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Yes, the amazing Dodge Challenger also manages to fill its hard-to-find door handles with light when you turn off the car. Yeah I know, not a big deal these days. I'm sure our recently departed Honda Fit did the same thing.
But don't forget, the Challenger's doors are quite large, and when it's dark and the whole interior is gray, finding those handles isn't all that easy. Nice to see that Dodge didn't forget the small stuff.
Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line @ 20,257
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dougtheeng says:
06:45 PM, 02/18/10
Recently departed fit eh? As in the orange one?
hybris says:
08:57 PM, 02/18/10
I like the light up door handles its especially good when you have people riding with you that don't know where the handle in the dark is.
Are the lights themselves LEDs?
moparfool says:
03:44 AM, 02/19/10
The gauge and interior lighting package is about a $1300 option, and maybe to get it you have to buy other options. My Challenger R/T, which I bought off the lot, doesn't have this option, so at night or in my dark garage I fumble some for the door handles. The Challenger interior is, as many have pointed out, a dark cave.
On the other hand, if the car had this option and if over the course of a few years I open the door in the dark 1300 times, it would cost me $1.00 each time for a few seconds of door handle illumination. For me, the bang for the buck isn't there; I have much better uses for $1300.
bodyblue says:
07:31 AM, 02/19/10
I think it is fair to say that the stay of the Challenger has been quite a suprise to the IL staff and us bloggers.....surprisingly good. It has been a nice solid and fun car to drive with none of the quality hang ups that the Caravan had. Chrysler can deliver a good product when it tries....now it just needs a nice mid-size and small car to stay in business.
baggs32 says:
09:09 AM, 02/19/10
Making you pay $1300 to find the door pull is not what I'd call remembering the "small stuff". Not forgetting the "small stuff" would be putting the door pull in a more logical place where you don't need to light it up to find it at night. Pretty much every other mfr does a better job than Dodge did here. That handle placement reminds me of my parent's '78 LTD II or my friend's parent's old Caprice Wagon. It's 2010 Dodge!
r1chwa1nwr1ght says:
05:55 PM, 02/19/10
First off id like to say I like where they put the door handles.... but maybe that's cause I'm tall.... I find it a very natural location....
For 2009 the electronics package was a big option with an improved stereo, bluetooth, light on the door cupholders, steering wheel audio controls and more.... for 2010 all challengers have those lights as standard... regardless of model.
And yes they are leds
And yes they were one of the first things my girlfriend noticed when riding in mine at night... haha
threemopars says:
08:37 AM, 02/20/10
r1chwa1nwr1ght is correct.
For 09 to get the LED handles it was a $1,445 option that INCLUDED:
•Illuminated Cupholders
•LED Illuminated Interior Door Handles
•Instrument Cluster w/Display Screen
•Keyless Go
•Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror with Microphone
•Security Alarm
•Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls
•Temperature and Compass Gauge
•Tire Pressure Monitoring Display that could degrade handling and vehicle safety.
•Traveler/Mini Trip Computer
•Uconnect Phone with Voice Command •iPod® Control Close
•Universal Garage Door Opener
•Vehicle Information Center
No they didn't charge you $1,400 bucks for some LED's in the door. The EVIC, upgraded TPMS, Uconnect and Ipod control are well worth the price. Frankly the non EVIC Challenger clusters look cheap.
2010 Cars now have LED handle lighting as standard, electronics group has now dropped to $1,330 but is not available on standard R/T cars, only R/T J package and Classic cars for 2010. It's standard on SRT-8 cars.