386 miles each way. Assuming I don't, intentionally or not, get lost.
A few weeks ago, I took this drive northward, girlfriend in tow. The Challenger, I thought, would be a great partner: excellent highway ride, good stereo, nav, comfy seats, passing power, doesn't draw the ire of the Highway Patrol.
And I was, as usual, correct. The 2009 Challenger R/T was a great pick. Each time I do a long drive in this car, I'm glad once again that we didn't opt for the harsh, silly-looking SRT-8. Unfortunately my passenger, who was along for the ride when I took the Long Term Flex back to Boston, wasn't so thrilled.
"Up until the 500-mile mark, this was one of my favorite cars." She says.
"What happened then?"
"The seat. It's fine for a short trip. But the back doesn't line up with the bottom right and there aren't enough adjustments to make it livable."
While the driver seat is 8-way power adjustable, the passenger seat is not.
So next time I go cross country--unless i go solo-- the Challenger is, unfortunately, off the list.
Mike Magrath, Vehicle Testing Assistant
carfreak8394 says:
12:50 PM, 11/14/09
That's too bad.
I'm not really sure why the passenger seat is rarely powered in muscle cars.
Is it to save weight?
frazier500 says:
02:20 PM, 11/14/09
The passenger seat probably is powered, just 4-way. Its that way in most cars up to a certain price point.
bimmerjay says:
02:40 PM, 11/14/09
"I'm not really sure why the passenger seat is rarely powered in muscle cars.
Is it to save weight?"
It's just cost really, nothing more.
wrinklebump says:
05:28 PM, 11/14/09
That's a shame, since otherwise it seems like a pretty decent roadtrip car what with the bigness and the motorness and the navigational aptitude
mercedesfan says:
08:29 PM, 11/14/09
I'm always shocked at how few cars have power passenger seats, even as options. It doesn't cost the manufacturer much at all to offer it, so I don't know why it isn't more widely available. It just seems ridiculous that you have to spend $30K on a car to get the passenger seat powered.
plumcrazy2 says:
08:43 PM, 11/14/09
Well if the passenger seat was powered in the Challenger there would be no way to get into the back seat. Don't forget the power drivers seat doesn't have a release.
vt8919 says:
10:36 PM, 11/14/09
I haven't been in a vehicle with a powered passenger's seat. If you haven't owned or been in a car with one, you can't miss it.
From a personal standpoint, I've never had passengers complain about lack of controls for their seat. My mother likes the seat all the way back as far as it can go so she can stretch her legs, but that's it.
benson2175 says:
06:12 PM, 11/15/09
"So next time I go cross country--unless i go solo-- the Challenger is, unfortunately, off the list."
-whipped
mercedesfan says:
07:40 PM, 11/15/09
@plumcrazy2-
Having powered seats makes for a far more graceful entry and exit into the back seat. Just look at the setup on a BMW 3-Series Coupe or 6-Series, a Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe or CL-Class, a Bentley Continental GT, an Infiniti G37 Coupe, etc. The only reason the Challenger's driver-side doesn't have a powered-release is cost-cutting.