Looking for a muscle car under $45K?
Challenger satisfies reader’s muscle car itch
Your dear old grandparents may go on about the 1960s as the Golden Age of the American muscle car. Don’t believe them. With a combination of relatively cheap gas at the pumps and a resurrected interest in affordable V-8-engine cars, there’s never been a better time than 2015 to indulge in the guilty pleasure of buying a new American muscle car.
Lots of power and sleek looks is just what this month’s Dear John letter writer, Jim Bennington from Markham, Ontario, is looking for to replace his more practical 2008 Nissan Maxima sedan.
Bennington is the general manager of a “large national trucking company” in Richmond Hill, just a short daily commute from his home. With three teenage boys, Jim leaves the family hauling duties to his wife’s 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, which leaves the Maxima for his drive to work and trips to the golf course north of Toronto.
“I bought the Nissan when the boys were smaller,” Bennington wrote. “But really, I’m the only one in the car these days, so I can now get away with only two doors.”
Bennington said he enjoyed the power of his Maxima’s V-6, but if he was going to go the coupe route, he’d really like a V-8. He said he wasn’t getting great fuel economy with his Maxima anyway, and he won’t be putting a lot of kilometres on his next new car, so fuel efficiency isn’t a priority. Even though the Maxima’s V-6 put out more than 250 horsepower, Bennington thought the front-wheel-drive car had too much torque steer. The combination of eight cylinders and rear-wheel drive would be his new choice.
“I’m too old to go racing, so I’m not really that concerned with how fast the car will go in a straight line,” Bennington said. “But I would like the feel and sound of a V-8.”
Beyond two doors and eight cylinders, Bennington would also like to have an automatic transmission, as he hasn’t driven a manual since he learned on his mother’s Chevrolet Chevette in the 1980s. He would like to take his boys and their golf clubs to the course every once in a while. Despite the coupe configuration, he’d like as much passenger room and trunk space as possible, and all for under $45,000.
By now, keen readers will know the list of new coupes with a V-8 is short: as in the American muscle-car trifecta of the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. While all three of these rear-wheel-drive coupes are similarly priced and equipped, only one can fulfil Bennington’s American muscle-car dream.
Let’s go through them alphabetically, starting with the Camaro. You’ve probably seen the hoopla surrounding the new-for-2016 model, but 2015 models are still in showrooms. Wee-six, excuse me, V-6 models start at just under $30,000, but we’ll quickly skip to the Camaro SS. This model sports a 6.2-litre V-8 that makes 420 horsepower and can be mated to an optional six-speed automatic transmission. In total, we’re looking at $42,805, including freight and PDI fees.
My next recommendation is the Dodge Challenger. Six-cylinder models are also priced below $30K, but Dodge has tapped into the Challenger’s muscle-car heritage by offering a plethora of V-8 versions. You can spend over $70,000 for the 707-hp Hellcat, but the least expensive Challenger with a V-8 — the R/T and its 375-hp 5.7-L mill — comes standard with an eight-speed automatic for $41,190.
Arguably more of a sports car than muscle car, the new sixth-generation Ford Mustang is the sophisticate of this trio. Base models with a V-6 start at under $25,000 and there’s a new turbocharged four-cylinder for a few thousand more. But the one Bennington should be interested in is the GT, powered by a 5.0-L V-8. With 435 hp on tap, it rings in at $40,499 when optioned with a six-speed automatic.
It doesn’t take long to take the Chevrolet Camaro SS off my recommended list. The four-passenger Chevy not only sports the smallest trunk (at 320 L) and passenger space, it’s also the priciest of this trio.
Next to go is the Ford Mustang GT. Ford has a tight cabin and 382 L of trunk space. And even though Ford offers the most powerful V-8 here, all three coupes can do the zero-to-100 km/h sprint in the range of 4.7 to 4.8 seconds.
This leaves us with the Dodge Challenger R/T as my pick. Based on the same chassis as the full-sized Dodge Charger, the Challenger inherently offers more elbow, head and leg room than the cosier Camaro and Mustang. There’s even a third spot in the back seat of the Challenger and a golf bag-friendly 460 L of trunk space.
Best of all, when you’re not taking advantage of the mellifluous V-8 engine noise, the Challenger can return a respectable 14.8 L/100 kilometres in the city and 9.3 on the highway — the best estimates of this bunch.
Overall, the roomy and quick 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T is the best pick to indulge your guilty muscle-car pleasure.