1950 Dodge Coronet Base 3.8l on 2040-cars

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Aficionauto drives Vin Diesel's fast and furious 1970 Dodge Charger

The Aficionauto host Christopher Rutkowski has a real passion for original and replica cars from movies and television, whether they are from James Bond, Jurassic Park, or incredibly obscure Japanese shows. However, he might have outdone himself this time because he hopped into one of the biggest automotive stars of contemporary cinema. This 1970 Dodge Charger appeared in Fast & Furious and came back in Fast Five, where Paul Walker actually drove it. The menacing, black muscle car will make its return to the franchise in the seventh film, too.
The Fast and Furious Charger is a real beast no matter how you look at it. The interior is nothing more than two seats and a roll cage, and as the video shows, this thing vibrates constantly like a coiled mass of muscle ready to strike. The camera can barely stay in place most of the time. Also, Dom's Dodge is more than happy to do a smoky burnout and leave the driver partially deaf afterward from its wonderful, ear-splitting engine roar.
The Aficionauto also interviews the man who controls the keys to this beast. Bob Hartwig was once an F-15 pilot, but he also loved Hollywood vehicles. Now, he's a partner at Picture Car Warehouse, a company with about 850 cars that supplies vehicles to film studios. This Charger definitely seems to be Hartwig's favorite in the collection, as it should be.

2020 Dodge Journey loses trims and colors, adds equipment

Update: A previous version of this article incorrectly stated that all-wheel-drive was available on the Journey. It has been discontinued for the 2020 model year. The text has been changed to reflect this. The 2020 Dodge Journey sticks with the formula that's served it for its entire 11-year lifespan so far, which is to say nothing more than incremental changes will usher in the new year. The lineup shrinks by half, the SE and GT trims going away, leaving the SE Value and Crossroad trims. The end of the Journey GT means the end of the 283-horsepower, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 for the Journey, the two remaining models powered by the 2.4-liter four-cylinder with 172 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque shifting through a four-speed automatic. The SE Value sits on 17-inch steelies with wheel covers, the Crossroad rides on 19-inchers, and both models turn the front wheels only; the option of all-wheel drive has left the building. Both trims add new standard equipment, Rear Park Assist included on both, the Crossroad acquiring a sunroof. The color wheel for exterior hues loses two options, Destroyer Grey and Verde Oliva, leaving seven choices. The SE Value interior retains its choice of black or tan cloth, the Crossroads sticks with black only. SE Value and Crossroad will offer an option called the Popular Entertainment Group that installs different equipment depending on trim. For the SE Value, that will add a power driver seat, premium cloth seating, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, tri-zone temperature control, Uconnect Voice Command with Bluetooth, a 12-month subscription to SiriusXM Radio, interior observation mirror, and security alarm. On the Crossroad, the same package means navigation, heated front seats and steering wheel, six premium speakers and subwoofer, remote start, a universal garage door opener. Pricing hasn't been announced yet, but with the 11-year-old Journey selling itself as a value proposition — it's right there in the name — we don't expect much change from the $24,740 price of the 2019 SE Value.

Dodge Dart falls short of Consumer Reports Recommended, Caddy XTS and Lincoln MKS, too

The Dodge Dart, Cadillac XTS and Lincoln MKS all failed to earn a "Recommended" rating from Consumer Reports. When it came to the compact Dart, the organization's testers thought the vehicle offered a quiet cabin, solid-feeling chassis and nimble suspension, but the new model ultimately fell short of the coveted rating due to powertrain issues. The institute's reviewers found the base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine to be underpowered and noted "drivability issues" when the available turbocharged 1.4-liter four was paired with the optional dual-clutch transmission (some of our editors disliked it paired with the six-speed manual). CR also dinged the latter powerplant for sounding "raspy." For what it's worth, we think the forced-induction engine offers an excellent and playful exhaust note, but that's just us.
As for the XTS, CR lauded the car for its luxurious cabin, but the vehicle's experience was dulled by its finicky CUE infotainment interface. Overall, the big Cadillac scored much higher than its cross-town rival from Lincoln. While testers found the American luxury sedan to offer a quiet ride and quality fit and finish, they felt the MKS delivered a "cramped driving position, ungainly handling, uncomposed ride, and limited visibility." Ouch. At the end of the day, both cars fell short of rivals from Japan, Germany and Korea. Check out the full press release below with more details, along with CR's musings on the Chevrolet Spark and Lexus ES.