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Road testing the '08 Dodge Challenger

Tom Incantalupo | ROAD TEST

June 27, 2008

Chrysler vice chairman and president Jim Press introduces the all-new 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 at the Chicago Auto Show. (Wieck Media Photo)

It's obvious why Chrysler would want to go back to the '60s and early '70s - an era when Honda was just a motorcycle maker to most Americans and almost everyone bought American cars. But - automotively, at least - you don't want to go back. Trust me, I was there.

The indifferently assembled cars of the era with their single-digit fuel economy, sloppy steering, bad brakes and suspensions that were either brutish or marshmallowy are fun to admire at car shows, but most are easily out-handled by even the most modestly priced 2008 model - and usually out-accelerated by modern performance machines. When it comes to cars, it's good that they don't make them like they used to.

It's also good, then, that the new Dodge Challenger SRT8 muscle coupe on which we focus today looks but doesn't drive like the original Challenger of 1970-74. While this summer's $4-a-gallon gasoline makes the timing unfortunate for introduction of a car with a 6.1-liter V-8 engine, the new Challenger is a 21st-century car: fast, fun and safe to drive hard (and stop quickly) with reasonable fuel economy. Its suspension is firm and delivers flat cornering and good control over uneven surfaces, yet it doesn't beat up the car's occupants. There are anti-lock brakes and traction control as backups. And, of course, frontal and side air bags.

The steering could be tighter. There's some instability in the rear, even though the suspension is independent. The blind spots caused by the upswept window line and thick rear roof pillars mandate extra care in lane changes. The gauges glare badly in direct sunlight. At 4,100 pounds, this intermediate sized coupe feels heavy.

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Zero to 60 mph takes under five seconds, with 425 hp. on tap. Buyers of '09 models will be able to opt for a six-speed stick shift; the '08 came only with an automatic, which might seem odd for a muscle car, but Chrysler expects most buyers will want the auto anyway.

I averaged about 18 mpg during seven days with the tester - on the high end of the EPA estimated range of 13 mpg in city driving, 18 on the highway. Premium fuel is recommended.

Buyers got socked with a $2,100 federal gas-guzzler tax for '08, which will drop to $1,700 in '09.

The '08 models, all 6,400 of them, are sold out, at $39,995 with freight to start - plus options and any dealer gouging.

More sedate variants with a smaller V-8 and a V-6 just went on sale, starting at $21,995 with freight.

Like the current generation Mustang and the upcoming Camaro, the Challenger trades on the fond memories of the early muscle cars, which came along at a time of cheap fuel and happy prosperity for most Americans but were killed later by high insurance rates, pollution-emissions limits and more expensive gasoline.

Early owners of the Challenger can expect lots of attention on the road; I was photographed at least twice by other drivers with cell-phone cameras. Gawkers habitually hung in those aforementioned blind spots, sometimes for miles, to take a leisurely drink of the Challenger's beauty.

Neither the federal government nor the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has published safety ratings for the Challenger.

Nor is there any information yet about its relative reliability. Chrysler Corp.'s record is mixed; it continues to be a bottom dweller in various J.D. Power and Associates owners surveys, but Consumer Reports finds two of the Challenger's mechanical relatives - the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger - good enough for its "recommended" designation.

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Vehicle tested:

Engine: 6.1-liter V-8, 425 hp.

Fuel: Premium recommended

Transmission: Five-speed automatic, rear wheel drive

Safety: Dual front and curtain-type air bags; 4-wheel disc brakes with antilock and

stability control, fog lamps

Place of assembly: Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Trunk: 16.2 cubic feet

EPA fuel economy estimates: 13 mpg, city; 18 highway

Price of tester: $41,310 with freight and $2,100 gas-guzzler tax