The SRT8 is to the Magnum what BMW's M3 or M5 is to the 3 Series or 5 Series. It attempts to address the tire dilemma, with standard footwear being three-season Goodyear F1 Supercar stickies. While this extended somewhat the adhesion limits we encountered in the R/T, it still doesn't transform a car weighing more than two tons into an exemplar in the handling department. Regardless of the amount of rubber touching the road, the Magnum plows when driven as hard as its image might tempt an enthusiastic driver. The ride is markedly stiffer than in the R/T, and the lowered suspension much more talkative over anything less than glass-smooth pavement. The ride is bumpy on bumpy neighborhood streets. The front spoiler drags like a Corvette on the sharp transitions between some side streets and the main road.

All that said, the 6.1-liter Hemi easily resolves the R/T's minor deficiencies in the power department; granted, the power band isn't much broader, but there's ample horsepower and torque to compensate. The SRT8's 6.1-liter V8 Hemi pumps out 425 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque through a performance-tuned, five-speed AutoStick automatic. Fuel economy is an EPA-estimated 14/20 mpg. Anything more than a temperate foot on the gas pedal readily produced rear wheel spin, even with the ESP active. Turn it off, and it's back to the days of adolescent, muscle car hi-jinks. The specs say that the SRT8's engine is electronically limited to 6600 rpm, but the tachometer indicates a 6250 rpm redline, and upshifts generally occurred between 6000 and redline. The engine felt comfortable at that speed, as it should, seeing as how the 425 horsepower peaks at 6400 rpm.

Thankfully, stopping does not hark back to those yesteryears when wide-eyed, two-foot braking was not uncommon. The SRT8 comes with beefed up brakes. Front vented discs grow to 14.2 inches, rears to 13.8, and four-piston, aluminum, Brembo calipers do the clamping all around. Again, as with the R/T, over several hundred miles of every type of driving, from about-town shuttling to an occasional retro-blast down a favorite racer road loaded with hairpins, half-mile straights and moderate whoop-de-dos, we never had reason to doubt the SRT8's ability to stop, and right now.

The Magnum feels mighty big in crowded parking lots. Rear park assist or a rearview camera would be a blessing for this long car, but neither is offered. When parallel parking, care must be taken to avoid scuffing the 20-inch wheels as there's insufficient rubber extending beyond the rims to protect them from even the slightest brush against a curb. Modern alloy wheels scratch easily and damaging one is always a depressing event.

Summary

The Dodge Magnum is a landmark car. There is no other car like it. When equipped with all-wheel drive, it will do almost anything an SUV will do, with distinctive style, more speed, better handling and better fuel mileage. The Magnum excels with its quiet cabin and smooth and solid ride. Its interior is well thought-out, and the underlying rear-wheel-drive design with a long wheelbase and short overhangs allows a lot of room inside. The styling might be too aggressive for many, but the practical arguments for this car are hard to beat. The SRT8 trades fuel economy for muscle car fun and succeeds, but the other models are easier to live with day to day.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard filed this report from Northern California.

Model Line Overview

Model lineup:Dodge Magnum SE ($22,945); Magnum SXT ($26,855); Magnum SXT AWD ($29,285); Magnum R/T ($31,040); Magnum R/T AWD ($33,040); Magnum SRT8 ($37,670)

Engines:2.7-liter DOHC V6; 3.5-liter SOHC V6; 5.7-liter V8 Hemi; 6.1-liter V8 Hemi

Transmissions:four-speed automatic; five-speed automatic with AutoStick

Safety equipment (standard):multi-stage air bag system with passenger weight sensors; energy-absorbing steering column; seatbelt pretensioners with constant force retractors; crush beads and stiffeners in vehicle body; LATCH anchors and tethers for child safety seats in the rear; ; R/T and SRT8: tire pressure monitoring system

Safety equipment (optional):front and rear side air curtains; electronic stability program with antilock brake system, Brake Assist; all-speed traction control

Basic warranty:3 years/36,000 miles

Assembled in:Brampton, Ontario, Canada