The Dodge Charger, a Car that is Pulling my Heart

The Dodge Charger is an American car that is highly admired for its performance. Once, its popularity came from NASCAR and a TV show. At first, the Charger was know as a muscle car (coupe.) Now it is back as a performance sedan.

The Dodge Charger now isn't the muscle car coupe that everyone remembers from the '60s, but it still gets those groceries and pick up the kids from school much like the past model does (with out four doors.) The current Charger has an accessible interior with loads of standard equipment. It's the modern muscle car that the whole family can enjoy.

Current Dodge Charger
The Charger's platform is the same as the Chrysler 300. Much like the 300, the Charger has four doors and is a stupendous sedan. Unlike the 300, though, the Charger has a mean and aggressive front-end and the rear roof line slopes down in a coupe-like fashion.

There are five trim levels of Charger to choose from: SE (V6), SXT (V6), R/T (V8), SRT8 (V8), and SRT8 Superbee (V8.) The SRT8 and the SE only comes with rear-wheel drive options, but the SXT and R/T can come with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive (awesome.)

The SE and SXT has a 3.5L 292 horsepower V6 engine that gets great fuel economy. With the Rallye Appearance Group or Blacktop package, it increases horsepower to 300hp (+8 from base.) A 5-speed automatic is standard on the SE; an 8-speed is an option for the SE and standard for all SXTs.

The R/T has a 5.7L 370 horsepower V8 engine with a sport-tuned suspension and lots of luxury, convenience and technology items that are mostly available as options on the V6 trims. The R/T's Super Track Pak gets you additional handling and braking upgrades, including a three-mode adjustable stability control system.

The SRT8 ups the performance ante further by essentially pairing the Super Track Pak items with a 470-hp 6.4-liter V8. It gets an abundance of luxury features standard, but should you be OK with less stuff, the decontented SRT8 Superbee should do the trick. I hope you like yellow or black paint, though, as they are mandatory, along with some not-so-subtle Superbee graphics.

The current Charger scores points not only for the plentiful power output of its big V8 engines, but the ample grunt and decent fuel economy of the entry-level V6 as well. The spacious cabin, improvements in ride quality and interior design also contribute to the overall appeal. There are a couple downsides, notably a lack of rear headroom and lifeless steering, but overall the Dodge Charger is one of the most fun-to-drive large sedans on the market.

Used Dodge Charger Models
The current Dodge Charger was heavily overhauled for 2011. Although it maintained the platform of its predecessor, it is largely a redesigned model. Besides styling changes, interior quality, driving involvement and overall refinement were dramatically improved. Its new V6 engine was also a huge step up from the old six-cylinders. In the current Charger's first year, only the SE and R/T trim levels were available.

Although it's closely related to the current model, the Dodge Charger from 2006-'10 differed in many ways. At its debut, only SE, R/T and SRT8 trims were available. The SE had a 250-hp 3.5-liter V6, while the R/T had a 340-hp version of the current car's 5.7-liter V8. The SRT8 came with a 6.1-liter V8 good for 425 hp. All came with a five-speed automatic transmission. For 2007, a 190-hp 2.7-liter V6 engine became standard on the SE, while the 3.5 became optional.

From 2006-'10 Dodge offered a couple performance packages for the Challenger R/T -- the Daytona and Road/Track packages included sport-tuned suspension and steering. There was a SXT trim level from 2008-'10; it came standard with the 3.5-liter V6. Other notable changes for this period included an improved interior and new features in 2008 and an increase to 368 hp for the R/T for '09.

Overall, we were impressed by this revived Charger's spacious cabin, comfy ride, affordable price and available all-wheel drive. Of course, the big V8 was a nice bonus as well. However, the V6 engines were always disappointing, especially the 190-hp 2.7-liter, which was both underpowered and inefficient. As such, we would avoid it. The cabin also had a low-buck feel (even after the interior was improved for '08), with subpar materials and forgettable design. Rear seat entry was also hampered by the sloping roof line. But overall, this Charger will be a solid choice for a large sedan.

From a historical standpoint, the Dodge Charger originally debuted as a1966 model. This Coronet-based coupe had a unique look, with a sweeping fastback and concealed headlights. But it's the second generation of the Charger that was most popular. This was the one that served as the basis for the winged and race-wining Charger Daytona of 1969 and, later, the bright orange "General Lee" from the 1980s television show The Dukes of Hazzard.

Less popular were three successive generations of Chargers. Third- and fourth-generation models from the 1970s were emasculated by new emissions regulations. A fifth generation, made available from 1982-'87, was a variation of the front-drive Dodge Omni 024 economy hatchback. Near the end of its production, there were sporty, turbocharged versions modified by Carroll Shelby that culminated in the Shelby Charger GLH-S.

Godzilla Has Been Revised Again

Nissan adds civilization to its rocket science.

How does the saying go? Another year, another GT-R update? Nissan has tweaked its formidable twin-turbocharged, all-wheel-drive street monsterpretty much every year since the car was introduced for 2009. This year is no different, and hot on the heels of the upgraded 2014 GT-R comes the 2015 iteration, which makes its debut at the 2013 Tokyo auto show. There are no power upgrades, as there have been in the past, but Nissan has put some effort toward making the GT-R more livable day-to-day.

In the past, Nissan’s GT-R has drawn flak from some top-drawer hot shoes for being too robotic, its computers a bit too eager in anticipating and even pre-empting driver inputs at sub-light-speeds. But that lament is relevant only to the very few capable of taking this car to its absolute (and very high) limits. Most of us operate well below the threshold of absolutes, particularly in daily driving. And from that point of view there has been persistent murmuring about the GT-R’s rather unforgiving suspension tuning. It’s great on a smooth road circuit, but it also is often punishing on public paving subjected to weather and neglect, where stiff springs and granitic bushings communicate every surface irregularity thicker than a dime directly to the occupants’ buttocks. Mix in the GT-R’s mechanical cacophony of engine and driveline sounds, and the Nissan can give the impression that it doesn’t deserve the “GT” portion of its name.

Think Dr. Scholl’s Inserts—For Your GT-R

The 2015 GT-R addresses those unfavorable murmurs with revised valving in the electronically controlled shocks, updated spring rates, tweaked bushings, and a new rear anti-roll bar. It all adds up to what Nissan claims is a little more suspension compliance. Of course, more compliance doesn’t necessarily mean diminished cornering. On patchwork-quilt pavement ultra-stiff suspension tuning can cause the tires to lose contact with the road, an unsettling phenomenon when transitions are coming fast on a winding road.

Nissan might have gone for a softer suspension tune, but it isn’t going totally soft on the GT-R; there’s a new tire package consisting of 20-inch Dunlop SP Sport Maxx GT tires measuring 255/40 up front and 265/35 at the rear that have stiffer sidewalls than before. This reduces flex during hard cornering, and overall, the company says the tire and suspension changes add up to a “more sophisticated ride and better road holding.” And let’s not forget the other Godzilla in the room, the 2015 GT-R NISMO, whose ridiculous performance allows for the civilizing of the base model without sacrificing the car’s hard-core image.

Back on the regular model, engineering adjustments also extend to the brake system, which has been recalibrated for more linear response in everyday driving, and the steering, which is retuned for reduced effort at low speeds.

Cosmetic updates are modest, the most visible being a new headlight package with high-intensity LEDs, augmented by smaller LED accents. The headlights are adaptive, adjusting for angle during cornering, and also for speed, throwing light farther down the road as the GT-R’s forward progress intensifies. Otherwise, there’s a new option package consisting of a carbon-fiber rear wing and decklid, and Nissan has added a new color dubbed “Gold Flake Red Pearl.” This color, as you’d expect, does not occur in nature, and Nissan’s description for the hue makes it sound like red paint mixed with Goldslick vodka. The paint won’t get you drunk, but it sounds like it dazzles in sunlight. Inside, there are only minor trim changes.

The more civilized GT-R goes on sale in Japan December 2, but won’t arrive in the U.S. until early next year. Although we’ll hold off on final judgment until we drive one, it would seem Nissan’s fiddling has produced a better GT-R. With a more compliant suspension, real-world back-road drivability should improve, and who can argue with increased comfort without a major sacrifice in performance? After all, most of its previous year-to-year tweaks have successfully addressed shortcomings. For those who want to have their 545-hp supercar cake and drive it every day, this is good news. View Photo Gallery

CarandDriver

The New 2015 Ford Mustang is Out.

After 49 years, you would think Ford would have figured out the formula for designing a newMustang. Yet every fresh generation of the car since the '70s has drawn great concern from the fan base — and occasionally, those fears came true. This time around, Ford's corporate rule of building models for global consumption led to the most worry; would the new 'Stang lose some of its essential character while chasing new buyers?

Here's the answer: Yes, there will be right-hand-drive Mustangs, although they'll be a small portion of total output from the Flat Rock, Mich., factory. Yes, there's a new turbo four-cylinder engine option that will hearken back to the SVO days of the '80s. And the rear suspension finally joins the 21st century, dropping the cheap solid rear axle setup as pioneered by the Model T.

But Ford engineers and designers say their overarching goal with the 2015 Mustang was to preserve all the traits that have made the name a mainstay of American roads and drag strips for five decades — not remake the formula for audiences abroad.

"We designed this Mustang to be a Mustang, to be the next generation update of everything important, and then take it global," Dave Pericak, Ford Mustang chief engineer, told Yahoo. "We didn't decide to do a global Mustang, because that would be a different product."

Under development since 2009, the biggest change comes from the outside, where the new styling reflects the arrival of an all-new chassis. Despite selling 9 million copies, the Mustang has always been something of a corporate beggar within Ford, relying on parts from other models in a bid to stay affordable. For the first time, Ford gave the Mustang its own unique chassis, although rumors around Dearborn suggest it could eventually spawn a Lincoln sedan to shoulder some overhead costs.

The new Mustang rides lower to the ground, and takes a few cues from other Fords, but the thick grille, long roof slope to a short trunklid and sequential taillights all maintain the Mustang look. Inside, the changes seem less dramatic — a touch more brightwork, a standard push-button start, and better materials, but still a 2+2 seater with a fighter-like cockpit.

"We were trying to get that right mix of Mustang-ness versus modernity," said Moray Callum, Ford's chief of design. "People that know it as a Mustang will recognize it instantly, and those that don't will still see it as a modern sports car."

Under the hood will rest one of three engines, starting with a revised version of the Coyote 5-liter V-8 which Ford says will produce more than the current model's 420 hp. and 396 lb.-ft. of torque. The base 305-hp, 3.7-liter V-6 also gets a minor tweak, but is mostly unchanged. The real news: an optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo four-cylinder, which will be a mid-level engine in the United States and the base engine overseas, offering at least 305 hp and 300 lb.-ft. of torque, with the best fuel economy of any setup.

While Ford left the choice of six-speed automatic or manual transmission unchanged, it altered everything else about how that power reaches the road. The solid rear axle that Mustang loyalists so staunchly defended over the years that paid dividends at the drag strip while turning every neighborhood speed bump into a launching pad has finally given way to a modern, integral-link independent rear suspension. That allows bigger stock tires, up to a 9.5-inch wide rear wheel on the top GT. Brake discs grow as well, with up to 15-inch discs on the front.

Most of those changes would improve everyday performance, but as expected the Mustang gets better software as well. Launch control trickles down from the GT500 into the regular GT, which also gets a multi-mode driving system with settings for bad weather, normal driving and track days. All of this tech will haul less weight — although Pericak would not confirm that the 'Stang had lost as much as 200 lbs. in the new form, saying Ford was still making final adjustments before production begins.

And while Pericak wouldn't disclose any hard performance data, he did say the engineers not only used the Mustang Boss 302 as a handling benchmark for the new car, but also a few models typically not compared with a Mustang, like the Porsche 911. "We set some pretty high targets," he said.

Those targets may help the Mustang with buyers in China and Europe, where Ford will market the car for the first time. But it's in the United States, and against a revived Chevy Camaro, where the new Mustang will be judged most when it arrives in dealers sometime next autumn — and based on everything shown so far, the race between pony cars will be as close as ever.

Yahoo

The Best-Selling Cars of 2013 Aren't Really Cars At All

By Joann Muller | Forbes.com

MORE AT FORBES

• » The 20 Best-Selling Cars Of 2013
• » 13 Most Cost-Effective Hybrid Cars
• » 10 Most Stolen Sporty Cars

The auto industry is on track to have its best year since 2006, with car sales of about 16 million units this year, up from 14.5 million in 2012. While fuel-efficient small cars were all the rage a few years ago, now it is once again pickup trucks and utility vehicles behind the boom.

Sales of full-size pickups, buoyed by a steady housing market, the Midwest energy boom, and lower gasoline prices, are up about 20 percent this year, with all three U.S. automakers racing to keep up with demand. The trend has been especially good for Chrysler Group, where sales of its redesigned Ram pickup, up 22.5 percent, have outpaced growth in the segment. Ram sales through October totaled 292,633 and its share of the full-size pickup truck market has grown from 14.5 percent in 2010 to 16.3 percent year to date.

General Motors and Ford Motor have nothing to complain about, though. Both companies have seen 20 percent sales growth in pickups this year. GM’s Chevrolet division began rolling out a redesigned version of its Silverado pickup in June, and has done a good job managing the transition from the outgoing model to the new one without resorting to heavy discounts. Silverado sales are up 19.7 percent for the year, to 403,435.

Meanwhile, Ford, which will unveil a new F-series design in 2014, is successfully defending its hold on the title of best-selling nameplate in America by emphasizing a more fuel-efficient engine and added technology. Ford has sold 623,309 F-series pickups so far this year, up 19.8 percent from a year ago.

Heavy demand means higher prices, too. Average transaction prices for all full-size trucks in October jumped more than 5 percentage points from a year ago, to $39,189, according to Kelley Blue Book. Ford has the highest prices in the segment, though, averaging more than $40,000, because it sells more high-end luxury trucks than the others.

It’s not just pickups that are selling well, though. Crossover utilities like the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape are also hot, offering car buyers both flexibility and good fuel economy. CR-V has long been the best-seller in the segment, but the Escape, which was redesigned last year, is catching up fast. Through October, it trailed CR-V by only 1,100 units, with sales of 250,543.

The Camry looks like it will once again finish the year as the best-selling passenger car in America. Here are the top 10:

1. 2014 Ford F-150

The long-running sales champ in the U.S. is still the clear No. 1 in 2013, despite newly redesigned trucks from Chevrolet and Ram. Ford's F-150 sales are up almost 20 percent for the year, thanks to a rebound in the housing industry.

2. 2014 Chevrolet Silverado LTZ 

Chevrolet's long-overdue redesign of its Silverado was well-timed to coincide with a rebound in housing, which fuels pickup trucksales. Sales are up 19.7 percent through October.

3. 2014 Toyota Camry

Toyota's mid-sized flagship is still the best-selling passenger car in America.

4. 2014 Honda Accord

Honda Accord sales are up 11 percent following last year's redesign.

5. 2014 Ram 1500

Ram sales are up 22.5 percent thanks to bold new styling, advanced technology and improved gas mileage. Sales are growing even faster than the red-hot market for pickups.

6. 2014 Honda Civic

America's best-selling small car got pushed down the list by stronger-selling pickups, but Civic sales are still up 10.3% for the year.

7. 2014 Nissan Altima
(#7? WTF!?!?)

The mid-sized car segment is one of the industry's most competitive, but Nissan's competent Altima is always near the top of the heap.

8. 2014 Toyota Corolla

Toyota's trusty compact got a makeover for the 2014 model year as Toyota vowed to make its cars more emotional. Corolla/Matrix sales are up 5.6% for the year.

9. 2014 Honda CR-V

Honda's CRV is the leader in the hot market for compact crossover utilities, but it's fighting off strong contenders, including the redesigned Ford Escape.

10. 2014 Ford Escape

Ford's curvy redesign of the Escape crossover is a hit with consumers, with sales up 14 percent so far this year. It's closing in on the segment leader, Honda CR-V. It'll be a dogfight to the end.

6 Best-Value Automobiles to Buy in November

Since this is my birth month, I'll post this article about the best cars to buy in November.

(*) = the cars that I'll review.

ERIC SCHAAL

NOVEMBER 10, 2013

wallstcheatsheet.com

As 2013 draws to a close, it’s time to take advantage of model year-end deals from automakers. U.S. News & World Report recently complied a list of some of the attractive deals on the table for auto buyers in November. Here are the six best-value cars now on the market, with the MSRP listed after the model year and make.

1. 2013 Mazda2 ($14,720)

It’s hard to complain about the value of this subcompact from Mazda (MZDAF.PK) when the MSRP is below $15,000. However, the automaker sweetened the terms for interested parties, posting financing offers at zero percent for five years that includes $1,000 in cash from the automaker. U.S. News notes that buyers who land outside financing packages can get up to $2,000 in cash.

2. 2013 Chevy Malibu ($21,995)

U.S. shoppers saw excellent value from General Motors (NYSE:GM) in October, when they went after theChevy Malibu in droves. U.S. News notes the Malibu is just as attractive in November at zero percent financing for a period of five years plus $2,500 in cash from General Motors. That type of value might give the automaker a repeat star in the Malibu this month.

3. 2013 Hyundai Elantra ($16,965)

The deals on the 2013 Hyundai (HYMLF.PK) Elantra are enticing many buyers this fall. Hyundai is offering no-interest loans for five years and 0.9 percent on six-year terms. Sales jumped 25 percent in October over 2012 on similar deals from the automaker.

4. *2013 Dodge Charger ($26,295)

Chrysler Group (FIATY.PK) has a winner in the 2013 Dodge Charger, which doesn’t have a different look from its 2014 counterpart. Value seekers can land interest-free financing for six years or a cash allowance of $3,000 when choosing the Charger, one of the best-selling large cars in America.

5. 2013 Chevy Volt ($39,995)

With $7,000 in cash back and a potential $7,500 in tax credits for purchasing an electric vehicle, the net starting price of the 2013 Chevy Volt will be just over $25,000. That figure is more than manageable to buyers who have had electric vehicle sticker shock in the past.

6. 2013 Nissan Murano ($28,440)

The one crossover making the list was the Murano by Nissan (NSANY.PK), a sweet deal if buyers take up the offer in November. It amounts to six years with zero percent financing and $500 in cash from Nissan.U.S. News says buyers finding alternative financing could score $2,500 cash back or $1,000 in bonus cash.

Automakers are offering excellent deals in order to move stock of their 2013 models, so bargain hunters may see some of the best deals of the year in November.