So its time for me to get an awd vehicle......since i trust no other auto makers but dodge or mitsu, ive narrowed it down to either the new charger or the ralliart.

The new charger has a v6 with 300hp and some. New fuel saving awd system. They come with a standard "slapstick" automatic.

Then theres our ralliart with the twin clutch auto/manual, awd. And 237hp w/turbo.

Now that the time has come to choose....i am once again begging for help on a decision.....firstly, let me say that niether one of these cars come with a manual transmission so im very dissapointed, and honestly thats the only reason why i cant choose. I need an affordable awd car thats reliable and fast....but not track fast...just...."dont mess with me cuz youll eat my dust" fast....

 

That's really two completely different classes of cars you're talking about there. Have you test driven both of them? The charger is a 3900 lb car and will drive like a 3900 lb car. That's not to say its going its not sporty at all... its just a much different driving experience than tossing around the RA. Also, I've owned manual transmission cars all my life and was extremely skeptical about the RA tranny until I drove it and it changed my mind. Its all about the feel and eliminating that torque converter. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

IMO, the V6 Charger with AWD is a lumbering beast. It weighs more, is slower, and has a softer suspension than does the Ralliart. The transmission is slow to shift and constantly wants to put you in a higher gear, and the Autostick never gives you true manual control over the transmission. The V6 makes good power down low, but with the car weighing in at nearly two tons, performance is going to lag considerably behind a Ralliart. The V6 Charger is more of a boulevard cruiser than a canyon carver.

The Ralliart, on the other hand, is a much better car in which to go fast. It feels far more nimble in the corners, and the quick revving turbo four gives you the impression that you are going much faster than the speedo would indicate. The suspension and awd combine to give you a solid, planted feel in the corners, though there is considerable understeer at the limits. There are a few downsides to the Ralliart, though. The interior isn't nearly as nice as the 2011 Charger, and maintenance and insurance costs will probably be higher on the Mitsubishi.

If you want something that will get you from point A to point B with good fuel economy and little else, go for the Charger. If you want to drive fast around corners and impress your friends, go for the Ralliart.

 

Unless you plan on getting a SRT-8 don't even bother with the charger. It'd be like buying a V6 mustang or a V6 Camaro. Who does that? Plus the V6 models probably have no resale value. If you do get a Ralliart find a slightly used one. You won't feel as butt hurt after you drive it off the lot.

Subarus are relatively reliable. I drove a 02, I think it was, WRX not to recently, 4 cylinder turbo (2.5?) with a stick and it was quick. Quicker than the Ralliart (Both being stock). Honestly don't let your Mitsubishi love blind you. And why would you trust Chrysler over someone like GM? Chrysler makes some of the biggest pieces of crap on the planet. Seriously I don't think Chrysler makes any cars outside of North America?

At a higher price point you could buy the new SHO, v6 AWD and (twin-)turbo? Or even better find your Self a 3000GT VR4/Stealth RT/TT. It's not a DSM, it's not made by Chrysler, and it's a v6 twin turbo touring car with a healthy aftermarket.

 

I test drove the new charger....one heavy Bi!ch! It was kinda fast at higher rpm's but not my car of choice. Get the RA cause in the end its a fun TURBO charged how could you go wrong? Or, get the 2008 mr

 

Or a Ralliart?

On a side note. The V6 versions of the Mustang, Camaro, Challenger, and Charger outsell their V8 equivalents by about 10 to 1. Most people want the look of a fast car without the higher price tag, higher insurance, and higher fuel costs.

 

I have quite a bit of experience with Dodge, and I have had a Charger for weeks at a time on multiple occasions. It is not a performance car, by any stretch of the imagination. I have given this some thought, and the only way that I would buy one is from the police. The HEMI Chargers that the Highway Patrol has seem like a pretty comfortable car for longer trips. Otherwise, forget about it. Buy the Ralliart.

 

They really are two different cars. If you are looking at fuel costs at all, then the RA is not for you. It has really bad fuel millage. I haven't done better then 14 mpg yet. I only have 700 miles on mine but still, its pathetic.
As far as driving fun. There is no competition. The RA is great. The chargers is very bland, and almost like driving a sort of fast rental car. The RA is as lively as you can make it. I have gotten my RA sideways a few times. It is very responsive and with all the built in understear very safe at the limit. I plane on dialing out my understear with rear sway bar and end links. SOON... lol
As for the gearbox, it really is very good. It is not fragile like a lot of people who don't own one will tell you. Its made by a Germen company that makes some of the best gearboxes on the road and the track. It actually is on of the only true two pedal manuals you can get for a production car. There is no torque converter. It is not an automatic with some sort of slap stick that pretends to be a Manuel. It is a manual and drives like one. The only difference is you don't need to operate the clutch. It also has an automatic mode just like a regular car. It is a very easy car to live with. Except for the fuel millage. Like I said, It is very bad on gas. People will say its the way you drive it, but that is BS, It just sucks on fuel.

Good luck with your decision, and if you get an RA make sure you us this forum for all your questions. There are a few really good guys on here that really know there s*** when it comes to this car....

 

+1 however it also depends on what speed you travel at. I ve noticed with just my gts that it gets 5mpg worse if I go 5 miles over the speed limit. It all factors in things lik tunes, filters, and air to fuel ratio. Charger's just blow. OP: You ll be buying a RA or Evo anyways once you get bored of the charger, just save your money and get the car YOU want though.

 

A larger intercooler, boost pill, and good tune will sort this problem out. I get great gas-mileage in my RA now.

 

To be honest, you might get some biased opinions here as many/most on this forum are Ralliart owners.

That being said, I have owned many cars including some expensive luxury and german performance cars, and love my RA in spite of the few shortcomings it has. While I did consider a number of different performance oriented cars before buying my RA, a Dodge Charger was never on my short list of considerations.

I note in the OP's post a mention of the need to be "reliable and fast" and the contrast in rated horsepower between the 2 cars, but no mention of actual observed road test performance results. While the stock AWD RA is not exactly known as a dragster with MotorTrend 0-60 test times of 5.5 seconds, the 2010 Charger V6 (250HP) rear wheel drive 0-60 time was reported at 8.9 seconds, and certainly the AWD performance would be noticeably slower.

Clearly the peppier 2011 Charger V6 (292HP) should perform better than the 2010 model year 250HP version, but it would still be a very safe bet that a 2011 Charger V6 AWD version will not even be in the same performance league as a RA. And that part of the discussion is just about 0-60 straight line performance...

Since performance cars are supposed to be "Fun to Drive" and are always judged on more than simply 0-60 times, once the first corner is encountered the RA's superior handling (even with those crappy stock Yokahoma tires) should easily separate it from the Charger in the "fast" category.

Maybe you will find the Charger meets your requirements to be "reliable and fast", but I think that if you test drive them both you will probably find the RA's performance capabilities shine a bit more than those of the Charger.

Just my $.02, good luck with your decision.

 

funniest thing I've ever seen...of all the reputable automakers, THESE are the two you trust? lol good luck with your purchase.

EVO/Ralliart = good cars
Everything else mitsu makes = trash
Everything dodge makes = trash

 

The 2011 Charger AWD is only available on the R/T Models, with the HEMI V8;
http://www.dodge.com/hostc/bmo/models.do?modelYearCode=CUD201104&zipCode=

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So, for this price, you would be comparing to an EVO(MSRP Price Range: $33,995 - $37,195)

And there would be no comparison between those two if you are looking for "Fast & Fun" as one test drive would show you the difference.

As for the V6 Charger vs Ralliart, I would have to agree with the others, the Transmission is underrated on the RA, it is a mechanical marvel. Sometimes you find yourself reaching for a clutch pedal, it just feels like a standard 6 speed, and it will perform that way, when you want it to, when you want to just drive and not worry about shifting, it will do that too.

As a side note, I found my 06 Honda Accord Hybrid V6 to be Fast and Reliable, but no where near as fun to drive as my RA.

Good luck with your purchase,

 

I love dodge's new Rams... probably the only thing i would buy from dodge. Mmmmm

As for the topic... no brainer. Unless your going R/t or SRT8, i wouldnt look at a Charger.

 

Did you post this at the dodge site as well? I would like to read what they are saying as well about your question.