 |
Technical
There are 3 different engines available in the Magnum. The first two are V6s taken from other Chrysler products. The first is the 2.7L that develops 190 hp at 6 400 rpm and 190 lb/ft of torque at 4 000 rpm. The other, the 3.5L, puts out 250 hp at 6 400 rpm and 250 lb/ft of torque at 3 800 rpm. The other is the famous Hemi: a 5.7L monster V8 engine that spews out a whopping 340 hp at 5 000 rpm and 390 lb/ft of torque at 4 000 rpm. The V8 is equipped with a system called Multi-displacement. What this does is shut off 4 of the 8 cylinders during highway cruising to improve fuel consumption. There are 2 automatic transmissions available. The V6s get the 4-speed unit and the Hemi latches onto the 5-speed.
The Magnum, on top of being offered as a rear-wheel drive vehicle, has an all-wheel drive option that, for the moment, makes it the only full-size American wagon to propose such an attractive package. Base models get 17" wheels and all the R/Ts receive 18" wheels sporting 225/60R18 Continental tires.
On the road
The car sits very low to the ground, is very wide and, being a front-engine rear drive car, has very good balance given its 52/48 weight distribution. It handles curves without breaking into a sweat and has a smooth ride on a uniform road. The front end however, looses its composure over less-than-perfect surfaces. I am hoping that with an all-wheel-drive model, the front-end will calm down under the extra weight. Even though the car is low-slung, it remains quite sensitive to crosswinds. As well, although the tires are large and the suspension travel is adequate, small bumps and road imperfections still managed to find their way into the car.
Acceleration and passing with the 5.7L are sports
car quick and impressive. I got the feeling that I could take anybody on in stoplight racing (not that I did). The sound of this V8 is intoxicating and will make people reminisce about the muscle cars from the old days. Obviously, with such great power comes great fuel consumption, particularly when city driving. I averaged just over 14 litres per 100 km over a distance of 1 850 km, most of which was highway driving. Transmission shifts were very smooth and quick. Kick-downs were mostly swift, if sometimes a tad late. Braking is achieved via 4 wheel vented discs that perform surprisingly well for such a heavy car. Pedal response is reassuring especially when stopping hard from highway speeds. Steering does lack a little precision but feedback is present. As a side note, I found the headlights to be a little weak. On a dark and stormy night, with the fog lights on, I had a difficult time seeing up ahead. They are nowhere near as ineffectual as the first generation of the Intrepid, but I had expected them to be much brighter. Safety
The car has standard dual air bags, traction and stability control, ABS brakes with brake assist as well as seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for a frontal impact and 4 out of 5 stars (a very good result) in lateral impacts for front occupants and 5 out of 5 for the rear passengers.