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Jan. 26th, 2009 02:51 pmOk, I've been thinking about it and I want the Challenger.
This post subject to change.
This post subject to change.
Retraction
Jan. 26th, 2009 07:38 amOn December 5, 2008 I said this:
"1.) American car manufacturers can make good cars. They usually choose not to.
2.) The very few well-made cars they actually make are well outside my price range.
3.) American-made cars are ugly. Yeah, that's right. I said it."
I must now retract item #3. I said that before I saw this:
The 2009 Dodge Challenger SE.
Elegant, it isn't. Sophisticated? Not really. But there's nothing quite like the quintessential American muscle car. You can practically hear it growling at you through the picture.
Now, I must halfway retract item #2. This car starts at $21K. (The jury is still out on how well made it is.)
I maintain my position on item #1.
Justin started his new job at the largest Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealership in the greater Akron area back in November. Things are going well for him there and he thought it would be a good time for me to pick back up my car shopping. He took me there yesterday to look at some vehicles. I've had a thing for the Jeep Grand Cherokee since I rented one back in October '07. Of course, the Challenger caught my eye immediately and I just had to drive it.
Maybe it's because Justin works for the dealership. Maybe it's because they had 50 appointments to handle within the 5 hours they were open that day. Whatever the reason, they pulled the car around and left me to my own devices. I grabbed a CD, jumped in the driver's seat and took off down the freeway with just myself and Ben Folds (Justin entertained Dominic in the dealership's play area).
Driving it was great. It wasn't as fluid as the C30. Not as controlled. But the power behind it... wow.
I can't think of much to describe this car. I hadn't done any research on it (heck, I didn't even know they still made it). I didn't fall in love with it, but I think I have a case of serious lust with it.
But then reality kicks in. This is a 2-door vehicle, and it's only easy to get in the back from the passenger side. There's a negative, but it wasn't the worst. The worst is that I live in Northeastern Ohio where the winters are nasty, cold, wet, and icy. The Challenger is rear wheel drive. Add the automatic transmission and you have a recipe for disaster on Ohio's icy roads in rush hour. Trust me, I drove an '88 Mercury Cougar through downtown Akron during the worst snow storm of '99. There's nothing quite like blocking two lanes of rush-hour traffic on the busiest street in the city because you can't get the front of your car to go up a hill.
It's fun to dream, though, isn't it?
"1.) American car manufacturers can make good cars. They usually choose not to.
2.) The very few well-made cars they actually make are well outside my price range.
3.) American-made cars are ugly. Yeah, that's right. I said it."
I must now retract item #3. I said that before I saw this:
The 2009 Dodge Challenger SE.
Elegant, it isn't. Sophisticated? Not really. But there's nothing quite like the quintessential American muscle car. You can practically hear it growling at you through the picture.
Now, I must halfway retract item #2. This car starts at $21K. (The jury is still out on how well made it is.)
I maintain my position on item #1.
Justin started his new job at the largest Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealership in the greater Akron area back in November. Things are going well for him there and he thought it would be a good time for me to pick back up my car shopping. He took me there yesterday to look at some vehicles. I've had a thing for the Jeep Grand Cherokee since I rented one back in October '07. Of course, the Challenger caught my eye immediately and I just had to drive it.
Maybe it's because Justin works for the dealership. Maybe it's because they had 50 appointments to handle within the 5 hours they were open that day. Whatever the reason, they pulled the car around and left me to my own devices. I grabbed a CD, jumped in the driver's seat and took off down the freeway with just myself and Ben Folds (Justin entertained Dominic in the dealership's play area).
Driving it was great. It wasn't as fluid as the C30. Not as controlled. But the power behind it... wow.
I can't think of much to describe this car. I hadn't done any research on it (heck, I didn't even know they still made it). I didn't fall in love with it, but I think I have a case of serious lust with it.
But then reality kicks in. This is a 2-door vehicle, and it's only easy to get in the back from the passenger side. There's a negative, but it wasn't the worst. The worst is that I live in Northeastern Ohio where the winters are nasty, cold, wet, and icy. The Challenger is rear wheel drive. Add the automatic transmission and you have a recipe for disaster on Ohio's icy roads in rush hour. Trust me, I drove an '88 Mercury Cougar through downtown Akron during the worst snow storm of '99. There's nothing quite like blocking two lanes of rush-hour traffic on the busiest street in the city because you can't get the front of your car to go up a hill.
It's fun to dream, though, isn't it?
