Dodge Magnum SRT8 Quick Review 

"It's for drug dealers" When I was in college, the guy who lived across the street had one of these in his driveway and would spend ALL DAY washing it and people would walk by and meet up w/ him and then keep it moving. The house I lived in was a dumpster and we had a rat problem...one night I opened the front door and there was a huge rat on the stoop trying to get in. I slam the door, grab my roommates pellet gun and chased it around the house and up the side driveway. I hear someone behind me and it was the dude across the street w/ a REAL gun who thought I was in trouble and ran up to have my back haha. Pretty good neighbor and whenever I see these cars I'll remember that guy - hope he's alive and well!

They should bring this back. Too few wagons on the market nowadays.

The 6.1 is actually very happy with boost! It’s not uncommon to make 600whp on a completely stock bottom end with boost. I have one (mine was reviewed by thatdudeinblue if you want another video for these cars) and it’s my baby, I love this car. It drives so much better than anybody would think and the 6.1 is truly a fantastic engine

Everyone I know that owned this car LOVED it. Imagine it with a widebody kit, updated suspension, and modern front end!

Did any of you catch that? 160,000 miles on the odometer with barely a squeak being produced in the interior. That tells me this car has a great chassis. And paired with a stout powertrain. If you spent a little money upgrading the interior, maybe do a performance upgrade to the transmission, you'd have the perfect vehicle.

One of those cars that looking at it now, you just can’t believe was ever produced. Such a gem in the world of joyful senseless cars.

I had an '05 Magnum RT with the 5.7 semi hemi. I had to haul around medical equipment for work and this was the most interesting car to fit my needs.

I worked at Chrysler (D-C) when these were produced. Got to drive an engineering fleet SRT8 Magnum for a couple of days. Still remember how much fun I had in it. The engine response and sound were terrific. Couldn't believe how agile and quick it was - looked over my shoulder a few times to marvel at all the space and how far back it stretched. And now that era is completely gone, what with Charger and Challenger production having ended. No robotic EV can ever replace the experience. Shame.

I nearly jumped out of my seat when I saw this in my recommended. As an owner of a 2006 Magnum R/T, I'm very happy to see this car getting even the smallest amount of recognition. You guys really are the best!

"How does a 6.1 respond to a supercharger?" Well, I had one supercharged for 8 years, and I can say it responded very well, with one big caveat. The problem was it acted like an on/off switch, Magnusson has their's kind of free wheel under light loads, so it isn't killing efficiency when cruising by sapping power just to turn it. Great for economy, but it made for a very wily partner in the very same canyons filmed here because you'd go to power out of a corner and the supercharger would come in all at once and overwhelm the rear tires immediately. I took it to Willow Springs and it slid around every single corner when that blower kicked in, though it didn't end up in the dirt backwards like a Miata did in front of me out of turn 5(I think). The tires were partly to blame on that one, but still. From a comfort standpoint, it made it hard to drive the car smooth, already an issue with Dodge's 6-speed, but if you were perfect with your throttle application, it was just barely possible to smoothly engage the supercharger by riding that cusp of engagement. That car is gone now, just have an old IROC with t-tops that makes MAYBE 230hp to the wheels.

I remember seeing these on the showroom floor next to the charger, challenger, and 300! I thought they were the coolest family hauler in that era!

Had an '06 R/T that I bought with 72k miles.... sold it with 230k miles, never had an issue. And now, many years after selling it, I'm looking at Magnum SRT-8s.... so this video was great timing.

My mom kept my Dad's 2006 SRT8 Magnum and drives it about once or twice a week. Has about 45k original miles, no mods, so clean and so fun to drive! Definitely a sleeper for sure. Great review guys!

We still can’t picture James driving it. 😂

A forgotten legend. Love this car. Too bad the interior fit and finish was horrible

This was definitely one of the coolest domestic wagons at the time in decades

Wasn’t expecting something like this… Merry Christmas indeed. I don’t know about the magnum but the other SRT8 trims did low 13s in the 1/4 mile (occasionally tapping 12s bone stock) and ran 0-60 in the mid/high 4s.

wow actually surprised car reviewers never knew about the SRT8 Magnum until now. Had one back in the day. Definitely a confidence inspiring handling drive.

I am SO happy the boys arrived at this conclusion! I owned an '06 Chrysler 300 SRT8 for a while and it was the same - SO much better than you would ever imagine! Thanks for vindicating me guys!!

I have one of these I just purchased. 15k on the clock. I’m also a drummer, and I use it to pack around my kit to gigs all the time. Amazing vehicle. Super head turner. Here’s what’s funny: try to find one for sale. And frankly, the market for these is shrinking. Absolutely a collectors car

No one appreciated these when they were new but nowwww people see how epic. That trans is old but strong too

I have owned multiple Magnums and they are on my list of all time favorite cars. Pricing is starting to jump through the roof, so grab one while you can.

My dad has the 6.1L charger of that gen, 06’. Basically have grown up with that car, might’ve been what catalyzed my car enthusiasm. Love this motor and even tho it is a barebones interior for the most part, I’m blinded with nostalgia that makes me appreciate it no matter what. 197k miles and still going strong.

I have a srt8 Magnum, every time I drive it I get someone trying to drag race me and get a lot of compliments. On my 2nd magnum all these years and still have not seen another srt8 on the streets

YESSS respect to the magnum! I have a 600hp 5.7 version of my own. Tremec Manual swapped, torqstorm supercharger, bored .020 over, port matched heads, getrag rear, wilwood big brakes, coilovers, sway bars.... list goes on and on. The two worst offenders of a stock magnum are the brakes and the NAG1 transmission. I don't mind the interior (but I have Braum racing seats up front and 300C seats in the back...), its mechanical with no touch screens and works fine for me, and I will never get rid of it.

hell YES. now this is a review. the magnum is awesome. it needs to come back. we need more badass station wagons. buick has one that is immaculate looking.

In 2007 I traded my 2004 Hummer H2 in for a 2006 SRT8 Magnum. Best car I ever owned. My fiancé and I split up and both cars were in both of our names so we traded both in and got our own loans. I went with a Toyota Tundra because worked in the oil field . I was able to keep this wagon for about 6 months before trading it in and took my current wife (girlfriend at the time) camping and we put the rear seats down and an air mattress fits right in the back and you can look up at the stars with the sunroof open. I’ve been looking to buy one again but they are worth more now than when I traded it in .

This is my dream car, hardly anything else comes close to both the practical and emotional appeal of this vehicle for me. I hope to someday enjoy one of these, even if only for a moment.

I have a 2.7L Magnum back in the day, it was a fun car despite being slow it was still a cool rig.

I never drove one but this was the only Dodge of it's generation that caught my interest. I appreciate a hot wagon.

Happy you guys enjoyed this more then expected. We used to have an 07 r/t charger with the performance package which I believe had the same suspension bushings as the SRT cars had. Handling was fantastic for a car of its weight and size. We would canyon raced and drag raced that car all the time, it saw oil temps of 285 degrees often. The only mechanic problems it had over 235k miles of abuse was. Blown up powersteering pump and broken exhaust manifolds bolts on the passenger side. The engine didn’t burn or leak oil. That car was blast to drive and was comfortable. When I work at a dodge dealership it was not uncommon to see the LX platform cars with the hemi engine and drivetrain go 200-400k miles with no major failures.

YES this one is on my bucket list. My Dad bought a Magnum a couple weeks after I was born and I loved it. A blue RWD 3.5 and it was a huge part of my childhood, and i want that nostalgia but with 6.1 liters and 425hp

I always loved the wagon srt8 and I’m glad to see them still being driven around.

Man such a variety on this channel! 😂

I love that extra throttle house hits RU-vid trending now ❤ yall deserve this

I had a coworker who purchased one of these new...what a ride that was back in the day. It was one of the primary reasons I bought my own SRT8 Charger in 2012. That was a wonderful car that lasted me until last year, and could have gone longer, but I decided it was time to trade in/up on a M550ix. I still miss some of the toys my SRT had that the 550 doesn't.

I love these cars. You can never go wrong with a performance wagon.

It’s nice to see these get proper recognition! I have a running 05 AWD Hemi Magnum R/T Wagon. Traded in my 99 Cadillac STS for it, in 2006. I wish there was a SRT8 AWD version. Honestly, the best vehicle I’ve ever owned. It’s never once hiccuped or complained. It’s NEVER let me or my family down. Just standard maintenance. Not one big repair bill… EVER❤️ brought both my kids home from hospital in it. Told my wife I wanna be buried in my Daddy Wagon. More so than my fancy ‘17 AWD CTS:Performance Edition. Never selling my Magnum Daddy Wagon‼️ When have time & extra money. I’ll be doing a full refresh. If Dodge was smart. They’d do a modern remake of the Magnum Wagon. I guarantee you they’d all be sold out. If they did a limited run of 100,000. They’re sell all 100,000. Without question.

I have a 06 Magnum 3.5. Have over 285k miles. Bought brand new and still running great. A++++ Car

These things are an absolute blast. Friend had one and i loved driving it and they were so fun on the track at the SRT driving school. So fun sliding them around the curves. Rarely see them.

The engine sounds divine but I haven't been able to pull the trigger on one because I'd have to look at that rubbermaid interior. Looked fun as hell though.

They really need to bring back the cool wagons. That are actually within a decent price range. But I'm one of the few people that rather have a RS6 over a super car.

I definitely appreciate the nostalgia of these. They're from a better time.

I’ve got an 06 Charger SRT8, got to live vicariously through this. I love my car, and it handles pretty nice for what it is

As a 28yr old who grew up hearing about old v8s from my dad I loved the resurgence of the muscle car in the mid 2000s.

I wish you would try the Citroen SM, it's an amazing car, so ahead of its time, as Citroens usually are, and so beautifully quirky as Citroens usually are. 🙂

My grandfather had one and I loved it. I still do . They are just cool cars to me . I grew up riding in the back of a country squire and I like the wagon looks

I've never wanted a car review more than this one. By the way, I absolutely adore his random car collection. I own an '05 Magnum 5.7 with nearly 200k miles and Motor Trend's retired Alfa Giulia. Probably couldn't have much more of polar opposites than that......Well, other than the Citroen. The soft spot I have for Magnums is uncompromised. I'd like to think I will forever own one for as long as I live. It's the car that made me love cars. Also the face lift 2008 SRT's sell for upwards of $40,000 USD because only about 200-250 were produced. That last one I ever saw posted was asking $36,000 over 5 years ago. In today's market I wouldn't be surprised if I saw one sell for $50k.

I like to say that the 6.1 hemi is pretty much a hellcat motor without the blower. Truly iconic emgine. Was the fastest production vehicle of its time. And the most HP from a production vehicle

07 Mangum SRT-8 owner here. Thanks for this review! My dream car. LOVE IT! I’m convinced I’m the only one in OC 🍊 who has one. #MoparOrNoCar

I remember drooling over the stock SRT Magnum when they 1st came out. This one's gorgeous!

The LX platform came from a time when Mercedes and Chrysler were partners. Surprised no mention of this. Probably explains why it handles a lot better than you'd expect. "parts include things like W211 E-class 5-link rear suspension with the addition of a Dodge supplied sway bar, control arm front suspension off of the W220 S-class and the rear differential from the E-class"

I can feel every SRT Magnum owner nodding with approval. These things are actually epic and had they still been on sale a few years ago I would have bought one of these over my Charger in a heartbeat. The only downside to them really is that the stock transmission is slow as molasses. That said, they are super mod friendly and the 6.1 engines are shockingly durable. Seen many hard driven 6.1s with over 200k miles. Appreciate the vid!

I have always thought those were interesting, but never wanted one. I actually forgot it existed for a long time until this video popped up. Sweet review guys! Not the best car by any means, but certainly not the worst either, and seems better than I had expected.

Having owned an SRT8 Magnum and an RT Magnum I can honestly say I love these cars. I wish I never sold my SRT8 Magnum. It was a blast to drive for as big and heavy as it was. Both my Magnums got used mostly for car line duty by my ex wife picking the kids up from school everyday in it.

6:04 "Yeah! In the drivers seat..." 😂😂😂

Holy 9 minutes ago, hi James! hi Thomas!

A Magnum has a "little bit extra?" Hahahah. Magnum XL joke inserted easily..well not easily slid in well lubed

i am the owner of a 08 srt8 magnum, love the car. Lots of my friends call it the hearse but i think it’s a awesome car. Currently building the engine up and doing a widebody hopefully soon!

Love when you guys do reviews of older cars we don’t get to see too many of on the road anymore. Would absolutely love for you two to do some final year Pontiac cars on the channel like the 2009 Solstice GXP and G8 GXP. Especially for James to try out the Solstce since he’s a Miata guy. Keep it up with the BEST reviews on the internet!

This car used to cause so much commotion at my rental counters in the mid 2000s. Then, it didn't. People got tired of being mistaken for criminals by law enforcement 🚨 😔

Hemi powered

And it's a wagon. My good, it sounds awesome 👍👍 Happy Newyear to the two of You

Where I go to college, there is someone (don't know who) with one of these wrapped in purple with some angry dog graphics on it and "HELLHOUND" in large letters on one side. The thing sounds like it came from the underworld itself. I wouldn't own one personally (Spoken like a true Lexus owner) but I can appreciate it. My iS500 has its V8 but I like the refinement.

1st

Gah these things were, and still are, so awful, LOL! I don't like to stereotype (as it's often not fair at all) but these are the only car I've seen where you 100% know the sort of person behind the wheel of one. Still, cool to see this build and the person behind it.

as a former driver of a 2006 Charger RT Interceptor, i had the same reaction to its steering and suspension. they feel somewhere between a Mustang and a Camaro despite outweighing both and having a rear bench

I so want one of these still to this day, had a v6 magnum loved it

Yes thank you for reviewing this!

Always liked the Magnums. I worked at a speed shop around that time and we had a four wheel Dyno. After removing those terrible lunchbox exhaust silencers in back. we would see anywhere from 25-30HP increases to the wheels just with that removal. Was a crazy increase!

I had an orange RC Magnum R/T as a kid. I loved Magnums and fast wagons ever since.

Love my cool vanilla stroked out 2005 RT pushing around low 500 Roman ponies... Great car even after the valve seat issue.

MY FIRST CAR WAS A SXT MAGNUM!!! I can’t believe ya’ll did an episode with on the magnum! These were produced in the good old days when Mercedes owned dodge, the transmissions and suspensions were made in heaven.

1:02 I feel like there could be a dark twisted corrupted mirror dimension of throttle house where in 2013 American James leaned into his Jaguar F type high horsepower unreliable V8 phase and bonded with British Thomas over 300+hp monsters instead of Miatas.

I’ve been daily driving a 2011 5.7 RT Challenger @ 140k miles for years with zero issues. I’ll preach for these old hemis till I die.

Having grown up with my parents always having SRTs and Hellcats, these “gen1”SRT8s are the best of their breed, and even as a salesperson for a Dodge dealership, having driven the whole Challenger/Charger lineup, these early cars are still my favorite. Mom and dad had a 2008 SRT8 Charger that my mom daily drove, previously owned by a DoD agent, around the time I got my license. It was the first “fast” car I ever got to drive. Maybe it’s that connection that makes me say this, but when I drove the Charger Hellcat my dad had a few years later, I would have left the keys to the Hellcat on the counter for the ‘08 SRT8 any day.

Had one for a couple of years and I loved it.

At 64 years of age I've ALWAYS loved sporty hatchbacks/wagons. I'll take this over any (center of gravity up in the air) crossover suv or pickup truck. But if you're given me a Cadillac STS wagon... 😁 ...that'd be my first choice.

Even though my 2007 is a 3.7 v6 i love it. Still gets up goes when i need it to. Goes down the freeway smoothly and corners well. Has also been very dependable for many years. Our 2005 special edition has been just as good. Love these cars!

I love my magnum rt. Kept me from a mini van lol. Never sell it family member now.😊

My employer had a big fleet of the 3.5 versions of those Magnums as sales cars back when they were new. The 3.5 motor certainly wasn't a monster but fully adequate and your other comments about the car being surprisingly agile and it's interior not fancy but simple and well laid out are consistent with my experiences with the vehicle. My only complaint was that head room was a little tight.

Own one of these with a 5.7 and (from what I can tell) most of the comfort upgrades they offered on the 6.1. Other than being old and a Dodge, it really isn't a bad car. Rides comfortably, has enough grunt to be fun, and hauls tons of stuff with the seats down. Lots of people don't even know it exists so I get asked what it is pretty often. I do wish y'all had gotten it on some straight roads though. No one expects a non-Audi wagon to pull that hard.

My old boss got a 07 SRT8 300 when it came out. I took it to 162mph!! What a great car!

Love these! I like wagons though. To me this was a practical, great sounding ride

Every drummer/percussionist I know drives an estate/wagon if they don’t drive a van. This car makes sense!

I had one of these for a while and man was it a fun car to drive.. I remember sitting at stop lights and literally seeing the fuel gauge sinking, it just gulped gas with an unquenchable thirst.. now days you don't see many of these on the road anymore. Really wished I held onto her 😭

im doing a full 6.1srt swap on my r/t right now eventually ill get around to upgrading to full srt suspension and interior i love the wagon

I’ve seen a LOT of people take the front ends of new gen chargers and put them on these. It’s such a beautiful combination.

Nothing beats the sound of a naturally aspirated V8 motor. The sound a car makes is where a lot of the fun comes from.

Hey you guys totally need to bring this to the track!! Do some drags vs the modern hemis!! Be interesting to see. Cheers

Nice ride Dave. All about practicality and badassery :D

Buddy of mine had one in 2008. The Draggin’ Wagon was pretty fun with the kids in the car seats in the back.

Great Content az Alwayz Thnxxx 😎

I worked at a Cadillac, land Rover, Bentley dealer when I was like 20 and some old guy pulled up in the first Magnum I had ever seen and I was just instantly impressed and it felt like sitting in cave compared to my little 95 dodge neon. Now 20 years later my girlfriend has the V6 sxt and I have the R/T but would love an SRT. Ended up with an SRT ACR neon for my SRT cravings. But even the R/T is just so much better than the SXT so I can only imagine how the SRT feels. And nobody really has these cars anymore so we get stopped regularly with people asking about the car.

I learned to drive on one of these, loved the car. There was an AWD version as well.

My dad had a supercharged one, loved that thing. Ran an 11.8 in the 1/4, she was rowdy AF

I wanted one of these SO much when they came out.

The Magnum was never sold in my country, I’ve only seen 2 and I’m amazed how great they look, yes it’s still a boxy/cheap looking interior but the sound was everything at the time and still is

One of my Dream builds is an 08 Magnum with the Trackhawk powertrain and interior swap.. They are fun odd balls.. My Uncle had an R/T Magnum and it was a Beaut

Dave Elitch and Throttle House, now that's a crossover I haven't even thought about. To any of you who haven't heard of him there's a video on yt of him playing a full concert as a drummer for The Mars Volta. I suggest you take a look.