harlanb1

I test drove the new Dodge Challenger V6 last weekend for kicks and thought I would post my humble opnion on it vs my 2006 V6 Premium.
The Challenger I looked at was fairly base. It had a chin spoiler, fancy rims, and upgraded stereo.
The body style is very nice and I think I actually like the looks a little better than the mustang. It had a solid feel to it and the hood did not feel like you where going to dent it by leaning on it like the mustang. The entrior looked very nice and very stylish. It did not have the plastic look and feel as the mustang interior.
On the test drive, It felt about the same power wise. It is kind of hard to tell, becouse the Challenger I drove was an automatic, and my Mustang is a manual. It has about 40 more hp than the mustang, but the car is much heavier. It had a basic exhaust system and it sounded very wimpy.
The ride was very smooth and had a solid feel. It cornerd about the same as my mustang, but the ride was smoother.

All in all I think it was a nicer car than the mustang. However, the price tag for this basic Challenger was over $28,000.
You can by a GT for that price and get a lot more power.
If the price tag for the Challenger was the same as the Mustang, I would have to say that the Challenger was the better car. However, since it is much more expensive I dont think I would buy one. For that kind of money I would expect some power.
This is just my opinion that I thought I would share.

fazm

i take it that dealer had crazy markup on it since they start at 22,500.

addison85

I test drove a V6 challenger and a R/T challenger. Both cars' weights contributed to very sluggish performance. I was not impressed.

Pnkhead

Challengers interior looks alot like the chargers...I was very close to getting a v6 challenger.

Mustang_Joe

Challenger=heavier, smoother, slower car with a nicer interior, more expensive
Mustang=Faster, more muscle car feel when driving, decent interior, decent exterior, great brotherhood, huge aftermarket,

I know which one I pick, Mustangs for life (unless a vette is in the future, but I will probably still own a stang at the same time). I especially wouldn't buy Daimler-Chrysler right now because if GM buys them out, who knows what will happen, they could fold the whole dodge line since they produce a lot of gas guzzling cars(best mpg car is the caliber and it's not that impressive at all in the mpg compared to todays cars).

07 Stang

I have not driven a Challenger but I have seen plenty in person. Their looks are OK but not enough to make me want to go out an buy one.

According to Motor Trend the base price is $21,995. The price of the car they tested in their December '08 Mag. was $24,790. It's an interesting article because they compare it with a 4.0 Mustang. Here's an excerp of that article;


"Despite a deficiency of 1.4 pounds per horsepower (16.2 to Challenger's 14.8), the Mustang gets the jump on the Challenger with a slight lead until 60 mph, when they're even up at 7.3 seconds. But the extra gear ratios continue to pay off as the Ford crosses the finish line three-tenths and 1.4 mph ahead of the Dodge's 15.6 seconds at 90.3 mph.
Bottom line: The SE delivers time-travel design at a deep discount, but utterly lacks the visceral and audible thrill of the originial. The Mustang presents tough competition and the direct injected 3.6 liter Camaro will likely outperform both."

Ford needs to get the EcoBoost V6 on the market soon!

red07Pony

I was able to test drive a V6 Challenger as well.

OP your description is extremely similar to mine experience as well. I could really tell the difference in the indepenent rear suspension vs our solid axle, it gave it a much smoother ride. But I couldn't tell much of a power difference due to it being an auto because that is all they offer vs my MT. I would imagine just like the AT mustangs the Challenger could be woken up with a tune. I wonder what potential they have with a tune????

I like the looks a lot but with the price being thousands more than the mustang I'm happy with my stang.

157dB

$22,545 + $725 Destination fee = $22,545 for a SE E package.
Add the nicer interior, flashy 18" rims, a handling package, TC ect.
with the G package like the OP probably drove and it goes to
$24,615 + $725 Destination fee = $25,340.
Just wait until they start shipping Deep Water Pearl Blue ones........

Not sure where the OP heard the $28,000+ price as they are selling
just below sticker round here, just no frickin Blue ones yet.

EDIT: <<<< see avitar
Got her for under $20,000 new.