New Dodge Chargers at Hertz!!!

I'm so excited that Hertz O'Hare has acquired about 20 new Dodge Charger sedans. They are all V6s with 17" wheels, but I'm giddy as a schoolboy who found his Dad's Playboy Magazine.

This year's model has definitely gained some weight. The older model had a slimmer design, but the new model 's side panels make the car look somewhat fat, for lack of a better word. The front end doesn't seem as "truck-ish" as the previous model, but the protruding grille reminds me more of Shelby Cobra or a big-mouth bass rather than a family sedan. The roofline is also an improvement from last year. Last year's model had a confusing roofline that made the car appear as though it should be driven in reverse. This one reminds me of a Mitsubishi Galant (which is not the feelings that a Dodge Charger should invoke).  I REALLY dig the rear taillight assembly on the new model. The LEDs are a bit overwhelming, but they have a definite "WOW" factor. I like that the trim levels that Hertz got (I'm not sure what they are called, but they have to be on the same line as the Challenger SE) had 17" tires. They are 215/65R17s, but I do not remember the make. As far as tires go, 17 inch tires are the new 15s. They are not as cheap as a set of 215/75R15 whitewalls, but they are cheaper than a set of 20s.

The car is attractive, overall, but It's my opinion that Dodge missed the mark on styling. I would like to have seen a wide, rectangular front end with four circle headlights either bare or with hideaway doors. I would like to have seen more of the overall shape of a '69 Charger throughout the car, or maybe dust off the "turbine engine" styling of the late 60's and early 70's that Chrysler used on everything from Challengers to Imperials.

Finally, the thing that has always bothered me about the Charger is the name. When I think "CHARGER", visions of the "Dukes of Hazard" and "Bullitt" come into my head. Two-door, aggressively styled, long and lean muscle cars are what Chargers should be, not the average family sedan. I think that Dodge should've held the Charger only as a sporty, two-door version of the current Charger and the four-door should've been called something else (Monaco, Polara, whatever. Anything except "Intrepid." The only thing "Intrepid" about the Intrepid was it's multiple trips to the transmission shop and final trip to the junkyard.) Regardless, the Charger name is here to stay and I want to focus on the car itself, not the name.

I was able to drive the previous Charger V6 around the lot and it seemed to be a capable car. The V6 had a lot of guts. I'm hoping that this year's car has the same aggression under the hood as it does in the styling. We'll see.

5-29-11
John C Kreuz