Funny, I found it the opposite for a couple of these.
- Mine always felt special and I would happily jump in it to go to the Post Office. Always liked walking back to it while it idled by the curb; love the sound and the look. Didn't sound or look like any other mid sized new car to me.
- I like the visuals of my motor and never had problems with making plans. If anything it was one of my problems. :D
- No real argument on the cost of hopping one up, but I will say a 6.4 cam into a 5.7 really isn't any more expensive than one into an LA. And the nice thing about any of the Hemi's is that the heads already beat most of what is available for a SB so those really aren't necessary to upgrade. Same with the intake other than maybe stepping up to a 6.4 one on a 5.7. On the other hand, long tubes and aftermarket cams are much more expensive and everything comes with the expectation that a tune is needed which can set you back a pretty penny.
- I always loved the character of mine. Easy going and mellow until I asked for a response in anger. It was (in my mind) the best of both worlds.
Something I have to acknowledge is that I was probably somewhat imprinted on the newer Challengers. I was there in Vegas when they unveiled the prototype, and every time I saw them on the road I said I was going to own one. So I certainly have a predisposition towards seeing them in a favorable light. Not much different than some of the reasons we like Mopar instead of GM.
I owned both my Duster and my Challenger at the same time, and in my eyes, the Challenger just did everything better than my Duster. The only place the Duster was better was in that I could point to it and say I drug it out of a junk yard and put it back on the road and did most of the work myself. Certainly something to hang a hat on, but when comparing what a car is actually support to do the Duster just fell short in most every way. The Duster is getting better, but still a long ways to go.
Character and feel are such an individualistic thing. So hard to put a finger on.
