In this continuing serial on the used car market of the 1970s according to Consumer Guide, it’s time for the third and final member of the Mopar trio: Dodge. Before researching and writing this story, I will predict that, for the most part, the story on Dodge will be the same as Plymouth’s and close to Chrysler’s.
In most cases, both Dodge and Plymouth shared cars, but with different styling. There’s a few cases where Dodge had a Charger while Plymouth had no such equivalent, but the Charger is still a B-body so there’s a small chance for Dodge’s roster to be different (aside of a particular captive import)—that’s my theory.
Am I correct? Let’s see what happens below. Please note the CG rating scale of 5 being Excellent and 1 being Poor.
Dodge
“Management continued to believe the economy car a fad while drivers lined up for miles to get a ration of gasoline during the oil embargo.”
- Aspen: “Replaced the reliable, compact Dart in mid-1976, but proved much less trustworthy … [though] a satisfactory car if you find a good one.” CG rating: 5
- Challenger: “Main detractions are many: laughable rear seat and trunk space, poor outward visibility, feel-less power steering, and a dismal repair record.” CG rating: 1
- Dodge Charger: “Shares the dismal recall records of the 1971-74 Coronet, much of which is traceable to sloppy workmanship.” CG rating: 1-2
- Dodge Charger/Magnum: “Same lackluster repair record as Cordoba, along with rather limited back seat accommodations and spendthrift fuel consumption.” CG rating: 1-2
- Coronet: “Scores well for handling and steering response … willingness to rust means not many examples survive today.” CG rating: 1-2
- Coronet/Monaco (1975-78): “Overall repair record improved to average for all years, except 1977-78 Monaco V8s, which rated below par.” CG rating: 2-3
- Dart: All models offer better-than-average handling and road-holding, good outward vision [save coupes], and a very good repair record.” CG rating: 5
- Diplomat: “It is based on a compact car, but offers the interior room of an intermediate.” CG rating: 4
- Mirada: “About as roomy as before, and somewhat more economical.” CG rating: n/a
- Monaco/Polara: “Dirt-cheap to buy, but not operate … expect costly repairs on electrical servants.” CG rating: 2
- Monaco/Royal Monaco: “Repair record to date rates slightly below average marks [but] to its credit, the big Dodge exhibits good open-road behavior, a comfortable ride, and lots of stretch-out space.” CG rating: 2-3
- Omni: “It is peppy to drive, and handles more like an American car than a European model.” CG rating: 5
- St. Regis: “Despite the weight reductions, car is still rather heavy, even for a late-model full-size, though about as roomy as before.” CG rating: n/a
- Colt (1977-79): “Workmanship generally good … but far behind its front-drive competitors for design efficiency.” CG rating: 4
- Colt (1979-80): “An excellent used-car buy.” CG rating: n/a