Is the 2005 Dodge Magnum Hemi a good car? Is it bad on gas and does it require alot of repairs?

Question

I am thinking about buying one and I have used consumer reports and a few others. The ratings are pretty bad though. I wanted to see if anyone actually had one and if they could give their own opinion ... or even a mechanic or someone that knows alot about cars.

Answer 1

i work at a dodge dealer in the service department, out of all the new dodge cars and styles the one we see the least is the magnum for repairs. If it has the mds engine (which shuts down cylinders when power is not needed mileage is excellent) the 6 cylinder naturally gets more mileage than the hemi. Hoped i helped

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
Is the 2005 Dodge Magnum Hemi a good car? Is it bad on gas and does it require alot of repairs?
I am thinking about buying one and I have used consumer reports and a few others. The ratings are pretty bad though. I wanted to see if anyone actually had one and if they could give their own opinion ... or even a mechanic or someone that knows alot about cars.

Answer 3

I've been driving my '05 AWD Magnum RT for over a year now.

Is it a good car? I'd say yes. There's not anything out there that I would prefer to be driving. It fits me well.

Is it bad on gas? Depends on what you compare it to - compared to a full size SUV or pickup, it's pretty good, compared to an "economy" car, it's pretty bad. I needed something that could tow a 3000+lb trailer through the mountains and had a good amount of interior space for non-trailer hauling. Nothing with those characteristics had better mileage (other than some diesel trucks ... ), most were much worse. I typically get 18-19mpg in mixed driving, 23-24mpg on interstate trips running 70mph.

Does it require a lot of repairs? I've had one warranty repair done in the past year, they replaced a leaky o-ring on a wiring plug going into the transmission - it took maybe an hour and was done while I had my oil changed. It has always run great, and has never let me down.

It's been a great road car for me. The handling characteristics of the AWD, great brakes, electronic stability control and passenger protection features make for a well behaved, safe vehicle. The engine's power means that I never have a problem merging into high speed traffic, climbing hills, or passing (when necessary).

Answer 4

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/flhthemi/IMG_0085-640.jpg

Best car I have owned in years and blows away Stock Mustang GT's. I get 13 MPG around town and 23 on the road.

1/4 mile ETs are cosistant 14.2s 300C's will get 13.5 to 13.9 1/4 mile times. They are 300 LBS lighter.

Want a lot of free info for the Magnum, 300C and Charger?

http://www.LXforums.com

Just so you know....

The Dodge Charger, Magnum and Chrysler 300 and the soon to be Dodge Challenger are ALL built on the same platform. The only difference is the body and a few options you can get on some and not on others. You can take the front fenders and hood from a 300C and put it on a Magnum R/T. The charger is a bit different and it would require extensive custom work but it has been done. You can see pictures of it on lxforums.com. Search for CHARGUM.

So far I have had NO repairs or problems with my 2005 Magnum R/T at 31,000 miles. Just routine maintenance.

Test drive one, I guarantee you're gonna want the HEMI 5.7 or the SR/T 8 6.1L hemi.

Answer 5

Consumer Reports compiles their ratings for reliability based upon the experiences of people who have owned the cars. Therefore, if the reliability of the Dodge Magnum was listed as below average, that means that at least 28 out of 100 people have had major problems with the car. These ratings come from actual owners of the Dodge Magnum, and can be trusted to be correct and accurate.

However, I still don't approve of Consumer Reports' major bias toward Japanese cars in their personal reviews in their automotive issue (I believe it's the April issue of each year). Therefore, don't go based upon this, but instead on the reliability and satisfaction ratings listed at the Dodge Magnum's specific profile and the reliability overview at the back of the magazine in the reliability section.

Another important note - Consumer Reports sometimes doesn't differentiate between the different engines in their overall reliability rating. The poor reliability rating may be for the V-6 version instead of the V-8 Hemi version. Make sure you check to see which version is less reliable, or if both are. Also, the same goes for the drivetrain options. The Dodge Magnum with the V-8 is offered in both 2-Wheel Drive and All-Wheel Drive configurations, and possibly one was less reliable than the other.

Also, here's the gas mileage ratings -

Dodge Magnum V-8 2WD - 17 Miles per gallon in city driving
25 Miles per gallon in highway driving

Dodge Magnum V-8 AWD - 17 Miles per gallon in city driving
24 Miles per gallon in highway driving

Overall, that's not too bad for a V-8 powered vehicle, though the 2005 Ford Crown Victoria and Mercury Grand Marquis, both slightly larger and also with V-8 power, though as a sedan and not available anymore as a wagon, get slightly better mileage, even without cylinder deactivation. Their reliability ratings are also either average or better.

My personal recommendation - Decide based upon what you plan to use the vehicle for, where you live, and your daily driving experience between home/work/schooling etc.

If you live in the city, near work and/or college/school, and don't take long trips or carry tons of cargo all that often, a smaller vehicle may be more in tune with your lifestyle. In this case, V-8 power often isn't necessary, but a strong I-4 or a small V-6 may be better.

On the other hand, if you live more than, say, 25 miles from work, and driving on the highway (55+ Miles per hour) for at least 10 miles is required to get there, and plan on carrying a lot of cargo, then perhaps a larger, more powerful sedan or a wagon, like the Dodge Magnum, is better suited for you.

I can provide you with a list of reliable cars that would be suitable in either situation; just ask.

Answer 6

MPG will not be it's strong suit. Maybe an average of 17-20 depending on how hard you jump on it. Consumer Reports is q good source, and they are non-biased. They tend to like Japanese cars more because they are built better. The Americans only recently took their focus off huge, profitable SUV's and are finally giving the mid sized sedans the attention they deserve.

Bear in mind, the Magnums are hard to see out of, as you sit low and it has a high dash. Blind spots are an issue too if you are not the most confident driver. There are a lot plastic parts on these cars too. I believe the intakes are plastic, which is not a good thing. There are a lot of last generation Mercedes parts in them, which is certainly better than Neon parts. The interior parts look decent, but do not feel all that high end.

Depreciation is likely to be on the high side (upside down on the loan), and as with all Chrysler products, reliability will likely be poor down the road. As this is a V8, remember that is 8 spark plugs and 8 spark plug wires every few years, and a lot of synthetic oil every 5000 miles. There are not a lot of station wagons out there anymore, and a V8 one is even more rare. I was very enthusiastic about it till I sat in it and read up on it.

Answer 7

2005 Dodge Magnum

Answer 8

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dodgrlvr33/347004932/

I own one (2006 SRT-8) and I love it. Its a great car with great performance and not a lot of money spent. A true "bang for your buck" vehicle. Depending on what trim you get (SXT, RT, SRT8) the horsepower (and gas mileage) vary. You would be well served with the RT. Great power and they have an available feature which allows the engine to conserve fuel at cruising speeds by switching from 8 cylinders to 4.

After owning mine for 9 months, I can honestly say I made the right decision. I was shopping and researching for 4 months before I made my purchase. I was choosing between the Magnum, a Nissan Maxima, an Audi A6 or the 300 C. I needed a car that would fit me and passengers (Im 6'4") plus still zip me around. There is plenty of passenger and cargo space, which is natural for a wagon, and the safety of the car is excellent (5 star crash rating all around).

You were inquiring about gas and reliability... like I said, the RT has pretty good gas mileage for a big V8 especially when coupled with the gas saving engine feature. It is American made, and German engineered (just like the award winning 300 C) so you can rest assured that there wont be any serious mechanical problems.

Answer 9

i just love the answer that says to go look at the 300. the cars are mechanically identical, using the same parts and the same workers in the same plant to build these. The hemi engines have proven well in there use of fuel. you'll hear arguments that they suck gas, well of course they do, it's a v8, but it's more efficient than most v8's on the market. I happen to really enjoy this car, along with it's sisters, the 300 and the charger. go for it.

Answer 10

My daughter and her husband have a large Durango of 2006 with the same hemi engine. It gets terrible gas mileage and is a large drain on their pocket books. I would not purchase the car unless you are able to spend lots of money on gas and any repairs, as the cost of these are also high.