2005-2008 Dodge Magnum R/T

The condom and wine hauler.

Sign me up...?

Interesting aftermarket wheels.

Condoms, wine, mustachioed television private detective, ammunition caliber...all of these things are magnums. What doesn't come to mind is a car model. And though it's a name that's been around a long time, it certainly doesn't has a certain ring to it.

The design goal for the Dodge Magnum wagon -don't call it a wagon!- was interesting; a truck front end, a sloping roof line that didn't look like the typical wagon and recall the classic lead sleds of yore.

I'd say all of that was accomplished with the possible exception of the first item; that cross-hair grille was just too yesterday by the time the Magnum came onto the market.

Absolutely no relation to the B-Body platformed cars of the late 70s, our featured wagon of the day was LX-based and built in Canada. CrySlur was owned by Daimler at the time, so there are many MB W211 components integrated into the Magnum, including the automatic transmission (no manual was offered), diff, suspension, floor pan and firewall. The R/T had a non-German 5.7 Hemi V8 with 340 hp. You could have RWD or AWD, your choice.

There was the SRT-8 that stole the show. But, frankly, it's overkill. The sweet spot was the R/T variant which could be had with the optional AWD, while the SRT-8 could not. The lesser models might be a good buy if you're looking for the look for less. But this wagon screams for lusty power. The R/T had a 0-60 in the high 5 second range. There are several hiding places for NOS...just sayin'.

That's pretty cool.

An interesting feature was the rear hatch, which cut into the roof. This was a great feature and allowed you to drop cargo down into the car without banging the crapola out of your head, like I do every time I put something into the back of the Shadowagon.

The dash design is a matter of taste. I happen to think it's butt ugly. Too much plastic...everywhere. At least it's functional.

Eww.

Rear seat leg room is an awesome, limo-like 40.2 inches and the max cargo is 71.6 cargo feet. Impressive!

These are not rare (at the moment, ask me again in 15 years) and there are plenty for sale. KBB for a 2005 R/T AWD is $5.8K. That seems too low to me; I'd expect to pay a couple of grand more for a decent one. That's an amazing deal for a lot of car. How you feel about trying to maintain a Dodge-CrySlur-Mercedes is certainly pause-worthy. Research can answer any question you may have and prepare for the day when your bank account will come under fire.

MPG for the R/T AWD is rated at 15/22, nearly identical for the RWD. Did I mention that the R/T AWD is rated to tow 3800 pounds? Zoinks.

Not my fault.

Now, back to the issue of calling it a station wagon. CrySlur (including Gillies) was so very desperate that it not be viewed as a station wagon, that they insisted everybody call it a sports tourer. Yep. Ridiculous.

Sales were pretty darn decent; 39K+ in 2004, 52K+ in 2005, 40K in 2006, 30K in 2007 and ~7 in 2008, by which time Dimebag-CrySlur clearly had yet again given up on the model. Nice.

But this is a neat opportunity to get a wagon with gun-slit windows, showcar looks and a monster V8.