Most of the negative remarks about the Magnum RT at its launch were of the “not enough” variety. As in there wasn’t enough of a jolt when tromping on the accelerator to pin you back in your seat from the get-go. Or there wasn’t enough willingness for the rear end to help with steering in order to make the Magnum feel substantially different than a front-drive car. Or there wasn’t enough power (the Hemi V8 has 340 hp) to truly challenge the chassis. None of which mattered to the Palm Springs couple that pulled up next to the Magnum I was in, and motioned for us to roll down the window. Before the light turned green they had inquired about the car’s looks, interior room, handling, performance (Chrysler claims 0-60 mph in 6.3 seconds), and commented on how much they loved the design. When the light turned green, the husband floored his Lexus LS430’s throttle – catching us slightly off guard – but not enough for him to win. The Magnum smoked him before the next light.

Maybe the folks at Chrysler know their buyers better than journalists do.

I doubt the LS 430 buyer mentioned above wants his neck strained at every light. Or that he will bemoan the fact that he can’t easily overpower the chassis. He’s more likely to want longer lower seat cushions – especially on the passenger’s side, where the cushion feels much shorter – and more side support for the upper body, an easier to reach lumbar adjustment, and stalks for the cruise control and wipers/turn signals (borrowed from Mercedes) that are from this century. After all, it’s silly to force the driver to move through each intermittent wiper detent to reach the first steady speed setting, or deprive him of a single-sweep option. Almost as silly as putting the cruise control function on a short, thin stalk above the turn signal lever.

If the Magnum is lacking dynamically, it is when the car is asked to transition at speed. Bearing in mind that the Magnum sits on a 120-in. wheelbase, weighs 4,142 lb., and has a 52/48 front/rear weight distribution, the overall feeling is one of extreme confidence. There are no surprises to be had, which is a good thing. However, I noted the need for more development work on the dampers, bushings, tires, and steering to move the Magnum RT – and the whole LX family (Dodge Magnum and Chrysler 300 series) – into the “truly great” category. For while others mentioned the chassis’ unwillingness to lean on its rear tires in corners – a “problem” that diminishes as you press almost to the point of insanity – I noted a slight “stiction” in the rear suspension as the car transitioned from right to left, similar to having to traverse a hump at the rear suspension’s mid-point. In addition, minor but tedious work on the damper valving and tire interface would eliminate the slight (and I do mean slight) float that arises from an insufficiently progressive slowing of wheel travel toward the extremes of movement without harming the superb ride quality. Plus, the steering proved to be strongly biased toward the on-center position and in need of slight corrections in hard use.

Are these major problems, or will most customers notice them? Absolutely not. But they are enough to rob the car of the confident liveliness it might otherwise possess. This is a vehicle that can keep a BMW 5 Series in sight on a twisty mountain pass, close up on most straights, and never set a foot wrong. But the Dodge driver will be doing more work than his counterpart in the BMW, though both will be listening to incredible music – a symphony in the BMW and bass-heavy rock and roll in the Magnum – as they drive. With a little more work, Chrysler can move from having one hell of a sport wagon to selling the best rear-drive American car ever conceived. And one that is priced under $30,000. That would be enough to put a smile on everyone’s face – except maybe for the folks in Bavaria.