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Any Regrets?

18K views 106 replies 59 participants last post by  KillerCat 
#1 ·
Hey guys. I been lurking on here for a few weeks and finally signed up yesterday. I am in the market for a Hellcat this summer. I am super excited about it. I have always loved the Challengers and I would not have any version of it other than the Hellcat.

It seems that most people on here love their cars. Do any of you have any real regrets? I am going from a Silverado to a Hellcat so thats definately going to be a change but I wont be daily driving the Hellcat. I see that automatics are in high demand, which honestly isnt something I even considered when I first thought of getting a hellcat. Is the difference that big? I dont plan on spending many nights at the race track.

What other cars did you guys consider when purchasing your Hellcats? The only other car I remotely consider is the Shelby GT500.

Any help for a newbie would be great. Thanks!
 
#2 ·
Welcome to the forum from VA! Tons of great info and people here. Enjoy!

Had a 2010 Challenger R/T, upgraded to Charger HC. No regrets! Daily Driver! 31,853 (s)miles
 
#3 · (Edited)
For me no regrets. Nonetheless, I am not blind to mopar failures prior to the Challenger rebirth. I avoided the brand and stayed with my 1960s Mopar classics. I could never put down GT500s, nor ZL1s, etc, with an honest face. The worse I could say about them is they are just not for me. The only cars I really ever liked prior to the new Challengers, were the 68/69/70_Chargers/Roadrunners, and 70/71_Cuda/Challengers, so take my words with a grain of salt. Ironically for me, I tend to enjoy my m6 5.7 Challenger everyday car, as much as my Hellcat and consider them right up there with my classics. It's like the 4 speed 340 Cuda I always wanted but eluded me. I find automatics lacking driver involvement and their paddle shifters, the equivelent of playing a videogame.
 
#4 ·
The A8 isnt just better at the track imo. For me when i get caught in traffic im not looking to be clutching it. Those days are over for me. And when a ricer challenges me unexpectedly the auto is insanely quick to react. My wife can drive the car without me worrying about the clutch. There are multiple reasons why the A8 makes sense to me.
And no, no regrets. Zero.
 
#5 ·
My Challenger Hellcat is the one car I can say I didn't have any buyers remorse on. In fact, it has been the opposite, wishing I'd gotten one earlier.

I do daily drive mine so that was a consideration for getting the A8. But even it wasn't a daily, this auto transmission is sooooo sweet. Instant power at any time and always in the right gear when just cruising around. And I don't feel like the A8 has disconnected me from my car at all. It's just that good.

I really didn't consider anything other than a Challenger Hellcat. Wanted one ever since they first came out and my dealer was kind enough to let me test drive a sublime green one they got in. They sold a car that day, it just took a couple years for it to come together.
 
#6 ·
My wife has a Charger and I have a Challenger. No regrets from either of us. These cars are a blast to drive!

For my wife we looked at a SRT 392, GMC Canyon Denali, and a Camaro before even considering the Hellcat. The Charger brought everything she was looking for in a vehicle to the table, and the Hellcat just added the badass factor and a lot of power.

For me, I leaned towards a Charger, but since we have one already, I went for the Challenger. I went from a Ram 2500 to this car and it is my daily driver. Only thing I was looking for was something different. My only requirements were that I fit in the car, it be comfortable, and fun to drive.
 
#7 ·
I used to drag race a 4th gen 6-speed Z/28. I was pretty good at it. I loved stick shifts. However, I did a lot of reading when deciding between the A8 or stick on my Hellcat... and ultimately went with the A8. It's a fantastic transmission so far. Multiple settings from mild to wild. I usually leave the A8 in street mode, and let it do its thing. Stomp the gas, and it downshifts great. I recently took it for a 120 mile highway drive recently and set the cruise control at 70 MPH. I got 23.3 MPG. Zero regrets on the A8.
 
#13 ·
No Ragrets, not even a letter! :)
 
#15 ·
Scottie P., is that you? :)
 
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#16 ·
Hey guys. I been lurking on here for a few weeks and finally signed up yesterday. I am in the market for a Hellcat this summer. I am super excited about it. I have always loved the Challengers and I would not have any version of it other than the Hellcat.

It seems that most people on here love their cars. Do any of you have any real regrets? I am going from a Silverado to a Hellcat so thats definately going to be a change but I wont be daily driving the Hellcat. I see that automatics are in high demand, which honestly isnt something I even considered when I first thought of getting a hellcat. Is the difference that big? I dont plan on spending many nights at the race track.

What other cars did you guys consider when purchasing your Hellcats? The only other car I remotely consider is the Shelby GT500.

Any help for a newbie would be great. Thanks!
I went from a 2016 Shelby GT350 which is a beast of a car in its own right just different performance , designed for a road race track, to a 2016 Challenger Hellcat.
NO regrets whatsoever the hellcat is a total beast and fun to drive. I added a GT momentum CAI and had it Dyno tuned it makes 694 rwhp 617 ft-lbs of torque there is no other basically stock american muscle car on the planet that that can touch it!
 

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#41 ·
Had a 2010 Challenger SRT8 then traded it in for the 2016 Charger SRT Hellcat. I have no regrets at all. I love the car and its performance. I use it as a daily driver. Don't expect good gas mileage, though when my wife drove the car from Palm Springs to our home then back to Palm Springs (while I was playing golf), I noticed that she got 22 MPG, primarily highway miles.

The only things I have changed are the speakers and I had the windows tinted.
 
#17 ·
Welcome to the Forum from Beautiful Bucks County Pa!
Many on here and know I race my Hell Cat Charger and it is built and tuned by Josh@HHP. I have No regrets and I just love it! :cool:

My husband was Top Cat on here and has passed away, but I continue with my husband's quest of continuing with the plan he wanted for his "Top Cat" car.
John loved his Challenger and what most people didn't know about was his love for Mustangs. He had a Manuel 2009 GT500 (He gave it to my son)
He loved American Muscle but in the beginning, it was Ford.
What he said about Ford vs Dodge was everything had been there and done that with a Mustang.
He had a love for R&D and if you search on here there is much info from him posted on what worked and what didn't. He wanted the R&D continued and for me to post as much help and truth for those he wanted to go Fast like he did.
The other thing he liked the room of a Challenger as a Daily Driver vs his Mustangs and he had no regrets owning both but Racing his Mighty Challenger was the Best fun he ever had racing a car.
This link is where his car currently is. Josh and I have had to the track after this and the number are backed up several times. That was important to Top Cat:cool:
WTG Josh!! 2 New World Records + Getting closer to Top Cat's Goal 9.151 @150.23 MPH +Blower only!

Linda:)
 
#26 ·
Welcome to the Forum from Beautiful Bucks County Pa!
Many on here and know I race my Hell Cat Charger and it is built and tuned by Josh@HHP. I have No regrets and I just love it! :cool:

My husband was Top Cat on here and has passed away, but I continue with my husband's quest of continuing with the plan he wanted for his "Top Cat" car.
John loved his Challenger and what most people didn't know about was his love for Mustangs. He had a Manuel 2009 GT500 (He gave it to my son)
He loved American Muscle but in the beginning, it was Ford.
What he said about Ford vs Dodge was everything had been there and done that with a Mustang.
He had a love for R&D and if you search on here there is much info from him posted on what worked and what didn't. He wanted the R&D continued and for me to post as much help and truth for those he wanted to go Fast like he did.
The other thing he liked the room of a Challenger as a Daily Driver vs his Mustangs and he had no regrets owning both but Racing his Mighty Challenger was the Best fun he ever had racing a car.
This link is where his car currently is. Josh and I have had to the track after this and the number are backed up several times. That was important to Top Cat:cool:
WTG Josh!! 2 New World Records + Getting closer to Top Cat's Goal 9.151 @150.23 MPH +Blower only!

Linda:)

Thanks for your help!
 
#21 ·
My previous two performance cars were both for open track (road course) driving. A highly modified '03 Cobra Mustang, and a C6 Z06. I then ordered an SRT 392 Charger but a month before delivery a 2016 Challenger Hellcat A8 came available at sticker and my wife insisted.

As soon as it was broken in and I could really get on the throttle I had a huge regret. In fact, I was going to sell the car. I couldn't find traction from a standing start. Plus it didn't appear that there was any way to solve the problem. Then thanks to the forum member "Booky" I got clued in to Nitto drag radials for street use. Previously I had only considered drag radials as a drag strip tire. It turns out that they are great on the street. Hellcat Life Changer - Nitto 555R 305/35R20 On Stock Rims

No more regrets now that that big problem is out of the way, I love the comfort, the ride quality and the crazy horsepower/torque. The overall build quality has been great and I am very critical of issues in a car.

I think you will be surprised at how great this car is, it's not just a big assed burnout machine. Oh by the way, Dodge has selected the Nitto 555R Drag Radials for the new Demon on all four corners. It turns out that my tire choice was spot on.
 
#27 ·
My previous two performance cars were both for open track (road course) driving. A highly modified '03 Cobra Mustang, and a C6 Z06. I then ordered an SRT 392 Charger but a month before delivery a 2016 Challenger Hellcat A8 came available at sticker and my wife insisted.

As soon as it was broken in and I could really get on the throttle I had a huge regret. In fact, I was going to sell the car. I couldn't find traction from a standing start. Plus it didn't appear that there was any way to solve the problem. Then thanks to the forum member "Booky" I got clued in to Nitto drag radials for street use. Previously I had only considered drag radials as a drag strip tire. It turns out that they are great on the street. Hellcat Life Changer - Nitto 555R 305/35R20 On Stock Rims

No more regrets now that that big problem is out of the way, I love the comfort, the ride quality and the crazy horsepower/torque. The overall build quality has been great and I am very critical of issues in a car.

I think you will be surprised at how great this car is, it's not just a big assed burnout machine. Oh by the way, Dodge has selected the Nitto 555R Drag Radials for the new Demon on all four corners. It turns out that my tire choice was spot on.

Thanks for the heads up. I used to run drag radials on my 96 Mustang Cobra daily driver! I will keep her indoors in the rain
 
#22 ·
Re-sale will be easier also with the A8, with a higher value. Something to think about if you think you might ever trade up or go to sell. I'm always thinking about that.
 
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#23 ·
It is true Shifting a Challenger is a lot of fun on the streets. I could only imagine what an M6 Hell Cat would be like as my husband first Challenger was a 2009 manual, I loved that car but he traded in a 2010 SRT8 Furious Fuchsia Challenger to have a 10 second KB 3.6 Build for me. And I loved that more, but the LX platform seemed to be Race and Break.

Depending if you are going to modify your car and what ET you are looking for an M6 can use strengthening parts like the clutch right pretty quick.

Linda:)
 
#24 ·
Ive wanted a 71-72 Roadrunner since I was 12 but Ive never been able to acquire one for one reason or another. Always said one day Id get an old Plymouth in Limelight or In-Violet.
Ive had GM V8s in one form or another forever and my closest brush with Dodge was an 89 Dodge Daytona my dad put 200+k on as a daily.
I was seriously thinking of getting a PCP M6 SRT as a replacement for my 04 M6 GTO.

One Sunday I stopped at a tiny local dealer and looked at a used 15 Tor-Red A8 for a friend half way across the country. He passed for too many miles and he wanted an M6. I went back Monday and test drove it for the hell of it. I bought it that afternoon. Had I waited until now, Id have saved prob $8,000 but I wouldn't have driven it 9,000 miles either. It wasnt the trans or color I wanted, Id like a sunroof and red seat-belts but this car doesn't have them.

ZERO REGRETS. Not One. Its cured me of wanting an old mopar, I dont mind its red and I smile like an idiot every time I push the start button and drive it. ZERO REGRETS
 
#29 ·
I had the M6, but now the A8 as of a week ago. The M6 is more fun to drive around, but the A8 is monster. It instantly downshifts, then the RPMS climb very quickly in each gear. Just a short hit of WOT rolling about 50 mph and it'll shift a couple of times as it climbs to 80 - 90 mph in 3 seconds or so. I couldn't comfortably make the M6 do that....especially not knowing what RPM it would be after an aggressive downshift. I have a feeling it would be in between gears. You'd have to downshift to first at 45 mph to get the same effect as the A8. And I don't think that is a good idea. We need an M8 with ignition interrupted shifts! That would be badass.
 
#30 ·
I drive a 2008 lifted Power Wagon and have been driving 6 speed 2000 Camaro SS with 550hp for over 15 years and was reluctant to go A8. Let me say this I was wrong the A8 is awesome and the Hellcat is the most true to form muscle car out there. NO REGRETS.
 
#31 ·
No regrets - awesome car in every way: power, throttle response, look, sound, customizable transmission, suspension, and traction controls, seat comfort, dash layout and information, ride comfort, handling, roominess, gas mileage, but most importantly the thrill it gives me every time I drive it! The only thing it needs is DRs in the back (temperature permitting).
 
#33 ·
John G is definitely right about the space. I have had a few Shelby's with the latest being a 2016 GT350, lots of GT's, and I've stayed away from the Camaros due to the seating arrangement since the fourth gens before they took a production break. An honest comparison between the S550 Mustang platform to the Hellcat Challenger is that the Mustang was a better car in every way except for not being a Hellcat. I only drive American branded vehicles and am not too brand biased. The Ford electronics blow the Fiat Chrysler out of the water. The Mustangs with Brembo Brakes are much more responsive, but that's because the car is 600 pounds lighter. The S550 out corners the Challenger and Charger beautifully. While the Shelby is much better than the GT, the rear axle still isn't totally lined out. I had mine out 5 times trying to get the car to hook and go straight while power shifting. Other people didn't seem to have as much trouble.
With all of that said... I like my Hellcat much better than the Shelby. The HC is a living, breathing embodiment of what a Muscle Car should be. In street mode, you can break the tires loose at over 75MPH on the highway with an automatic on a stock car! That is nuts and amazing at the same time. Modern electronics are amazing for power potential. This is an outstanding starting place. Good luck with your choice.
 
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