"First" car. SXT now or R/T later?

Hello,

I'm relatively new to the car world but was looking for some advice on my first major purchase. I put "first" in parenthesis in the title because I'm looking for my first car to own rather than the first car I've used. I haven't had the money to purchase my own car, and my folks were never in a position to give up one of theirs. It never bothered me much and I made do with bumming rides, borrowing cars, and paying for food or gas when I could, but now that I'm almost 20 and dealing with college, the weight of not having my own mobility is starting to get noticeable.

I know the smart thing would be to pick up something economical and moderately used, but I finally have some money in my pocket and I find it hard to dump my savings and future paychecks into a malibu or something when all those beautiful Challengers are lined up across the street for almost the same price. I've been eyeing them for over a year now and I finally built up the courage to ask for a test drive, and to my surprise the dealer was up for it!

I tried the SXT because it was in my price range and it was fun. It wasn't super punchy but also not nearly as sluggish as my pessimistic friends led me to believe, not too dissimilar from the V8 pickup I was used to. I liked it and was content to look into price haggling.... until the dealer jangled the keys to an older R/T sitting on the lot. I was blown away, if not a little intimidated by all the torque on the pedal. I fell in love with it and could almost hear the Duke boys telling me to pull the trigger. I had to walk away before I made a stupid decision to sign some papers.

So really that's what it comes down to. Should I make the smarter choice and buy the SXT or go for another year of bumming rides and pinching paychecks for that wonderful V8?

Sorry for the textwall and thanks for any advice!

 

Welcome to the site;
First thing you should do is look into insurance. Due to safety improvements the newer Challengers can sometimes get you lower rates. After that it comes down to economics. You’re the only one who can answer that question.
For me if I could afford the R/T that’s the way I’d go if you’re into having something with a bit more punch. If you’re looking for efficiency with better fuel mileage the SXT will be the better choice. Although depending on how you drive would determine just hoe much better the fuel economy is. There are several on here with SXT’s that I’m sure will chime in. You can get tickets for speeding no matter which way you go

 

Thanks for the advice, insurance is definitely going to be a liming factor but luckily my company has some pretty good rates for students.

 

Welcome from South Florida!
I'm unclear as to why you feel that the decision is between a 6 cylinder car now or an 8 cylinder a year later. If you definitely want a Challenger then lucky for you they have been relatively unchanged for over a decade! That means that there's no overwhelming reason to buy brand new. I generally encourage first time buyers (young, largely inexperienced drivers) to NOT buy new. Reasons being that you're paying a huge premium for brand new, insurance is expensive, your taste in cars and/or transportation needs are likely to change in the near future and then there's my favorite; chances are you're going to have an accident, maybe more than one.
My advice is that these cars are generally an emotional purchase. Some people buy them for the styling. Some because they remind them of a bygone era. Some fall into both categories. If you are like me, a V6 will never satisfy you, especially in a car like this. After driving both, if you really want the V8 then you will quickly experience buyers remorse if you buy the V6. As far as gas mileage, don't be fooled by EPA estimates or rule-of-thumb. The 5.7 V8 can easily give you virtually identical gas mileage to the V6. Bottom line, fortunately, there are plenty of Challengers out there and it's not hard to find one you can afford. Happy hunting!

 

Thanks for the help. I've been looking at the used market, generally around 2017 as they're fresh off lease and in high supply. However the used R/Ts around me seem to go for about $25K before dealers fees and taxes. Anything cheaper seems to run with 80K+ miles and I'm wary of picking up someone else's headache.

Just realized your question. The reason I would need to wait for the V8 is that the SXT is just barely in my price range now, and so I would need to do more saving to more comfortably afford a used R/T.

 

I personally have nothing against the 6cyl cars. As we always used to say, "there's an ass for every seat". Nothing derogatory about that, it just means "there's something for everybody".
A lot of guys here have the V6 cars and seem to love them. Just because they're not for me, doesn't mean they're not for you though. My point was that I wouldn't suggest buying a V6 car if you really want the V8. Although the used V8 car market around you seems dry right now, it will likely change. Tell the local dealer to let you know when a clean V8 car comes in. It's in their best interest to move cars fast so they tend to keep lists of customers looking for certain cars. It's exactly how I got my current Lexus. Local dealers didn't have what I wanted so I told them to call me as soon as one came in that fit my wish list. Took 2 days!

 

I'm one of the SXT guys. I bought a 2020 SXT two months ago.

I test drove the RT 5.7 Hemi and the SXT. I could easily afford the RT but I went with practical over hot rod and find the SXT peppy enough. 0-60 in 6.3 seconds. Plenty for me. The 8 speed AT can be switched to simulate stick shift driving. There's also a sport driving switch.

My car came with the blacktop option. 20" black wheels, satin black spoiler, black filler door, black accents inside the car.

I got stripes and a hood decal. People who don't know any better ask if it's a Hellcat. I just smile.

Newtothis, you buy what makes you happy at the level you can afford. Keep in mind insurance rates (20 year old single male - ouch) and registration costs (mine's over $500 in AZ).

As for new vs used I thought about going used, maybe 2018 or 2019 but SXTs were advertised for $25,000 with 25,000 to 35,000 miles on them. No thanks. I ended up buying new for $26,700 including tax, license, and a set of floor mats.

 

I paid more than that for my 2010 SRT in 2018
but it was like new, only had 8,500 miles.

Made the mistake of test driving the SRT Manual, and then a NEW R/T Auto
on a curvy, mountain road.

And I don't regret it a bit.

Like you said, "Drive what makes you happy"

 

I recently bought a v6 ,1st challenger i ever drove,I've always been a chevy guy,loved the look of the challenger, but i never wanted a dodge.I love the roominess and the handling of the challenger, i do mostly city driving so i really couldn't take advantage of a v8,i have a little bit of fun once and a while, get on the freeway and hit 90 or 100 every so often but not often enough.I ended up buying the only one i ever drove, and am more than satisfied with what i got.Theres not many challengers for sale where i live and prices for used are going up due to the shortage i guess.So my point would be if you can't use the v8 to its full potential a v6 works just fine,but good luck there great cars