STARSHIP SUBS,
Soups, Catering, and
more...
Claudia Hommel
Cabaret Singer
Extraordinaire
Cordell Koland
Car Writer
Weekly Reviews
 2006 Dodge Magnum SRT8 by Cordell Koland The black Dodge Magnum SRT8 complete with black-out windows sitting in my driveway looks like no other application of the station wagon, American or otherwise. It has a sinister look and in the case of the ultimate Magnum, the SRT8 model carries one of the most powerful standard V-8 engines you can find, 425 horsepower worth of brute power. In terms of its appearance this is one bad wagon‹something that Tony Soprano and the guys might use to haul bodies to be dumped in the Hudson River. It also has that low-slung look that older readers will remember from the early 1950s Mercury coupes and associated with the badest of bad boys. The Magnum may not only be appealing to males. Surprisingly my wife is very attracted to the look of the Magnum and we have a standing joke around the house as to when she'll go buy one. The new-for-2006 Magnum SRT8 is an upgrade of the Magnum R/T, which was introduced in 2005. While the 340-horsepower R/T with its Dodge Hemi V-8 engine was a powerhouse, the new SRT8 puts the concept on steroids. With 425 horsepower on board thanks to an engine that larger in displacement and has improved breathing, the SRT8 is a blast to drive with massive power available at any speed. Just kick down on the accelerator and hang on for dear life. On the other hand, Dodge¹s timing for the Magnum SRT8 may be a little off considering the price at the pump, which has reached $3.79 for premium in my neighborhood. While the Magnum R/T Hemi gets 17 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg in highway driving, the SRT8 limps along with 14 mpg/city and 20 mpg/highway. But the engine is only part of the story. The real news may be that the big wagon handles very well. I had the opportunity to run the Magnum SRT8 on one of America's most challenging road-racing courses, which feature both changes in elevation and very demanding curves. On the track, the performance was stunning, not just in terms of power, but more importantly how adeptly the big wagon could be guided around the curves. Stopping power was unworldly, but not surprising given the wagon's huge high-performance Brembo four-piston brakes. The design of the Magnum is distinctive. It doesn¹t seem to owe much to either the contemporary utility vehicle design, nor to the profile of the classic station wagon. The design goal was to incorporate elements of a sports sedan and an SUV. The Magnum wears a very bold grill and the long roofline slants toward the rear. The beltline is quite high and the glazed area is relatively short, which gives the car a menacing appearance, not unlike the classic American hot rod. The massive 20-inch wheels are pushed out to the corners of the vehicle and give the Magnum a dynamic quality. The interior is austere with a charcoal dashboard and center console. But the fairly simple layout has one advantage‹the controls are quite easy to use. The SRT8 has special seats‹black leather with gray cloth inserts. The combination is very pleasing. The Magnum is extremely practical. We found the rear cargo area able to swallow a Costco-sized load of essentials. Dodge has designed a nice adaptation of the rear lift gate. It is hinged at the top midway between the C and D roof pillars, which means that it swings up well out of the way and makes it easy for very tall people to lean into the cargo area. There was one minor problem, the lower lip on the entrance to the cargo area is raised a couple of inches, which makes it somewhat difficult to slide out large, bulky objects without actually having to lift them up and over the lip. Vehicle:
Dodge Magnum SRT8
Price as tested: $41,400 Engine: Type: 6.1-liter V-8 Horsepower: 425 @ 6,000 rpm Torque: 420 lbs.-ft. @ 4,800 rpm Fuel economy, automatic transmission City 14 mpg Highway 20 mpg Curb Weight: 4,260 lbs. Cordell Koland is an automotive journalist based in California's central coast. He can be reached at cordellkoland@oakparkjournal.com |
