Dodge Challenger Beats Toyota Prius in Consumer Reports!

[divideandconquer]

Owner satisfaction
Which cars would owners buy again?

Our readers love sporty cars, hybrids, and ones that are out of the mainstream. That's the message from our most recent Annual Auto Survey, conducted by the Consumer Reports National Research Center.

This year, the Dodge Challenger, a throwback, V8-powered muscle car, beat out the longstanding Toyota Prius hybrid as the most satisfying car among our readers. Ninety-two percent of Challenger owners said they would definitely buy another one given the same opportunity. That doesn't mean hybrids have fallen far from grace, however. The second most satisfying car, with 91 percent of respondents saying they would definitely buy another, was the Ford Fusion Hybrid. More sports cars and hybrids round out the top group: the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911, Toyota Prius, and all-wheel drive Acura TL.
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<http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/new-cars/cr-recommended/would-you-buy-that-car-again/overview/index.htm>

No wonder Marchionne wants this platform for new Alfa Romeos and Lancia's.

[flvegan]

1. This was an interesting survey.

I read this report last week. My Mazdaspeed 3 made their list of sporty cars, proud to say.

[high density]

2. I wish there were more cars on the market like the Mazdaspeed3

Car makers in the USA seem to hate the idea of a small, fast car. They give us big stuff like the Challenger instead. I own a Mazda3 and I think it was a great value for the money, though I do often wish I had the turbo. :evilgrin:

[flvegan]

4. Yup. The Japanese and the Germans (here at least)

have cornered the market on the hot hatch/coupe market, really. Chevy had the Cobalt SS for a while, so they had that. Dodge had the Nitro R/T, which was horrible. Ford's Focus SVT was a joke. I mean seriously, what's better than a car that can get great mileage while toting your big dogs or 50 bags of mulch, or when mood hits you, can go like stink all while costing less than $25k?

In the UK, Vauxhall (Chevy) has the Astra VXR which is close to as good as the Mazdaspeed 3. I was hoping that when Saturn brought their version of the Astra over here, we'd see a Redline version. Not to be.

It's sad, really.

[guruoo]

3. For baby boomers seeking temporary relief from the heartbreak of lost youth

[TexasObserver]

5. Don't be silly. They bought them to piss you off.

Do you always take national news and contort into one of your favorite biases?

[guruoo]

9. Challenger may help relieve the crankiness, too.

"It's a big, noisy, orange slab of a car" ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KYAr38BfGzk

[frazzled]

6. Because people love getting 19 mpg?

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/Feg/noframes/25913.shtml

Okay, color me clueless on this one.

I get combined 50 mpg with my Prius, and I'd buy another one in a heartbeat. But I don't have to. I expect our 2006 model to last until at least 2015 before we're interested in looking again.


Oh, I get it. There aren't really very many of these muscle cars, and the few that exist were thus fetishized by their owners. There aren't even enough of these cars on the road to compare them to more popular brands:

All 2008 models were SRT8s and equipped with the 6.1 L (370 cu in) Hemi and a 5-speed AutoStick automatic transmission. The entire 2008 run of 6,400 cars were pre-sold (many of which for above MSRP), and production commenced on May 8, 2008. Chrysler Canada is offering the Canada 500 and Chrysler of Mexico is offering only 100 of this car for that country with a 6.1 liter engine and 425 brake horsepower (317 kW) (SAE); the version is SRT/8. Chrysler auctioned off two 2008 SRT8 for charity with car #1 going for $400,000.00 to benefit the notMYkid non-profit organization, and a "B5" Blue #43 car fetching a winning bid of $228,143.43 with the proceeds going to Victory Junction Gang Camp.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodge_Challenger

[DainBramaged]

12. Another person who thinks everyone should drive jellybeans

Free choice, the one thing that makes us different from animals. I guess you feel it isn't necessary.....

[Spider Jerusalem]

14. ...

Total CO2 emissions, by country:



CO2 emissions from transport, by country:



Oil consumption, by country:



The US has five percent of the world's population. Yet uses 40% of the total energy, 25% of the oil, and emits over 20% of the total carbon dioxide from human activity. Selfish, wasteful, and environmentally damaging behaviour is 'free choice', in your opinion? Because I think it's short-sighted stupidity.

[Lorien]

28. Animals don't have free choice? Since when? Seems like those

humans who believe that driving a gas guzzling, earth killing penis extension are living in a smaller cage than any animal is. Consume without a conscious; K street demands it! After all; if your car ain't sexy you won't get laid, right?

[michreject]

16. I'd love to get 19 mpg

My truck only get 10 mpg. Less when it snows, which is 4 months of the year.

[david13]

7. It's a preference amongst stupid people. Dodges are gas guzzling

monstrosities, and lousy, quality wise, and you could put a gun to my head and I wouldn't take one, as a gift.
However, I would gladly kill to get a Prius, depending on who it was I had to kill to get it.
Just sayin'.
dc

[madrchsod]

8. really..i did`t know i was stupid...thanks for telling me

[DainBramaged]

11. So if people exercise their right to choice, you consider them stupid?

Your post says a tremendous amount about you. And that's sad, because I thought you were smarter than that. Oh well.

DU, where nannyism is becoming the norm.



:eyes:

[jakefrep]

15. And a Prius, like most Toyotas, is an ugly, boring piece of shit.

Too bad, really, because Toyota actually made some interesting sporty cars at one time.

[DainBramaged]

17. hey haven't made an interesting car since the demise of the Supra

They think their customers should just line up in front of the meat grinder of a boring life and jump in, as do so many here......who think a Prius gives them green cred while they live a very wasteful life (here come the justifications, I can see them now, I don't drink bottled water, I don't shop with plastic bags, I I I).

[Spider Jerusalem]

19. Actually, I for one live in a city and at present don't even have a car.

Because I don't need one. I can walk everywhere I need to go, and where I can't walk, I can take public transport. A car is unnecessary and more trouble than it would be worth. If I need a car for any reason I can rent one.

[mikeytherat]

20. Actually, the original (Mark 1) MR-2 was a decent, mid-engine sports coupe.

And the Celica, too, was OK at first, but became a fat, lazy cruiser at the end of it's life.

And I absolutely love the elder gentleman I know who bought an Avalon because the Camry was "too sporty." :rofl:

mikey_the_rat

[rockymountaindem]

26. Usually I agree with you on this, but

I think this car looks plenty cool and zippy:



Of course I've never driven a Toyota, but going on looks let's just say I could see myself driving around in that.

[jakefrep]

32. That's a Corvette, not a Toyota.

[rockymountaindem]

33. Holy cow, I would take an oath on a stack of books of your choice

that when I posted that link it was a red Toyota Solara convertible. They must have changed the pic at the link, or else someone is playing a trick on me ;)

The 'Vette is plenty fine as well. I wouldn't turn down either one of them as a Hanukkah present (in case any of you were wondering what to get me).

[Orsino]

18. Let's say rather that the Challenger is a relic...

...a relic of the era of cheap gasoline. The Prius is still an internal-combustion vehicle, but it's a little forward in its thinking.

The last cars on the road are certainly not gonna be Challengers.

[DainBramaged]

21. They'll be restored AMERICAN muscle cars...........not toyotas

:party: http://www.barrett-jackson.com/

[Orsino]

22. Heh. "The gaaaaaaate!"

[dmallind]

25. Look at 70s Japanese exotica too.

Why is 1970s Dodge relevant to 2000s Dodge?

[Lorien]

29. Our Dodge spent most of it's time in the shop

as did our Ford. I'd love it if US brands could last 15 years without a single problem like my Toyota has, but so far I've seen no evidence of that. My neighbor just got rid of his eight year old Dodge and bought a Honda. He was sick of calling the mobile repair guy every other month.

[dmallind]

10. Wait a few years

The Challenger is too new to have started displaying the usual Chrysler quality woes. The company has for over 20 years been great at designing attractive feature-laden cars that are set apart from the mainstream. And equally terrible at making them last more than 3 years before they start becoming rattly sloppy lemons. I have never been a fan of leases, and have leased only one brand of car - Chrysler - on two separate occasions (an Intrepid in 96 and a Pacifica in 04) I loved both cars when new, but by return time both had become very tired, creaky and loose, and both had experienced significant problems. I will resell my Nissans and Acuras and Toyotas gladly after 3 years, and get good prices as they remain solid and usually problem free. But I would never put myself in the position of having to resell a 3-4 year old Chrysler.

I'm sure some of you will "refute" with tales of maintenance free 200K mile Chryslers that don't so much as click going over potholes. Great - our anecdotes differ, However the loss of value on used Chryslers and their faring in long term quality surveys shows where the majority of the experiences fall.

[divideandconquer]

23. Try to buy a used Challenger from 1970 up to today!

Better have a heavy wallet.

BTW, very little difference in the long term surveys.

[dmallind]

24. And 1970 has no relation to 90s and 00s. And BIG BIG difference long term. NT

Might as well say try to buy a functional 1970's Civic - you will pay more than original. You cannot use vintage market to support current appeal for ANY marque.

[divideandconquer]

30. There are still plenty of 70's Chrysler products used as daily drivers

Close to indestructible slant six Darts and Dusters.

[dmallind]

31. And plenty of 70s VW, Merecedes, Hondas etc too. What ratio I wonder?

How many 70s Dogdes were made/sold here in the US compared to how many on the road? What's that number for other brands including imports? But the real point is how many 80s and up of each brand are still going strong as a ratio of sales? Chrysler really went into the toilet in that decade. And even the 70s versions are kept going because of huge supply of parts and ease of rebuilds mostly, rather than original durability.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

13. I have driven a lot of cars: SUV, sports, sedans, etc.

but I'd buy a Prius again in a nanosecond (boyfriend and I drive it every day to commute 45 miles each way to work). Our other car is a sporty Toyota MR-2 Spyder, a little convertible that Toyota doesn't make anymore (too bad) that gets about 30mpg.

I think there's a difference between 'a car that satisfies' and 'a car one would own on an everyday basis and not spend a fortune to maintain it."

[mucifer]

27. I like my prius. It's very roomie and an ideal car for a home health nurse who

drives all over the county. People get very emotional about there cars.

It's all kind of subjective.