By Don Hammonds
 
We auto writers are a fortunate few.
We drive all sorts of wonderful cars  and trucks with all kinds of whiz bang gadgets, out of this world styling and performance that makes your head spin.
But every so often, you get tired of that, and all you want is a normal car, with normal features, normal controls and predictable handling. Or at least that’s true for me.

And that’s pretty much what the 2012 Dodge Avenger is.  A normal car. No …

Dodge Viper’s back, and boy  is it looking good.

The all new 2013 Viper recently was introduced to the media at  the New York International Auto Show, thus fulfilling  the dreams of many an auto enthusiast who thought they’d never see another new Viper again.
This time, Dodge’s “Snake comes in two  new models, SRT Viper and SRT Viper GTS and under the hood, here’s an all-aluminum, mid-engine 8.4-liter V-10 putting out 640 horsepower and 600 lb.-ft. of torque – which  Dodge …

By Don Hammonds
You may have seen all of the breathtaking reviews by car magazines, and heard all the stories about huge sales increases at Chrysler.
You probably thought, “Wait a minute. Is this the same company that built the Dodge or Chrysler that gave me so much trouble? The same company that was at death’s door a couple of years ago?  I don’t believe it.”
All we will say is, “You better believe it.” 
This is the turnaround story of the decade when …

         By Don Hammonds
Undeniably, the 2012 North American International Auto Show will go down as one of the most significant shows in years, with important introductions of family sedans and compact cars, more economical hybrids and other alternative vehicles, and a healthy smattering of mouth-watering sports cars and concepts for added spice.
       All of this is occuring against a backdrop of strong sales increases for most brands and a resurgent domestic auto industry, lower interest rates, many more interesting, better-built …

 
By Don Hammonds, executive editor
This model year promises to be a blockbuster one, with so many new models coming out that you’ll need a scorecard to keep up with it all.
Yet, amid the dozens of new models, and hundreds of continuing ones, there are still some diamonds that we believe will shine far above the others before the model year’s out. 
We selected our picks based on their impact on the automotive market, their uniqueness, in some cases, their transformations from …

By John Heilig
Model: 2011 Dodge Charger R/T AWD
Engine: 5.7-liter HEMI V8
Horsepower/Torque: 370 hp @ 5,250 rpm/395 lb.-ft. @ 4,200 rpm
Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 120.2 in.
Length x Width x Height: 199.9 x 75.0 x 58.4 in.
Tires: P235/55R19
Cargo: 15.4 cu. ft.
Economy: 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway/17.3 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 19.1 gal.
Curb Weight: 4,450 lbs.
Sticker: $39,095 (includes $825 destination charge and $5,950 in options)
Five reasons to buy this car:
1. Great power
2.  Retro styling
3. Best navigation screen
4. Good handling
5. Surprisingly practical for a hot rod
The …

 
By Don Hammonds
Dodge, one of America’s most storied automotive brands, built quite successfully on its torrid high performance image in 2011, thanks to greatly improved models, more clearly delineated image, and looks that were all its own.
And sales soared.
For 2012, Dodge is wisely building on all the things that distinguish it from all other brands–a colorful heritage, styling cues that are strongly associated with the brand, strong performance with even greater fuel economy, and introducing niche versions of its popular …

By John Heilig
Model: 2011 Dodge Durango Crew AWD
 Engine: 5.7-liter Hemi V8
 Horsepower/Torque: 360 hp @ 5,150 rpm/390 lb.-ft. @ 4,250 rpm Transmission: 5-speed automatic
Wheelbase: 119.8 in.
 Length x Width x Height: 199.8 x 75.8 x70.9 in.
 Tires: P265/60R18
 Cargo volume: 17.2/47.7/84.5 cubic feet (behind 3rd row, behind 2nd row, behind front row)
Fuel economy: 13 mpg city/20 mpg highway/14.0 mpg test
Fuel capacity: 24.6 gal.
Curb weight: 5,176 lbs.
Sticker: $42,570 (includes $850 destination charge, $6,525 in options)
 5 Reasons to buy this car 1. Good size 2. Power …

Don’t pay any attention to the calendar.

It’s 2011 already for car buyers, car nuts and everybody else who ever loved a set of new wheels.
And we at Automobile Journal have something new for you, starting with the new model year. It’s the Automobile Journal Buyer’s Guide, chock full of information, pictures, and lots of interesting news about all the new cars and trucks for this season.
 Over the next week or two, you will see batches of new stories about the …

Mopar is a storied name in the annals of automotive history.
Mopar,  Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand, has long been identified with the specialized bits and pieces for those who drove and raced Chrysler’s legendary muscle cars in the halcyon days of American iron.
 
Now, some of the magic of the name is being transferred to a very special car–the Mopar ‘10 Dodge Challenger. Chyrysler will build 500 of the special edition cars.
.
The Mopar ’10 is a “Mopar modified” …