chicagotribune.com's view

Hemi helps Magnum shed wagon stigma

If a station wagon pulls up alongside at the light, check to make sure the word “Hemi” isn’t written on the front fender before you snicker or guffaw at your fellow motorist.

Fail to spot the Hemi badge and he who laughs last–and certainly best–is going to be the one behind the wheel of the station wagon with a 5.7-liter V-8 that produces 340 horsepower and 390 foot-pounds of get-up-and-go torque.

If you remember station wagons as misshapen machines that carried the family, luggage, crib, stroller and potty chair until the rug rats graduated from diapers, you’re in for a pleasant surprise with the 2005 Dodge Magnum RT.

Magnum is the full-size, rear-wheel-drive replacement for the front-wheel-drive Dodge Intrepid. Its sister car is the Chrysler 300, replacement for the FWD Chrysler Concorde/300M sedans.

Dodge is unveiling a wagon, Chrysler a sedan for good reason. If both offered sedans at the outset, the pair would be considered clones. The two now stand out with separate characters and identities, thanks to the styling differences.

But Chrysler will have a high-performance model, the 300C complete with Hemi V-8 as well. And Dodge will have a sedan soon, carrying the Charger moniker from muscle-car days that will be unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

With Pontiac bringing back the GTO, you had to suspect Dodge would follow with the Charger.

Though you’ll hear a variety of reasons for the switch from front- to rear-drive, such as the latter providing better balance and weight distribution than the former, the primary motivation was that it allowed Chrysler Group to borrow drivetrain components from Mercedes-Benz (such as the rear-wheel-drive E-Series) to produce vehicles on the cheap.

While the balance and weight distribution makes RWD ideal for spirited performance cars, the pre-MTV generation remembers RWD cars as those that would slip and slide on ice and snow because the drive wheels were pushing the load, not pulling it. NASCAR, after all, races in the Sun Belt in the summer, not the Snow Belt in the winter.

No need to fear because this new generation of RWD cars comes with stability and all-speed traction control, Chrysler notes.

If a wheel starts to slip, sensors respond and the anti-lock brakes are applied to the offending wheel or the throttle automatically backs off–or both–to keep you in control. And four-wheel ABS is standard.

It will take the first snow to prove the claims, but have to say the Magnum is no slouch on pavement, whether regular roads or the track.

Magnum is offered in base SE version ($21,870) with a 2.7-liter, 190-h.p. 24-valve V-6; the SXT upgrade ($25,370) with its 3.5-liter, 250-h.p. V-6; and top-of-the-line RT that we tested ($29,370) with the Hemi V-8 and such goodies as 18-inch all-season radials designed for optimum handling (17-inch designed for smoother ride on the SE/SXT).

With more than ample low-end torque, the RT sprints to life as soon as you kick the pedal. A muffled exhaust rumble provides just the right performance sound. With so much energy, no wonder Dodge calls it a sport wagon, not a station wagon–though the styling leaves no doubt it’s a wagon.

There’s a difference between raw and refined performance. The RT’s sports suspension and 18-inch radials allow it to follow any path the road takes it on. At the track, the RT sat flat into the corners and accelerating out of them.

The fact Magnum is built on a 120-inch wheelbase, nearly seven inches longer than Intrepid, helps as well, not only in surefooted handling but also in ride quality, because occupants sit far removed from the points of impact with the road. Ride is firm without jostling.

The muscular Magnum has a split personality. Need power, the Hemi delivers–now. But don’t need power and 4 cylind rs shut down at cruising to conserve fuel. The transition is seamless. You can’t tell when 4 cylinders shut down or fire back up again. No thud, not a sound.

With variable displacement, the Hemi can boast 340 h.p. and 390 foot-pounds of torque and 17 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway in a full-size wagon with 5-speed automatic transmission and Autostick for manual mode.

For now, Magnum is offered in only RWD but all-wheel-drive will be added this fall for more foul-weather stability and fair-weather control.

Chrysler is hoping to lure motorists drawn to sport-utility vehicles by their AWD capabilities. Chrysler figures they may have become disenchanted with the truck-like ride and handling and are prepared to switch back into a car–or a wagon.

Boomers, according to George Murphy, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Chrysler Group, are ready to migrate back into cars, and AWD will help seal the deal.

“The Boomers have all had their SUVs now. As they age, they have less of a need for a seven-passenger capable SUV and are finding religion on the car side,” he said.

“The problem is that we didn’t have attractive car alternatives for them, until now with the Magnum and 300,” he said. “Now that Chrysler and Ford are gravitating back into cars [the ’05 Ford Five Hundred and Mercury Montego sedans, plus the Lincoln Zephyr and another pair of as yet unnamed Ford and Mercury sedans for ’06], you won’t see the growth in the SUV market in the future as you have had in the past,” Murphy said.

When Boomers check out Magnum, they’ll find a four- to five-passenger-and-possessions hauler–four if all adults, five if there’s one child who can straddle the drivetrain hump on the floor, something missing in front-wheel-drive vehicles.

Notable features include self-sealing tires and side curtain air bags in a $590 protection group; power adjustable brake/gas pedals in a $925 convenience package; a rear cargo hold organizer that lifts from the floor to provide a series of compartments to hold groceries as part of a $410 cargo convenience package; and a power sunroof that be purchased on its own for $895.

Standard equipment includes multistage air bags with automatic disabling of the passenger side if no one is in the seat, power windows/door locks/mirrors, power driver’s seat, rear window washer/wiper/defroster, air conditioning, AM/FM stereo with CD player and keyless entry.

Novel features include a hatchlid that extends a couple of feet into the roof, which raises to provide wide-open access for loading or unloading, and a pair of recessed milk jug holders in the cargo hold.

However, there are some negatives. The low wagon roofline results in a rather small rear window and limited visibility out back. And the power adjustable pedal button is buried along the lower side of the driver’s seat. Plus, the options packages are numerous and quickly run up the price.

TEST DRIVE

2005 Dodge Magnum RT sport wagon

Wheelbase: 120 inches

Length: 197.7 inches

Engine: 5.7-liter, 340-h.p. V-8

Transmission: 5-speed automatic with Autostick

Fuel economy: 17 m.p.g. city/25 m.p.g. highway

Base price: $29,370

Price as tested: $35,625. Includes $225 for Inferno red pearl paint; $590 for protection group with side air-bag curtains, cabin air filtering system and self-sealing 18-inch all-season radials; $630 for electronics group with instrument cluster and display screen, temperature gauge and compass, vehicle info center, trip computer, security alarm, steering-wheel-mounted audio controls and universal garage door opener; $925 for convenience group with dual-zone air conditioning, power and heated front seats and power adjustable pedals; $410 for cargo convenience group with rear cargo organizer and roof rack; $895 for power sunroof; $1,895 for AM/FM stereo wit six-disc changer, MP3 player and navigation system; $325 for Sirius satellite radio; and $360 for UConnect hands-free phone/auto dimming rearview mirror. Add $625 for freight.

Pluses: New larger, full-size, rear-wheel- drive sedan replaces front-wheel-drive Dodge Intrepid. Hemi V-8 means no shortage of power, yet multiple displacement feature shuts down 4 cylinders for no shortage of mileage. New rear-drive Dodge wagon signals return of rear-drive Dodge Charger coming for ’06.

Minuses: All those convenience packages don’t help the price. Limited view out small rear window.