Your dear old grandparents may go on about the 1960s as the Golden Age of the American muscle car – but don’t believe them. With a combination of relatively cheap gas at the pumps and a resurrected interest in affordable V8-engine cars, there’s never been a better time than 2015 to indulge in the guilty pleasure of buying a new American muscle car.
Lots of power and sleek looks are just what this month’s Dear John letter writer, Jim Bennington from Markham, Ontario, is looking for to replace his more practical 2008 Nissan Maxima sedan.
Bennington is the general manager of a “large national trucking company” based out of Richmond Hill, just a short daily commute from his home. With three teenage boys between 13 and 17 years of age, Jim leaves the family hauling duties to his wife’s 2013 Chevrolet Tahoe, which leaves the Maxima for his drive to work and trips to the golf course north of Toronto on weeknights and weekends.
“I bought the Nissan when the boys were smaller,” Bennington wrote. “But really, I’m the only one in the car these days, so I can now get away with only two doors.”
Bennington also noted that he enjoyed the power of his Maxima’s V6, but if he was going to go the coupe route, he’d really like to go with a V8. He “wasn’t getting great fuel economy” with his Maxima anyways and won’t be putting a lot of kilometres on his next new car, so fuel efficiency isn’t a priority. Although the Maxima’s V6 put out over 250 horsepower, Bennington thought the front-wheel-drive Maxima had too much torque steer. The combination of eight cylinders and rear-wheel drive would be his next choice.
“I’m too old to go racing, so I’m not really that concerned with how fast the car will go in a straight line,” Bennington explained. “But I would like the feel and sound of a V8.”
Beyond two doors and eight cylinders, Bennington would also like to have an automatic transmission, as he hasn’t driven manual since he learned on his mother’s Chevrolet Chevette in the 1980s. Being six-foot-four and “over 230 pounds; I’m not a small guy,” he wants a vehicle with ample passenger capacity to take his boys and their golf clubs to the course every once in a while. Despite the coupe configuration, as much as passenger and rear trunk space would be nice, he would like these features “all for under $45,000.”
By now, keen readers will already surmise that the list of new coupes with a V8 that meet Jim’s budget are few: as in, the American muscle car trifecta of the Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Challenger and Ford Mustang. And while all three of these rear-wheel-drive, two-door coupes are similarly priced and equipped, only one can fulfill his American muscle car dream.
Alphabetically, let’s start with the Camaro. You’ve probably seen the hoopla surrounding the new-for-2016 model, but presently, 2015 models are still in showrooms. Wee-six, excuse me, V6 models start at just under $30,000, but we’ll quickly skip to the Camaro SS. This model sports a 6.2-litre V8 that makes 420 horsepower and can be mated to an optional six-speed automatic. In total, we’re looking at $42,805, including freight and PDI fees.
My next recommendation is the Dodge Challenger. Six-cylinder models are also priced below $30K, but Dodge has tapped into the Challenger’s muscle car heritage by offering a plethora of V8 versions. You can spend over $70,000 for the 707-horsepower Hellcat, but the least expensive Challenger with a V8 — the R/T and its 375-horsepower 5.7-litre mill — comes standard with an eight-speed automatic for $41,190.
Arguably more of a ‘sports’ than ‘muscle’ car, the new, sixth-generation Ford Mustang is the sophisticate of this trio. Base models with a V6 start at under $25,000 and there’s a new turbocharged four-cylinder for a few thousand more. But the one Bennington should be interested in is the GT, powered by a 5.0-litre V8. With 435 horsepower on tap, it rings in at $40,499 when optioned with a six-speed automatic.
It doesn’t take long to take the Chevrolet Camaro SS off my recommended list. The four-passenger Chevy not only sports the smallest trunk (at 320 litres) and passenger space, but it’s also the priciest of this trio of American muscle cars.
Next to go is the Ford Mustang GT, with its tight cabin and measly 382 litres of trunk space. And although Ford offers the most powerful V8 here, all three coupes can do the zero-to-100 km/h sprint in the range of 4.7 to 4.8 seconds.
This leaves us with the Dodge Challenger R/T as my final pick. Based on the same chassis as the full-size Dodge Charger, the Challenger inherently offers more elbow, head and legroom than the cosier Camaro and Mustang. There’s even a third seat in the back of the Challenger.
The Dodge also sports a golf bag–friendly 460 litres of rear trunk space. Best of all, when you’re not taking advantage of the mellifluous V8 engine noise, the Challenger can return a respectable 14.8 L/100 kilometres in the city and 9.3 on the highway – the best estimates of this bunch.
Overall, the roomy and quick 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T is the best pick to indulge in your guilty American muscle car pleasure, while fulfilling your family obligations.
