The domestic automotive industry is somewhat of a death race. Over the years, a plethora of carmakers went above and beyond to create the best cars possibly made. Some of those cars are the most expensive American cars ever made, and while there are Dodge cars among them, the Magnum sure is not.
The Magnum was a good compromise between the high-end Chargers and Challengers, and cheaper, less powerful Dodge cars. Unfortunately, the last Magnum could have been one of the ugliest American cars ever.
9 The Original Magnum
The 1970s were dominated by muscle cars such as the Trans Am, Camaro, Mustang, and GTO. Dodge did have some amazing vehicles such as the Charger, Coronet, and Challenger. The Dodge Magnum was never looked upon as a car that walked in the footsteps of its predecessors.
The Magnum GT was not exactly the kind of classic Mopar cars that would leave modern cars in the dust. The GT is equipped with a 6.6L V8 that produces 195hp at best. Though the 1970s were a terrible decade for muscle cars, 195hp for a top of the line Dodge car is simply ludicrous. Needless to say, the Magnum was already in trouble upon its inception.
8 International
When people think of Dodge muscle cars, they think of America. Back in the days, most American-made, high-powered vehicles were mostly sold in the US, with some exceptions here and there. Domestic carmakers quickly realized the potential associated with exporting their cars.
This Mexican Magnum is far better than its American counterpart. The 5.9L V8 engine cranks out 300hp. Given the fact that the Magnum made in Mexico is far smaller and lighter, it is safe to assume that the Mexican Magnum is a much better performance vehicle than the sluggish American version. The Magnum was also commercialized in Brazil and several European countries.
7 Last Model
The Magnum was revived in the mid-2000s. At the same time, the Charger and Challenger were re-released. Dodge purists were not very pleased with the four-door Charger. To them, it was an insult to the legendary car released in the 1960s. Despite all the hate the Charger received, it was not as unpopular as the Magnum.
Despite being among the greatest SRT cars ever made, the Magnum just failed to conquer the market. The 6.1L V8 was not enough to convince the public. The 425hp the engine cranked out could be found in much more attractive vehicles such as the Challenger, Charger, or 300c. In 2008, the Magnum was discontinued.
6 Too Many Reasons
Over the years, carmakers have manufactured great vehicles that sold really well. As a result, they were able to remain in business. However, car manufacturers such as Pontiac or Oldsmobile were never able to recover from a succession of mishaps. In the early-to-mid-2000s, Dodge was lucky to have the Challenger and the Charger. If Dodge had relied solely on the Magnum, the brand could have ended up in big trouble.
The Magnum was such a horrible car that its sales never really took off. Dodge could have faced some serious issues during the 2008 recession. There are a variety of critical issues that Dodge does not want us to know about their cars, and the Magnum seems to have each and every single one of them. The combination of the terrible design, the cheap interior, and the cocktail of mechanical issues made the Magnum a car to avoid at all costs.
5 Competition
Station wagons are no longer trendy. Several foreign carmakers have decided not to market their station wagons in the US. When the Magnum was released, the demographic likely to purchase station wagons were already going for foreign cars such as the Volvo V70. As the Volvo is a much better car all around, it is quite understandable that wagon drivers never considered switching to the Magnum.
Even back then, carmakers such as Audi and Volvo realized that the wagon market was in decline. In order to stay relevant, these two companies released crossovers such as the Allroad and XC70. Were they popular? Not really, but far more than the Magnum. If Dodge had realized what the market trend was at the time, the Magnum may have survived.
4 In-House Competition
Motorists have different needs and wants. Whether it is based on income or family size, potential car buyers usually make a definite decision based on factors that are important to them. For example, a family of five will not buy a Smart car as a primary vehicle. It just would not make sense. The Magnum was in the same predicament, people did not see any sense in getting the Dodge wagon.
Since crossovers and SUVs were very popular during the early 2000s, potential buyers were more interested in having a higher ground clearance and enough room to fit an entire softball team. As Dodge released the Nitro and the Durango around the same time, the Magnum ended up getting overlooked by buyers.
3 Replacement
Dodge has shown throughout the year that it is a very resilient carmaker. The failed Charger of the 1980s and the monstrosity that was the most recent Magnum have not entirely destroyed the reputation of the brand. In order to get back on its feet, Dodge made sure to replace its failed cars with something a bit more in line with the demand.
The Journey is nothing exhilarating. It is a mid-range carpool mom car that will barely burn any rubber. However, the ground clearance is much higher than the Magnum. The Journey features are also a lot more attractive than the Magnum upon its first. Though the Journey does not have an SRT version, its RT edition is equipped with the 3.6L V6 found on the SXT Charger and Challenger. 235hp is not bad for a small crossover.
2 Final Nail In The Coffin
In the most recent past, Dodge realized that the competition was getting increasingly aggressive. Ford came out with its insane Ford F-150 Raptor, while Chevrolet decided to give the Corvette C8 a supercar facelift. Noticing a huge gap in the market, Dodge dove right into turning soccer mom cars into total beasts.
The Magnum was originally destined to be the soccer mom muscle wagon. Unfortunately, the demographic Dodge was targeting had already moved on to crossovers and SUVs. Station wagons were a thing of the past. The Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat is the SUV that will ultimately seal the Magnum's fate. Being extremely powerful, safe, and roomy, the Durango Hellcat is a family that will please both parents.
1 Possible Return
At this point, it is fair to say that the Magnum was an abject failure. It was never an impressive vehicle. Its revival in the mid-2000s was poorly planned, both on the engineering and marketing sides. Dodge's strategy did not take into account some of the most basic and obvious pointers. Despite all that, some people out there have taken a liking to the Magnum, especially the SRT-8 version.
So the Magnum was a major flop. However, some die-hard fans wish discontinued cars like the Magnum would make a comeback. Tuners out there have used the Magnum as a base, and added some features of the latest Charger Hellcat. Does the result look impressive? Absolutely. Should Dodge release anything smaller than a 5.7L V8 Magnum in the future? Absolutely not.