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Recently, Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne was quoted as saying that Chrysler’s contribution to mid-size and large car expertise was totally underestimated.  Most auto enthusiasts would, however, tend to disagree with him, performance-wise, quality-wise, efficiency-wise, etc. etc.  (Other than maybe the SRT-8, with the 6.1). I have always looked at almost every Chrysler-designed car this way, especially in terms of quality. I have always thought that driving a Chrysler feels like driving a Power Wheels toy, only with an engine…oh wait.

This toy is more relevant than you might think to Chrysler products. And I quote, from a review of the Fischer-Price Dodge Ram Power Wheel: “Very little power, doesn’t work very well. Hard to steer. ” The same could be said for many vehicles in Chrysler’s lineup.

After reading what Mr. Marchionne had said, I began to think that he might be somewhat right, at least with the 300c and Charger. It’s not surprising, at least in my state, Minnesota, to see at least one or the other every time I go for a drive. But what makes people want to buy these cars? Were the 300C and Charger the reason the Fiat CEO made that statement? Time to investigate at my local Dodge dealer and “Grab life by the horns”

I made sure that my test drive would be in the 5.7L Hemi R/T which turned out to be a little difficult to find a dealer with one of these in stock, surprisingly.  I stayed adamant on testing this particular model because of the engine; apparently the 5.7L Hemi was placed in Ward’s Top Ten engines of the year lists, from years 2002 through 2007 (Yes, every year) and again in 2009. Turning out 368HP and 395 Ft/LBS of for 2009, it shells out more than enough power for a 4 door sedan; they also use it in the Ram. Unfortunately, I could not locate a new R/T model to drive, and had to make do with a 2006 model. Still, 350HP with 390 Ft/LBS of torque isn’t too far off of the newer engines.

Looking over my Beige-With-Wannabe-Muscle-Car-Stickers example, I can see the appeal of this car. There are few large 4-door cars at this price that look this aggressive. The car has this sort of modern muscle look that covers up that fact that’s it’s really a family sedan. The R/T is made special by use of more chrome, foglights, different wheels and stickers. Gotta love those stickers.

Ok, so now we get to the interior. At first glance, It is unbelievably boring. Closing my eyes for a minute and taking a  second glance, it is still devastatingly boring. Granted, we had only a small amount of options on this particular car, but even with navigation, steering wheel controls, and leather seats, I simply cannot see how people manage to stay awake while driving the Charger. Just to name a few,

• The gauges were from a minivan.
• The plastic was tacky.
• The seats weren’t comfortable.

The worst part, however, was the door panel. It may sound strange to criticize that one piece, but honestly as the first thing I saw when I entered the car, I couldn’t help but notice this rectangle-shaped piece of low quality. Want to make a million dollars? Make a baby mobile (the things that spin above their crib to help them sleep) out of mini Dodge Charger door panels.

Turning the engine on, it growled to life with a v8 growl. Being derived from an older-generation Mercedes E-class, I thought that there was a chance that it would have half-way decent handling, or at the very least comfortable. It wasn’t. The small 5 miles that I covered in the car made that quite apparent, especially as I took a wide, sweeping entrance ramp on to the freeway. At a very normal 45 miles an hour, the Charger produced a solid amount of body roll, a terribly revealing trait about the suspension in this car. I simply can’t figure out how such normal and pedestrian entrance ramp taken at normal speed could induce sea-sickness the way this car could.  Once on the highway, though, the 390 FT/LBS of torque made itself apparent. Wide open Acceleration is very smooth and linear, and even though this is a heavy car, it will push you back into your seat. Coming back into the dealership, I took the car over a bad-condition road, a move which I paid for in hearing a solid clunk over almost any visible bump. I wasn’t impressed with the ride, but maybe the newer 2009 and 2010 models are better. Doubtful, if I’m honest.

All in all, this car is a piece of furniture from Target. It may look nice and it seems to be at a good price for what it is, but the quality is lacking. The only reason I can think that there are so many of these cars on the road is simply because it looks a little different; like a modern “family” muscle car, and a Hemi engine to back it up. After all, you wouldn’t have bought an Intrepid with a Hemi, would you?

I guess we will have to see if Sergio Marchionne is right.

- Ryan Maki