Thinking of selling my BRZ for a Challenger RT

[Protege13]

Originally Posted by Antonovich

So I bought a used 2013 BRZ manual about a year and half ago for daily driving. I used to park on the street at the time so I wanted something small for easy-to-find parking but also fun to drive. I loved it at first. The ride was stiff but I got used to it. Still love the handling and the reliability. But after a while I began to notice the lack of power. I pretty much have to keep it close to redline to get any kind of decent acceleration out of it. And the biggest issue I have with it is practicality. It's pretty much non-existent. I didn't really notice it at first but after a while... I can't really use this car for anything except driving it.

Now I have a parking space, so I don't need to drive around looking for parking, and I'm sure anyone who's been or lived in NYC can tell you, parking is a bitch here. And with that I also want something bigger and more practical.

Did some researching around, 2015 Challenger is when Dodge did a pretty big overhaul of the interior. It actually looks pretty damn nice compared to older models, and compared to the BRZ. Has a massive truck, again, compared to the BRZ. And enough power even with that massive weight. Price about the same. And surprisingly the insurance cost about the same, at least when I ran a quote with Geico. Gas price isn't really an issue, even with a V8. It's like like gas prices are $5/gal like a few years ago. Thought about the Comaro - hideous. Thought about a Mustang GT - worried about that rear-wheel traction, don't wanna accidentally pull the Mustang maneuver - burnout, drift, wrapped around a tree or a light pole. Thought about the Charger RT - looks boring, and no manual, which is also boring.

I still have a finance loan on my BRZ. So I want to pay it off this year, which should in turn increase my credit score. I bought it for 25k with all the fees and other crap included. Put 5k down, the rest is a finance loan. I never pay the minimum, always double that or more.

I have some mods on my BRZ: Perrin crank pulley and inlet pipe, removed that sound generator bullshit, Nardi steering wheel, Enkei wheels, and TRD black interior trim pieces. I'm guessing the dealer won't care about the wheels or the trim pieces but other stuff I'd have to change back to stock. The crank pulley might be a pain in the ass to remove but I'll get it done if needs be.

So, thoughts? Advice? Bashing my next car choice?

I saw you post the "would you buy again" thread as well, and I was curious, what are you trying to haul that won't fit in your 86?

I've had the opposite experience. For a coupe I'm insanely impressed with how much space this thing has. I fit an entire drum kit + hardware inside mine with plenty of room to spare. The design of the space is fabulous. I can link a video if I need to prove it

[Antonovich]

Originally Posted by alan.chalkley

The brz is fun to drive and the challenger will be hectic to drive!
Surely a larger car needs a larger parking space!
Both Sydney and NYC are parking space challenged!
I am so frustrated driving in circles looking for parking , that my next car could be a suzuki jimny , so i can rock crawl into unwanted parking spaces around building sites.
They are reinstalling light rail trams and building vertically around Sydney causing an absolute mess.

I now have a permanent parking space in my building, and there's always space available at work. I could get something like a Escalade, or hell, a Hummer H1 and still have parking space.

Originally Posted by Votlon

Don't do it, I gave up my srt8 charger to come to the 86 platform. Lighter is always better.

You may beat someone on the freeway with an r/t but you will realize your driving a boat. Cuz the challanger 2 door weighs just as much as a 4 door charger, but the charger has much better aero

Beat someone? I don't drag race random people on the freeway. I do drive aggressively but I don't ever race anyone. Can't afford to loose my CDL.

Some other people recommended some random ass cars...just no! I want a 2-door, I want a manual, I want something around $25k; I don't want an automatic, I don't want some old shit for the same price, I sure as hell don't want a hot hatch!

[Riftur]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

The practicality of the Challenger or the other Pony cars (I will never be able to call them muscle cars even though the definition has evolved) is not that much greater than the Twins.
Based on the stated wants and needs something along the lines of a WRX, Evo or even one of the hot hatches may be a better bet.

I was going to say the same thing. If you love the BRZ handling, dont you want a car that still has that feature? The BRZ and the V8's you are talking about are completely different. One is a muscle car made for straight line speed mainly and the BRZ is the complete opposite. If i were you and needed a more practical sports car I would go for the WRX or Evo also. Its all about what type of car you want.

[Braces]

Went to school in the North Bronx for 2 years. Seriously? If I wanted a "practical" New York car .... it would be a used AWD sports sedan.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Braces

Went to school in the North Bronx for 2 years. Seriously? If I wanted a "practical" New York car .... it would be a used AWD sports sedan.

Never drove there but based upon my experiences in many other large cities I would say a Challenger would be among my very last choices not my first. Little point in having a big v8 where you can never get to open it up. The fuel milage caused by driving in traffic alone would kill the idea for me.

[Antonovich]

Originally Posted by Braces

Went to school in the North Bronx for 2 years. Seriously? If I wanted a "practical" New York car .... it would be a used AWD sports sedan.

I don't need AWD, the winters are not that bad in NYC.

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Never drove there but based upon my experiences in many other large cities I would say a Challenger would be among my very last choices not my first. Little point in having a big v8 where you can never get to open it up. The fuel milage caused by driving in traffic alone would kill the idea for me.

I daily drive to and from work mostly. And most of it is on the highway. I don't deal with much traffic working night shift.

[stevesnj]

Get a MiniCooper S 2017 is about 26k 2016 would be cheaper. Good power and lots of storage space

[Antonovich]

Originally Posted by stevesnj

Get a MiniCooper S 2017 is about 26k 2016 would be cheaper. Good power and lots of storage space

Attempt at trolling I'm guessing?

[stevesnj]

Originally Posted by Antonovich

Attempt at trolling I'm guessing?

Huh? Umm no, just a suggestion.

[rcowboy]

I went to a dealership a while ago to take a look at a 2014 Challenger R/T. The salesman looked like he deserved an offer. An offer sheet was filled in by me and for some reason I started getting anxious, as in hindsight I was only a thousand dollars off. I had never made an offer that I had not been able to follow through on.


Test drive? My FR-S had on one occasion, a 160-170lb woman in the back seat, and it was just doable. As recently as over a year ago I had two young woman both weighing, over 200 pounds each. Lets say it was a tad bit embarrassing. At least when we went to the casino, after the fact we had dinner with no complimentary rolls, I knew she was still hungry. Because I won a little while she was on her smartphone, we went to Denny's afterwards.


The Challenger, I am sure can fit large people in the two back seats. The interior upgrade in 2015 was major improvement. I have to say though, before dusk, with the dim interior night lights you probably can't tell the difference. But under broad day light, there is something left to be desired.

[Dake]

My guilty wish is a Plum Crazy Challenger Scat Pack, and in an ideal world I'd have one in addition to my FR-S. That being said, I cannot make the practical argument for the Challenger at all. Yeah, the trunk space is there, but the times I actually NEED that much space are so few and far between, the rest of the time would be a waste. I've hauled four wheels and four tires to the shop, I've hauled wheels, jack and tools to track days, I've even hauled lumber (with the seat backs down and poked through the passenger window)!

The other 99% of the time, it's just me or my wife and myself and there's plenty of room for our luggage in the back on roadtrips. It's comfortable for long hauls, and it doesn't suck the gas (while it's cheap now - gas will go up again, it always does).

As for driving in Manhattan, on the one hand I'd want something small and nimble - on the other hand, straight line, stop-light through next stop-light ability is a valuable benefit. That being said the longer wheel-base would give a nicer ride. I always thought our car rode pretty well, but it's only because I don't have to drive in town a lot. On crummy downtown streets, or frost-heaved and potholed roads, the FR-S is brutal.

I've drivien Mustang GTs, Camaro SSs and Challenger R/Ts, and I definitely prefer the Challenger over the others. They're all big cars, but the Challenger was the only one that didn't feel as big as it was. The Mustang felt like I expected and the Camaro felt like I was driving a WWI armored car with it's tiny window slits.

Five hundred bucks gets you an OpenFlash Tablet (cheaper if you find a used one - make sure it's unmarried), and even the basic tune really wakes the Twins up. Might be something to tide you over.

[g e]

Get an Audi S4 with extended warranty.

[Spuds]

If you decide to get a challenger, just get a charger instead. Pretty much same car with 4 doors, and if you get it in the right color folks will think twice about cutting you off.

2015 and up mustangs now have independent rear suspension. The old live axel setup would kick out if you went over a bump at anything near the limit. These should be more stable but I haven't driven a new one for comparison.

Before you make the decision, I suggest taking a day to drive upstate. The back roads are generally in good condition and are where the 86 twins really shine. If you don't fall in love with it there, it's probably not the best car for you.

[Riftur]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Never drove there but based upon my experiences in many other large cities I would say a Challenger would be among my very last choices not my first. Little point in having a big v8 where you can never get to open it up. The fuel milage caused by driving in traffic alone would kill the idea for me.

Curious if anyone knows if other muscle cars besides the Corvette shuts down 4 cylinders while just cruising?