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| 2005 Dodge Magnum SXT (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
Rear wheel drive means some great potential for really stimulating handling. And this is a Dodge to boot, which means tail-sliding, tire-smoking exits from corners leaving a throaty exhaust note trailing behind, right? Nope. Though I don't doubt the Magnum is capable of such fun, the ESP system intelligently protects you from yourself by not allowing anything more than just a little bit of a slide before killing the power and applying the brakes. That's if you turn it OFF. When it's on, good luck doing any showing off at all. It's like driving with your grandmother. There is plenty of grip before the computer kicks in, and you can really feel the balance of the car while entering corners. The weight shifts side to side with ease, the springs offering a soft ride but stiffening up nicely once you lean on them a little. The effect is a well-executed balance between ride quality and grip which is spot-on with the car's character. The Magnum doesn't really even show off its size at all until you try and go quickly around the tightest of corners, where the front end pushes just a little wide. Despite the computer intervention, you can appreciate the Magnum's ability to handle winter conditions by use of the ESP system. Just in case that isn't enough to stop you worrying about safety, the Magnum has dual-stage air bags and top-notch crash ratings, in case the incredibly smart ESP can't help you out.
Dodge has made sure the Magnum will find its way into your garage no matter how concerned for the environment, or conversely, how concerned about performance you are. Three engines are available. The lower models get a 2.7-liter V6 with 190 Horsepower. Obviously, it gets the best fuel mileage of the three, and is very quiet and smooth. The "all purpose" engine which powered my SXT is a 3.5-liter V6 with 250 horsepower and 250 pounds of torque. It is more than powerful enough, and uses a dual-stage intake system to provide a relatively flat power curve. It starts to pull just off idle and the power is strong right up to around 7,000 rpm, where the 4-speed gearbox grabs the next ratio and begins the process again. It's a fantastic-sounding unit as well, with a low, authoritative sound during light acceleration, and an exhilarating wail over about 5,000 revs when the intake changes its path. For even more great sound
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| 2005 Dodge Magnum SXT (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
effects, use the shifter's "L" position to call for downshifts as you stop. As the computer dials up the revs and shifts the transmission down, the engine lets out a brilliant sounding rumble that is really very addicting. It also saves the brakes. Of course, these two engines are overshadowed by the almighty fire-breathing Hemi, a 5.7-liter unit with 340 horsepower and enough torque to make sure your passengers stay in their seats for as long as you hold your foot down. Its cylinder deactivation shows some savings in fuel costs and is absolutely, completely imperceptible during the shutting off and reactivation of half the engine. This new MDS technology allows the Hemi Magnum to get 32 miles per gallon, only about 3 worse than the V6-powered SXT. So in effect, you can't make a great argument to opt out of the Hemi engine for the sake of fuel costs.
The transmission is worth a paragraph, I think. Of all the automatic transmissions I've driven, this one takes the award for the best. It's quick to react, quick to shift, but the really remarkable part is how incredibly well the throttle and gear matching takes place. Even if you downshift into first gear, there is no real pull or shudder to it. Shifting down is nearly instant, and shifting up is done so perfectly that you can barely even feel a shift point at all. It's so good that I didn't mind not having a manu-matic mode on the base transmission. It's really that good. If you want to know what an automatic gearbox should act like, go drive one of these.
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| 2005 Dodge Magnum SXT (Photo: Justin Pritchard, Auto123) |
To recap today's lesson: The Magnum is fun, has the feel of a coupe, the versatility of a minivan, the sound of a performance car and the quality feel only a little German influence could really provide. Its rear wheel drive platform is an award winner, and delivers fantastic manners and good balance. Need more incentive, decides the factory cassette player? You get a 100,000 km warranty as well. With such a fun and versatile package, and options and engines to please almost everybody, I think I have found myself the best combination of fun and flexibility out there. I can see you driving co-workers to lunch in it and having a quiet conversation while cruising the highway at speed. I can also see you holding onto the Magnum for a long time and being able to easily adapt it to your growing family, if one is in the plans. And if one IS in the plans, you can always rest assured that the Magnum will be way cooler than your buddie's minivan, "Baby on Board" sticker or not.
