THE NEW AMERICAN; A year spent with Dodge's Magnum.(News)

Byline: ANDREW LUU

Adding the new Dodge Magnum R/T to our long-term family was one of the easiest decisions we've ever made.

While even our Porsche 911 Carrera S encountered internal resistance-some wanted a C6 Corvette-everyone wanted to get their hands on an eight-cylinder, rear-drive American muscle car, especially one boasting wagon utility.

We thoroughly enjoyed our year with the Magnum R/T. The logbook was filled with words like "rocks,'' "a hit,'' "love'' and "holy crap!''

That does not mean our test was trouble-free. Just two months into the Magnum's stay, enthusiasm got the better of one staffer who entered an off-ramp at highway speed and slammed into a raised section of pavement. The impact sent a magnitude 6 shockwave through the chassis and misaligned the steering. The car thereafter pulled to the right. A trip to the dealership also revealed bent right-side wheels. The episode burned a $1,000 hole in our pocket.

A steering vibration, at first felt at highway speeds, surfaced a month later and worsened progressively. Our dealer rebalanced all four tires under warranty from the prior repairs.

The shaking returned less than a month later, this time accompanied by a pulsating brake pedal. This was most unwelcome, as the brakes feel vague even when they operate properly. The dealership again rebalanced the tires and rotated them, and also replaced the front-brake rotors under warranty. That took care of the pedal pulsations, but the front end started shaking again at speed a few months later. For the final time, we balanced and rotated all four tires at no charge. Things remained smooth until the car left our hands.