Hemi power in a family vehicle

The Dodge Magnum leaps from station wagon to sports tourer.

I'll wager that most SUV owners over the age of 50 have had at least one station wagon during their driving careers. SUVs have much appeal with their flip and fold seats, huge cargo capacity and that "I have arrived" attitude, but station wagons offered those same features decades earlier. They could tow several thousand pounds, haul up to nine people and most came equipped with rooftop luggage racks.

But heavy, V-8-powered station wagons began to look a bit stodgy when minivans made their appearance in the 1980s. It wasn't just their styling -- they couldn't compete with the newcomer's gas mileage, roominess or convenient sliding doors. By the time SUVs began surging in popularity in the 1990s, station wagons were mostly forgotten relics. So it seems surprising to me that Dodge has come up with something "new" to compete with SUVs: a station wagon.

But you better not call it a "station wagon." This is a "sport wagon," or a "sport tourer," thank you very much. The styling of the Magnum is so distinctive that there's nothing like it on the road. It's a long, low, muscular box on a wide track with a bold grille and a tapered roof. I haven't driven anything that attracted so much attention since last year's boxy little Honda Element.

Is the new Dodge Magnum the car that can wean the country off of SUVs? Its bold, custom lines might scare away some timid buyers, but its utility will attract many more. Magnum is a full-size car with spacious cargo capacity, American-style horsepower and available all-wheel drive. Engineered for safety, it also has image, comfort and utility going for it. If that doesn't please 90 percent of car buyers out there, then I don't know what does. Finally, it gets better gas mileage than full-size SUVs, and you know what that will mean in these times of high fuel prices.

The Magnum comes standard with a 190-horsepower double-overhead-cam V-6 that gets 28-highway miles per gallon, at an entry-level base price of $21,870. The price alone should sell truckloads of Magnums. The next engine, the one I tested, is a 3.5-liter single-overhead-cam V-6 that makes 250 horsepower and gets 27 highway miles per gallon. But the big news around the Dodge showrooms is a powerful new 340-horsepower Hemi V-8, a 5.7-liter powerplant boasting a new engine technology that shuts down four of the eight cylinders when the car is highway cruising. This tire-shredding engine should get a remarkable 25 miles per gallon on 87-octane fuel, although 89 is recommended. Try that in your SUV!

Three Dodge Magnum models are available. The entry-level SE is nicely equipped for its price. It uses Chrysler's 2.7-liter aluminum V-6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, rated to tow 1000 pounds. Standard equipment features include the usual cloth interior, air conditioning, power windows and locks with remote entry, a 60/40 split rear seat with center armrest, rack-and-pinion steering, tilt-telescoping steering column, AM/FM/CD sound system, solar control window glass, and 17-inch wheels and disc brakes. ABS with brake assist, traction control and electronic stability can be added for the bargain price of $1000. The SXT, which I drove, comes with the four-speed automatic transmission, but when equipped with all-wheel drive, a five-speed automatic is substituted. Also included is ABS with brake assist, all-speed traction control and electronic stability. Aluminum wheels, tinted glass, cargo cover and an eight-way power driver's seat round out the equipment list.

The top of the line R/T ($29,370) gets the 5.7-liter V-8 Hemi, which is rated to tow 3800 pounds. Its transmission is a five-speed automatic with AutoStick, designed by Mercedes and built in the U.S. by Chrysler. The R/T includes a leather interior, bigger brakes, 18-inch polished aluminum wheels, dual exhausts, foglights and a Boston Acoustics six-speaker sound system.

On the highway

A car like this begs to be pushed hard down a winding highway where its strengths and flaws will be readily apparent. One of the best roads in the nation for this purpose happens to be in Southeast Missouri, and it runs between Jackson and Fredericktown. This hilly, curvy road has not only the typical whoops and dips, but it also treats you to uphill and downhill decreasing-radius curves and outstanding banked sweepers. A fun ride on a motorcycle, this road separates the average machines from the special. So what was it like to drive the new Magnum up Highway 72?

Thrilling!

Confidence inspiring.

The Magnum is a big, heavy, rear-wheel-drive car, but its engineers have disguised the heft behind a taught yet supple suspension that smoothes out the bumps without giving a mushy ride. The steering is precise, allowing the car to track through curves as if riding in a grove. On the straights the vehicle tracked effortlessly, without wandering or hunting. Wind noise is muted, and about the only mechanical noise you hear is the sound of tires on pavement. I'd give the leather seats an "A", but the windowsills rise up so high that it's difficult to find a comfortable place to rest your left arm. The dashboard is wrapped in a handsome black finish and glare from the sun was never a problem, which allowed me to enjoy the excellent high-visibility instrumentation.

Acceleration is strong from a standstill, but sags a bit between 40 and 50 miles per hour. Then it feels strong again between 50 and 70 miles per hour, which provided snappy passing performance, before running out of steam at illegal speeds. So I think the 250-horsepower engine will be acceptable to most drivers. But load the Magnum up with four adults and all their gear, or hook on a trailer, and you might be wishing for the V-8 engine. I'd want the Hemi just because such a hot-looking car should be able to perform as well as it looks.

My Magnum was trimmed in "inferno red," had a leather interior and many other popular options, but it didn't have the all-wheel-drive option. Magnum comes with Chrysler's noteworthy 7-year, 70,000-mile powertrain warranty. My sample listed for $28,855.

Steve Robertson of Robertson's Creative Photography is a car enthusiast and former staff writer/photographer for the Southeast Missourian. Contact him at srobertson@semissourian.com.