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Is it worth to buy used hellcats?

19K views 92 replies 29 participants last post by  gnx1234 
#1 ·
Hey Guys,

I heard some stuff that it’s kind of not a good idea to buy used hellcats, due to people race on these cars, use them much, you know what I mean, so the technical condition is not good after such harsh usage. So high risk of run into troubles with engine or something else. It would be great to hear reasonable opinion from hellcat owners. Thank you!
 
#3 ·
if you want EXACTLY your choice of options AND you intend to hold onto the car basically "forever" (or at least more than 5 years) then new makes more sense given financing options right now. If you like to change cars a lot then you should seach for one with a knowledgeable owner and a known history. You'll find some for sale here like that.

They're actually pretty darn durable! Check out the Roadkill episode where they take a Challenger Hellcat off roading to see what I mean, ;)

Or there's this!

 
#4 ·
Whoever gets mine will get a garage queen. Never modded or raced or even a burnout. 2016 with 7k miles. Trading it in for a new one. Plenty like mine to be found.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Most HC are older drivers and garage queens.
This. Definitely this.

Back in the day, consumers of hot cars were far younger. But, 50 years of "import cheap slave labor" later, and instead of one man being able to work and have a house, wife, and three kids, now it's more like two people working to RENT an apartment and not even consider the expense of having a kid.

You used to be able to work a summer job and "put yourself through college." LOL on steroids.

So, yes, the owners of the cars are almost always people old enough to want to treat them with respect.
 
#14 ·
Hey Guys,

I heard some stuff that it’s kind of not a good idea to buy used hellcats, due to people race on these cars, use them much, you know what I mean, so the technical condition is not good after such harsh usage. So high risk of run into troubles with engine or something else. It would be great to hear reasonable opinion from hellcat owners. Thank you!
There is the risk the car has been driven hard and put away wet. I would definitely stay away from any mod'd Hellcat or one that has been put back to "stock".

Ideally you would want to see at least by the book servicing and better would be better than by the book. This suggests the car was "loved".

While my Hellcat is not a garage queen, it is a 2018 with 22,000 miles, it is not abused or mistreated. The thing cost too much money to thrash about and cause unnecessary and expensive to put right wear. Or worse have the car get away from me and get bent.

Ideally you would want to find a Hellcat with at least some power train warranty left. Better yet would be some new car warranty or an extended warranty that can be transferred with the car to the new owner.
 
#20 ·
Anyone looking for a deal on a Redeye challenger widebody(plum crazy) and non widebody(Bilet Silver). Both have less than 200 miles on them. I work at a dealership in AZ. Text me if you want pics or info. Serious inquires only please. Arnie 510-504-1354😎
 
#22 ·
I got my 2016 in 2019 with 11,800 miles on it. There were a lot of car show tickets in the glove box, still had that new car smell and not even a dead bug in the radiator, so I am pretty sure she was well taken care of. So, all in all, I feel that I got a very nice (lightly) used Cat and paid 20k less than new. There are some really good deals on used ones out there if you look, but I am sure there also some that have been rode hard and put away wet.
 
#24 ·
I was in the market for a Hellcat and just by luck happened to find a used one exactly like I would have order for over $20,000 below sticker and only had about 1000 miles. It was also only about 300 miles away so I went to see it and it was the one! The owner was older mature man that bought it but never had time to drive it do to owning his own business so he decided to sell it after about 8 months. I made out with one hell of a deal. Just take a good look at the car before you buy used but there are good deals out there.
 
#25 ·
I bought my 15 used in mid 2016 with 9500miles on it. It was the 25th car built and had been passed around between dealers from Florida to NY for a few months before being sold in MD to the first owner, who took very good care of it after that. Im sure those 3 or 4 dealers threw an absolute a$$ beating on that car when it was in their hands. I put 21K on it and it needed a new fuel pump, radiator and driveshaft carrier bearing at 20k miles. All early build issues and all replaced under warranty without question. Otherwise the car was flawless and ran great for me. I traded it with 31k miles on it in 2018 due to needing to free up $$$ and have regretted it since. I still get the carfax emails. Car is on its 4th owner with over 60k on it and has only been back to the dealer for a tail light issue. Least thats whats been reported. They are pretty tough cars. Im sure though you can find a well taken care of garage queen out there. Id be suspect of a car that has been modded and/or put back to stock and you cant find the history of who tuned it or did the work. If it was done by a reputable shop that knows these cars, prob not a bad buy if you get it for the right price.
 
#26 ·
I'd consider it if the car wasn't a lease, and it had lower miles, or if I was buying private party and I could find history of the car. These cars are designed to be beat on, they are beefy for a reason, and the biggest thing is maintenance and how someone cared for it. The problem with that, is those who DO take care of them, want a lot of money for them. I had my eye on one at my dealership last October that was an '18 with 18k miles for 47k which I felt was a great deal, I haven't been able to find anything close to that since.
 
#27 ·
Okay, not a Hellcat, but at least the same engine.

The other day I thought that maybe I should sell the Trackhawk. It's broken in correctly, had a 500-mile oil change, and has never even been subjected to a 0-60. Or driven in rain.

So with under 1,700 miles on it, and being pampered, would this one be a better buy than a new one off the lot?
I would certainly think so. But then again, I ordered it so that I wouldn't get a car subjected to needless cold starts and spirited test drives, let alone a used one with whatever history.
 
#28 ·
Okay, not a Hellcat, but at least the same engine.

The other day I thought that maybe I should sell the Trackhawk. It's broken in correctly, had a 500-mile oil change, and has never even been subjected to a 0-60. Or driven in rain.

So with under 1,700 miles on it, and being pampered, would this one be a better buy than a new one off the lot?
I would certainly think so. But then again, I ordered it so that I wouldn't get a car subjected to needless cold starts and spirited test drives, let alone a used one with whatever history.
tired of it already?
 
#30 ·
Got a 1yr old cat FULLY LOADED Charger for 56k with brand new rubber. I almost went new, just because I was between octane edition and sublime with carbon stripes. But, given that neither had a sunroof, I am more than happy with exactly the car I got as a lease turn in. The front bumper was scraped at the bottom, and I figured that 1500 to get a factory replacement. Have had the car about a year now, and have have been taking care of maintenance at early intervals and I LOVE it
 
#33 ·
Got a 1yr old cat FULLY LOADED Charger for 56k with brand new rubber.
Unless it had a lot of miles on it, new tires on a year old car would be a red flag to me.
I'm fully expecting the tires on my '18 to get too old before they wear out.
 
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#36 ·
Alright, I made up my feeble mind. Selling the 'Hawk.
If anyone is lusting for one, it's now at 1,805 miles, still not driven in rain, and still in perfect condition.

I've been offered 76K by a luxury car dealership in L.A,, so meet that and it's yours. And for someone from the forum, I'll leave the seat covers, floor mats, and dash cover in it.
 
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#39 ·
It'll take me 10 years to get that kind of miles on anything but my tow vehicle, at the rate I'm going.
 
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#42 ·
It's not about making it big. Instead I spend practically all my money on vehicles.
And thank you for your service!
 
#44 ·
h

Hahaha, I hear you man. And my pleasure. Quite Frankly, if I didn't have 2 toddlers I might too. But im in finance, and I would be a hypocrite to tell people to do one thing and do another. Its like an obese doctor telling you to go on a diet hahaha. As much as I would like to, (and have in the past), I need to be able manage both of my home payments etc to be able to offer my kids more than I had growing up.
But, tying that into relevance of the post LOL, thats why i chose a year old over a new cat
 
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