I was directed to this forum by my brother, who I will remain nameless at this time. I have always loved cars and especially muscle cars and from what I have seen on this forum I feel that I will have good discussions with the people here. OK now down to business.

I finally got the job that I had been looking for and with the increase in pay am looking for a new ride. At this time I drive a 1987 Chevy S-10 with 107xxx miles. When I got it back in 2001 it had only 24xxx no joke[sm=smiley3.gif]. Any way of the cars that I have looked at, the two that interest me the most are a 02-04 300M and a 07 Charger, I don't buy the first year models, long story. What interested me the most was that fact that, although older, the 300M is cheaper on insurance than the Charger! "Ummm...what could cause that?," I thought. Exhausting my resources for an answer I have now turn to you. This part about the insurance and any other information like pro and cons will be appreciated. Thank you and I look forward to finding answers.

 

The 300 is a really nice car and has a lot of options. But if you want attitude, then the Charger is for you. My son has a Go Man Go R/T Daytona. And that is one sweet ride. He gets positive comments were ever he goes. And it is optioned out nicely. Has a nice but firm ride and a boat load of power. The look in very musclular. The lines are sharp and crisp. If you choose an SRT-8 then X10. Good luck on your quest.

 

We bought my wife a new 2006 Charger R/T last April in black metallic - grey leather interior.
The car has been nothing short of flawless. It's never gone back to the dealer for anything since we picked it up, and I do all of the service on the car exactly as called for in the owners' manual. We've taken the car on several trips and it averages 25.4 mpg on our "long distance" excursions (that's overall for the trips - not just highway miles). It averages 16.1 mpg in her daily driving (going to work, grocery runs, errands, etc.).
We can't go anywhere without someone commenting on the car - ask questions or just give a compliment. The car is LOADED with attitude, even though it's a sedan.
On the plus side, it's a great looking car, roomy and comfortable, handles extremely well both in traffic and driving the twisty back roads. It has tons of power, but still gets respectable mileage, has an enormous trunk, and the ride is stiff/sporty enough without being harsh.
On the minus side, changing the oil is a pain in the @$$ since the underbody shield has to be removed to access the engine compartment - filter and oil drain plug, and (this seems to be less of an issue now than at the time the car was new) finding the required 5W20 oil for the MDS can be an arduous process. I can deal with that inconvenience a few times a year, though.
The "non-AWD" R/T isn't very good in snow (even with traction control) and negotiating hills from a standing start is a challenge in traffic. The 2007 AWD Charger R/T would be a much better choice if you're going to have to deal with snow.

With a new car, you can get the options YOU want, NOT the ones the previous owner wanted. We have no need for an onboard GPS, satellite radio, or rear seat DVD system, so we got her R/T without those items - why pay for something you don't want or need and pay to insure it too?

If it weren't for the expected availability of the Challenger next spring, I'd probably be getting a 2007-2008 Charger SRT-8 for myself next year.

Your insurance costs for any car will be a result of your sex, age (several factors are used here), driving record, number of miles you drive, and the replacement cost of the car you choose.

Hope this helps.

 

I like the Chargers more than i do the 300's. Kinda for the fact of the name Charger lol, but i think they look better. Sublime green Daytona is awesome, i pass one every weekend at a car lot and it has me rubber necking halfway down the highway every time.. I probrally wouldnt buy it though with the 5.7L. If im going to pay that much money for a new car i would have to buy a SRT-8 super bee version in Petty blue with 6.1L.. << Now that car is sick (as in awesome) looking and fast... What is the price difference between the Daytona and the SRT-8 super bees anyone know? I looked at the sticker on the Sublime Green Daytona they wanted 36,000 for it.

 

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.

 

If you think 5w oil is hard to find, try finding zero weight synthetic oil....that's what my SRT8 Charger requires. And then, throw in 16 platinum tipped spark plugs at tune up....they don't tell you about all of that during the sale. Maintenance is expensive but reliability has been excellent. Only had one problem with a transmission pan leak and it was fixed under warranty.
If the Challenger weren't coming out, I would hang on to the Charger a lot longer. It is a car that creates excitement wherever you go. It is comfortable, fast, sexy and pretty easy on the gas (I get about 20mpg). The 300 is cool but looks more like a luxury car.
I guess your choice just depends on which heads you want to turn.

 

I just went and looked at a Super Bee this past weekend. They wanted $41,900 for it. Of course $2k of that is gas guzzler tax... grrr.

 

To the original topic, I am with BootCamp. I would be all over an SRT8 Charger were it not for the availability of the Challenger soon. THat being said... I might be waiting for a bit as I am not willing to pay a ridiculous $10k markup or something along those lines for one of the early ones.

 

the good news is that consumer reports rates the 300m and the magnum as recommended buys.... in that light i assume that the cahllenger will be a recommended buy also.