Challenger R/T

Has anyone driven a new challenger R/T with the 5.7L? I have come to a crossroads with my whole car hobby. My wife has given me the ok to get an 09 r/t with the 6 speed (and its hemi orange)...

This really goes against what I would normally do...I mean until I bought my frontier I never spent over 1k on a vehicle.

The price is good right now though, would it be a good investment???(maybe I could talk myself in to it that way )

If YOU are happy with the car then buy it. I took a rash of E36 M3 about owning a Cobalt, but didn't care because I was making the payments not the haters.

Go get it if YOU want it.

If you don't mind my asking, what kind of real money are we talking about? $25k gets you a clean, low-mile used Z06. I'm just sayin'.

Get it for any reason that you like...except as an investment!

I think that they are great looking, have good power and from what I have heard handle well for a heavy car. But, the chances of their value doing anything but go down in the foreseeable future is slim. Drive the heck out of it and let that be the return on your investment.

But, the chances of their value doing anything but go down in the foreseeable future is slim. Drive the heck out of it and let that be the return on your investment.

And to even have a chance of holding its value, you'd have to lock it in the garage and only take it out for Sunday drives in nice weather, which would negate the whole reason for owning one. If you want one and can afford it, go ahead, but it's not going to be an investment.

Wise man once told me, never invest in anything that leaks oil, unless you're drilling for it.

My father owns about a dozen antique cars, in all sorts of condition. He hasn't spent more than $12,500 on any one vehicle (but he has put about $5,000 more in that truck). His biggest investment was a 3,900 sq ft heated garage/workshop to keep his toys in.

He has no intention on selling any of the vehicles. Some day, half of them will be mine, and they will be passed on to my kids.

The cars are a better investment than a cruise, or a Vegas vacation, or a smoking habit. They are a great way to spend time with your family (driving or restoring), though.

I say buy the Charger, drive it on occasion, keep it garaged and well-maintained, and keep it forever. Think of all the great cars of the '70s and '80s that we wish we still had around. How about an Aero Coupe Grand Prix? Or a nice '70s rotary Mazda coupe?

Old cars in good shape are cool. They don't necessarily have to be classic cars.

I, too, have really been eyeing a Challenger R/T (hemi + manual trans of course). There's no avoiding depreciation when buying a brand new car, but the car is so cool that the depreciation hit might be worth it...totally depends on the buyer. If you want it, get it. I'm up in the air between a used CTS-V and a new Challenger R/T...similarly over-the-top cars, I like the style of both but if I buy a new Challenger I can get it exactly the way I want it, warranty, brand new/never abused, etc. With a CTS-V I can save about 30% but that also means I am at the mercy of what I can find (condition, options, etc. may vary for local ones or travel across the country and take a gamble on what I might actually get).

If you're looking at it as an investment, you're going to be really disappointed...unless you're looking at it as a losing investment. Want to try to make money investing? Get into real estate or stocks or whatever...your odds there are a lot better than brand new cars.

Bryce

Oh yeah, and I've been having a heck of a time just finding a Challenger R/T that sits on the lot long enough to take for a test drive out here. Forget about finding a manual trans or a bare-bones version on the floor!

Bryce

As an investment? Lousy. They're building a lot of them and you will have to hang on to it for ~25 years for the value to come back up.

As a daily driver? Pretty sweet. My folks just bought an SE V6 challenger. It's a great highway cruiser and looks phenomenal. From what I've read and heard, the R/T is even better. Visibility sucks (both seeing out of the car and being high-profile to the cops). It's a boat, too, for what is essentially a 2-seat car.

My reccommendation? If you can get the wife on board, spend $15k on a 70-76 Challenger and modify it as you see fit, and drive it every day. You WILL get a greater percentage of your money back if you decide to sell Not only that, but the looks you will get for the next year or so in the new Challenger will keep coming.

Keep in mind the Challenger is longer, wider, taller, and heavier than a full-size, body-on-frame Ford Crown Victoria...

Buy what makes you happy and drive the wheels off of it. "Saving" cars is ridiculous.

If that's what you want, and you have the blessing...I'd say go for it.

Buy it to enjoy it.

P71 wrote: Keep in mind the Challenger is longer, wider, taller, and heavier than a full-size, body-on-frame Ford Crown Victoria...

...keep in mind the original Challenger was no dwarf. I think you're a bit off in your numbers there, too. Here's some references on a 1970 Challenger, 2009 Challenger, and 2005 Crown Vic:

Wheelbase(inches): 110-116-115 Overall length(inches): 192-198-212 Overall width(inches): ?-76-78 Overall height(inches): ?-58-58 Curb weight(pounds): ~3600-4040-4130

That's purely comparing the stuff you mentioned above...of course the Challenger is also dead sexy, available new, better handling, quicker, etc.

Bryce

Calling the Challenger sexy is like calling Genghis Khan a nice guy. It's a freakin BRICK!

Challenger SE V6: 250HP/250TQ, 3623 Lbs

Challenger R/T V8: 372HP/401TQ, 3947Lbs

Challenger SRT8: 425HP/420TQ, 4027Lbs

Wheelbase 116", Length 198", Width 76", Height 57"

2007 Ford Crown Victoria (last civilian version)

4057Lbs, 212" length, 77" width, 56" height

2001 Ford Crown Victoria (same year as mine but civilian, not P71)

3946Lbs, 212/77/56

So not longer, but near as makes no difference the same in every other dimension including weight! A 2-door "sports coupe" should not be comparable to a full size, body-on-frame sedan, period.

Mustang (2009) for reference:

V6: 210HP, 3352Lbs, 187/74/55 (That's a foot shorter and 300Lbs lighter)

V8 GT: 300HP, 3356Lbs, 188/74/55

And the 2010 Camaro (now in production) for further reference:

V6 LS: 298HP, 3769Lbs, 190/75/54

V8 SS: 430HP, 3860Lbs, 190/75/54

Tim Baxter wrote: Wise man once told me, never invest in anything that leaks oil, unless you're drilling for it.

Brilliant

E36 M3, the numbers on the camero are scary, but still better than the challenger. In the end get what you want, your the one driving it.