DaimlerChrysler Canada's new model tour

[anait]

A friend is registered for this tour www.goldmedaltour.ca , and gets to bring 3 friends along (so far, just me and hubby) to test drive a crop of new model vehicles on a temporary road course. Here's the list of vehicles:

• 2005 Chrysler 300C (is this the one TK tested?)
• 2005 Dodge Magnum
• 2004 Dodge Durango
• 2004 Dodge Ram HD
• 2004 Chrysler Crossfire
• 2004 Dodge SRT-4*
• 2005 PT Cruiser Convertible
• 2004 Chrysler Pacifica
• 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan
• 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10*

*We can't drive these, but we can ride with a professional driver. :( I wanted to drive the Viper!! :D

[chop456]

Excellent.

Are they taking wagers as to whether or not there will be transmission parts littering the course at the end of the day?

[nrc]

They won't let you drive the Neon? :)

Blah, most of Chrysler's new line look like gunboats. The high beltline, low roofline look works on the Crossfire, but my head was rubbing the ceiling in the one at the car show.

[Sean O'Gorman]

Theres only two cars on that list worth even looking at and they wont let you drive them? What BS.

But oooh, you can drive a Caravan, oooh look at the Stow & Go under the seats, oooh feel the Hemi power as your Magnum wagon gets blown away by a Mazda 6, etc.

[anait]

:rolleyes: :D Sheesh. I just thought it would be fun to spend a morning tooling around in a bunch of new cars I've never driven, find out how they handle. I'd like to drive as many different cars as I'm able, to intelligently say, from first hand experience, this car beats the crap out of that car.

[Sean O'Gorman]

:rolleyes: :D Sheesh. I just thought it would be fun to spend a morning tooling around in a bunch of new cars I've never driven, find out how they handle. I'd like to drive as many different cars as I'm able, to intelligently say, from first hand experience, this car beats the crap out of that car.

Sorry, its easy to forget that I drove hundreds of DaimlerChrysler vehicles for years and still drive lots of cars at work, its not so unique to me. :)

[Ankf00]

:rolleyes: :D Sheesh. I just thought it would be fun to spend a morning tooling around in a bunch of new cars I've never driven, find out how they handle. I'd like to drive as many different cars as I'm able, to intelligently say, from first hand experience, this car beats the crap out of that car.

ask if they'll let you take the Ram HD to the nearest sand dunes for some "testing" ;)

[Robstar]

:rolleyes: :D Sheesh. I just thought it would be fun to spend a morning tooling around in a bunch of new cars I've never driven, find out how they handle. I'd like to drive as many different cars as I'm able, to intelligently say, from first hand experience, this car beats the crap out of that car.

I reckon it sounds like an awesome day out... :cool:

[indyfan31]

When you get in the Magnum, stomp on it. What are they gonna do, fire you?

Slightly off topic (and not). I saw a trio of 300s stuck in L.A. traffic last week. They had Michigan plates and the interior was decked out with all sorts of monitoring equipment. I figured it must have been a car mag runnning a cross-country test. Good looking cars though.

[anait]

ask if they'll let you take the Ram HD to the nearest sand dunes for some "testing" ;)

:thumbup:

[anait]

When you get in the Magnum, stomp on it. What are they gonna do, fire you?

I saw a trio of 300s stuck in L.A. traffic last week. They had Michigan plates and the interior was decked out with all sorts of monitoring equipment. I figured it must have been a car mag runnning a cross-country test. Good looking cars though.

Supposedly we're getting tips from professional drivers, so we can get the maximum performance from the vehicles. :p I'll be reminding myself, 'You're not Tommy Kendall...you're not Tommy Kendall...' Watching him fly the 300 around corners is way too fresh in my mind!!

I'm not a big fan of the "high beltline", as nrc said...but they do make a snazzy package. TK called them 'mob cars' or something.... :D

[Madmaxfan2]

Indyfan31, you probably ran into a fleet of calibration vehicles, especially if they had Michgan M plates. Calibration is for final software changes for the engine managment control computers. While car magazines do test the vehicles with computerized equipment, they do not use keyboard modules hard wired into the vehicle. LA traffic is used probably for driveablity testing.

[indyfan31]

I'm not a big fan of the "high beltline", as nrc said...but they do make a snazzy package. TK called them 'mob cars' or something.... :D
They do look like something out of a Dick Tracy movie don't they? :cool:


Thanks for the info Madmaxfan2, that makes sense. Would you know what that metal cylinder attached to the outside of the B-pillar is all about?

[racer2c]

Enter Chrysler Man...

The 300C. I do not like the use of the egg crate grill that Chrysler has been using for awhile. Cadillac used the same grill styling and Chryslers come off an imitation. "Chrysler, the Poor Man Caddy". Yuck. I don't understand the need to go rear wheel drive again in a big sedan. A sports car on the other hand...


Dodge Magnum. Two much coolness for a station wagon. Now if they made the new Charger like they were going to...

Neon SRT-4. 230hp/2870lb for $24K. Officially the "most bang for the buck" you can get. I'd rather have a turbo Miata, but if I were 22 and wanted something other than a 135hp Civic to put rims on, I'd get the Neon.

PT Cruiser Convertible. One reason I like Chrysler so much is because they make cars like the Cruiser/Viper/Prowler/Crossfire but the convertible looks like a rolling bathtub.

Pacifica - I think this is the classiest minivan made. I love the split rear seats. This is a great car to take another couple to a nice restaurant in and still have the higher site line that the wife likes. I think they want too much for it. Knock 5K off and these things would go quick.


Grand Caravan - The original just got better in the outstanding inclusion of fold under rear seats. Watch, just as the Caravan lead the way with remote sliding doors, driver side sliding door the competition will have to include the fold under seats. The Caravan might lack the switchgear quality that people are used to in the Japanese mini's, the Caravan is still larger, more powerful and cheaper to fix than it's competition. A buddy of mine has a fully loaded '04 Town and Country with all leather. I think it took a herd of cows to upholster that thing! Nice van.

The Viper. If you haven't actually laid eyes on the revised Viper you're missing out on the badest ass car on the planet. Less cartoony and more attitude. Boy I'd love to light up those Michelins!

I think the Germans have subdued Chrysler in the past few years. And with the loss of Bob Lutz to GM, there hasn't been nearly as much prototype buzz as there used to be when Bob was heading up the design team.
Bob went to GM and immediately headed up that muscle truck thing they have, which by the way looks as cartoony in person as the original Viper did. Down right goofy.

I do hope that Dodge gets the green light to make the Sling Shot though. The world needs more rear wheel drive two seaters.

[Tall1]

My occupation as a driver (ideal job for us retirees) for the local Chrysler dealership enables me to drive a lot of the new vehicles in the real world.
300C - Looks like a Skoda from the 60's, but quite nice interior. Haven't driven this one. Plenty of room for this 6'6" carcass.
Magnum - Classy wagon, built on 300C chassis. We haven't gotten one of these in yet.
RAM HD - Not my cup of tea.
PT Cruiser Convertible - Spend the extra $$$ and get the turbo, otherwise it's really anemic. I had an early Cruiser and kept it less than a year.
Caravan - Those stow-away seats don't come cheap.
Pacifica - Have had one for a little over a month. It is by far the smoothest riding, quietest vehicle I've ever owned. It's considered a "crossover" vehicle and puts the minivans to shame, and a comparably equipped minivan is not that much cheaper. My 14's (shoes) have plenty of room. Handling is decent for a bigger vehicle.
Can't get the aforementioned 14's in the SRT-4, Viper or Crossfire, so I cannot comment on driving any of these vehicles.

[chop456]

Neon SRT-4. 230hp/2870lb for $24K. Officially the "most bang for the buck" you can get.

I'm pretty sure I'd rather have a WRX for the same coin.

[Sean O'Gorman]

I thought the SRT-4 was only 20k?

[racer2c]

I thought the SRT-4 was only 20k?

You're right. I was going by a window sticker price I saw a few weeks ago. Dealer markup. This is from Dodge.com...

SRT-4
Starting from $20,995 MSRP**

2.4 liter turbocharged 16-valve DOHC engine
230 horsepower
250 lb.-ft. of torque
0-60 in 5.8 seconds

The WRX MSRP is $24620. 227hp with 217lbs torque.

[Madmaxfan2]

They do look like something out of a Dick Tracy movie don't they? :cool:


Thanks for the info Madmaxfan2, that makes sense. Would you know what that metal cylinder attached to the outside of the B-pillar is all about?

Yes. It is a hot wire anaeometer(sp). It is used to measure true car speed without speedmeter error. A thin wire is heated, and as the air rushes by, it cools the wire, so to keep the wire at a constant voltage , more current flows through the wire. You measure the current amount with a amp meter, and correlate to vehicle speed. Many sensors used into today's automobles use this type of technology. BTW, that device nails it as far as the purpose of those vehicles, they are calibration development vehicles.