ORIGINAL: Nero
Thanks for the info. As of late I am waiting for the pay to kick in before I make a decision. The reasons that I am apprehensive about getting a Charger are:
1. price (I will not buy a car that I have to make payments.)
2. the transmission ( I test drove one, it was a 3.5, and loved how it felt and ran. However the so called "auto stick" would not respond to my requests. I don't know if it was the one that I drove or what.)
3. Oil (all ready been stated)
4. MPG ( I've owned a truck for 5 years and am feeling the strain on my wallet every time I have to fuel up. I would love to get the hemi but my wallet screams NOOOO!! Along with my check book, see number 1.)
As for Insurance, I can't figure it out. I am nearing the age that it will drop and have had no tickets, accents, thefts, or anything. And yet the Charger will be more expensive.[:@]
Also I have a bone to pick with GM. Over the weekend my alternator blew on my S-10. How dare they not make them last over 107xxx miles!
The price, I cannot give you advice on. The autostick, I believe the W5A580 Mercedes transmission is a lot more subborn than Chrysler's one. I believe what you experienced covers that transmission in general.
They were talking about changing oil in a HEMI powered Charger, it might be different with a 3.5L. If they changed nothing for the second gen LH cars for the layout of the 3.5L from the first gen, it is a royal pain in the butt to work on. I'd just take it into a jiffy lube or something. Don't let how difficult it is to change the oil determine what you buy, besides, it can't be any worse than attempting to change the oil on an S-10, that is a job and a half right there.
I get the up 20s to lower 30s on the highway, and it only needs mid-grade which you can find many places for the same price as regular due to the fact that it has 10% ethanol.
It might be that the 300M is less expensive on the insurance due to the security systems, it might also be cheaper since the 3.5L is the top engine. Even if you don't get the HEMI, the Charger has a more muscle car reputation due to its HEMI options.
That is crazy. The piece of junk Olds Ciera I had before my Intrepid did the same thing at 114K miles. I still hold a grudge on that car today. GM alternators over heat and they do that on pretty much all models.