2005 Dodge Magnum Article at Automotive.com

»Locate a Dealer»Find a Used Car»Get Financing

Most Popular: Hybrid Cars|Lexus IS350|Dodge Charger

HOME

2005 Dodge Magnum RT PentaSTARS- Mopar Muscle Magazine

Below is an enthusiast article written by the automotive experts at Mopar Muscle. The Hemi version of reader's rides!

QUICK PRICE QUOTE

DEALER LOCATOR

User Rating

N/A

Rating:

Value Rating

Average

LEARN WHY

IntelliChoice Value Rating

The chart above shows the purchase price versus ownership cost for each car from a specific vehicle class. The cars with better than average ownership cost/purchase price correlations are the best values, and these best value cars are represented by the dots below the curve. (i.e. the cars that have a lower ownership cost compared to its purchase price.) Those cars, which are worse than average or poor values, appear above the curve.

One way to view the graph is to draw a vertical line through any purchase price. You may see several dots that fall on this line - each of which is a car with a similar purchase price. However, notice the difference in ownership costs of each car represented by the vertical position of the dot. Two cars with the same purchase price can have thousands of dollars difference in ownership costs. This is what separates "good value" cars from "poor value" cars.

What is a good car value?

A "good car value" is one whose cost to own and operate is less than expected. The lower the cost to own and operate a car compared to what is expected, the better the value of that car.

But how do we know a car's "expected cost"?

For each car in the class, IntelliChoice plots the car's purchase price against the total five-year cost to own and operate it as determined by IntelliChoice research. Each dot on the above chart represents a specific car. Generally, we find that as the purchase price of the car increases, the cost to own and operate that car increases. This is why the dots on the graph tend to rise upward and to the right. This phenomenon also makes intuitive sense - as the purchase price rises, financing costs tend to rise, as do insurance, depreciation, taxes, and most other car ownership costs.

This is an important concept. It's normal for car ownership costs to rise as purchase price rises. Therefore, we can't just establish one "average" ownership cost number for each class, since cars in the class have different purchase prices. (This is why the "Relative" shown on each chart is different for cars in the same car class.)

Using statistical techniques, IntelliChoice "connects the dots" to form a curve that defines, for this car class, the relationship between the car's purchase price and car's ownership costs. This curve is our "expected cost" curve. The curve defines, for any car in the class, the five-year ownership cost that we would expect to see at each possible purchase price. If every car in the class were an average value, then all the dots would fall exactly on the curve. However, it's rare that any dot is exactly on the curve. Some dots are a little higher or lower, and some are a lot higher or lower. The dots that are a little lower are better than average car values, while the dots that are a lot lower are excellent car values (A dot that is a lot lower than the curve has ownership costs much lower than expected for a car of its purchase price). Conversely, a dot a little higher than the curve is a poorer than average car value, while a dot that is much higher than the curve is a poor car value.

Value is a relative term, not an absolute term. It is performing better than the logical expectation.

So is a Mercedes-Benz E320 expensive to own and operate? Certainly in an absolute sense. Most other cars cost less. But, when its cost to own and operate is plotted against cars with comparable invoice prices, the E320 costs less. So the E320 is not expensive to own and operate - it is a good car value. The Mercedes does not have low ownership costs, but it has low ownership costs for its invoice price.

Change Submodel

CHANGE VEHICLE

Article From Mopar Muscle Magazine

PentaSTARS

The Hemi version of reader's rides! / Article provided by: Mopar Muscle Magazine

The Paint Matches His Hair
Who: John Dempsey
Where: Seffner, Florida
What: '05 Dodge Magnum R/T
Fine Print: After purchasing this R/T, John was forced to relinquish control to his wife, who uses the 5.7 Hemi-powered wagon as a daily driver. His wife, a musclecar enthusiast, initially wanted a classic Mopar to ride around in, but because of the two-year backlog at J.D.'s Paint and Body Shop, they purchased one already painted. John has snuck the silver four-door out on several occasions, once for a leisurely cruise at upwards of 130 mph.

Shirley, You Must be Joking
Who: Shirley Hirsute
Where: Hoboken, New Jersey
What: '04 Dodge Ram 1500
Fine Print: Surely, you can recognize this shortbed, standard cab is no Viper SRT-10 truck. but enamored with the look and stance of the venerable snake rig, Shirley opted to dress her inky black truck with all the cladding, fascia treatment, and aggressive hood of the SRT-10's fame. Also included in her redesign was a set of blacked-out 22-inch rims and Scorpion rubber. The engine compartment is just as impressive, sporting all stainless braided hoses and lines, a chrome-polished cold-air intake tube and box, and an equally polished set of aftermarket headers. With everything looking the role of the Viper, but for a quarter of the cost, this winged sport truck really does a number on the unsuspecting on-comers.

Voiding the Warranty
Who: Neil Davis
Where: Greenfield, Indiana
What: '05 Dodge Daytona R/T Charger
Fine Print: A fan of the classic Dukes of Hazzard TV series, Neil grew up wanting to straighten the curves and flatten the hills like the Duke boys. When the opportunity arose for him to purchase a new Charger, Neil jumped at the Daytona option because of its available Go Mango Orange paint and stylish retro graphics. Neil jokingly plans on being one of the first to convert his new '05 Daytona into a modern-day General Lee with the available aftermarket decal package. There's no word yet that Neil plans on welding all four of the doors shut, but we have to wonder about how the 4,000-plus-pound sedan will fare on the landing after jumping Snake Creek.

The Lap of Luxury
Who: Mike Greener
Where: Ft. Wayne, Indiana
What: '05 Chrysler 300C
Fine Print: Mike wanted to be the first in his town to enjoy one of the first luxury/performance sedans built by Chrysler since the early '70s with the Hurst 300s. Mike checked all the right boxes and selected the right options to custom order his own personalized 300C. With the signature grille and taillights available only with the 300C option, this 5.7 Hemi-powered sedan proves to be just as aggressive with the pedal pinned down, as it is comfy and manageable on the road. Mike was in attendance at this year's Mopar Nationals in Columbus, Ohio, and was proud to present his new purchase next to some of Mopar's finest machines.

Orange Squeeze
Who: Harold Palms
Where: Pocatello, Idaho
What: '05 Dodge Ram Daytona 4x4 SLT
Fine Print: With the return of the infamous Daytona marquee to the Dodge line-up, what better to tow your new Daytona Charger to the races than with a Daytona Ram? Harry opted for the Go Mango truck when he saw that seductive rear wing. Sure, it might not offer any additional down force, but with the side decal and the SRT-10 hood, Harry had to have it. Harry boasts that his truck has visited the triple-digit neighborhood with the greatest of ease on several occasions. We just hope he wasn't towing anything behind him!

Stings Like a Bee
Who: Ruth Campbell
Where: Blountville, Tennessee
What: '04 Dodge Ram 4x4 Rumble Bee SLT
Fine Print: Most of us know that the Rumble Bee option wasn't available for a 4x4. Well, Ruth wanted both--the terrain-mastering capabilities of the Dodge 4x4 and the distinctive look of the Rumble Bee dress-up package. made from a SLT quad-cab with the Sport bumper package, Vin Devers in Sylvania, Ohio, installed the nonfunctioning hoodscoop, air dam, and step rail, along with the signature bumblebee stripe around the rear quarter. Inside and out, Ruth's Bee is almost indistinguishable from the real McCoy, so much so, that even her title and paperwork claim it as an additional cosmetic package.

Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em
Who: Johnny Couch
Where: Lebanon, Virginia
What: '03 Dodge Ram 2500 SLT
Fine Print: It's always amazing to see those massive quad-cab 4x4s melting the rubber off nice, newly polished chrome wheels. Johnny's work rig might not stand an extra foot in the air, or spit and snarl like a musclecar, but with the Flowmaster exhaust pumping out into twin pipes, his truck has enough bark to match the bite. The hefty five-speed automatic transmission holds up to all the punishment that the 345-horse 5.7L Hemi can throw at it without as much as a hiccup. It's great to see a reliable four-door pickup with enough space and size to accommodate nearly every level.