2019 Dodge Charger Pursuit - A proper MAN'S car

Greg55_99

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
331
Reaction score
78
My quest has FINALLY come to an end! I’ll tell you about it.

I’ve been in the hunt for an AWD Hemi Charger Pursuit for nearly a year. Searched Autotrader, Cars.com, CarGuru, you name it. I found more than a few with low mileages but also a few with suspicious backgrounds. Only one was ever near me. I live in Massachusetts. Last October, I contacted a dealer in New Jersey that had a 2017 Pursuit. Via email they assured me the car was available. I drove down the next day and when I get there, the salesman informed me the car had been sold the week before. Strike one..

I also had multiple conversations with a dealer in Indiana for a Pursuit they had listed in the Used Car section of their website. I stayed in contact with them nearly a month. To get to them, I’d have to book a flight to get there. However, just before I was going to pull the trigger on that endeavor, I called the sales dept to make sure the car was available. Salesman said it was, but then I heard a voice in the background yell “Hey, we can’t sell that one. It’s a cop car!” Apparently sales never talked to the Fleet manager about the car. Dealer can’t sell you a cop car straight from Chrysler. I knew that but the sales guy didn’t know that. Strike two…

An ad popped up for a 2018 Pursuit in Missouri for a good price with 12,000 miles on it. I immediately contacted the seller. We kept in touch and I was, again, going to make arrangements to fly there to look and maybe buy the car. I texted the guy several times but he suddenly went silent. Bad sign. He got back to me after a day or two to tell me the car had sold. Strike three… Almost…

At this point I started checking out Charger SXT’s locally. My 2010 Challenger has 346,000 miles on it (that’s not a misprint) but she’s, as we say in the business, EOL (End of Life). As frustrated as I was, I still had the Pursuit in the back of my mind. But, I needed a car. A few days passed after the guy in Missouri had contacted me when I got another text message from him. He had a 2019 AWD Hemi Charger Pursuit, Silver with 11,000 miles on it ready to be “de-commisioned”. Would I be interested? YOU GOT WHAT??

Well, we talked, he held the car for me. Didn’t advertise it. Cost me $25,000 even. The guy is the Fleet manager for a private security company and they’re moving out the Charger’s and switching to Ford Explorers. Granted, 25K is probably close to what they paid for it new, but, at least I got a car with a full service history and most important, a full remaining factory warranty. So I flew out, checked out the car, paid him and drove it home.

Needless to say, a Pursuit is really an acquired taste. Make sure you test drive one over bumpy roads to see if this is REALLY what you want. Anyway, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I’ve had the car three whole days and put nearly 1400 miles on it. Yes, that’s a lot in a very short period of time. After I bought it, I drove if from Missouri to Cleveland, spent the weekend with family, then pressed on from Cleveland to Massachusetts. For anyone contemplating buying a Pursuit for a daily driver, be warned. This car is a big, stinky brutal brahma bull of a machine that wants to take a dump in your garage and dare you to clean it up!

It’s not really a car in the sense you’d expect. Think about it. A car, you slide into every day, load up the kids for activities, take Aunt Masie to get groceries. That’s normal stuff. A Pursuit? You load up a small child in a baby seat and hit a patch of bad road, that poor thing might get whiplash after a couple of miles. The thing that makes this car so GOOD also conspires to make it so BAD. The suspension is super stiff. You can throw the Pursuit around corners at speed (I’ve done it!) and with the Hemi and AWD, she sticks to the road. Hit an on or off ramp REAL fast, the tires screech but she’ll hold the line safe, flat and steady. Love it! Push on the gas and the Hemi jumps. Yee haw!

But, for every up, there’s a down… Listen to me.

When this jewel hits a rough patch of road, you’re going to wonder just why the Hell you bought this thing. Every bump, tramline, ripple, pothole, expansion joint or crack, you’re going to feel it. The Pursuit suspension doesn’t so much soak up bumps as transmit them to your lower spine though the seat. If the road is REALLY bad, your head and shoulders are going to be thrown around with some measure of violence! That’s no joke. Be grateful you’re strapped in. After my first drive with my wife yesterday, she announced she hates it. I’ve since dubbed my car “The Boobshaker”. Use your imagination.

Now, I’m comparing my 2019 Pursuit to my 2010 Challenger SE. Same basic chassis but with a different suspension. It’s a whole different animal. Soaks up bumps, semi-sedate and well mannered. I’m sure the new Charger SXT’s are similar. But then, those are CARS. Real cars. A Pursuit is not a REAL car. I think it’s like a Home Depot axe being compared to a surgical scapel. They both cut but each cuts in a different way. YOU just have to decide how you want to cut. After all, this is a police PURSUIT vehicle. What did you expect?

It so happens, I can live with it. It’s the only way a Hemi is paired up with AWD these days. That’s what I really wanted. Well, I got it. No center console, I can get one. Sound system needs help, I can get new speakers. No Sirius XM, get one. Front seats need support, junkyard set. No fold down back seat, ditto. Rear spoiler, ditto. Road wheels, swap those off of my Challenger. Bonus, the Challenger 3.5L V6 never got better than 25 MPG over the course of it's life. The Hemi Pursuit is getting 26.5 MPG so far! Nine years between models has brought much improved technology.

So the Pursuit is like a blank canvas. Go big, or leave it alone.

My two cents. You've been warned.

Oh, before I forget. My car has a spotlight. Be prepared for people to do WEIRD things when they pull out to pass you on the highway. More than a few times, someone would pull out to pass, come up even with me, see the spotlight and suddenly slow down and drop back. That happened a LOT. :)

Charger_2019.jpg
 

Opticon77

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2018
Messages
306
Reaction score
213
Location
SE PA
Be prepared for people to do WEIRD things when they pull out to pass you on the highway. More than a few times, someone would pull out to pass, come up even with me, see the spotlight and suddenly slow down and drop back. That happened a LOT. :)

The problem with a cop car model. On a 2 lane road you want people camping the left lane in front of you to think you're a cop so they move over, but the people behind you to know you're not so they don't hover around you. And on a single lane road you want the people in front of you to know you're not a cop so they keep it moving.

I suggest using yellow bulb fog lights and just turn them off when you're blasting up the left lane. As for the people hover passing you... maybe a big "NOT A COP" rear window sticker? lol


Also, what trans are they using when pairing AWD to a Hemi these days? Because they dropped that pairing when they went to the ZF "Torqflight" 7 speeds.
 

Greg55_99

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
331
Reaction score
78
Good question. The answer is, Chrysler stuck with the NAG-1 five speed with the Hemi AWD Pursuit models. Same tranny I have in my 2010 Challenger.
 

Opticon77

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 15, 2018
Messages
306
Reaction score
213
Location
SE PA
I am familiar with it. Slowish shifts but reliable. And LX suspensions doesn't have to be a balancing act between breaking your teeth and wallowing around, especially with the new MagneRide options. You just have to spend more money than cop shops are typically allowed to...

upload_2019-5-20_15-12-3.png
 

Oldiron440

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Messages
3,048
Reaction score
738
Location
Iowa
Our town cop just got a 19 charger hemi awd and talks about how fast it is, but I suppose if your daily driver is a F150, it is fast.
 

jasperjacko

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2011
Messages
1,670
Reaction score
250
We have a 14' anniversary charger and we love it. It does have the stiffer suspension though but it holds the road great for such a big car. 305 hp w/8sp. gets down the road pretty good. Took a road trip to see parents in Ga. and got 31mpg running 70-80 mph.
 

Greg55_99

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
331
Reaction score
78
Since last we met I've replaced the cop interior with a leather one out of a 2015 Chrysler 300 S. I had to add the center console, carpeting, floor mats and an aftermarket Sirius XM radio. Came out nice. I've got a Hellcat rear spoiler waiting to get painted. That will be the next upgrade.

This car is now a (almost) real car.

Charger_seats224.jpg
 

BigOlPossum

Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2019
Messages
18
Reaction score
7
Location
Bennett, NC USA
I was I was involved in a pursuit with my work 2019 Charger this week and got it up over 125 for the first time since I've had it. Runs like hell and is very stable and sure-footed.
 

Camtron

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2019
Messages
1,814
Reaction score
1,376
Location
US
I had this for a week and a half on a work trip. Thing was nuts. Can hear it seal the doors down tight when you start it, 0-60 timer built in dash, a sport mode that actually changes the driving dynamics, shift points and exhaust note. It made going back to my 3.6l, 200 pretty difficult when I got home. I’m all for anything with a Hemi in it, awd makes it even more appealing with snow we get in Illinois.
Good buy, looks great.

70D46EBD-C4F9-488B-9B04-EB46FDEB8E5A.jpeg


091D676E-DDF4-4DE8-9F1C-A6B27B6F1B25.jpeg
 

Greg55_99

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 17, 2011
Messages
331
Reaction score
78
Six months in and I LOVE this car. We just had two days of solid snow in New England. Up to 10 inches of snow in my inclined driveway. In my RWD Challenger and factory tires, it was always a crap shoot if I could get out without major shoveling to clear a path. Studded tires helped out with that. The AWD Pursuit, with the stock cop tires, I just pulled out and went. No muss, no fuss, no NOTHING! Just... WENT! This car inspires TOTAL confidence on snowy roads. I've still got the Challenger winter studded tires in my garage so I'll switch over to those pretty soon. Just an extra measure. I should have gotten one of these cars years ago.

Oh, and that spotlight on the car? It sure came in handy more than a few times. I had to take my daughter to an art class at a studio on a long, very dark road at a town over the hill. That spot helped me find the driveway. I was considering taking it off, but not now!

So, if you want a Pursuit, please weigh what you really want, what you can do yourself and what you're willing to live without. Every time I make an upgrade, the first thought that comes into my head is "Geeze, I could have gotten a regular Charger and had all of this". However, when I mash the throttle and hear the Hemi bark, I think "DAMN, I'm SO glad I got this ride!". AND, they're CHEAP! As I've said, you can't buy them new from Chrysler, but you can get super low mileage models from dealers that buy them back from municipalities (that only paid $25,000 a pop for them from Mopar to begin with).

Greg

PS, one thing I wish it had is some form of automated climate control. You know, set the temp to 72 degrees and forget it, the system keeps the car at that temp no matter how hot or cold it is outside. That feature is in a civilian Charger. With the Pursuit, you have to fiddle with the A/C setting on a hot day and the heater on a cold day. Like it's 1977 in my Volare all over again. That has gotten annoying, but, it's what I've learned to live with it. Did I mention it has a Hemi and all wheel drive.

Charger_44.jpg
 

Ele115

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
635
Reaction score
242
Location
Tampa FL
I got a 2018 from auction last month hit in the front. It's black and tan, 24,000 miles. I got new OEM hood, fenders bumper cover and one light for it. Have to paint it all black and find a rear seat for it, then I'm selling it. Not a bad car. I thought it was worse than it is. The upper rails weren't crushed so I didn't have any welding to do on this one. The airbags didn't deploy which I don't get
 

Aspen500

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2015
Messages
7,030
Reaction score
2,758
Location
Rib Mountain, WI
Most I've ever driven is my dad's 2012 Charger with a 3.6L and it's no slouch but a Hemi would really be the ticket, for me anyways. For my 90 year old dad, the 3.6L is just fine with him. For whatever reason, I've never worked on a Hemi Charger at work, only 3.6L's. Take that back, I did work on an '05 Charger a couple years ago with a 5.7L but it was such a rotted out, beat up heap of neglected shmitt, it's probably not a good example. I imagine a Hemi Charger is about the same as a Hemi 300, which I have worked on many times.
 

Ele115

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
635
Reaction score
242
Location
Tampa FL
I don't like Chargers, this one's not bad. I'm not keeping it. I thought I was going to part it out but it's an easy fix. It's low enough miles that they haven't ruined it yet. They are usually a dumpster within a year or two. I love my 2015 Caprice, this might have a bit more torque. It's a lot of torque. Maybe a bit more than the 6.0
 

Ele115

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
635
Reaction score
242
Location
Tampa FL
Holden made them until about mid 2017 when they shut it down in Australia. I think they started these in about 2012. Police only that I know of. The V-6 and the 6.0 were the same price, and they sold a lot of V-6's.
 

Ele115

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2019
Messages
635
Reaction score
242
Location
Tampa FL
Let me clarify about chargers. I DON'T like them. I don';t bash them either, I just don't like them. If you ask me what's wrong with them, it's mainly the owners, the, smell of weed, the cocoa butter and big wheels and woofers in the trunk. The troopers that eat burgers and drop food in them. I doubt if I have ever seen one that I would sit in. This one is wrecked and was fun driving the tiny bit that I drove it. I will wring it out before selling it. I will drive it like a fat chick with a bag over her head, but I don't have room for it, but if you are into these cars I can see why. If I could find something wrong other than a few minor cosmetic things I would say so. The newer ones are kinda fun. I'm just two feet too tall for this kind fun. Once seated in it, it's not that bad. Habib and I need to run this against the Caprice on the old airstrip. I figure it's a pretty fair fight
 

Oldiron440

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 25, 2017
Messages
3,048
Reaction score
738
Location
Iowa
Let me clarify about chargers. I DON'T like them. I don';t bash them either, I just don't like them. If you ask me what's wrong with them, it's mainly the owners, the, smell of weed, the cocoa butter and big wheels and woofers in the trunk. The troopers that eat burgers and drop food in them. I doubt if I have ever seen one that I would sit in. This one is wrecked and was fun driving the tiny bit that I drove it. I will wring it out before selling it. I will drive it like a fat chick with a bag over her head, but I don't have room for it, but if you are into these cars I can see why. If I could find something wrong other than a few minor cosmetic things I would say so. The newer ones are kinda fun. I'm just two feet too tall for this kind fun. Once seated in it, it's not that bad. Habib and I need to run this against the Caprice on the old airstrip. I figure it's a pretty fair fight
I'll do you one better in that I dont care for the entire platform, Magnum, 300, Challenger or the Charger.
 
Back
Top