Magnum vs. SUV vs. Nomad
Alright, this article is dedicated to my beautiful wife, the old man and my pain in the neck friends. Before I bought my Navigator, I was looking at getting a Dodge Magnum SRT8. The immediate response from my wife “It’s a station wagon!” My dad “It’za so ugly.” My friends “Why don’t you buy a minivan, then?” My response to my wife was “The Magnum is a lowered SUV.” My response to my dad was “Lay off the vino.” And to my friends “Let’s see what you say when I waive to you through my rear view mirror.”
So there is my argument. I will show you why the Magnum SRT8 is awesome. For 4 reasons, styling, power, being conventional (yes, I said conventional) and price.
I will start with styling. Has anyone noticed the common styling theme on all the new Dodge/Chrysler products? Specifically the Charger, Magnum and 300c? If you noticed the windows and roofline are smaller and lower, then you would be correct. I am not a tall man and when I test drove the Magnum, I noticed that if I hung my elbow out the car, it was much higher than I’m used to. What I am getting at here, is that Dodge/Chrysler took styling queues for the hot rodders. What is the first thing custom shops do to an old 30’s, 40’s or 50’s car? Chop the top. Channel this, shave that. Then the lower the seats so you do not lose headroom. This type of styling has been used for years and has won every award on the face of the earth. Add the 20” rims, no ROOF RACK, dual exhaust, hood scoop and this is one kicking car.
Second, P-O-W-E-R! The 2008 model has a 425 horsepower 6.1-liter SRT Hemi V8 engine. It has electronic stability programming, BAER brakes, and 420 lb-ft of torque! Oh, and 0 to 60 times in the low 5 seconds. Let’s compare that to the mid-size SUV’s. The Lincoln Aviator was replaced with the crossover MKX. It has a V6 engine, 265 horsepower, 250 lb-ft torque, and all wheel drive. The Cadillac has the SRX crossover. It’s best has a V8 engine, all wheel drive system, 320 horsepower, and 315 lb-ft of torque. I know, I know I am not technically comparing apples with apples, and I know that the Magnum was discontinued; however, I will address this when I talk about being conventional. Good segue.
Third, the Magnum is conventional. Conventional? What? How can the SRT8 with 13mpg city and 18mpg highway be conventional? Let’s compare the three I mentioned. The Lincoln is 15 city and 22 highway. The Cadillac is 13 city and 20 highway. Headroom: SRT8 38.7 inches, Lincoln 40.0 inches, and Cadillac 40.3 inches. Luggage Capacity behind 1st row/2nd row in cubic feet: SRT8 71.6/27.2, Lincoln 68.6/32.3, and Cadillac 69.5/32.4. So what does it all mean? The “station wagon” was the original SUV! With the SRT8 you give up only 2mpg, but look at all the extras you get and for a lot cheaper! Another good segue.
Finally the price. I went on their websites and requested a quote. The Magnum starts at $24,120 (SRT8 $41,570), the Lincoln starts at $35,840 (and up to $45,150) and the Cadillac starts at $38,390 (and up to $50,830). Of course, I tried to compare these cars with like options, meaning 20” wheels, the hot engine and big entertainment package. Where do you see the value? Hands down the SRT8. It’s faster, cooler, with more room and definitely cheaper. Plus, this was at a time when Chrysler was with Mercedes and I know that ideas and parts were shared benefiting the Dodge/Chryslers.
So, why do have the Nomad in the title? The last time there was a kick butt “station wagon” was the Nomad. And look at what they are worth now. The Magnum was discontinued and there were very few built to begin with. If I were a gambling man, I would bet that the Magnum SRT8 will hold it’s value a lot better that any SUV.
If I had my choice, I would have the SRT8 Grand Cherokee in one stall of my garage, the Magnum SRT8 in the other and my classic in the third. However, I also want a thrown made of gold, but it’s just not in the cards.
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