18th Mar 2008, 23:35
It's an automatic, you shouldn't need to play with the gears to alter the performance, it should know what gear it should be in, otherwise it would have a standard gearbox. The seats shouldn't be giving way like this after a year either.
I had one for two weeks, travelled from Ontario down through the US as far as West Virginia and back over two weeks, and LOVED this car! It's awesome! Just a bit thirsty, especially with the AC on. That was the only gripe.
31st Jul 2008, 04:54
In response to the last comment on automatics knowing what gear to be in, that is indeed the reason that I never buy auto; Much of the time they don't know what gear to be in, and/or are late getting to the proper gear. For optimum control you need a standard, as your brain is obviously much more intelligent than even the most sophisticated auto trans. You can gauge the gradient of the hill etc. and know what gear to be in, even before you have to actually switch gears. I prefer the control of a standard over the practicability of an auto.
As for the auto trans on the Magnums, it is quite decent but like all autos I've driven, not perfect, though nothing that should stop any perspective buyer from getting this very good vehicle. It is a shame that they are discontinued, but sharing parts with the 300, at least you won't run into the extra cost of hunting down discontinued parts.
5th Apr 2009, 08:50
I have a gorgeous shiny dark blue 2007 Dodge Magnum SXT. Purchased it June, 2007 with 12K miles. Now have 18K miles.
Love this car to death and the "eye candy" factor, ha, ha.
Tons of power from the 3.5 / 250 HP engine. I am not sure what a previous writer meant when they indicated their Magnum struggled on hills, etc. Maybe they have the SE model with the smaller engine?
A joy to drive this sexy looking car. For years I owned a Jaguar XJS Coupe and this Magnum has a very similar ride (maybe because of the Mercedes underpinnings) as my XJS. I never thought I'd ever get a similar ride and feel that I got when I drove my XJS.
I don't like to play with the auto-stick transmission selections. Like another previous writer said, let the transmission do its job on its own. (I think that's what he said.)
So far everything is perfect with my Magnum. I had heard that when dealers, and others, steam clean the engine areas they are getting water in the control module that houses fuses. Therein lies the electrical problems I have read about with some Magnum owners. That module box is not fully water sealed. I installed a nice thin seal around mine in the case of the above.
I recall an exec from Chrysler on TV saying "we lose money every time we build a Magnum." Well anyway, many folks seem quite interested in this car, regardless.
Perfect and solid shift patterns. Gonna go get the transmission flushed out to maintain that perfection.
Too bad they don't make them anymore. A collectors item someday??
10th Jan 2010, 07:00
Not sure what the previous writer said either about lack of power. He must've had an SE with the 2.7L engine. The 3.5L is a lot more powerful. I have a 2006 that I bought used with 17k on it. I now have 85k on it. Lack of power? No. I can leave a lot of V8 pickups & SUV's with much bigger engines looking at my tail lights. I get about 25-26 mpg on the hwy if I take it easy. Does good in the snow with just all season tires (I have the RWD version). Could handle a little better in the corners, but unfortunately Chrysler left off a rear sway bar to save a few $$$'s. Overall my Magnum has been pretty dependable.
29th Aug 2011, 06:18
Hi, I'm very interested in getting a Dodge Magnum, but while I was looking on this site, I noticed a lot of complaints filed for the 2005 model transmission failure and engine failures. How dependable are the newer models such as the 2007 and 2008? Have they corrected the mistakes that caused most of the problems with the 2005 models or what?
Thanks very much, John.
15th Jan 2008, 11:58
The 3.5 litre has plenty of power. When climbing hills, downshift to fourth from O.D. The engine is struggling because the computer will constantly select the lower gear and shift to the higher one when you let off the pedal.
The seats are nice, but have a tendancy to ripple and sag. Take the seat out and add extra hog rings to the underside while pulling the material back.
As for the engine. I like that noise... it sounds like a twin cam engine should. These engines may prove popular for rodders in the future. This block is used in more cars than you think...