Friday, April 18, 2014

2015 Dodge Challenger, Improved... 2015 Dodge Charger, Not So Much

Hello everyone!  Even though it's been a record long time since my last post, I'm not going to start off with excuses.  I will, however, plug the play I'm in that's coming up in the first two weekends of May.  If you're going to be in the Tillsonburg area during that time, come check out Plaza Suite, an old comedy by Neil Simon.  It's three one acts that take place in the same hotel room at the Plaza Hotel.  I play a hip, freewheeling movie producer who's come back to town to hit on his old high school girlfriend.  I know, classy as ever.  But as much as I try, I'll never match the class exhibited in the the new updates Dodge has applied to its two most exciting cars with back seats.
Let's start with the elephant in the room.  The 2015 Charger, when you look at it from the front, looks like an amalgam of the Avenger and the Dart.  Both of those vehicles have their merits - the Avenger is cheap second hand and the Dart is an Alfa Romeo underneath (albeit one that asked for seconds at the pasta trough resulting in a poor finish on track day) - but neither is a car that I want to serve as a stylistic inspiration for Dodge's awesome muscle sedan.  Luckily, the 2011 redesign still holds on throughout the rest of the 2015 car's sheet metal.

The 2015 interior is pretty close to what it was before.  The notable exception is the steering wheel, which looks to be all new.  Also, the button arrangement on the center stack look to have been sleeked up somewhat and the shifter knob is a little more chunky looking.  Definitely more Dodge than Audi.

The good news for this year's update seems to all come from the Challenger side of the camp.  Aside from the awesome news that the Challenger is getting the 8-speed auto across the board, this jumbo sized pony car (it really hasn't qualified for pony car status since the early 1970's) is getting a much needed interior refresh. 

Well, refresh doesn't do it justice actually.  The looks like every aspect of the inside of this car has been updated and improved!  No longer a sea of hard black plastic and minimalistic style, the new interior is now as gorgeous as the exterior.  I actually feel bad for anyone who has to sit in an old Challenger now.  So, with that being said, anyone who owns a 2008-2014 challenger and now wants to get rid of it I am more than happy to take the burden off your hands.  I know, it's a tall order to ask of me, but I have broad shoulders.

Anyway, don't take my word for it, take a look for yourself!  Both of the following links have write ups and photo galleries.  

Here's the 2015 Charger and here's the 2015 Challenger.

Let me know what you think!  I've been a big fan of both these cars since they were launched (2006 and 2008 respectively) and I am more than happy to swap view points on their strengths and weaknesses.

TTFN!        

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