The new Dodge

DODGE VEHICLES

Most people have a bad taste in their mouth when they hear Dodge, unless they’re a MOPAR maniac or own one of the new Dodge vehicles. That bad taste, for most people I spoke with, started with the “K” cars and some of Dodge’s earlier, less successful, introductions into the automotive marketplace. Most MOPAR people I spoke with think of the Challengers, Chargers, and HEMIS of the 60’s and 70’s. With the opinions differing so much, I decided to see what I thought for myself.

I stopped by a showroom in Fredericksburg, Virginia and took a test drive of the finest Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, and Ram has to offer. The dealer I chose was Safford of Fredericksburg. I met Roy (one the sales professionals) on the lot who was nice enough to take the time to answer all of my questions. Roy was a very unique sales professional who was truly interested in helping find the right vehicle for me. He showed passion and excitement for the vehicles which was evident in his knowledge of vehicles, options, and performance.

We started with the baseline Dodge Caliber and ended with the muscle bound Dodge Challenger SRT8. I was truly impressed with what I found. Soft touch material covered the armrests and dashboards. Some models had heated steering wheels and heated front and rear seats for those cold winter mornings. Dual zone temperature control was standard on most vehicles for that passenger that just can’t get warm enough. Some packages even had vented seats to blow cold air on your, well you get the picture. The seating had upgraded padding for a more form fitting and supportive feel. The upgraded Napa Leather on some vehicles is well worth the cost. It wraps you in luxury and you can actually feel yourself sink into the seat. You can get LED lights for the foot area and overhead on some vehicles and the heated/cooled cup holders upfront are useful on long trips or the normal commute to work in this area. The large panoramic roof is nice to let in air and light for the sunny days on road when you want the feel of a convertible.

Some of the safety features Chrysler/Dodge offers are great. The Rain Brake Assist senses moisture and engages the brakes to reduce it and improve braking in wet conditions. The Hill Start Assist helps prevent the car from rolling backwards on hills when disengaging the brakes to engage the accelerator. Rain Sensing window wipers automatically activate when moisture is sensed. Smart Beam Headlamps automatically turn off and on high beams when sensing vehicles in front of you. Adaptive cruise control with collision warning slows your vehicles speed when slower vehicle is sensed in front you and resumes your set speed when vehicle is no longer sensed. Auto-dimming rear and exterior mirrors to reduce light blindness experienced from the vehicles lights behind you. Front and rear park assist for those tight areas. Cross-path detection to sense vehicles crossing your path as you back out of a parking space. Blind spot detection senses vehicles in your blind spot automatically. Both Cross-Path and Blind Spot detection use arrows on the exterior mirrors to show which side of your vehicle the hazard is on.

With all the options and safety features Chrysler has put into their vehicles I could go on for hours. The handling of the vehicles, the responsiveness during acceleration, and the sheer joy of driving one of these vehicles cannot be described in words. The only thing better than driving one of these vehicles is owning one. Dodge in my opinion has come a long way in producing a product that looks, rides, drives, and feels like a million bucks.

If you’re thinking about purchasing a new car or truck you owe it to yourself to look at Chrysler/Dodge before you decide. Also if you’re in the Fredericksburg area, you have to stop by Safford Dodge and see Roy to get the vehicle you want. If you can’t stop by call them at (540) 898-7200 and ask to speak with Roy.