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2006 Dodge Magnum SE Road Test

The Easy Life

Dont get me wrong, this is no cutesy little city car thats a cinch to park in cramped downtown parallel parking spots. This 2006 Dodge Magnum is a wagon. An unashamed, unabashedly proud wagon. If you cant fit everything you bought at Ikea for that bedroom reno in back, you need to go back to wagon-packing school. If you cant fit your family of five with room to lounge, then you might want to consider training them to be an offensive line for the Steelers.

Now theres more to this car than just being big, but that was the overwhelming initial impression it made on me. Huge, even. And while its big in exterior dimensions, at close to 17 feet long, and with that over 71.6 cubic feet of storage capacity available, its even bigger in presence, with even

The Dodge Magnum is a wagon. An unashamed, unabashedly proud wagon. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

the base model I was driving stretching from the massive vertical grille straight past its broad shoulders back to the rear bumper and lower front valance. The Magnum sports the most intimidating grille in the industry, short of an International highway truck bearing down on you (or maybe a Hummer, but then again, neither of those is within same tax bracket or even area code).

The rest of the car seems to follow naturally from the overbearing grille: big headlights, sleek,

The Magnum sports the most intimidating grille in the industry. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)?

narrowing windows (for proper effect make sure to order the tinted windows - pricey at $300, but I just cant picture it with clear glass), a high metal-to-glass ratio, a tapering roofline and canted rear windshield that all screams badass as it flies by you. Considering this vehicle was a base model with base steel wheels, I was very impressed with the fact that Dodge fits it with beefy 17-inch all season tires, and the wheel covers are some of the nicest Ive ever seen, playing off the pattern of the steel rim to provide a bit of unexpected flair for even the basic-needs shoppers

The Magnums trick rear liftgate cuts into the roof about a foot or so, so that when it opens the rear edge never reaches out beyond the vertical plane of the bumper. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)?

among us.
Another item that Magnum shoppers across the board will enjoy is the trick rear liftgate, which cuts into the roof about a foot or so, so that when it opens the rear edge never reaches out beyond the vertical plane of the bumper. Very clever because it means you can stand in tight quarters within parking lots and not worry about it smacking you in the crotch - funny for others, maybe, but not for you. Of course, of you lean in, in wonder, you might still take it on the chin, so dont get too curious.

The interior accommodations are generous, and as

The steering wheel is big and grippy with its own metallic appliqu?s, and the gauges are large and easy to read. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

I mentioned before, it is all about basic needs. Granted, those basics are presented with just enough edginess to avoid being too boring or too cheap. The CD and radio buttons are large and easy to read and the HVAC controls have the classic three-knob layout. The shifter has a satin-finish appliqué on the lever, while the base is trimmed in chrome to liven things up. Two solid cup holders and a deep, roomy bin under the armrest provide the necessary storage options.

The steering wheel is big and grippy with its own metallic appliqués, and the gauges are large and easy to read, backed in white (they glow bluish-green at night) with black letters for a simple but stylish appearance. The plastics quality was no great shakes

The Magnum is one of the best-looking wagons available just about anywhere. (Photo: Jonathan Yarkony, American Auto Press)

and there was the odd misaligned bit of plastic, but nothing that would affect convenience or cause much annoyance.

It doesnt really hold a candle to something like Audis A4 Avant in terms of interior design, fit and finish, but it easily holds its own from an exterior styling point of view, and it appeals to such a broadly disparate crowd that it seems silly for me to bring up the Audi.

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