Rental Car review: 2007 Dodge Charger 2.7 V6

[GMCSonoma]

Originally Posted by LAMRONH

OK, I stand corrected. Probably lost a motor mount.

Hmmmmm.

You weren't hung over with the shakes were you?

Sadly no...no "real" beer out east...

[Bravada]

Why in God's name Chrysler dumped the excellent and already-developed (and designed for AWD or RWD, with its north-south engine) Intrepid/ Concorde/ 300M LH cars remains a mystery and a frustration to me.

The reasons they have longitudinal engines (north-south only provided the car doesn't turn, which most American cars aren't supposed to anyway) is that the LH is a development of the Renault 25 platform, which Chrysler in-a-way-acquired when they've bought the AMC along with the premier Premier (America's most advanced midsize sedan of the time), which was basically a re-engineered Renault 25 sedan (Renault used longitudinal engine mounting in their larger-displacement FWD cars) and Francois Castaign, who designed it.

Chrysler later scrapped their own new large car programme and told the Castaign team to build a new car starting from the Premier. Castaign even experimented with a RWD/AWD version, but this somehow proved to unstable given how far the engine protrudes ahead of the front axle. I think the Premiers/Monacos famously destroyed in the opening scene of Viper are AWD mules. Oh, and did you know that the side effect of that whole kerfuffle is that Viper has Renault 25's brakes?

[roteague]

The one thing I remember about the only Charger I rented was that the cupholder felt like it was made out of rubber - which I thought was pretty shoddy for a modern car. I wouldn't rent one again.

[LAMRONH]

Originally Posted by roteague

The one thing I remember about the only Charger I rented was that the cupholder felt like it was made out of rubber - which I thought was pretty shoddy for a modern car. I wouldn't rent one again.

What, a rubber cupholder?

[mikmak]

Can't believe I missed this review. I've looking for competitors large RWDs to get an idea of what the G8 will come up against. Not that the 2.7 Charger is going to be in the same league but interior appointments at least, fall far behind the base spec Commdore. Even the layout etc. looks very half assed. Perhaps too much was spent on the 300, because there looks to be little investment in the cabin you showed.
Thanks for the right up. Now, where can I find a Crown Vic review...