has 2.7 liter 190 HP engine. Good enough for inter-urban cruising, but it was out of breath in the mountains. Barely going 45-50 mph up the steep inclines in lower gear. The gearbox is auto only, and SE has a primitive gear selection model: no tip-tronic. You can't nudge it to go one gear lower or higher as needed. Very frustrating.
More expensive RT/SRT models have an auto with gear selection available.
Overall: if I were in the market for a wagon, this baby would give an Outback/Legacy a very serious run for its money. Definitely more aggressive badass looks than Subaru. Too bad the MPG is horrenous on Hemi models: 14 city, 20 highway.
Exterior: I love the lines of this wagon. Seriously badass.
Passenger and cargo room: more than plenty. Passengers in the back had plenty of leg room, and our daughter in the child seat couldn't reach the front seats with her legs, so no kicking in the back either. Trunk is just huge. We loaded all our stuff, including backpacks, jogging stroller, baby backpack carrier and suitcases, and there was still plenty of room for more. Seats are comfortable, and interior plastic doesn't feel cheap.
Handling: very nimble. Excellent turning radius for tight parking lots, and very agile on those twisty mountain roads. I was hauling ass in the pins and turns easily passing traffic on the road. Since this was a basic SE rental model, I can only expect better performance with more expensive models on good tires and rims. The steering wheel was too light though, I'd prefer more of a 'road feel' to it.
Power: this is the part that sucked. Basic SE model has 2.7 liter 190 HP engine. Good enough for inter-urban cruising, but it was out of breath in the mountains. Barely going 45-50 mph up the steep inclines in lower gear. The gearbox is auto only, and SE has a primitive gear selection model: no tip-tronic. You can't nudge it to go one gear lower or higher as needed. Very frustrating.
More expensive RT/SRT models have an auto with gear selection available.
Overall: if I were in the market for a wagon, this baby would give an Outback/Legacy a very serious run for its money. Definitely more aggressive badass looks than Subaru. Too bad the MPG is horrenous on Hemi models: 14 city, 20 highway.
