scampman
68 dart gt guy
Thinking about getting rid of my suv and going to a dodge magnum. Anybody here own one or have ideas on which year magnum would be the best to look for? Would appreciate some input.
opinions on the dodge magnum
- Thread starter scampman
- Start date
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dano
Evil Handy Man
Get an 06-08. 05 was an odd ball as I understand. Get a R/T or STR8, i wouldn't mess with the 6 cyl cars. I had an 06 R/T and my buddy and I walked away from being rear ended at 55 mph by a Tahoe. Totaled the car. Great cars. I'd take an SRT8 one in a hear beat.
I like the 78 and 79. That's about it.
The newest Magnum is already 10 years old. Domestic cars, especially Chev's and Chrysler's from that "teetering on bankruptcy period" tend not to age as gracefully as other brands.
If you're mechanically inclined and are prepared for things needing to be repaired, then look for as gently used a Magnum you can find!
If you're mechanically inclined and are prepared for things needing to be repaired, then look for as gently used a Magnum you can find!
dano
Evil Handy Man
I'd go over to the LX forums and get opinions.
Unconventional
Well-Known Member
Got to admit .. For station wagons .. Magnums were pretty cool 
from experience, get the hemi, the v6 actually doesnt get any better mileage and actually gets worse mileage around town than the hemi.
I only know what I read about them at the time and what I've heard from owners...these cars are not without problems but it seems like the 5.7L and 6.1L cars are relatively reliable and nice to drive.
Thanks to the sheer mass of the cars on this platform, even the beastly 425hp 6.1 isn't overwhelmingly powerful in this car. Don't expect wild acceleration performance. DO expect poor fuel economy.
As mentioned above, this was a rough era for American cars and it shows in the interior more than anywhere else. I am absolutely not a luxury fan nor am I any kind of interior snob but those things have a design aesthetic and materials better suited to the interior of a grey port-a-potty.
Styling wise, this is obviously a subjective thing but they're slab-sided and blocky...especially when you get up close. It's always surprising to me how the profile looks almost sleek from a distance (thanks to that cool roof line) but as you approach, the door sill seems to be about 8" higher than it ought to be.
In any case, they're very much of the era, a time when Hummer H2s were still seen by many as viable transportation...I would say that currently, the styling is looking a bit tacky but they will likely be cool again when these enter classic status...we're ~15 years away from that though.
Personally, I would be really happy driving a V8 Magnum every day...either V8 is a great motor, they sound wonderful, they're driven from the proper end and the wagon body makes them just a bit more interesting.
Well...yeah but I think he's smart to ask in a non-specific forum too. Those guys and gals will have a skewed perspective on them as they are already fans and they're likely to give an overly positive viewpoint. Likewise, most of us here can totally overlook the A-bodies' many shortcomings.
Thanks to the sheer mass of the cars on this platform, even the beastly 425hp 6.1 isn't overwhelmingly powerful in this car. Don't expect wild acceleration performance. DO expect poor fuel economy.
As mentioned above, this was a rough era for American cars and it shows in the interior more than anywhere else. I am absolutely not a luxury fan nor am I any kind of interior snob but those things have a design aesthetic and materials better suited to the interior of a grey port-a-potty.
Styling wise, this is obviously a subjective thing but they're slab-sided and blocky...especially when you get up close. It's always surprising to me how the profile looks almost sleek from a distance (thanks to that cool roof line) but as you approach, the door sill seems to be about 8" higher than it ought to be.
In any case, they're very much of the era, a time when Hummer H2s were still seen by many as viable transportation...I would say that currently, the styling is looking a bit tacky but they will likely be cool again when these enter classic status...we're ~15 years away from that though.
Personally, I would be really happy driving a V8 Magnum every day...either V8 is a great motor, they sound wonderful, they're driven from the proper end and the wagon body makes them just a bit more interesting.
Well...yeah but I think he's smart to ask in a non-specific forum too. Those guys and gals will have a skewed perspective on them as they are already fans and they're likely to give an overly positive viewpoint. Likewise, most of us here can totally overlook the A-bodies' many shortcomings.
I only know what I read about them at the time and what I've heard from owners...these cars are not without problems but it seems like the 5.7L and 6.1L cars are relatively reliable and nice to drive.
Thanks to the sheer mass of the cars on this platform, even the beastly 425hp 6.1 isn't overwhelmingly powerful in this car. Don't expect wild acceleration performance. DO expect poor fuel economy.
As mentioned above, this was a rough era for American cars and it shows in the interior more than anywhere else. I am absolutely not a luxury fan nor am I any kind of interior snob but those things have a design aesthetic and materials better suited to the interior of a grey port-a-potty.
Styling wise, this is obviously a subjective thing but they're slab-sided and blocky...especially when you get up close. It's always surprising to me how the profile looks almost sleek from a distance (thanks to that cool roof line) but as you approach, the door sill seems to be about 8" higher than it ought to be.
In any case, they're very much of the era, a time when Hummer H2s were still seen by many as viable transportation...I would say that currently, the styling is looking a bit tacky but they will likely be cool again when these enter classic status...we're ~15 years away from that though.
Personally, I would be really happy driving a V8 Magnum every day...either V8 is a great motor, they sound wonderful, they're driven from the proper end and the wagon body makes them just a bit more interesting.
Well...yeah but I think he's smart to ask in a non-specific forum too. Those guys and gals will have a skewed perspective on them as they are already fans and they're likely to give an overly positive viewpoint. Likewise, most of us here can totally overlook the A-bodies' many shortcomings.
What shortcomings?
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
we had a 2007 v6 magnum..
the 3.5 is a real smooth runner with plenty of power for us ( the 2.7 is a pig. stay away from that at all costs).... like stated though the hemi gets as good if not better mileage.
car was a great highway car. rode very nice, handled real nice and kept up with traffic just fine..
car was a pile of **** though...
from 17,000 miles to 42,000 miles it needed:
two shifters.
fuel pumps
tie rods
brake rotors.. the rotors on those things are way under sized.
there was a chatter in the what seemed like the converter that i never liked.. earlier ones had a recall on them but they swore ours was fine.
and a few other things i can't remember right now.. seemed like it was always in the shop.
best thing we did was get rid of that **** box just before the warranty was up and bought a camry. now that camry was a great car. other then routine maintenance it needed nothing. only reason we got rid of that at 100,000 miles is because my child support was over and i was either buying myself a new mustang or jamie something new.. we ended up getting her a subaru outback.. another great car other then the fact it was black and a pain in the *** to keep clean..
the 3.5 is a real smooth runner with plenty of power for us ( the 2.7 is a pig. stay away from that at all costs).... like stated though the hemi gets as good if not better mileage.
car was a great highway car. rode very nice, handled real nice and kept up with traffic just fine..
car was a pile of **** though...
from 17,000 miles to 42,000 miles it needed:
two shifters.
fuel pumps
tie rods
brake rotors.. the rotors on those things are way under sized.
there was a chatter in the what seemed like the converter that i never liked.. earlier ones had a recall on them but they swore ours was fine.
and a few other things i can't remember right now.. seemed like it was always in the shop.
best thing we did was get rid of that **** box just before the warranty was up and bought a camry. now that camry was a great car. other then routine maintenance it needed nothing. only reason we got rid of that at 100,000 miles is because my child support was over and i was either buying myself a new mustang or jamie something new.. we ended up getting her a subaru outback.. another great car other then the fact it was black and a pain in the *** to keep clean..
scampman
68 dart gt guy
So far I am getting the idea of an 08 SRT/8, am I assuming correctly? More input please and what should I be looking at in terms of good price on the 08 SRT/8? I really appreciate all of your input good or bad. I trust you guys opinions over those of others because you are all Mopar guys. Bring them on. Thanks Brian
Exactly
rustycowll69
Well-Known Member
I don't own one, but my good friend, Brian, owns one. He bought it new, I think it's an early one, maybe '06 (?) R/T. He had a few issues, nothing major. He has over 200K on his, now, still runs great. I would agree the brakes are on the small side, but that's nothing new for Mopar. An SRT probably doesn't have that issue. I've driven it, had it up to 135, and it had plenty more if I wanted to push it. I'd consider buying one, if I had a place to keep it.
FYI, a Subaru is not a great car. Around here, they are stolen about as frequently as old Hondas. They use oil, and the manufacturer freely admits it. The owners manual says 1qt every 1000miles is normal and acceptable! A former coworker fought for a year to have his brand new forester replaced because of oil usage. My next door neighbor had his towed away when the tranny failed in less than 50k miles. My son's best friend's Mom's Subaru tranny failed in the first two weeks.
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
i can only go by my personal experience. our 2016 outback was an awesome car.. never had an ounce of trouble with it. drove great. lots of power for a little 4 cyl too.. towed my 1200 pound camper 1400 miles easilt. very comfortable car.. only got rid of it because we bought a travel trailer and needed something that could tow 4000 pounds so we got a tacoma... awesome truck so far. only towed 700 miles though so we will see how it works out..
being stolen a lot sucks but thats not the manufactures doing. doesn't make it a bad car.. popular apparently...
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scampman
68 dart gt guy
I am asking only about the Magnum Station from 05 to present. Thank you guys for all of your input it is very much appreciated. If anyone sees one for sale can you please send me a link or the place it is for sale? Brian
abodyjoe
Well-Known Member
they pop up on moparts from time to time.. check out the lxforums too,
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Unconventional
Well-Known Member
I just did a quick CL hunt ... SRT in Phx for a song ... Always thought the Olds Cutlass sized wagon with a 455 in it might be fun .. Bout the same weight as a Chevelle and them big Oldsmobile's would run 
replicaracer43
Grumpy Old Man
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The hemis are not without problems, early versions had valve seats falling out, plastic timing chain tensioners breaking, cams eating lobes, piston failure, valve spring failure, I am personally not impressed with the track record of a 5.7.....
You found a 2008 SRT8 Magnum for sale? Those are pretty rare since they made less than 300 of them that model year.
SpikeWills69
Live Free or Die
My Son-in-law had an 05 R/T with the 5.7 and loved it. Only thing he ever had to do was replace an alternator at a little over a hundred thousand miles. It was a cool car and they have a ton of cargo room in the rear. Fun to drive and never had any engine problems. Hemi is good if maintained properly. Good luck with your search.
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