"Edmunds Technology Review: 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8" Edmunds Daily

Edmunds Technology Review: 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

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In bringing the Challenger back in full fire-breathing glory, Chrysler intentionally played on the car's past and the memories of muscle car enthusiasts by giving it a blatantly retro design. But not the in-cabin electronics.

If someone -- say, a car enthusiast we'll call '60s Muscle Car Man -- got stranded on a deserted island for 30 years, he would no doubt instantly recognize the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 we recently tech-tested. But he would probably have no idea what the screen in the dash is for. (If he guessed a mini TV, he would be partly correct.) Or why all the buttons on the steering wheel are there. Or even what he's supposed to do with the key fob.

But he would be amazed when he found out. And most modern admirers and potential buyer may be too.

Audio: By late 1960s standards, the audio system would be something straight outta Star Trek, but today it falls just short of cutting edge. The head unit has a basic aux-in jack as well as a USB port that's the next evolutionary step for accessing digital tunes. But unlike many systems with USB capability, files must first be downloaded to the head unit's hard drive before they can be played. While files can be conveniently categorized by album, artist, song, genre and into playlists, this extra step before you can jam, especially if you are already rolling, is frustrating. An iPod can be plugged into a separate port in the center console for access to music on the device using a proprietary cable. The head unit's touch-screen controls make it easy and intuitive to operate the device, and the top level menu includes podcasts and audiobooks in addition to the usual suspects: albums, artists, songs and playlists. The interface also has a List Jump feature that allows quickly finding artists by alphabetical order.

The 6-disc CD/DVD/MP3 head unit is part of the $1,045 SRT Option Group II that also includes a 13-speaker, 322-watt Kicker audio system that includes an 8-inch square-shaped subwoofer mounted in the driver's-side corner of the trunk. The system is a step up in sound quality from the base Boston Acoustics setup, but the sub produces more boom than deep bottom end, which skews the system's tonal balance. It also does the same to the soundstaging since low bass noticeably emanates from the rear of the car. Clarity, timbre, tonal accuracy and dynamics are good but not great. The system will also play DVD-Video, which can be viewed when the car is not moving, as well as DVD-Audio discs.

Bluetooth: Even as more automakers jump on the Bluetooth bandwagon, Chrysler's uconnect system is still one of the best in the business. And it's standard on the Challenger SRT8. It's an effortless process to pair a phone, and it has features like three-way calling and direct connection to towing assistance that others such systems lack. It also automatically downloads a compatible phone's address book without the user lifting a finger and the car's Voice Recognition system allows calling just by saying a contact's name -- and actually works most of the time. Our main gripe with uconnect is it doesn't allow viewing contacts in the address book, so the system has to read though the entire address book until it gets to the one you want, which is time-consuming and tedious if you have lots of entries. The uconnect and VR buttons are also located on the head unit instead of on the steering wheel, as with most Bluetooth systems, which is inconvenient.

Navigation: As an $890 option, Chrysler's uconnect gps system is a relative bargain compared to the price of other in-dash OEM nav systems. A hard drive holds mapping data (instead of a DVD) for faster route calculations, and key features of the system can be operated using Voice Recognition. And as with the Bluetooth system, voice entry works quite well -- or at least better than in many cars that cost much more. A Record Trail feature allows saving a route in an area in which mapping data isn't available so that a driver can backtrack, and the system also has a 3D view mode. One year of Sirius Traffic, which can give warning prompts and more when it detects a potential tie-up on a route, comes with the system.

Tech Extras: The '09 Challenger STR8 has other tech toys that would amaze '60s Muscle Car Man. He would have never dreamed of being able to remotely crank the car's engine from the comfort of his home to warm the interior in the winter or chill it in the summer. And he wouldn't know what to think of the heated seats -- probably that heat from the exhaust is somehow radiating into them. But he would sure dig the performance-recording parameters -- quarter-mile times, G-force and braking distance -- that can be punched in via buttons on the steering wheel and appear as an LED readout in the speedometer. And we're positive he would like the modern Challenger's Hill Start Assist since it would save wear and tear on the clutch, not to mention the embarrassment of stalling out and rolling backwards on an incline.

For those who weren't around during the initial wave of muscle car madness -- or were around but could only lust after the cars instead of owning one -- the recent wave of retro style coming out of Detroit gives them a chance to experience an updated version of a unique aspect of American car culture. And as vehicles like the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 outfitted with the latest and greatest technology prove, this time around it's even better in many ways.

We're sure '60s Muscle Car Man would agree.

Edmunds Tech Ratings (10 is best): 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Portable Media/iPod Integration: 7

Audio: 7

Bluetooth: 9

Navigation: 8

Tech Extras: 9

Overall Average Score: 8