Cuda340

The April 2011 issue of Motor Trend published the long-term test verdict of the 2009 Challenger R/T. After 30,000 miles of driving, the maintenance cost was only $218.45. This was for routine maintenance such as oil changes, tire rotations, etc.

Here were some of the more interesting comments:

"No unscheduled maintenance, none of the supposed Chrysler quality issues. After nearly 30,000 miles of hard driving, the Challenger suffered nary a hiccup with us."

"I couldn't help but blast classic rock with the windows down and my arm resting on the windowsill. It's just that kind of a ride."

"Editors waxed poetic about the nostalgia the car generated in wide-eyed on-lookers, and the charisma the big machine exuded every time the burly Hemi fired up...The Challenger is an eight-track player in an iPhone world."

"I got flashes of Vanishing Point..."

"The Challenger is a car that we loved for all the wrong reasons. You're not supposed to love a car that's too big (197.7 X 75.7 inches), too heavy (4,150 lbs), and too thirsty (17.9 avg. fuel economy). But we did. And can you blame us? We're car enthusiasts, and our connection to cars is as emotional as it is logical, sometimes more so. Even when we are hard-pressed to explain, logically, why someone needs a Challenger. But we all know why we want one."

For the record, here are Motor Trend's performance times:

0-60 mph= 5.4 sec.
0-100 mph= 13.2 sec.
Passing 45-65 mph= 2.7 sec.
1/4 mile= 13.8 sec. 102.3 mph.
Braking= 127 ft.