Improving the LX

[sjz]

Originally Posted by marnepup

and all that stuff would add thousands to the sticker...suddenly you're looking at the price of a 7-series...no thanks! I like em just as they are. My only wish:

Offer the nav and the satelite separately. I'm not paying for a $2000 GPS that I'll use twice a year just to get decent radio...aftermarket, here I come!

I had the same thoughts before I took delivery. Now that I have the NAV, I love it & am glad I have it. Sorta like how I felt about heated seats before I had 'em.
-Steve

[RobAGD]

Well mine will be a bit more tilted to the Magnums than the 300's

#1 - Memory Seats ( the 300's have it )
#2 - Aux Radio Input, iPod Intagration, PreAmps outs for keeping the factory head unit.
#3 - MDS Light
#4 - No button hockey to get EVIC Dia Modes & Use the Nav Screen for more Detailed display of EVIC infomation or use virtual Guage displays
#5 - Better shift program more on par with the E55 AMG
#6 - Deck Lid Popper ( Magnum thing )
#7 - Better Nav Software / Interface - Allow user inputted waypoints via Lat and Lon, allow better waypoint storage and naming.
#8 - Factory LED Lights ( Brake, reverse, Turns )
#9 - HID for Magnum
#10 - Factory Glove Box light and Auto Headlamps ( Magnum ) Heck thats retail cost of $30 in parts.
#11 - Leather Boot for shifter and a better knob

Yes I know those are not SRT8 things but hey maybe the will take the list up the chain a little

As to the SRT8 I like that fact that they are kinda stealth, with only little tweaks to mark them as something differnt.

-Robert

[teahead]

1) Voice AND touch-screen Nav with real-time traffic (e.g. Acura RL)
2) lowered by another 1/2"
3) adjustable suspension modes
4) wider rear wheels to stuff 285s
5) vertical slats on grille painted black (easy enuff to DIY)
6) front "bumperettes" smooth like the Touring/Limited
7) plastic (like older Saturns) door panels to resist door dings (to remove body moulding)
8) LED taillights
9) Heads-up display
10) Better, more luxurious looking plastics material for the interior
11) rear climate controls
12) auto/digital-climate controls
13) staggered wheels with some lip
14) 6-speed auto
15) glass instead of plastic rear window blank
16) XM capability
17) rear side curtain air bags (should be standard on all 300s)
18) padded console covers ('specially for rear DVD-equpped)
19) padded door arm rests
20) Nav unit also play DVD movies/audio

[marnepup]

I dunno...some of you guys sound like you would rather drive a lexus than a muscle car. Others sound like you want a 4-door Z06. I would be okay with most of the stuff you guys are talking about as options (so the rest of us can still get 12 second cars that seat 5 for under $50k), but some stuff (carbon fiber) would have to be standard...and wouldn't come cheap. A few other things (XM instead of sirius) would be like McDonald's switching from coke to pepsi...as in "it aint ever gonna happen". Overall, I like most of the things mentioned, and I might be willing to pay for them from the aftermarket, but if the cost were built into the purchase price of the car, that might drive off potential buyers (I decided on the SRT8 before the GGT was announced, I'm already paying $5k more than I had intended).

Bottom line, there are a few things here that need serious consideration from DCX, many more that should be (or already are) available from the aftermarket, and a couple that are just plain impractical.

If you start packing in too much "nice to have stuff", the price starts to approach that of a nicer bimmer...and that would kill much of the appeal.

[kdog]

I have only had my car for about a month now. First, let me say that I love it.

One gripe I have, and have not seen anyone else mention it, is the backlit tourquoise gages at night. It puts out way to much light for me. I know I can use the dimmer but it just bugs me having the whole gage backlit. There are some cars that let you choose the color scheme of the console gages. That would be a nice addition.

[goddardzilla]

For my SRT8

• Hi beam HIDs
• Front park sensors to save the spoiler
  
• Better leather in the seats because they are actually sat on not just looked at
• Torque sensing Limited slip differential
• Coil-over suspension as standard

And yes I’d gladly pay for the price difference between the existing items and the costs of the above

[marnepup]

GZ, I like all of those...except that I'd rather have high quality cloth upholstery. Leather looks fantastic, but it's cold in the winter (ok, we have heated seats, right, so that's less of an issue) and sticky in the summer. I hate that! So perhaps improve the leather AND give the option of cloth seats of comparable quality.

[Farns514]

Definitely a Touch Screen Navigation system, It would make everything a whole lot quicker and easier to input into the system

[nano1908]

just me but I hate when people touch my screen. Vented seats like the benz have and move the mic on the bluetooth a little closer. push button start sounds real nice. And yes I do compare my care to a lexus.....why not...luxury.....speed....options....and so on.

[TriShield]

General LX improvements

-Shave a bit of the weight off

-Vastly improved interior materials with sportier, more contemporary interior design

-Better steering and pedal feel

-Six-speed automatic

SRT improvements

-More power and torque

-Further improved handling and braking

-Push button start

-Bolder exhaust note

-Bolstered rear seats

-More gears in the transmission (like a MB AMG six-speed automatic)

-MAF replacing speed density system (we want to be able to tune and modify these cars as easily and enjoyably as GM customers can to theirs)

-More exterior details to set SRTs apart from normal models like the Euro-spec rear bumper with rear fog lamps (Grand Cherokee SRT has this) and Euro-spec side indicators on the front fenders

-More color choices for the exterior and interior including colored leather and stitching on the wheel, seats and shifter. Two-tone seat and door panel color treatment. SRT-specific exterior colors and interior colors would be nice, like the Charger Daytona enjoys. Caramel colored seats with contrasting black paneling and dash would be cool, like the Volvo S60 R.

-More SRT detailing inside on the gauges, pedals, steering wheel and other parts to better differentiate them from the normal models. I noticed the Grand Cherokee SRT-8 has blue rings in the gauges. Lots of small touches really add up.

-Keep pushing the performance/comfort/styling envelope overall for each car and always ensure the SRTs are really something special

Take a look over the tuner vehicles at www.fpv.com.au and www.hsv.com.au and look at how well differentiated they are from normal Ford and Holden models.