Stylish 2009 Dodge Challenger is a Challenge to Drive

When I was given the opportunity to preview the 2009 Dodge Challenger, someone said to me, “But it’s not really much of a mom car.” I flew to New York City (home of all things American) ready and willing to prove that the Challenger can be an all-American-mom’s car. I was up for the challenge, baby!

Despite loving its muscle-car appeal, fantastically retro (yet still modern) styling and all of the head-turning that comes along with it, though, I’m totally bummed to say that driving the Challenger was terrible … for me. The front seats, which are amazingly comfortable, have deep seat bolsters that made it difficult to reach the stick shift. To shift in the manual car or play with the sport mode in the automatic, I had to do this unfortunate chicken-dance maneuver: elbow inside the bolster and wrist cocked out for first, second and third gears, and elbow outside the bolster and wrist twisted in for fourth, fifth and sixth gears. This problem most likely would be solved with the addition of adjustable foot pedals for those of us … er … smaller drivers. Yo, Dodge, short people drive, too!

Despite this drastic discomfort, I look forward to driving the automatic version of this car in my real life as a mom. Rick Kukuka, director of product marketing for the Challenger, fits three booster seat bases into the backseat of his Challenger. Apparently, riding in the back of the Challenger is “a bit like going to Disney World” for his kids, ages 5, 6 and 9. Since I won’t be taking my kids to Disney World this year, maybe a week or two in the Challenger will suffice.