[The Knight Rider]

Hi everybody. I am fairly new to this forum. Long story short, For the life of me I can’t make up my mind which car is right for me. I have a nice car now in a v6 accord, which is pretty good for me. It is roughly 300 horse. I no reason to get rid of this car other than to get something much cooler. If I cant achieve that, then I will just keep what I have and not buy any other car.

I have tried to read and view every review for both of these cars and have tried to learn everthing I can about them. I have test driven both cars as well. They drove totally differently. In short the camaro was simply a pure race car, amazingly fast. The Challenger drove kind of like a truck/suv, but I loved the way that hemi and exhaust sounded even at low speeds. Which of these 2 vechicles would be looked upon as more special/fancy? Both cars would be used spring through fall as a daily driver. Neither car will be driven in the winter. I want to keep either car for as long as possible. I am scared to death of dodges/fca reliability. I hear a lot of horror stories and consumer reports and jd power agree. So hard to get the truth about cars since owners are too passionate.

Also, is this an unfair assessment, is the dodge seen as just a regular sedan type car with a big engine or is that not fair? I am not thrilled with its big size. I would rather drive a smaller car as it is easier.

I would love to hear your thoughts. I dont know what to do. This car will be a daily driver but I want something I can buy that is as special as possible for around $45 k and it will be a toy for me. I dont want to spend this money and feel like I got something similiar to my Honda. Dont want to waste my money. Thanks!

[BlaqWhole]

Both are fast, cool looking, and have some awesome options. Performance wise they both can run good in a straight line...but the SS handles much better. The Challenger tho is much more roomy, more comfortable, easier to get in and out of, and has better visibility. But it really is a big and heavy car. And they're both competitively priced. Between the two I'm not sure which one I'd pick. I would say go for whichever one you can get the best deal in. For DD purposes the Challenger would probably be easier to live with. I would also suggest test driving both and seeing which one you like better. And try seeing if you like a car that corners really well or if you prefer to have the extra room. And if you're gonna end up carting more than one other person around then get the Challenger.

[WhyUMad1LE]

So your question is, which one will your friends think is cooler? Why not ask them.

I think you would be happy with a Mustang, or better yet an entry luxury coupe like Audi A5/BMW 430i/Mercedes C300, any reason those are not on your list?

[L99BEN]

If manual is a must, i'd go with the camaro SS or 1le. If an auto person, the ZF designed 8 speed is better in the scatpack.

[soloknight6]

I love the challengers, but hate the 4th pedal in the M6. Very dumb.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by soloknight6

I love the challengers, but hate the 4th pedal in the M6. Very dumb.

Agreed!! I have no idea why these manufacturers abandoned the standard stick-style E-Brake/Parking Brake setup.

[jaysonstuart]

I have a Charger Skat Pack and a SS Camaro and both are great cars. It really comes down to personal preference, if I had to pick one I would take my SS. Mainly because I've loved Camaros ever since I was a kid and have owned a few of them.

But as a DD vehicle I could see the Dodge Challenger being a better choice for most folks.

[soloknight6]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Agreed!! I have no idea why these manufacturers abandoned the standard stick-style E-Brake/Parking Brake setup.

I know right, Ill bet its just a penny saving thing. Probably the same parking brake setup on all of their cars. I have to say though, the challenger is the best looking modern muscle car IMO.

[bpang1234]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

Both are fast, cool looking, and have some awesome options. Performance wise they both can run good in a straight line...but the SS handles much better. The Challenger tho is much more roomy, more comfortable, easier to get in and out of, and has better visibility. But it really is a big and heavy car. And they're both competitively priced. Between the two I'm not sure which one I'd pick. I would say go for whichever one you can get the best deal in. For DD purposes the Challenger would probably be easier to live with. I would also suggest test driving both and seeing which one you like better. And try seeing if you like a car that corners really well or if you prefer to have the extra room. And if you're gonna end up carting more than one other person around then get the Challenger.

This is basically the answer...up to you which is more important.

[The Knight Rider]

Originally Posted by bpang1234

This is basically the answer...up to you which is more important.

What about Dodges horrible reliability that I hear about? It seems like there are a lot more horror stories with dodge than chevy. I also hear dodge dealers are pretty bad and dont honor warranties at times, which scares me. Also it looks like the challenger is at least 10 inches longer than the camaro. How difficult is this going to be to daily drive and park given this size? I have never owned a car this big. My car now is bigger than my old one by a little and I can really feel the size when parking it and when driving in tight areas. Its hard to get an idea of this on a test drive...

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by The Knight Rider

What about Dodges horrible reliability that I hear about? It seems like there are a lot more horror stories with dodge than chevy. I also hear dodge dealers are pretty bad and dont honor warranties at times, which scares me. Also it looks like the challenger is at least 10 inches longer than the camaro. How difficult is this going to be to daily drive and park given this size? I have never owned a car this big. My car now is bigger than my old one by a little and I can really feel the size when parking it and when driving in tight areas. Its hard to get an idea of this on a test drive...

I have no issues with my Hellcat. I think it is built well. The dealerships will void your warranty if you do something to make them void it...like tuning the car. But I have also heard stories of Chevy and Ford voiding warranties and investigating cars when they come in to service. So really any of these manufacturers will give you trouble in that regard.

I DD mine and I don't have an issue with parking it. It is a big car tho. And you will feel the weight and size of it. That is for sure. But I enjoy driving it. Once you get used to the size and weight you will enjoy it much more.

[soloknight6]

Originally Posted by The Knight Rider

What about Dodges horrible reliability that I hear about? It seems like there are a lot more horror stories with dodge than chevy. I also hear dodge dealers are pretty bad and dont honor warranties at times, which scares me. Also it looks like the challenger is at least 10 inches longer than the camaro. How difficult is this going to be to daily drive and park given this size? I have never owned a car this big. My car now is bigger than my old one by a little and I can really feel the size when parking it and when driving in tight areas. Its hard to get an idea of this on a test drive...

My brother has a Chrysler 300 hemi (aka charger rt).He is the WORST PERSON WITH CAR MAINTENANCE. Did the first oil change myself @ 30k miles, yes 30k miles. He has 240k on the car now, only issue it has is you can't fill the tank beyond 3/4. If you do, the engine dies when turning hard left lol. Dad had a 488 v10 ram for years. She got to 643k before the tranny popped, engine still ran strong, still was factory sealed. From what I've seen, mopars are dead reliable, at least when Mercedes was in charge. As for warranty work, yes they suck. My sister has a new rubicon that developed some knocking, they said it was normal lol. Damn thing sounds like a diesel with straight pipes. She went to several dealerships before they gixed the valve train failure.

[hotlap]

Originally Posted by BlaqWhole

I have no issues with my Hellcat. I think it is built well. The dealerships will void your warranty if you do something to make them void it...like tuning the car. But I have also heard stories of Chevy and Ford voiding warranties and investigating cars when they come in to service. So really any of these manufacturers will give you trouble in that regard.

I DD mine and I don't have an issue with parking it. It is a big car tho. And you will feel the weight and size of it. That is for sure. But I enjoy driving it. Once you get used to the size and weight you will enjoy it much more.

A Challenger owner I met at the drags was shocked to hear that Chevy will honor your warranty if something breaks at the drags or track. He told me that the Dodge dealer looks in the rear wheel well for rubber and will void the warranty if they find it. You can take your Camaro in with the white numbers still on the windshield and they won't say a word.

[BlaqWhole]

Originally Posted by hotlap

A Challenger owner I met at the drags was shocked to hear that Chevy will honor your warranty if something breaks at the drags or track. He told me that the Dodge dealer looks in the rear wheel well for rubber and will void the warranty if they find it. You can take your Camaro in with the white numbers still on the windshield and they won't say a word.

I really think it depends on the dealership. A friend of mine on Facebook had a problem with his ZL1 and took it to the dealership. So they asked him if it had a tune. He told them it didn't. So they actually sent someone from their offices to go to the dealership and inspect the car to make sure it wasn't tuned. So you're always taking a chance. I've heard of guys with Hellcats on the forums who said they been thru transmissions and other parts and never was questioned on if they went to the track or had mods. There really is no consistency. You either get lucky or you're SOL.