Am I crazy? Audi to Dodge?

[Silverbullet S4]

Recently picked up a new Durango R/T (wifes DD, still have S4 for now). Needed a larger tow vehicle and this worked out. I must say that I am very impressed with Dodge as of late and while at the dealership, a shiny new Scat Pack charger caught my eye. There is a black on black, B5 blue or white on black available. All look pretty sweet in person. Wife hates the S4 (too small inside, rides too stiff, thinks I'm too old for a "boy racer car"...never!)lol Am I crazy to even be considering this move? I've had the S8 in my sights which is obviously in a completely different league, but also costs more than twice as much and I can't really justify the price right now of a new or lightly used S8.

So, have any of you looked at or made a similar move? Not looking for anyone to make up my mind for me but, definitely interested in others thoughts if you've had the same/similar considerations. It would be a fully loaded Scat Pack (almost 500hp roomy 4 door) and I'd immediately be jumping into the aftermarket because I can't leave anything stock. Not interested in the Hellcat even though I think it's a cool car.

[GrapeBandit]

not crazy, this guy went from s4 to buick
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...5#post11682575

[14S4GWM]

^ Lol

[GrapeBandit]

^ Lol

..

[chet]

you're not crazy. I just went from an S4 to a new Explorer Sport for family reasons! Loving the twin turbo :)


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[Silverbullet S4]

not crazy, this guy went from s4 to buick
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showth...5#post11682575

LOL Well played.

[Hofahome]

Someone please explain to me how a charger is less "boy racer" than the S4.

I've heard that to buy a charger/challanger you must start:
A. Lifting weights and do steroids, or
B. Become skinny, wear your hat sideways and start slingin drugs.

[onlyaudis]

Charger / Challenger always seem to come in last in any magazine's comparison tests. Chrysler is also always near dead last in reliability and customer satisfaction polls year in and year out. Even though I know some of their cars are very fast and reasonably fun to drive, can't say i am a big fan and will be visiting their showroom anytime soon..

[4RCFED]

Maybe wait for a hellcat charger awd.....I have a new Durango RT as well and love it. Test drove just about every new SUV that would fit my two Great Danes and it was my favorite.

[Silverbullet S4]

Someone please explain to me how a charger is less "boy racer" than the S4.

I've heard that to buy a charger/challanger you must start:
A. Lifting weights and do steroids, or
B. Become skinny, wear your hat sideways and start slingin drugs.

Agreed....on the challenger side of the house anyway. Same could be said for hundreds of cars and especially any "american muscle" (mustang, corvette, camaro, etc., etc.) but, the 4 door charger isn't in the same genre as those. In my book at least.

[Silverbullet S4]

Maybe wait for a hellcat charger awd.....

I'd probably already be sold if they have an AWD version of the 392/Scat Pack. Still not overly excited about the hellcat as a daily driver though either way.

[GrapeBandit]

Someone please explain to me how a charger is less "boy racer" than the S4.

I've heard that to buy a charger/challanger you must start:
A. Lifting weights and do steroids, or
B. Be an off duty scumbag(cop)

FTFY

[mrmomo313]

I actually daily drive a 15 Scat pack Charger. It's really a wonderful car. You cannot knock the car for much of anything. I honestly can't name a single fault with it and I am not just saying that as an owner. It's one of the best values on the market for the price. For ~40-45k it has offers a nice interior, great powertrain, well tuned suspension, monster brakes, and is a full size sedan (we're talking 750li proportions).

It's also every bit as fast as a stage 2 s4 on pump gas. These cars are making ~415whp bone stock. With a mid muffler delete and CAI, bump up to ~440whp depending on the dyno, ET and traps confirm the power is there... I ran 12.0@113 with all season 275/40 pirelli pzero nero tires, mid muffler delete and CAI...

I don't think the switch is crazy at all especially if you need the extra space and a comfortable/quick daily driver. I love how it turns heads wherever I go. I know some on here are going to knock it for being a dodge and a muscle car, not classy etc... Might not be as "classy" as an s4 but it's damn sure a great car.

[treejs4]

I heard rumors of a new Dodge Dart that will come 450hp from the factory

[KurtEiger]

In October 2001, i got all patriotic and I traded in my 1997 Jetta GLX VR6 for a 2002 Mustang GT. It was a huge mistake. I endured the car for two winters before trading it in for a 2004 GTI. It was a fun car for sure, but as a daily driver in New England it was a poor choice.
The challenger/charger would make a great weekend cruiser, but it may be a lot harder to live with as a DD. just my thoughts.

[chilort]

I sat in a Charger before I bought my 2012 S4. Mind you that I own a '68 Dodge Sweptline pickup, a '70 Superbee restoration project, an '86 Dodge Daytona for tack day purposes (nearly finished), and owned a 300M at the time. In my entire life I'd only ever owned one car that wasn't a Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth product. The interior on the Charger was shit. The electronics/nav was shit. The dealer brought over keys and asked, "do you want to drive it?" and my answer (even an R/T with some other nice options) was "no." Horrible product as of late. Either that or my tastes have improved. $0.02.

[maverickvii]

If in the market for a charger-like car, have you thought about the Chevy SS? I always liked the lines of that car, and the V8 and the 6MT.

[mrmomo313]

I sat in a Charger before I bought my 2012 S4. Mind you that I own a '68 Dodge Sweptline pickup, a '70 Superbee restoration project, an '86 Dodge Daytona for tack day purposes (nearly finished), and owned a 300M at the time. In my entire life I'd only ever owned one car that wasn't a Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth product. The interior on the Charger was shit. The electronics/nav was shit. The dealer brought over keys and asked, "do you want to drive it?" and my answer (even an R/T with some other nice options) was "no." Horrible product as of late. Either that or my tastes have improved. $0.02.

What year and trim was the charger you sat in?

For 39k starting price, I think the interior is pretty nice in the scat packs. Not s4 nice but you're comparing apples to oranges by benchmarking it with an s4 interior...

Also, you might be the only person I know who thinks the new uconnect system isn't better than the b8's mmi...

[leobas]

I recently had this same conversation at an office barbecue, where we did a live comparison of my S4, a buddy's M4 and a friend's husband Challenger SP. Driving them back to back, the Challenger was very fast and super loud (beautiful exhaust note!), but felt HUGE (as in boat huge) and soft around the corners. The M4 felt as aggressive, even faster, and much more tidy. The S4, we agreed, was the best DD with just enough sportiness and comfort.

That being said, it is as every other muscle vs. euro discussion - it depends on what do you want it for. Personally, I will stay in the S4 because, to me, it feels like a car that I can enjoy in every single situation: with the whole family, at a track day, on a date with the wife and even at bragging-gearheads barbecues.


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[hotleadsingergu]

Charger / Challenger always seem to come in last in any magazine's comparison tests. Chrysler is also always near dead last in reliability and customer satisfaction polls year in and year out. Even though I know some of their cars are very fast and reasonably fun to drive, can't say i am a big fan and will be visiting their showroom anytime soon..

This.

I have a 2015 S4 and it's my DD. I also travel for a living and have to rent cars pretty constantly. Though I rent Dodge cars a lot, when traveling, I would never buy one. They're good in the short-term, and they have good overall performance, but the quality and longevity of the cars is absolutely abysmal. Literally, I no-longer rent Dodge cars if they have around 20,000 miles because there's a good chance the tranny and overall interior quality are going to be shoddy.

[rallm7]

What year and trim was the charger you sat in?

For 39k starting price, I think the interior is pretty nice in the scat packs. Not s4 nice but you're comparing apples to oranges by benchmarking it with an s4 interior...

Also, you might be the only person I know who thinks the new uconnect system isn't better than the b8's mmi...

The Uconnect 8.4 in my '14 Grand Cherokee Limited was the best media/nav interface I've ever used or seen in any car. That is definitely something I miss in my B8.5...

[Victor Newman]

Only if you get a plum purple or lime green one. Any other color is just half-assing it

[Schadenfreude]

you're not crazy. I just went from an S4 to a new Explorer Sport for family reasons! Loving the twin turbo :)


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I bought my wife a Sport and I really like driving it. The twin turbo motor is very smooth and grunty. I surprise passengers all the time with the acceleration. Good looking, comfortable and it rides well.

[chilort]

What year and trim was the charger you sat in?

For 39k starting price, I think the interior is pretty nice in the scat packs. Not s4 nice but you're comparing apples to oranges by benchmarking it with an s4 interior...

Also, you might be the only person I know who thinks the new uconnect system isn't better than the b8's mmi...

Would have been 2012 or 2013. Nav looked like a damn video game. There was some tray in the center console that felt like you could crumple it up in your hand. The interior was cheap (cheaper than my 10 year old 300m) and felt like we (had my wife with me) were in an old cast iron bath tub with the high sides. I'm 6'2" and felt like it was hard to see out of. My wife saw the look on my face as I looked around the car and said, "I don't think this is the car for you." Mind, you I really wanted to like it. The exterior styling is sex. $/HP is nice. And I still consider myself a Dodge guy. But brand loyalty only runs so deep, especially after the moniker has been traded/sold/merged more than a $20 hooker at outside of a casino on a Saturday night.

[Silverbullet S4]

Would have been 2012 or 2013. Nav looked like a damn video game. There was some tray in the center console that felt like you could crumple it up in your hand. The interior was cheap (cheaper than my 10 year old 300m) and felt like we (had my wife with me) were in an old cast iron bath tub with the high sides. I'm 6'2" and felt like it was hard to see out of. My wife saw the look on my face as I looked around the car and said, "I don't think this is the car for you." Mind, you I really wanted to like it. The exterior styling is sex. $/HP is nice. And I still consider myself a Dodge guy. But brand loyalty only runs so deep, especially after the moniker has been traded/sold/merged more than a $20 hooker at outside of a casino on a Saturday night.

You should check out the new ones...interior has changed a LOT. I prefer the dash on the Scat Pack and Uconnect to the S4's. Only thing I prefer on the Audi (in that regard) is google maps...that's tough to beat.

I know it sounds snobby and probably is but, I'm just having a hard time seeing myself in anything but a European car. I get bored quickly and rarely hold a car for more than a couple/three years. In recent years, went from AMGs (C32, CLS55, short stint in an E63) to an M5 (proper E60 V10) and planned to hold onto that car for several years. Ended up "sacrificing" by going to a small S4 thinking I needed AWD when we moved to CO from down south. Feel like I'm trending in the wrong direction with a Dodge...even if it's a pretty sweet one. I dunno. Appreciate everyone's comments though. I'm still torn.

[EBS4]

Never really been a fan of the Challenger. Nothing terribly wrong with it but doesn't have the cool looks of the Charger. Also I've found both of those cars have the worst panel fitment I've seen on a modern car with huge panel gaps and misalignment on every one I've ever seen. The paint quality isn't much better. These cars are a good value but they don't have that perfectionist attention to detail seen on cars that cost more.

My $.02.

Cheers,
EBS4

[klquattro]

I don't know if its much bigger than the S4 interior wise, but you should give the Chevy SS a real hard look if you're serious about switching it up. Also, is a Charger that much more comfortable of a ride than the S4? I would think the S4 would be a more comfortable daily but I don't know.

[Silverbullet S4]

I don't know if its much bigger than the S4 interior wise, but you should give the Chevy SS a real hard look if you're serious about switching it up. Also, is a Charger that much more comfortable of a ride than the S4? I would think the S4 would be a more comfortable daily but I don't know.

Not really a fan of any 4 door Chevy. From what little I know about it, the engine is impressive though. Ride wise, my S4 is pretty stiff/bumpy and the roads around here look like a 3rd world developing nation. Super low profile summer tires don't help any and the ride is much better on my winter set. Space wise there is a huge difference. As someone else mentioned, the Charger is dang near BMW 750 size on the inside.

For the record, I'm not necessarily looking to move away from the platform. I just seem to be getting bored the S4...

[The Fat Kid]

One of my customers runs a garage and his take on Dodge (in general, not Charger/Challenger specifically), "We love Dodge because they basically take the cheapest route at every turn (welds, components, etc.) and inevitably end up in our shop for lots of repairs." I can't tell you how many less-than-ten-year-old rusted-out Dodge trucks I see around here.

Dodge is not a brand on my radar, but I understand the allure the Charger/Challenger.

[AKPS4]

The Uconnect 8.4 in my '14 Grand Cherokee Limited was the best media/nav interface I've ever used or seen in any car. That is definitely something I miss in my B8.5...

Surprised by this unless they made big changes since '12. U connect is the worst Nav system and Bluetooth phone connectivity system I've ever seen in my life. Seems like it was programmed and developed as a high school competition. Pathetic compared to the S4. I can't count the number of times the navigation is clueless and how horrible the phone connection is. End rant.

I agree dodge/Chrysler is probably the lowest quality vehicle you can get. All of their transmissions are junk and always break or have harsh shifting in no time. But they are low cost compared to other options which makes them appealing. The max care warranty (unlimited mileage as long as you own the vehicle) is awesome.

[RudyH]

Someone please explain to me how a charger is less "boy racer" than the S4.

I've heard that to buy a charger/challanger you must start:
A. Lifting weights and do steroids, or
B. Become skinny, wear your hat sideways and start slingin drugs.

Well first off, you don't take the wife's advice on cars. She has her minivan, so all should be well...
The Charger is most definitely a step back in every aspect, and factor in the 4,400+ weight /w RWD and the same ZF coming in the B9 S4 it's going to make it a pig on the road in comparison.

I thought the new Charger looked great, but definitely a lot more boy racer with the hood scoops and various other vents. It fits in this awkward 'I am old and need a massive car like a SS or Taurus, but I think my kids think I am cool and this would seal it. If I bought a SS or Taurus I would be considered old and boring'.

[XxSullyxX123]

A lot of the negative Dodge comments are talking about cars prior to the latest generation. I feel like Chrysler and GM have been stepping their game up within the last few years. Last year when I bought my S4, I also bought a Dodge Durango (albeit the Citadel, not RT, with the 6cyl). Its my wife's DD and its been great so far. Uconnect is the best NAV I've had experience with, and the finishes on the Citadel are very nice. Haven't taken the plunge on an a Dodge or GM sedan/coupe ever, but where in the past they weren't even on the list of "maybes" now they are definitely interesting me. Time will tell.

[BDP]

you're not crazy. I just went from an S4 to a new Explorer Sport for family reasons! Loving the twin turbo :)


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I went the opposite direction..lol. I traded my Explorer Sport in on my S4. I have a bunch of stuff laying around for it also if you are interested hit me up on IM.

[The Fat Kid]

A lot of the negative Dodge comments are talking about cars prior to the latest generation. I feel like Chrysler and GM have been stepping their game up within the last few years. Last year when I bought my S4, I also bought a Dodge Durango (albeit the Citadel, not RT, with the 6cyl). Its my wife's DD and its been great so far. Uconnect is the best NAV I've had experience with, and the finishes on the Citadel are very nice. Haven't taken the plunge on an a Dodge or GM sedan/coupe ever, but where in the past they weren't even on the list of "maybes" now they are definitely interesting me. Time will tell.

Nope, we are citing recent info:

Consumer Reports' Best Automotive Brands 2016

[hotleadsingergu]

A lot of the negative Dodge comments are talking about cars prior to the latest generation. I feel like Chrysler and GM have been stepping their game up within the last few years. Last year when I bought my S4, I also bought a Dodge Durango (albeit the Citadel, not RT, with the 6cyl). Its my wife's DD and its been great so far. Uconnect is the best NAV I've had experience with, and the finishes on the Citadel are very nice. Haven't taken the plunge on an a Dodge or GM sedan/coupe ever, but where in the past they weren't even on the list of "maybes" now they are definitely interesting me. Time will tell.

Absolutely not. I've driven damn-near every car in Dodge and Chrysler's lineup for probably the last 5-6 years (almost all for a week at a time), and I can say with certainty that they're not worth buying. This week I had a Chrysler 300C that had 11,000 miles on it, and the transmission already sounded like someone had taken a mallet to it, and it performed that way, too. The quality of these cars is just not there.

I'm also having a really hard time believing you own a Dodge with Nav, if you say that it's the best you've had experience with. The UConnect system is fairly reliable and does what it needs, but the Nav and overall User Experience of the system are horrendous. The Nav never knows what it needs to do, and the UX looks like it was designed by a kid that had played with his iPhone for a few days too long. There's no fluidity or obvious design path, at all...they throw the main things in the open (Radio, Media, Controls), and the rest are placed into a giant Apps category, which contains every single thing in the system, separated by pages. It's literally like turning on your iPhone and seeing 3 pages of apps...except that you're not meant to look at the screen because you're driving a car.

Please believe me, as someone who has driven many (many) cars for longer than a few days at a time: Stay away from Dodge and Chrysler. They look good, they have overall acceptable performance, and the price tags are low...but they will severely disappoint you in the long-run, unless you have some kind of patriotic necessity in your blood to only buy American...and then you should be buying Ford, anyway.

[Evan2]

The Uconnect 8.4 in my '14 Grand Cherokee Limited was the best media/nav interface I've ever used or seen in any car. That is definitely something I miss in my B8.5...

I have a GC 14 Lim and while the Uconnect is nice it is very slow in comparison to Ford's Sync. Not to mention the NAV, we just use our phones as its so bad.

[XxSullyxX123]

Absolutely not. I've driven damn-near every car in Dodge and Chrysler's lineup for probably the last 5-6 years (almost all for a week at a time), and I can say with certainty that they're not worth buying. This week I had a Chrysler 300C that had 11,000 miles on it, and the transmission already sounded like someone had taken a mallet to it, and it performed that way, too. The quality of these cars is just not there.

I'm also having a really hard time believing you own a Dodge with Nav, if you say that it's the best you've had experience with. The UConnect system is fairly reliable and does what it needs, but the Nav and overall User Experience of the system are horrendous. The Nav never knows what it needs to do, and the UX looks like it was designed by a kid that had played with his iPhone for a few days too long. There's no fluidity or obvious design path, at all...they throw the main things in the open (Radio, Media, Controls), and the rest are placed into a giant Apps category, which contains every single thing in the system, separated by pages. It's literally like turning on your iPhone and seeing 3 pages of apps...except that you're not meant to look at the screen because you're driving a car.

Please believe me, as someone who has driven many (many) cars for longer than a few days at a time: Stay away from Dodge and Chrysler. They look good, they have overall acceptable performance, and the price tags are low...but they will severely disappoint you in the long-run, unless you have some kind of patriotic necessity in your blood to only buy American...and then you should be buying Ford, anyway.

Flame suit on. Wow. So far I'm happy with the 2015 Dodge Durango I have had for 16 months and 20,000 miles. Didn't drive any other Chrysler vehicle. Drove this one only , given its same motor and essentially being a 3 row Jeep Grand Cherokee. I'm not saying uconnext is unmatched, I'm saying best I've dealt with. I haven't had tons. Our 2009 Acura RDX had nav, and my S4 has nav. Uconnect, to me, is better. My experience is limited with other interfaces , and I wasn't judging other interfaces.

My point was that i like my Dodge Durango. Consumer reports apparently disagree. I'm my perception rhe American car companies have been improving vs earlier in the decade. Not making fact statements, making opinion statements.


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[Evan2]

Agreed....on the challenger side of the house anyway. Same could be said for hundreds of cars and especially any "american muscle" (mustang, corvette, camaro, etc., etc.) but, the 4 door charger isn't in the same genre as those. In my book at least.

Whoa....depends on the vette....most C6s are owned by old dudes and ladies trying to re live their firebird days. I had a 06 z06 and still didn't hang with the muscle car crowd.

[Reckon]

It's all about personal taste and desire. The newer generation vehicles for most brands do fairly well in reliability and overall value. I think the Chargers and Challengers look great, but I see so many on the road that I just don't want one; and something like the Hellcat is really too much for daily driving. Just be aware of what you are buying and what it is intended for.

Personally, I am not a fan of anything the Fiat-Chrysler group is putting out. Not really a fan of anything Renault-Nissan either, even though the Infiniti QX70S made it on my short list for a new crossover SUV (wife liked the look and power, but that's about it).

[mjames]

Gotta, love my wife's Grand Cherokee Overland 4x4, awesome interior and great ute. But never in place of my Audi. It is a great DD workhorse.