MemphisNET

My nephew has my 2001 Neon LE 5spd that I bought brand new in the fall of 2000 and it's still running like a champ at 357,000km and cost me very little over it's 10years on this planet.

144MPH/233KPH with an SRT4 is totally possible, let alone one that has been heavily modified. This kid going to be F'd for a very, very long time.

Give me a turn-key RAM Runner. I bleed Mopar, but even I would go with the Raptor if only because I don't want to build (or have someone over charge to build) the RR myself.

Always focused on the rear, right Shunk? :P

Couldn't agree more. This and the sedan aren't actually bad cars. They're just bad for people who drive hard(er) than most. My father has a 2006 Sebring and I have to say, it's not a bad driver, it's been very reliable at the ripe old mileage of 206,000km and when I drive it now and then, it's quite comfortable. I could see him trading in for a 200 sedan and being very happy with it - especially since, lets face it - he'll probably get a good deal on one.

I know there is no way to prove this, but had Chrysler and Mercedes not 'merged' - I'm sure they would be extremely healthy today. They were on the right path with a massive warchest in the tens of billions and very good product.

Some people just want a comfy car. I think now that it doesn't have a lego-block interior and some clean sheet metal, it might just hold Chrysler over until the next-gen midsize hits the ground.

Which begs the question: This refresh probably cost a lot of money. Is it possible Chrysler will sell this off to GAZ as well? Or maybe keep it around for fleet ala Town Car/CrownVic/Chevy's Vue-do-over?

Agreed. Although hilarious, it is completely staged. The physics don't add up.

Got to check out the 9-5 Aero at the Toronto Autoshow last week and I was completely blown away. This is just the icing on the cake!

""If you had around a half-million dollars lying around and an empty space in your garage, is this what you'd do with it?""

Yup.

The Mopar 545RFE has always been a stout, reliable unit. There are no wide-spread or 'common' issue's with this unit -- so long as Dexron trans fluid has never been near it.

The W5A580 on the other hand while not a complete mess, did have some issues early on in the LX cars. My Magnum R/T has been flawless and I'm at over 300,000km but apparently leaks are 'common' and water in the fluid can lead to shuddering. I know lots of people with LX cars and none have had (to the best of my knowledge) a transmission issue or failure.

A manual transmission is no big deal. It's a work truck afterall. And as much as I would prefer a manual as well, the 5spd is pretty darn good in these vehicles so long as you're driving like a normal person.