Yeah, they've got Hemis: 65% of new Charger purchases are Hemi powered
MARY CONNELLY | Automotive News
Posted Date: 7/21/05

DETROIT -- Early buyers of the 2006 Dodge Charger want a Hemi engine.

And Dodge is complying.

Dodge dealers complained when only 35 percent of the 2005 Dodge Magnum wagon stock had Hemis at its launch. Dodge has promised more Hemis with the Charger.

That strategy is paying off, according to an early-buyer study. In May and June, 65 percent of Charger buyers chose the V-8 Hemi, according to the Power Information Network. Dodge agrees.

"We haven't got any base models at all," says Marlon Smith, general manager of Tim Marburger Chrysler-Dodge-Jeep in Bristol, Tenn. "We want the high-performance end of it."

Initially, Smith is ordering only V-8 Chargers.

Transaction prices are higher for Hemi models. The average price for a V-8 Charger was $32,722, according to Power data. That is $7,785 more than average price for a six-cylinder Charger, Power says.

"It is very impressive," says Tom Libby, senior director of industry analysis at Power Information Network, a division of J.D. Power and Associates. "They are commanding a very robust price for a mainline brand. It speaks to the image of the Hemi."

But the future Hemi mix on the Charger is difficult to predict, he says.

Dodge boosted the Charger launch in June with a $500 national trade-in bonus. Any make traded in would earn the bonus.

On July 1, Dodge began offering $500 bonus cash on the Charger, except in the Southwest. The deal expires July 31. The Charger RT and Charger SRT-8 are not covered by the programs.

In May and June, Dodge sold 6,195 Chargers.

Dodge has about 40,000 dealer orders, says a company spokesman.

V-8 versions will sell despite rising fuel prices, says Jim Hall, vice president of industry analysis at AutoPacific Inc. That is because gasoline availability, not price, influences buying behavior, Hall says.

Returning Dodge customers are the largest group of early Charger buyers, according to Power. Thirty-three percent of trade-ins are Dodge models.

Seventy-one percent of early Charger buyers are male, the study says. That is consistent with Dodge's projections.

The Power study is based on retail transaction data from more than 6,200 dealer franchises.

 

While most here dont care about the Charger its interesting to know that the most expensive model they offer is selling the most. Which is very rare for any company. Shows you the power this HEMI label has and how well marketed it is. Well I should say for the cars. The Grand Cherokee HEMI is selling poorly.


And with all the Chargers they sold, I have yet to see one on the streets.

 

Chrysler really hit the nail in the head with these cars. Great power, affordable, original looks and the interior is not that bad.

They are marketing the cars and the HEMI engine perfectly as well.

 

im sorry but i work for Lake Norman Dodge here in North Carolina, and i see some chargers come through, to be honest i dont think this car is really worth selling because it had like air leaks all around the car, so u are like throwing air condition like out the car, literally, the center consol is like really cheap, car dosent sound like anything from the commerical, and many more complaints i have about the car, the good side is that the color choice/setup is nice, i like the beige leather seats with the black floors. it gives that clean feel of the car, and this car looks horrible with a spoiler!!!

 

Like, like, like, huh?

 

Welcome to the world of Chrysler products. I see you have already been initiated.

 

...and I was beginning to lose faith in man/woman-kind. This makes me feel better. Bigger is better.

torque monster 5.7L V8 > rental fleet V6

fire breathing 6.1L V8 > big time V8

Still wouldn't buy a 300 / Charger / Magnum / etc, but sure would like to drive one for awhile.

 

I generally agree with you on the price, interior, and basic exterior looks, ( though it has a lot of the typical Dodge-Chrysler build-quality cheapness ) but marketing it as a 4-door, IMO, was a major error. The crowd buying Mustang GT's and GTO's ( yeah...all 2 of the GTO's sold )...the Charger's primary competitiors.... wouldn't be caught dead in a 4-door.

I myself would have considered a Charger R/T if it had been produced as a two-door. A 2-door would be the closest thing yet today to the beloved Plymouth Road Runner I grew up with. ( note my logo ) . The Charger Daytona R/T, with the flat-black graphics and lollipop colors, looks even MORE like the late 60's-early 70's Mopar hot-rods, but simply rides too harshly for me with the ultra-low profile tires....and those tires allow the wheels to be easily damaged.

 

My family's only had one domestic car over the past 15 years but it held up very well compare to the imports we've owned.

Are the Chargers really this poorly built though? I've seen a few Chargers running around nowadays and even though it's not the best looking car out there, it's got something that brings back the memories.

I am actually thinking about buying a new GTO or Charger SRT8 (or a used Acura NSX) for weekend pleasures. The timeless sex appeal of the NSX is great. On the other hand, having 400+hp new car for less than $40k is definitely something.

Jon

 

I'm not a big fan of the new "charger," first off, the original charger wasn't a four door sedan. Second, like it was previously stated, it sounds nothing like it does in the commercial. Third, the only reason people are opting for the hemi is because of the name, and I'm sure 75% of those people don't even know what hemi stands for. And fourth, the interior is cheap looking and has a cheep feel too.

The original "bad boy" Hemispherical Combustion engines of the 70's were 426 cubic inches and had almost 600 HP. The Hemi's that dodge has recently put in the chargers and trucks barely break 350 cubic inches.

Now don't get me wrong, the new SRT8 looks pretty sweet with 425 horses, but still is hardly a testament to the Charger name IMO.

 

The difference between now and then...and trust me, I grew up THEN.......is not in the old vs. new Hemi. Both turn about the same time, 0-60 and quarter-mile. The difference is that today's Charger, with the four doors, simply lacks the personality of the original. The Daytona R/T model, with the 1970-71MoPar style flat-black graphics, brings back some of that personality, but Chrysler stubbornly won't admit they just blew it with the four doors......just like BMW won't admit they blew it with I-Drive, Nissan won't admit they blew it with the Quest, and Saturn won't admit they blew it with the Ion.
The Charger, if it had 2 doors, would be outselling the present 4-door model probably 4-1.....V6 or Hemi.

 

will people continue to buy these HEMIs with the ever rising gas prices?

are HEMIs known to be more fuel efficient? or do these huge 5.7L models suck as much gas as a SUV?

 

I agree with everything you said, I was comparing engines and personality

 

I saw a woman in Soho pushing a red one with the Hemi, and that was the first time that I've seen one in NYC. You see Magnums and 300Cs all day in every variety.

 

Damn. A month later and I move back to Philly and they are all over the place(the Charger that is). Hooked up as well. Good looking car. I wouldnt mind pushing it.

Cant wait to see the Daytona R/T model as that model is very unique and old school. That will be something.

And the SRT-8. DROOL!!!