If there's one thing that Dodge has always been good at, it's muscle cars. Beginning with the original Charger in the mid '60s, and then the Challenger in the late '70s, Dodge has always been about big engines, big power, and not that much cornering abilities. We're pretty confident that Dodge can pull off electric muscle cars as well. Thanks to the oil crisis and tightening emissions regulations, both nameplates were forced to undergo changes (for the worse) in the 1980s. But, in 2006, Dodge revived the Charger nameplate for a new full-size sedan with some serious muscle car credentials.

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While everyone knows about the Charger SRT8, there's another rather interesting Mopar product to come out of the 2000s that's immensely cool no one seems to mention: the Magnum SRT8. The Magnum was essentially a station wagon version of the Charger, but it didn't sell very well. With Dodge being Dodge, they also knocked up an SRT8 version of the Magnum, creating one of the coolest and yet most underappreciated fast wagons ever. The Magnum SRT8 is on track to becoming collectible and gaining value, and there are a few good reasons why you should get one now before their value soars.

Overview Of The Magnum SRT8

Front 3/4 view of the Magnum SRT8
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The Dodge Magnum SRT8 was introduced for the 2006 model year, one year after the regular Magnum was put on sale. It's the high performance version of the Magnum station wagon, based on Chrysler's LX platform. To this day, the LX platform underpins the current Charger and Challenger, although with some major changes and differences.

On the outside, the Magnum SRT8 is mostly the same as the Charger SRT8 of the time period, except for the obvious rear end. Interestingly, the Magnum was sold in Europe, but it donned a Chrysler suit; the Chrysler 300C Touring. The SRT model is distinguished by the unique badging, wheels, and more aggressive bodywork.

Magnum SRT8 Powertrain And Drivetrain

Front end details on the Magnum SRT8
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A variety of different engines were available for the other Magnum models, but the SRT8 was only available with one combination. Under the hood was a 6.1-liter naturally aspirated Hemi V8 with 425 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. That was all sent rearwards through a Mercedes-Benz 5-speed automatic transmission. This transmission was offered on the SRT8 and two other models, while the rest of the lineup got a 4-speed automatic instead. Going 0-60 mph was done in 5.1 seconds, with a top speed of 170 mph.

Rear 3/4 view of the Magnum SRT8
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RELATED: Here's A Look At Dodge's First All-Electric Muscle Car

As with any other SRT8 model of the time, the Magnum SRT8's drivetrain wasn't exactly sophisticated. However, it did have properly sorted drivetrain components, and combined with the very well-judged tires, it was surprisingly capable in the corners, despite measuring almost 200 inches in length.

Comfort And Quality In The Magnum SRT8

The interior of the Magnum SRT8, behind the wheel
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On the inside, don't expect much from the Magnum SRT8. It's just like most other Chrysler products of the 2000s, meaning that the utmost in luxury and refinment isn't on the table. Still, the SRT8 is livened up with some cool little touches like carbon fiber accents and a speedometer that goes all the way to 180 mph. There's a pretty basic infotainment system, dual-zone climate control, and all the other basics.

Where the Magnum SRT8 really excels is interior space. The wheelbase is 7 inches longer than that of a Range Rover from the same era, meaning that rear seat room is ample. Obviously, the Magnum SRT8 seats five passengers, and it can also accomodate all their stuff. The cargo area boasts 27.2 cubic feet of space, which grows to 71.6 cubic feat with the rear bench folded down. As for quality and reliability, the 6.1 Hemi is a pretty bulletproof engine as long as it's been regularly serviced—just be mindful of things like oil consumption, misfiring, and lifter rollers conking out. The other components should hold up pretty well too, just make sure you check the title and the maintenance records if you go looking for one.

Magnum SRT8 Pricing

Rear 3/4 view of the Magnum SRT8
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The Magnum SRT8 hasn't depreciated all that much over the years. The main reason why is because production numbers weren't exactly massive; around 4,000 were built between 2006 and 2008. Despite this, there are a fair few Magnum SRT8 models in the classifieds. They start just below $20,000 for high mileage examples, and they get close to $30,000+ for pristine low-mile examples, which means that the latter kind are much closer to the original base price of the Magnum SRT8 when it was new.

Once more and more people notice this Hemi-powered wagon, the price can only go up along with the demand. With its great handling, ample space, tons of power and tunability, good reliability and head-turning design, if you like fast station wagons but are interested in something more left-field, the Dodge Magnum SRT8 is definitely worth a look.