OK, I managed to find one available for a ride, although it was NOT the RT model (the one with the HEMI that has the towing capacity that I require).
Overall impression: Unimpressed.
Pros:
* Looks are good, both inside and out. The interior seems pretty well laid out as far as instrumentation. Both front and rear seats are comfortable (the one I was driving had cloth interior)., but note the con below about rear headroom.
* Rear hatchback is very nice. Strange shape for the door, which allows it to open UP more than swing back, which is nice. Also gives a larger opening.
* Suspension is pretty good. This is a Mercedes suspension, and is quick to respond, but it doesn't feel like a "sport" suspension. It's a pretty smooth ride, but you sacrifice a little body lean. I expected it to be stiffer, since Dodge is trying to market this as a sport wagon.
* Engine and road noise was pretty quiet. Granted this was the 250hp engine, not the 340hp HEMI, so that could change things.
Cons:
* Headroom in the rear seems to be lacking (I'm 5'10" and there was just barely enough room, any taller and you would be rubbing your head).
* Window sills are very high, making it feel more like a tank when you're on the insides. If you have kids riding in the back, then they'll probably complain that they can't see out. The windows feel more like "portals".
* Rear and blind-spot visibility was severely lacking. The blind spots on this vehicle are HUGE due to the small windows and very wide columns. Made me very nervous when changing lanes or backing up.
* AWD version that is coming out soon is apparently a Full-Time AWD rather than as-needed. Some may classify this as a pro, but I see it as a con since 99% of the time it is not needed and just eats gas.
* Transmission was slow to respond. Hit the pedal, wait a second, THEN it takes off. Certainly had a lot of power once it kicked in (even in the model I was driving) but that delay was very noticable. Dealer of course said that the HEMI version would be more responsive (it has a different transmission as well, so this COULD be true but I doubt it).
Bottom line:
It was fun to try, and I took a pretty long test-drive, but I just can't imagine actually owning this vehicle. I think the novelty would wear off quite quickly and the annoyances would plague me until the end of time. I seemed to feel very tired after the 45 minute test drive, which I attribute to the combination of feeling claustrophobic with the high window sills combined with constantly stressing out thinking "what could be hiding in that blind spot?" I can't imagine taking a long (5+ hour) drive across the state, which we do quite often.
Scratch that one off the list!
