On Wheels by Brooks Peterson

Saturday, July 8, 2000

Dodge's new Intrepid is peppy but family-oriented

When you mention "Dodge" and "R/T" in the same sentence, you summon up some yeasty memories of the days in the late '60s and early '70s. In those days, the Dodge Boys were out there in the wide-open spaces, tearing up the undergrowth and leaving billowing clouds of dust behind them.
   Back then, when muscle cars roamed the automotive landscape like insatiable carnivores, devouring copious quantities of fossil fuel and striking fear into the plodding herds of everyday oxen - er, motorists - Dodge was a force to be reckoned with. And when the Dodge Rebellion was casting about for a suitable tag to hang on some of the saltier entries in their repertoire, they settled on "R/T" - for Road and Track. (No relation to the venerable auto mag of the same name, let it be noted.)
   Chargers bore the R/T brand, as did (if memory serves aright) some of the Challengers as well. Befitting their image, they brought to the fray big, heavy-breathing V-8s undergirded with heavy-duty suspensions and other fitments befitting their place in the food chain. And they laid down some serious tracks.
   That was then. More recently - much more recently, Dodge decided it wanted to heat up its second-generation Intrepid. Now, it isn't as if the 2000 Intrepid were some sort of Casper Milquetoast proposition: The ES is available with a standard 202-horsepower 2.7-liter V-6 and an optional 3.2-liter V-6 good for 225 horses. That's better than respectable by any reasonable standard.
   But hot-shoe drivers don't want to know about reasonable. They want to know about snorting engines and big rubber tracks left on the asphalt. So presto: Here comes the Intrepid R/T with a 3.5-liter V-6 that ups the ante to 242 horsepower.
   Well, now, the MoPar faithful are saying, that's more like it. Toss a Beach Boys cassette into the stereo: Let's motor back to those golden days of glass-pack mufflers and frenched taillights. It'll be keen! We'll all meet at the malt shop, OK?
   Except . . . those of us who feasted at the groaning table of the '60s and '70s may find 21st century fare a little too, well, decorous, if you get my drift.
   Fuel-efficient nostalgia
   To begin with: Its snarky, Toon-like good looks notwithstanding, the Intrepid is indisputably not a two-door coupe. Nor is it a rear- drive road-burner: Slap fat gumballs on those rear wheels and they'll just go along for the ride. On the Intrepid, the real work gets done up front.
   Oh, and one other thing: That engine, as noted, is not a thunderous big-block V-8, but a highly efficient V-6. It'll whisk you right along, to be sure, but it will do so in a (groan) socially responsible fashion, with a minimum of commotion and an enlightened attitude toward the stewardship of our natural resources.
   Thomas Wolfe was right, of course. You can't go home again . . and neither can Detroit.
   But so what? If you can shake loose of the nostalgia thing, you'll appreciate this new R/T for what it is, rather than moan about what it is not.
   A model of restraint
   Is it a sport sedan? Not exactly - though its performance numbers would blow away many of the sport sedans of yesteryear. What it is, is a balanced, well-thought out, and often rewarding family sedan.
   Could anything this voluptuous actually be, well, sensible? Absolutely. Thanks to the well-advertised wonders of cab-forward design, the Dodge wizards have engineered an almost startling amount of passenger room into the vehicle. (Ditto for the trunk - through the liftover height is such that you may want to summon reinforcements before depositing any steamer trunks in there.)
   As noted, the engine is no slouch; far from it. Thing is, it's so quiet and composed that you don't really realize how quickly you're getting up to speed. (An interesting point in this regard: The tachometer redlines at 7,000 rpm. Giddy stuff for a family sedan.) When you're really pouring on the coals, you'll get a bit of a growl, but for the most part the hi-po V-6 is a model of restraint.
   Spicy, yet subtle
   A road run during my week with the R/T brought out another of its sterling qualities: This vehicle, thanks no doubt to its flowing lines, generates less wind noise than anything I can recall driving in the last three or four years. Conversation is definitely an option, even at high speeds. (Is that a plus or not? You decide.)
   The handling is sure, but something less than razor-sharp. Family sedan, remember? On the other hand, this 2000 Intrepid delivered a markedly smoother ride than the last version I tested back in '98.
   Here's a bit of good news: Even with all those horses working for you, you can feed this one regular gas. Given the unpleasantness we're experiencing at the pumps these days, that's something to factor into your calculations.
   Another point: As you will have gathered, this R/T is nowhere near as flashy as its predecessors, bearing only a couple of badges on the flanks and an "R/T" sewn into the headrests. If you want heads swiveling when you drive by, that's a downer. But if you'd just as soon evade the attention of the gendarmes, it could be a big, and money-saving, plus.
   Will the purists embrace this latest variation on the R/T theme? Probably not. But will it prove alluring to solid citizens wanting to add just a bit of tabasco to their automotive mix? I wouldn't bet against it.
  
  

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