Would anyone trade an F80 for a Hellcat?

[six-n-twins53]

There should be no hate! Anytime car guy engineers can pull one over on the bean counters, we should all be happy.

[chetman7]

I actually went the other way

Had one of the first F32 435ix to hit NY bsck in late 2013. This past summer was looking to trade it in after hitting 65k miles

Went to a local dealership who had several low mile hellcats. Could get past the crappy interior...and they wouldn't let me test drive it.

As soon as I was walking back to my car to leave a black m3 caught my eye and left with it.

No regrets

[Gear Grinder Brendan]

Personally never would but a similar question came up among my friends and me. We did a poll to see if our friends would rather have an M4 or a Demon.

[JonCNY]

I sold my SRT8 to get my M4 ZCP

[AlterZgo]

These cars are so different. I personally would never take any of these over an M3, though I have to say I listened to the stereo system in one of these... forget if it was a Challenger or Charger... but that stereo was pretty awesome with serious near aftermarket stereo levels of bass.

With that said, it is way too big and styling way too ponderous for me to even consider it.

On another note, it is also very disappointing that its underpinnings are based on a 30+ year old Mercedes E class platform. I mean a 300E back in 1986 was a sweet ride and all, but 30 years??? I guess it's a testament to Mercedes that they were able to engineer a platform that, to this day is able ot withstand 700+ hp, but c'mon bean counters spend a few bucks to buy or engineer a new platform. Maybe then the car won't have to be so gigantic.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by AlterZgo

These cars are so different. I personally would never take any of these over an M3, though I have to say I listened to the stereo system in one of these... forget if it was a Challenger or Charger... but that stereo was pretty awesome with serious near aftermarket stereo levels of bass.

With that said, it is way too big and styling way too ponderous for me to even consider it.

On another note, it is also very disappointing that its underpinnings are based on a 30+ year old Mercedes E class platform. I mean a 300E back in 1986 was a sweet ride and all, but 30 years??? I guess it's a testament to Mercedes that they were able to engineer a platform that, to this day is able ot withstand 700+ hp, but c'mon bean counters spend a few bucks to buy or engineer a new platform. Maybe then the car won't have to be so gigantic.

As someone in their 40's, a system with aftermarket levels of bass is not only unappealing but silly. There was a time in my life where earth shaking bass attracted the type of attention that the young adult in me craved so desperately. Only in hindsight do I realize that the eye rolls were not actually signs of approval, envy, nor admiration. It goes to show who the target demographic is. I do appreciate, however, the irony that the 20 and 30 year olds are going down the same path of hearing loss and tinnitus as I am! I'll see you all in hell kids, till then get off my lawn!

[TX PETE]

I’m a gear head. If my goal was to roll race the hell out of it in Mexico....then Maybe I’d get it. Pulley and a tune $1500-3k and add 150-200whp......I love the m3, but it seems these cars don’t hold value like they used too?? The performance parts have a tax that are absurd but I’ve still found myself buying ($2400 Dinan axle back).. that being said, why not make the comparison? I have never owned a Dodge, but the Hellcat is not your standard car. It’s like saying a 335 is an m3. The standard v6 or srt8 challenger/charger is not a hellcat. If I ever changed, it would be a Z06vette or gt500 for the record.

[AlterZgo]

Originally Posted by jmg

As someone in their 40's, a system with aftermarket levels of bass is not only unappealing but silly. There was a time in my life where earth shaking bass attracted the type of attention that the young adult in me craved so desperately. Only in hindsight do I realize that the eye rolls were not actually signs of approval, envy, nor admiration. It goes to show who the target demographic is. I do appreciate, however, the irony that the 20 and 30 year olds are going down the same path of hearing loss and tinnitus as I am! I'll see you all in hell kids, till then get off my lawn!

I get that. But I run subs in my car now not to impress anyone but because I like good clean bass. I keep windows rolled up, though I'm sure people around me are rolling their eyes. I put this in the same category as loud exhausts. Sounds bad ass to me, but probably annoys some people. With that said, I've had so many people approve and give me thumbs up for my loud exhaust.

On the one hand, I get it that it seems juvenile. On the other hand, part of maturing is, of course, being comfortable enough in your own skin to not give a fvck about what others think.

[jmg]

Originally Posted by AlterZgo

I get that. But I run subs in my car now not to impress anyone but because I like good clean bass. I keep windows rolled up, though I'm sure people around me are rolling their eyes. I put this in the same category as loud exhausts. Sounds bad ass to me, but probably annoys some people. With that said, I've had so many people approve and give me thumbs up for my loud exhaust.

On the one hand, I get it that it seems juvenile. On the other hand, part of maturing is, of course, being comfortable enough in your own skin to not give a fvck about what others think.

I ran subs. Lots of subs. The thing about bass is that you tend to not "hear" bass as much as highs, so we can tend to turn it up, which actually causes more damage than usual. I was a bass freak at a young age, I liked to bump the music, like you not necessarily for others to hear, but for me to enjoy. The irony is that now that I am older, I like balanced sounds more. Nowadays I turn the bass down to balanced levels where it doesn't overpower the music. My M3 CS and my i3 both have the Harmon Kardon systems which deliver plenty of bass which I turn to the middle setting. So I wouldn't need subs.

[gasnet]

Maybe if i moved to the deep south and grew a mullet. Hellcat would blend right in.

[PhatLyfe]

Nice joke

[jpy1980]

Hmm I saw a widebody new charger hellcat in black the other day and man o man did it sound scary and had presence. With those updated lights and a manual...gotta admit that I Went on the dodge website that night.

[Mr Pete]

I know someone who traded a M4 Comp for a Red Eye. Not exactly a hellcat, but almost same. But I was more confused when he got the M4, because he owns American muscle cars.

[aerof16]

I'll resurrect this thread.

Sold my Challenger Hellcat about a month ago, solely based on profit. I bought it when COVID hit and someone needed to free up some cash, so I got a great deal. Then the used car market went crazy over the summer, so I put it up for sale and it went in 2 days for a 25% profit.

Now I am in the market for another car. I am likely going to buy an F80 for two reasons. First, it has four doors. Second, it's a car my wife would also enjoy driving (she just wouldn't drive the Hellcat - too big, too loud.)

I have an F30 335i Xdrive and, from a daily driver perspective, I'd much rather drive the Hellcat. Take a car across the country? I'd much rather drive the Hellcat. Take a car to the track? I'd much rather have the F80 unless it's a drag strip haha (stock vs stock).

The Hellcat is a blast to drive and the weight doesn't matter for 99% of the situations you end up in. I drive once a month with buddies who have Porches, F80/F82s, GT350s, Vettes, McLaren 600 LT, and they all enter turns through the canyons sooooo much faster than I did in the Hellcat. But man, once you can get on the throttle again and have a little straight away, you can really make up some time (with the exception of the 600LT haha). People love to bring up the weight of the car and what not, but those same people have absolutely never driven a Hellcat, especially never at a track. Get it on a long track and you can have some fun.

After selling my Hellcat and jumping in a very nice 2017 F80, I passed on the deal because I was very underwhelmed by the driving experience. Don't get me wrong, it appears to be an awesome machine, but it was very underwhelming compared to the cat in every day driving.

That being said, I'm probably going to buy an F80.

[aerof16]

Originally Posted by AlterZgo

I keep windows rolled up, though I'm sure people around me are rolling their eyes.

The Challenger Hellcat with the Harmon Kardon system is pretty good. Two x 8" subs in the trunk. Definitely better aftermarket systems out there but it was really good for a factory system. For some reason Charger guys did not like it as much, not sure what the difference was.

I quoted your post because this was another thing I've noticed about my F30 vs. my Hellcat. I used to drive on the interstate with my windows down and stereo up in the Hellcat. It was great. With the F30, I cannot stand it. The wind seems to beat me up too much, it's very annoying. That just wasn't the case in the Hellcat.

Regarding the interior, in my opinion the Hellcat and the F80 are very similar. However, the Uconnect system is much better than the Idrive or whatever BMW calls it in my F30. I haven't spent enough time in an F80 to be able to know.

I'm not dogging on the F80, I'm actually hoping this drives some discussion to help me decide whether or not I'll get into an F80 or buy another Hellcat!

[AlterZgo]

Originally Posted by aerof16

The Challenger Hellcat with the Harmon Kardon system is pretty good. Two x 8" subs in the trunk. Definitely better aftermarket systems out there but it was really good for a factory system. For some reason Charger guys did not like it as much, not sure what the difference was.

I was at the LA Auto Show a few years back and was checking out the stereo in one of those Dodge/Plymouth/Mopar cars. Might've been a SRT Charger or Challenger or something else. I get all those cars mixed up.

In any case, it had the most amazing fucking sound system I've ever heard in a stock OEM car. The bass sounded insanely loud and deep and you felt it hit hard like with aftermarket ported subwoofers. I *thought* it had an OEM Rockford Fosgate system in it or something equivalent, but maybe it was HK? That car was AMAZING from a music standpoint. It had awesome mids and highs and imaging and deep, chest thumping bass.

It was literally like 3 orders of magnitude better than the OEM HiFi (non-HK) stereo in my F80. I couldn't stand how bad the stock audio in my F80 was so I had to do a full MusicarNW upgrade.

[aerof16]

Originally Posted by AlterZgo

I was at the LA Auto Show a few years back and was checking out the stereo in one of those Dodge/Plymouth/Mopar cars. Might've been a SRT Charger or Challenger or something else. I get all those cars mixed up.

In any case, it had the most amazing fucking sound system I've ever heard in a stock OEM car. The bass sounded insanely loud and deep and you felt it hit hard like with aftermarket ported subwoofers. I *thought* it had an OEM Rockford Fosgate system in it or something equivalent, but maybe it was HK? That car was AMAZING from a music standpoint. It had awesome mids and highs and imaging and deep, chest thumping bass.

It was literally like 3 orders of magnitude better than the OEM HiFi (non-HK) stereo in my F80. I couldn't stand how bad the stock audio in my F80 was so I had to do a full MusicarNW upgrade.

I think it was Alpine as standard in the Hellcat with HK as the upgrade. Mine was definitely HK, I just never cared what other options were out there so I am not sure. Never heard of a RF option, but maybe in non Hellcat models?

You could turn the Challenger bass up much louder than most people would ever want it, it sounded like an aftermarket system.

[White340]

Honestly I do find myself looking at them when they pass by (the challenger srt in general not necessarily the hell cat). Dodge did a good job all things considered for their audience. I would just never buy one. Doors will still go ka-klunk on a close to 7 figure car. Plus their interiors look so cartoonish.

[aerof16]

Originally Posted by White340

Honestly I do find myself looking at them when they pass by (the challenger srt in general not necessarily the hell cat). Dodge did a good job all things considered for their audience. I would just never buy one. Doors will still go ka-klunk on a close to 7 figure car. Plus their interiors look so cartoonish.

Ha 6 figure car you mean? Maybe if you spec out a Redeye Widebody with all the bells and whistles you'll see high 80s.

A standard body car (non-widebody) with no bells and whistles added can be had brand new in high 50s. Fully optioned standard body can be had in low 60s. I almost traded my 2016 in on a 2019. The 2019 MSRP was $78k. The dealer was down to $60k after negotiating for a few weeks. Not uncommon for guys to negotiate them down 15-20%. Mostly because of the Power Dollars rebate.

I'm guessing you've never actually spent any time in the car. The interior is much better than my fully optioned F30 in some aspects and pretty similar in others. That's actually one thing I think BMW is lacking in.

Also strange that my 2013 F30 is more expensive to insure than my Hellcat was.

[65fastback]

Originally Posted by aerof16

I'll resurrect this thread.

Sold my Challenger Hellcat about a month ago, solely based on profit. I bought it when COVID hit and someone needed to free up some cash, so I got a great deal. Then the used car market went crazy over the summer, so I put it up for sale and it went in 2 days for a 25% profit.

Now I am in the market for another car. I am likely going to buy an F80 for two reasons. First, it has four doors. Second, it's a car my wife would also enjoy driving (she just wouldn't drive the Hellcat - too big, too loud.)

I have an F30 335i Xdrive and, from a daily driver perspective, I'd much rather drive the Hellcat. Take a car across the country? I'd much rather drive the Hellcat. Take a car to the track? I'd much rather have the F80 unless it's a drag strip haha (stock vs stock).

The Hellcat is a blast to drive and the weight doesn't matter for 99% of the situations you end up in. I drive once a month with buddies who have Porches, F80/F82s, GT350s, Vettes, McLaren 600 LT, and they all enter turns through the canyons sooooo much faster than I did in the Hellcat. But man, once you can get on the throttle again and have a little straight away, you can really make up some time (with the exception of the 600LT haha). People love to bring up the weight of the car and what not, but those same people have absolutely never driven a Hellcat, especially never at a track. Get it on a long track and you can have some fun.

After selling my Hellcat and jumping in a very nice 2017 F80, I passed on the deal because I was very underwhelmed by the driving experience. Don't get me wrong, it appears to be an awesome machine, but it was very underwhelming compared to the cat in every day driving.

That being said, I'm probably going to buy an F80.

Dude...just buy another hellcat.

You obviously like them a lot!. I think most of us can appreciate them for what they are. I owned a challenger scat pac "shaker" for a VERY short time. I get the appeal of them.

But.. The only reason you are considering a F80 is because your wife won't drive the charger? AND you passed on one already because you were underwhelmed but....your gonna buy one anyway.

uhh Okay?

[aerof16]

Originally Posted by 65fastback

Dude...just buy another hellcat.

You obviously like them a lot!. I think most of us can appreciate them for what they are. I owned a challenger scat pac "shaker" for a VERY short time. I get the appeal of them.

But.. The only reason you are considering a F80 is because your wife won't drive the charger? AND you passed on one already because you were underwhelmed but....your gonna buy one anyway.

uhh Okay?

Hahaha just throwing the data out there. Too many people like to make comparisons or hate on a car they have never actually driven, or even sat in. And I also owned a Scat Pack Shaker Challenger - which is a completely different experience than owning a Hellcat.

I really like the F80 and I am trying to consolidate down to 2 vehicles, which is why it will likely end up in my garage over another Challenger Hellcat. Just need something with 4 doors if I go down to 2 cars and it makes sense to find a car we both like driving.

[65fastback]

Originally Posted by aerof16

Hahaha just throwing the data out there. Too many people like to make comparisons or hate on a car they have never actually driven, or even sat in. And I also owned a Scat Pack Shaker Challenger - which is a completely different experience than owning a Hellcat.

I really like the F80 and I am trying to consolidate down to 2 vehicles, which is why it will likely end up in my garage over another Challenger Hellcat. Just need something with 4 doors if I go down to 2 cars and it makes sense to find a car we both like driving.

Agree 100% We see and hear it all the time. People hating on cars they have never been in or driven.

I was definitely NOT comparing and hellcat to a scat pac, but owning a scat pac was enough for me to know I definitely didn't want a hellcat. ( I've ridden in them and driven charger HC ).

My first BMW was a 2010 328i E93 and owning that car was enough for me to know I definitely wanted a M car...see what I am sayin?

Good luck out there! and don't blow that profit you made on a overly inflated used car market. If you can I'd wait it out a bit.