I got an invitation from a Dodge dealer to test drive the Dodge Magnum.
I tried out an RT, supposedly the top trim level. Of note, it had a Hemi and came with ESP. I couldn't test it as it should be tested: driving as though I had stolen it. But some things were easy to conclude.
The station wagon does the right moves and sounds, but the look and feel aren't right.
The handling is pretty solid and the suspension absorbs pavement irregularities smoothly and quietly. The engine pulls as a locomotive and is sounds really good. The transmission, however, is not too smart and sometimes would make awful jerks, especially when maneuvering.
The interior is quite roomy and the materials are mostly of good quality. I mean, the roof was nicely fitted with a fabric-like molding, but the doors were finished with not-so-soft plastic, really cheap-looking. The same plastic was used on most of the dashboard and the console sported hard plastic. But the lower in the interior you go, the cheaper the plastic. But, worse, poorly manufactured plastic, with barbs and all.
The dashboard was pretty ugly and the gauges, too small. The unit I drove also had a misaligned steering wheel.
For a $32 grand-car, such defects, the lack of an automatic AC and poor build quality don't bode well...
I haven't checked out the GXP yet, but based on my SLE, which looked much nicer and was much better built than the Dodge, the Bonneville would still be my choice, even though it's 60HP short.