Hedonism With Horsepower
With a base price a tick under $30,000 ($29,995), the Magnum RT comes with, of course, the now-famous 5.7-liter Hemi V8, 18-inch wheels, air conditioning, a CD player, leather seating, power everything, cruise control, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, and important safety features such as stability control and antilock brakes. Note: We used our long-term Magnum for this test and our car was an early production model. The base price has since gone up $750, but the options pricing hasn't changed.

Our RT had some extras, namely a Protection Group (side airbags, self-sealing tires, cabin air filter); Electronics Convenience Group (trip computer, steering wheel audio controls, security alarm, universal garage opener); Convenience Group II (dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, power-adjustable pedals); towing package; Sirius Satellite Radio; and UConnect hands-free communication system. The bottom line on the sticker was a still reasonable $33,045.

Inviting but Not Intimate
A large cabin gives the feeling of an old-school American car. Wide, soft seats and plenty of room all around give passengers a sense of space. But as driving enthusiasts, we didn't feel as much a part of the car as we did in the Legacy, whose more intimate cabin fosters a greater connection between man and machine. This would prove to be an omen.

Storage space is plentiful in the big Dodge, and the fold-flat rear seat creates a cavernous trunk that rivals most small pickup trucks. The Magnum's large rear hatch cuts into its sloping roofline, offering excellent access to the rear storage space. Drop the backseat and that area grows to a whopping 72 cubic feet, 8 cubic feet more than the Legacy can carry. That's a big suitcase or a couple of golf bags.

Speaking of the cabin, build quality is generally quite good — everything feels solid and tightly fitted. The interior door release handles, for example, are smooth to the touch (no rough flashing trim) and operate with a fluid motion free of play. Still, the Magnum doesn't escape our common complaint of low-grade plastics in the cabin, located in the typical areas — the lower dash and console sides.

High-Speed Family Hauler
In terms of raw performance, the Magnum is pretty quick for a nearly 4,200-pound vehicle. Certainly a sub-7-second (6.8 ticks) 0-to-60 time and a near-flat-15-second (15.04) quarter are respectable. But legendary name or no, even with Hemi power you're not going to be blowing off Mustang GTs or BMW 330s. Looking beyond the stats, the Magnum's power delivery is what impressed us — it's seamless, strong and never feels strained. This car makes a great cruiser, 80 mph feels more like 50, and there's always plenty of thrust on tap to blast onto the freeway, pass daydreamers on cell phones or get around semis on a long two-laner. With our heavy feet, the Magnum averaged 16 mpg (against estimates of 17 and 25). On a long, open freeway trip, you should get around 22 mpg, as we've done that on several occasions.

Although the five-speed automatic comes with the "AutoStick" manual-shift capability, there's no need to use it as the tranny does fine on its own, delivering crisp upshifts and quick downshifts with a nudge of the throttle. Even under full throttle the drivetrain remains as unflustered and smooth as Clint with the ladies.

Picking gears ourselves was somewhat frustrating — like many of these setups there's a slight lag after you flick for an upshift, though response to a flick down is more prompt. Also annoying is the tranny's tendency to upshift on its own (a few hundred rpm short of redline) even in this "manual" mode.

For such a big bruiser, the Magnum does an admirable job of getting around corners. The lightly weighted steering is precise and, even though there's not much road feel, makes it easy to place the big wagon. At a moderately sporting pace through the twisties, the Magnum is composed, with minimal body roll, and the rear-drive chassis is nicely balanced. But push it harder and the big tires feel squishy — almost like you're going to wear the sidewalls out before the tread if you keep these shenanigans up.

Going to 19-inch wheels with lower-profile (say a 50-series versus the stock 60-series spec) tires would probably kick up the ultimate handling. To be fair, we were pressing pretty hard at that point and are confident that the Magnum's handling envelope would be large enough for most buyers. Notes from the slalom session at the track gave the Dodge kudos for great steering and the "right there" power to pull out of the cones, but also stated the Magnum is "just too big and heavy to feel nimble in the slalom." No real surprise there.

The ABS-assisted four-wheel discs did a commendable job of bringing all that kinetic energy to a halt. A trio of back-to-back stops from 60 mph displayed no fade and a progressive pedal, something we also noted on the street. The best stop took 130.4 feet.

Out on the open highway is where the Magnum feels most at home. A quiet cabin and a suspension that knows how to deal with expansion joints and frost heaves characterize the Magnum's road trip strengths. With supportive seating and a wheelbase some 15 inches longer than the Legacy, anyone short of Shaq should be comfortable riding in the Magnum, front or rear.

A Close One, but More Votes for the Magnum
At the end of the day, all three editors involved in this test found themselves leaning toward the Magnum. One staffer summed it up this way: "So it's not as nimble as the Legacy when you're driving it like a sports car. Who cares? In the real world you're going to appreciate the room, comfort and effortless power of the Magnum a lot more often than you will the Subie's edge in all-out handling."