The Dodge Magnum is a landmark car. There is no other car like it. When equipped with all-wheel drive, it offers all-weather capability. The Magnum excels with its quiet cabin and smooth and solid ride. Its interior is well thought-out, and the underlying rear-wheel-drive design with a long wheelbase and short overhangs allows for a lot of room inside. The styling is aggressive, but the practical arguments for this car are hard to beat. The SRT8 trades fuel economy for muscle car fun and succeeds, but the other models are easier to live with day to day.

NewCarTestDrive.com correspondent Tom Lankard reported from Northern California, with Kirk Bell in Chicago.