Wish Dodge had made a little more of a lip to grip my finger's to when lifting up on the outside door handle . Good thing I keep my car in the garage at home. Hate to think how hard it would be to pull open a door with ice on it.

 

Know what you mean. The first few times I went to a dealer to check out the Challengers,, my hand slipped off the door handle when I opened the doors. Getting used to it now but there would be no way to get enough leverage if the door was frozen shut.

 

This is exactly the way it was on the 1970 model. Glad I live in South Texas now instead of Central Iowa.

 

Can't remember that long ago
But can't remember it being a problem on the new 71 Challenger R/T I had . Just a little 1/4 inch lip on the back side would have helped alot . Also think it being painted and slick makes it hard to hold on to . And wouldn't have effected the look on the outside.

 

Hopefully, the doors on the new Challengers won't freeze shut quite as easily as they did on the 70s. I actually broke the door handle off one time trying to get into the car.

 

Most of the articles I have read consider the door handles as a very true to the original design.

 

Neon has a handle like the new Challenger... and it is difficult to open a frozen door....

One more reason to keep the Challenger warm and dry in the garage for the snow and ice season...

 

Had this happen this morning. Door frozen shut. I got it open but was cautious about applying too much force to the handle. The worse problem is the window being frozen so that it won't drop the normal 1/2 inch. Which then makes it difficult to close the door once it is open

I thought they were supposed to test these cars in the freezing weather?

 

I don't think I would call the new Challenger's door handles "very true to the original design". Close, but not really the same design.
I remember a number of people back in the day that ended up breaking off the outside door handle, for one reason or another.
I never had any problems, but I grew up in Sunny Southern California...My RT/SE never saw snow, and only a little rain from time too time.....mostly sun and dry conditions....