| DaimlerChrysler's
replacement vehicles for the venerable Intrepid might
just be the most capable towing platforms going.
One
of the most popular tow vehicles for the last 10 years
around our store has been the Chrysler Intrepid. It
was reasonably priced, handled very well, got great
fuel mileage and the 234 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 delivered
excellent performance. We put hitches on a few hundred
of them since 1993, when they were introduced. The Intrepid
is no more, however, and has been replaced by a radically
different series of cars, the Chrysler 300 and Dodge
Magnum. The only carry-over is the 3.5 liter engine
and four-speed automatic transmission. What has everyone
excited is the optional 5.7 liter Hemi with 390 pounds-feet
of torque and 340 horsepower.
What had me excited when I saw this car was its 120
inch wheelbase, which is a full six inches longer than
the Intrepid, and with a slightly shorter rear overhang.
Although it is rear-wheel drive, it has an independent
rear suspension - a first on a full size sedan that
is not stratospheric in price. Everything pointed to
this car being about the best handling tow vehicle we
had yet to get our hands on.
Since the 3.5 liter is about $10,000 less than the Hemi,
I ordered one for our own use as I thought this is where
most of the actual sales volume would be. But I got
so many excited calls from people asking about the Hemi
that I subsequently changed the order. Besides, we already
have a good durability track record with the 3.5 liter
and four speed. Though we didn't have any doubt that
the 5.7 would tow, we wondered a bit about how the rest
of the drive train would stand up to all that torque.
The five-speed transmission and rear axle is a Mercedes
design built in North America. Though not yet proven,
I feel pretty confident that the drive-train is overbuilt
as they are going to put even more powerful engines
on it soon.
I did manage to get my hands on a Magnum with the 3.5
for a few days to try out. It was not quite what I expected
it to be. I knew performance would not be as good as
the Intrepid, because while the axle ratio was the same
at 3.67:1 the tires had grown considerably from 215/60x6
to 215/65Rx17, which effectively changed the axle ratio
to 3.40:1. Still the engine was boosted to 250 horsepower;
0-100 kph acceleration with a 28-foot Airstream increased
from 24 to 27 seconds. What I was surprised at was the
ride and handling of the Magnum. It has very aggressive
styling so I expected an aggressive suspension, but
it actually rides very smoothly and the suspension has
a lot of travel, so it soaks up just about any bump
in the road with ease. The tires have fairly soft sidewalls
and...
...
(Read Andy's full article in the magazine.)
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