We have a 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T in our long-term test fleet. Not only is it one of the cars that quietly grows on you as the miles pile up, it's one of the few cars in the current Chrysler lineup that doesn't bear obvious signs of bungled product planning and vicious cost-cutting. It's simply a good car and we enjoy driving it.
So, too, do many Consumer Reports readers. Every year the non-profit Consumers' Union behind the magazine asks its subscribers, "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had it to do all over again?"
To make it as a finalist, a vehicle must get at least 80-percent "definitely yes" rating from the survey participants who own it. And after poring over responses from 380,000 owners, CR awarded top honors to the V8-equipped Dodge Challenger (we'll assume the magazine combined the R/T and SRT8 together) after 92 percent of owners indicated they would definitely buy it again.
The Ford Fusion Hybrid, another car we've driven and liked, came in second with 91 percent, and was followed in order by the Chevrolet Corvette, Porsche 911, Toyota Prius and all-wheel-drive Acura TL.
On the other side of the spectrum, only 37 percent of four-cylinder Chrysler Sebring sedan owners said they'd buy that car again. Just above the Sebring were the Dodge Nitro and, R.I.P., the Pontiac Torrent.
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