Thinking About a Charger SRT8

[Elfear]

So my Prius is draining the life out of me and I want to find something more fun to replace it with. I'm leaning heavily towards a '06-09 Charger SRT8. Solid performance, large enough to haul my wife and three kids when needed, and I really like the styling. From what little I've read the 6.1L is pretty solid and the Mercedes NAG1 5-speed auto is fairly stout.

Anyone have any input?

Also, anyone in the Jackson, Mississippi area want to take a look at modded '08 for me?

 

[iamwiz82]

A 2011+ 5.7 with 3.06 rear end will be almost as fast as a previous gen SRT.

 

[Subyman]

What is with the huge swing from gas sipper to gas guzzler? There has to be sensible middle ground, no?

 

[SearchMaster]

What is with the huge swing from gas sipper to gas guzzler? There has to be sensible middle ground, no?

He's cashing in his "carbon credits"

 

[MongGrel]

What is with the huge swing from gas sipper to gas guzzler? There has to be sensible middle ground, no?

You'd think so.

That thing will suck gas big time.

Fun to drive though I'm sure.

 

[Elfear]

A 2011+ 5.7 with 3.06 rear end will be almost as fast as a previous gen SRT.

Not a bad idea. The 2011 R/T does 0-60 in the low 5's and the quarter in the high 13's. It's heavier than the previous gen by 250-400lbs. MPG is up a couple ticks. Nav system is more modern. Overall I like the styling of the older gen to be honest plus the SRT8 has a lot of upgrades over the R/T (suspension, brakes, seats, etc.)

What is with the huge swing from gas sipper to gas guzzler? There has to be sensible middle ground, no?

I am sick and tired of my Prius. It's a great A to B car, very reliable, and great mpg but it is soulless and I'm a car guy. I got the Prius thinking I'd get a something fun as a 2nd car but I think I'll just sell the Prius.

Not sure what in between car there would be. GTI and Fiesta ST look kind of fun but ultimately underpowered and don't have the sound of a V8. Any cars you were thinking in particular?

He's cashing in his "carbon credits"

Exactly. I've done my penance after 7yrs of economy cars.

You'd think so.

That thing will suck gas big time.

Fun to drive though I'm sure.

Gas mileage is pretty bad on the big Dodge's (13/18) but gas is cheap right now and I only drive 3-5k miles a month.

 

[vshah]

Isn't the scat pack the one to get? all the srt-8 go fast bits for about 10k less...

 

[tsupersonic]

Gas mileage is pretty bad on the big Dodge's (13/18) but gas is cheap right now and I only drive 3-5k miles a month.

It's cheap now, but what about a couple years from now? Don't assume it will remain cheap. If you're driving 3-5k miles a month (that's a crap ton of miles btw), I'd definitely keep the Prius, and get a second weekend/fun toy.

 

[MongGrel]

I was going to say, 3K miles a month is a lot of driving in my case.

But it's your call of course.

 

[Yuriman]

(5,000 miles in a month x $2.00 per gallon x 12 months) / 15mpg = ???

I would try and find something that gets closer to 30 combined, frankly. There are much better things I could be doing with that $8,000 in fuel each year.

 

[JulesMaximus]

3k miles per month is 36,000 miles a year and 5k miles a month is 60,000 miles a year.

Both of those are a shit load of miles.

 

[Elfear]

Sorry guys, typing too fast. I drive 3-5k miles a year. Even if gas goes up it's not a significant part of the budget.

 

[Subyman]

I wasn't thinking of anything in particular. Sounds like you need a four door car so you could transport the family around, but you want it to have a bit of spirit to it. There aren't many V8 cars that would fit the bill without getting into higher end cars.

Depending on your budget, I'd probably lean German. We've had a 2009 528xi since it was new and it is a phenomenal car. Always a joy to drive. Plenty of passing power with smooth output. A lot of fun to swing around in the curves, but still very sensible for hauling people and plenty of trunk space. The new 5-series isn't as nice as the last generation, so I'm looking to Mercedes for the next car. Test drove a E-series and it was awesome. Great ride, plenty of power, and a perfect for having a bit of fun with all while getting 30mpg.

If the Germans are bit out of the price range then the Japanese make some fun cars.

What is the budget?

 

[COPOHawk]

I have owned a 2009 G8 GXP (auto) for about 3.5 years now. It is a great car for wife and 3 kids. It is a blast to drive, and I don't subject it to MN winters (Have a Suburban for that). I put about 7K miles on it a year, so far. It is a 4 door Camaro SS....except way more usable room than the 5th gen. I did look at the SRT8 when I was in the market, but liked the G8 more. Performance was a bit better. I knew exactly what I wanted going into it...and I haven't been disappointed.

There are very few cars that give you the performance, and the space with a reasonable price tag. Sounds like Charger or 300C SRT8 would work for you (if you like Mopar).

EDIT: Also...I wanted to add...it is OK to have fun with your car purchase. On this forum, I see a lot of people advocate for hybrids, Japanese brands, European brands. I actually went into the process with the criteria of owning a large car that could perform...and really didn't care about gas mileage, as much as I cared about performance data and safety. Some things you will never get in a Prius, or Miata, BMW, etc. It is tough to find a car with 0-60 sub 5 seconds that meets the "family" criteria with decent room (meaning a back seat meant for more than a toddler). It is OK to want such things

 

[Elfear]

I wasn't thinking of anything in particular. Sounds like you need a four door car so you could transport the family around, but you want it to have a bit of spirit to it. There aren't many V8 cars that would fit the bill without getting into higher end cars.

Depending on your budget, I'd probably lean German. We've had a 2009 528xi since it was new and it is a phenomenal car. Always a joy to drive. Plenty of passing power with smooth output. A lot of fun to swing around in the curves, but still very sensible for hauling people and plenty of trunk space. The new 5-series isn't as nice as the last generation, so I'm looking to Mercedes for the next car. Test drove a E-series and it was awesome. Great ride, plenty of power, and a perfect for having a bit of fun with all while getting 30mpg.

If the Germans are bit out of the price range then the Japanese make some fun cars.

What is the budget?

I considered some German cars that would fit the bill but it sounds like maintenance can get pricey. An S550 or M5 would be a hoot but repairs would kill me.

Budget is $15-20k.

I have owned a 2009 G8 GXP (auto) for about 3.5 years now. It is a great car for wife and 3 kids. It is a blast to drive, and I don't subject it to MN winters (Have a Suburban for that). I put about 7K miles on it a year, so far. It is a 4 door Camaro SS....except way more usable room than the 5th gen. I did look at the SRT8 when I was in the market, but liked the G8 more. Performance was a bit better. I knew exactly what I wanted going into it...and I haven't been disappointed.

There are very few cars that give you the performance, and the space with a reasonable price tag. Sounds like Charger or 300C SRT8 would work for you (if you like Mopar).

To be honest I'm more of a GM guy. The LS-series engines are inexpensive to maintain, make great power, and very modable. A G8 or CTS-V is at the top of my list but I like the styling of the Charger a bit more.

EDIT: Also...I wanted to add...it is OK to have fun with your car purchase. On this forum, I see a lot of people advocate for hybrids, Japanese brands, European brands. I actually went into the process with the criteria of owning a large car that could perform...and really didn't care about gas mileage, as much as I cared about performance data and safety. Some things you will never get in a Prius, or Miata, BMW, etc. It is tough to find a car with 0-60 sub 5 seconds that meets the "family" criteria with decent room (meaning a back seat meant for more than a toddler). It is OK to want such things

:thumbsup:

Either way you go people aren't going to like your choice. My car buddies want to pull my man card for driving a Prius for the last couple years and my green friends will give me the stink eye for getting a gas hog. Life is too short to worry all the time about what everyone else thinks.

 

[Subyman]

I considered some German cars that would fit the bill but it sounds like maintenance can get pricey. An S550 or M5 would be a hoot but repairs would kill me.

Budget is $15-20k.

Ah, okay. I was looking at new car prices on the Charger and they can get very expensive for the upper V8 options. FWIW, I've owned or still own a 135i, 528xi, and a 2001 330ci and I haven't had any major issues with any of them. All have pretty much been service-free other than oil changes and filters. I've had better luck with the German cars compared to Japanese. I just had to replace bearings and a rear diff on a 2000 Subaru 2.5RS but haven't had to do anything to a 2001 330CI with similar mileage.

Either way you go people aren't going to like your choice. My car buddies want to pull my man card for driving a Prius for the last couple years and my green friends will give me the stink eye for getting a gas hog. Life is too short to worry all the time about what everyone else thinks.

Definitely. I was surprised by the hard swing you proposed, but it looks like you've given it a lot of thought. I took a ride in my uncle's 2015 Camaro SS and it rumbled and barked. We both had huge grins. No getting around it, American muscle is badass.