Dodge Charger

This is a true muscle car, with its gregarious presence, big power, and soundtrack, all crafted for delinquency. It is a bad boy among civilized cars, itching for a good time. It is a throwback to another era, yet thoroughly modern in the places where you want modernity. It is an antidote for automotive blandness. Understandably, it may not be to everyone’s liking, but credit is due to Dodge for creating a car with personality.

The ride skews firm, appropriate for the sport suspension that came with the Blacktop package. We found that occasional rough surfaces and cracks do disrupt the cruising experience, particularly at lower speeds. On the highway, however, the Charger is quite poised. Overall, enthusiast buyers will likely be pleased with the balance of comfort and engagement. For those who prefer a softer ride, the base 18-inch wheels shod with taller sidewall tires should help.

For a large car, the interior proportions made our test drivers feel hemmed in. The seat is also low to the floor, putting most testers’ legs at an odd angle. The foot rest (aka dead pedal) on the left is on a different plane than the other pedals, and it slopes forward more than those in most vehicles, creating an uncomfortable angle for the left foot. Some drivers also found the footrest to be too far away. The center console rubbed the knees of several drivers. The ceiling is low, as it was with the previous generation. The armrest on the door is too far away for supporting the left elbow, and even the center armrest was a stretch for some. Ultimately, the cabin is more claustrophobic than its exterior dimensions would suggest.

Getting into the back seat is difficult due to the low roof and elevated seat height. Access is further complicated by the door’s limited sweep. Due to these and other limitations, the back seat is best suited to lithe, flexible passengers.

Once inside, the back seat is best for kids or a laptop bag. Headroom is so tight, some adults can’t sit upright, and there is limited space to tuck feet under the front seats. At that point, you might as well get the coupe. For those who are committed to using the back seat, there are a couple of vents and two USB-C ports on the back of the front center console. The seat bottom has a nice angle, but because the floor is so tall, there is little underleg support. The center fold-down armrest has the cup holders right where the inboard elbow would fall. For buyers attracted to the sedan, try the back seat with your intended passengers.

Making the Charger a hatchback was a clever decision. Typically, hatchbacks make it easy to load large items, especially when the back seats are folded. The hatch is stealthily integrated into the overall design. However, it doesn’t live up to the promise. The cargo area is quite shallow at the back of the vehicle, so some boxy items won’t fit under the closed hatch. The space is deep, but almost too deep. If items slide forward in the car, you may not be able to reach them without climbing into the trunk. Further, the hatch on our R/T is not powered. One would expect that when you push the release button on the back, the hatch would at least pop up slightly so you could get your fingers under it to lift. Nope. The hatch itself is heavy. This is a case where a trunk might have been roomier and more functional.

Feedback on the transmission starts with the odd flight stick that serves as the gear selector, which feels strangely cheap and stands out in the otherwise nicely finished cabin. We wish it were either swathed in similar materials as the dash or given a cool retro treatment. The real concern is that automatic gear shifts seem tuned more for drama than performance. The shifts can sometimes be slow to initiate, then hit with a vengeance. It is clear that the inline engine has a lot of power, but it isn’t delivered smoothly. This is especially noticeable during 1-2 shifts at parking lot speeds, where the transmission holds on to first gear like it is a precious treasure, then abruptly slams into second gear.

Navigating tight spaces gets awkward with the square-circle steering wheel (though it is thankfully more elliptical than the squircle in the latest Jeep Cherokee). For a car built for doing donuts, it seems essential that the steering wheel should be round like one.

Some civil test drivers said that the cold-start raucous isn’t neighbor-friendly. Others thought it was cool… just not quite as sonorous as the bass-filled burble of a V8. (As the meme goes: I don’t always cold-start my muscle car and rev it, but when I do, my neighbors get to enjoy it, too.) Ultimately, the experience is a matter of personal preference, with some drivers (and likely buyers) favoring a more classic rock sound, rather than the nu metal. That said, road and wind noise are very well-controlled.

The logbook comments on climate system performance are usually rather basic: Most cars heat and cool well, as expected. But the Charger drew criticism for responding slowly to input, requiring a practiced hand to linger a moment to make a selection, and for the leisurely pace at which the heated steering wheel and seat delivered warmth. Think more slow simmer than rapid boil.

The Charger is a car to be seen in, not a car to see out of. There is a major issue with forward visibility due to the central position of the rearview mirror and sensor assembly. Rather than being mounted high on the windshield, it is right in the middle, obstructing a significant percentage of the forward view, which is already limited by the short windshield and hood bulge. As a result, the driver can lose sight of cars and pedestrians at intersections and in parking lots. Fortunately, the windshield pillars are relatively slim and leave a gap to see around the side mirrors. Otherwise, the side mirrors are small, the beltline is tall, the side windows are chopped, the second pillars are bulky, and the rear pillars are massive. The long, wide, and bulging hood further complicates parking. The rear glass is also quite squat, with some visibility compromised by the outboard headrests. This is not an easy vehicle to see out of.

Like many recent Stellantis vehicles, the interior looks sharp. Their designers know how to make something look unique and attractive, with a range of interesting shapes and textures. The dash design has multiple levels, and even the screen configuration eschews the latest conventions of wide displays or tacked-on rectangles. However, the abundance of hard plastics makes the cabin look better than it feels. The test team was quite mixed in their feedback, with the logbook comments reading like a beer commercial parody: “Looks great! Feels cheap!”

Larger drivers like the front seats, citing their width and low bolsters. But drivers’ hips tend to sit lower than their knees, creating an odd leg position. The floor shape is anything but flat, and then, as mentioned, there is the uncomfortable left footrest. Most felt the cushioning was a bit soft for longer drives, leading to fidgeting. The seat base is a bit higher than in most sedans, aiding access and visibility over the hood. Ultimately, designing a cushy seat for wider drivers is probably on target for the intended, older buyer.

The interior door styling is a standout feature. They look very cool, with a geometric, three-dimensional texture and a sweeping design that doubles as a handle for closing the door or resting your hand. Yes, the trim feels plasticky to the touch and it may be a chore to clean, but it is striking.

Dodge says the 420-horsepower Six Pack can race from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. That is 1.5 seconds quicker than the V8 we tested in the previous-generation sedan, despite this weighing about 400 pounds more. Further, that claim matches the time measured in the current Ford Mustang GT. However, this new Charger doesn’t always feel as fast as that claim suggests, in part because of the nonlinear acceleration and perhaps because EVs have spoiled us with their performance. Sport mode is the key for performance driving, dialing up the powertrain response a notch. We are very interested in measuring acceleration to see how it performs on our track. From behind the wheel, the straight-line experience is a mix of engine clatter, exhaust belching, and inelegant shifting. It feels like the car generates more noise than power at times. Just from the seat of the pants, the Mustang GT feels more potent and its acceleration more linear. Suffice to say, the Six Pack is satisfying for daily driving, making unruly sounds and delivering power when called on, but enthusiasts would no doubt appreciate the immediacy of the more potent Scat Pack.

Efficiency isn’t a primary consideration with cars meant for fun, but still, it is a genuine concern when gas prices are elevated. Our Dodge Charger has an EPA rating of 20 mpg combined on regular gas, as listed on the window sticker. Of course, that figure will plummet if you drive with a heavy right foot, which is hard to resist with the feisty turbo engine being ever eager to play. But at least it doesn’t require premium gasoline. (The Charger Scat Pack is EPA-rated at 19 mpg combined on premium.) We are interested, as always, in seeing how the Charger performs in our city and highway tests.

In true muscle car fashion, handling isn’t its greatest talent. As a big, heavy vehicle (about 4,700 pounds), the Charger feels a bit out of its element when pushed. The bulk is inescapable on narrow roads and even in parking lots. Most drivers found the steering to be heavy, with more resistance than desired. Steering response is relaxed, with a distinct on-center feel that is well-suited to highway cruising. The all-wheel-drive system helps put the power down when pushing through turns, and it can be turned off for more tail-happy excitement when desired. Overall, the handling seems appropriate to the model and mission. We look forward to exploring this further on the road course at a track.

Dodge’s Active Driving Assist hands-free driving system with adaptive cruise control comes standard, along with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic warning, and a driver attention monitor.

The optional Driver convenience group on our car brought parking sensors, along with adaptive guidelines for the backup camera display. That is standard on other trims, along with a head-up display, a surround view camera, and audible and visual alerts for potential collisions at intersections.