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Wagons Dodge Magnum Dodge Magnum MPG-Real World Numbers
36 messages, Last post on Jul 26, 2008 at 10:31 PM
You are in the Dodge Magnum Forum. Your Host is caliberchic
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Replying to: pf_flyer (Jun 12, 2006 9:07 am) On limited hwy miles, I have gotten around 21-22 MPG at 65-70 MPH (so much for the 4-cylinder shutdown mode). Compared to this car, my '87 Buick Grand National is an economy car. Like someone said, if I get my foot into it with the Grand National, mileage suffers, but I could easily get 18-20 all-around if I lay off of the turbo. These Magnum numbers are WAY below even the revised, lower EPA figures. One thing I noticed is that there is soot in the tailpipes of my Magnum (none of my other modern cars do this). You can feel it with your fingers, it is a greasy-feeling black powder. Soot, not oil. I think that I am going to take the car to an independent shop and ask him about this; maybe have him run an exhaust-gas analysis. If he doesn't have an analyzer, I think that I might pay for a full emissions test (with the all-wheel drive, it will only be a two-point idle test, since they can't do a full dynamometer test with AWD). I also have a new 2007 Toyota Sienna (minivan). Both cars weigh about 4,200 lbs. Of course, the hemi is a larger engine, and is geared down a little more. Then there is the issue of the increased friction of the AWD system. Still, I can easily get 18 mpg with the Sienna with just a bit of hwy miles mixed in, and can get 24 MPG cruising at 70-75 MPH. Remember, the Sienna is both much higher and wider than the (narrow) Magnum, so the frontal area is much greater. So the disparity in mileage just doesn't make any sense. To me (a virtual lifelong car guy and mechanical engineer), the critical clue is the exhaust pipe soot. I am going to have that investigated.
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Replying to: midnightblumag (Oct 07, 2005 8:28 am)  60-70. I find the trip advisor states I am getting better milage when driving a little harder. But judging from reports I see others are getting closer to 23 my 65ish speed. Any comments or updates?
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Replying to: 2005maggie (Apr 04, 2008 3:19 pm) Maybe it doesnt have the throaty tone to impress drivers. Who knows.
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Replying to: 2005maggie (Apr 04, 2008 3:19 pm) |
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Replying to: 2005maggie (Apr 04, 2008 3:24 pm) I would bet that it weighed at least a 1,000 pounds more than that. My Magnum is nearly as fast as a stock '87 Buick Grand National, which is as advertised. With AWD, you don't get any wheelspin/sliding action, which makes the car seem tamer than it really is. My impression of the hemi is that it feels more like an old '60s V-8 than anything I've driven in a long time. But the "snap" that your '68 has is largely due to the high compression ratio it has. Is your '68 a stick? That would make it seem even wilder by comparison. I'll tell you this: when I put my foot down, traffic disappears pretty fast in my rear view mirror, and in the few brief "jousts" I've had so far, no one has pulled on me (I don't actually race on the streets anymore; it's just too damned dangerous).
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Replying to: jacklionel (Apr 04, 2008 10:38 pm) My 68 Weighs 3,800lbs. The magnum Weighs 5,100 according to the door sticker. Compression was increased to 10.1 in the Charger. So you are correct on some point that I have already factored in. I have driven 3 new hemi's and find every one of them has the same lag when accelerating at certain speeds and then the motor kicks in WOT after a momentary delay. At that point it is satisfying but that is the worst 340 I ever drove. And I have driven many high HP cars.i.e Porshe 930 Andile inter cooler waste gate turbo.98 Corvette 350HP. Many 65-69 Mustangs. And now poor maggie Gotta love the car despite it's lack of EXPECTED power. Every one I speak with is happy with the performance. Has any one ever driven a real 340hp car before to rate to this one? I may have to chip the ECM to get some more hamsters out of this car. Happy driving to all!!!!
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Replying to: 2005maggie (May 20, 2008 11:47 am) Thanks for trying! I am going to beat the shit out of this car tonight an see what she has to offer. FYI: I have only lost a mild race to one car. Newer Porshe Cayman or 911. I took him from 60-110 and then he kicked in and took a half car leadfrom 110-125. I think I could have maintained lead if I were to get used to the auto stick to gain ground. But the Charger would have eaten him up.. Yum Yum Yum. Thanks to all!!
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Replying to: 2005maggie (May 20, 2008 2:16 pm) Where in the world did you get that a Magnum weighs 5,200 pounds? It would only weigh that much if it were carrying 1,300 pounds of load. The V-6 Magnum that Consumer Reports tested back when weighed, I believe, 3,950 pounds. A Dodge Ram pickup Hemi might weigh 5,200 pounds. Add in the hemi, 5-speed and AWD, and loaded with other options, and it's about 4,200 pounds. (If you were talking about a 1972 Cadillac, then 5,200 pounds would be correct. But cars were huge back then. Just check the weight listed in any Magnum , Charger or Chrysler 300 road test (see below)). I was guessing that the 68 Charger weighed at least 3,500 (the 2,500 pounds cited plus the 1,000 pounds additional I stated). So your figure of 3,800 certainly sounds reasonable. But if you're going to challenge someone else's information, you'd better get your ducks in a row first. Just where did you get a curb weight of 5,200 pounds for the Magnum? That is SO WRONG! Here are some other sources: The Family Car website: 2005 SE (2.7 liter V-6) = 3,855 SXT (3.7 liter V-6) = 3,903 RT AWD (Hemi) = 4,142 roadandtrack.com = 4,200 canadiandriver.com 2008 RT = 4,179 RT AWD = 4,393 SRT8 = 4,260 thecarconnection.com 2006 SRT = 4,260 motortrend.com 2008 SRT = 4,250 autos.yahoo.com 2008 RT AWD = 4,393 U.S. News 2008 Chrysler 300C RWD Hemi= 4,046 So the cited weights vary slightly (also, it looks as though the weights have increased slightly since 2005). But the highest (admittedly a stretch) is less than 4,400. 5,200 pounds is just silly. By the way, after flowing several tankfulls through my Magnum with drygas, injector cleaner and gasoline stabilizer, my mileage has stabilized (pun intended) at 17 MPG around town, with perhaps just a sprinkling of highway mileage. So it appears as though my initial fears re a N.O.S. 2006 with aged gasoline were well-founded. It’s good that it was so easy to remedy. As for throttle response, my Hemi is quicker than anything I have driven in a long time, but it won’t match that of a 60s-era high-compression V-8. Recently, I read somewhere that there was another reason for slow revving in modern cars, having to do with the computer control. |
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Well Maggie performed as I expected with a challenge to a Volkswagen Jetta with a turbo kit. He lost but the car was a challenge to overtake coming from behind. Off the line the car is very impressive however it fails to impress mid and especially at higher speeds. Today I got it up to 128-130. Between 110-130 there is nothing there. Just a slow creep to 130. To my friend. I have re-checked my ducks and find on was not in its row. I have reprimanded this duck and he promised to stay in row in the future. According to my door sticker my Maggie does weigh 4,142. The 5,500 figure was actually the GROSS weight rather than taking the CURB weight. So back to the fuel rating. Best numbers 23 highway driving like granny in the breakdown lane with no traffic and worst 17 highway opening it up in stretches of my 96 mile round trip with some occasional challenges. That’s it for me problem solved poor gas mileage driving it moderately as the car should be. And poor mid range and no upper end. |
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I’ve seen a couple items elsewhere on the net regarding the slow throttle response of the hemi, and how you could re-set the TPS by slowly depressing and releasing the accelerator pedal with the ignition on, engine not running. Frankly, I ‘m mystified. I went down to the garage, fired up the Magnum, and could not detect any lag at all when blipping the throttle. End of problem. I have heard that the computer controls of modern cars can lead to throttle lag. I just don’t see it in my car. Perhaps I’m just lucky. I’ve said this before, and probably no one will care what I think, but if you are talking about street racing, it is just too damned dangerous these days (I’ve done a little, but not for years). First, there is just too much traffic in most places I frequent. Secondly, the law is serious about enforcing traffic violations these days, including wildly exceeding the speed limit. And they don’t stop at merely suspending your license and fines. They will throw your ass in jail. And God forbid anyone is seriously injured or even killed during one of your races, you are potentially looking at a long prison term. Think about how much fun that will be. You will be literally trying to cover your ass there. Keep in mind that your Magnum has an event data recorder (EDR) on board, continually recording things such as vehicle speed, engine RPMs, throttle position and a host of other data. In the event of a crash occurring during your racing, this information can and will be used against you in a court of law, helping to send you to said prison. At least your ’68 Charger won’t tattle on you. |
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