Overview & Reviews

Popularized by NASCAR dominance and later a hokey TV show, the Dodge Charger is one of America's most revered performance nameplates. Originally an icon of the muscle car era, the Charger was reborn as an affordable performance sedan -- and it's one of the better ones available in this market niche.

The current Dodge Charger may not be the two-door muscle car you remember from the '60s (to the chagrin of traditionalists, it's a four-door sedan), but it does a fine job of being a modern interpretation. As a bonus, the latest Charger has a usable interior and plenty of standard equipment. Think of it as a muscle car the whole family can enjoy.

Current Dodge Charger
The current Dodge Charger is based on the same platform used for the Chrysler 300. As such, the Charger has four doors and is a fairly large sedan. Its front-end styling is much more aggressive than the 300C's, and the rear roof line slopes downward in a coupelike fashion.

The current Charger is available in five trim levels: SE, SXT, R/T, SRT8 and SRT8 Superbee. The SE and SRT8 trims are only offered with rear-wheel drive, while the SXT and R/T can be rear-drive or all-wheel drive.

The SE and SXT come with a 3.5-liter 292-horsepower V6 engine that achieves good fuel economy given its output. Adding the Rallye Appearance Group or Blacktop package raises horsepower to 300. A five-speed automatic is standard on the SE; an eight-speed automatic is optional for the SE and standard for all SXTs.

Stepping up to the R/T gets you a 370-hp 5.7-liter V8 engine along with a sport-tuned suspension and a variety of luxury, convenience and technology items that are mostly available as options on the V6 trims. The R/T's Super Track Pak gets you additional handling and braking upgrades, including a three-mode adjustable stability control system.

The SRT8 ups the performance ante further by essentially pairing the Super Track Pak items with a 470-hp 6.4-liter V8. It gets an abundance of luxury features standard, but should you be OK with less stuff, the decontented SRT8 Superbee should do the trick. We hope you like yellow or black paint, though, as they are mandatory, along with some not-so-subtle Superbee graphics.

The current Charger scores points not only for the plentiful power output of its big V8 engines, but the ample grunt and decent fuel economy of the entry-level V6 as well. The spacious cabin, improvements in ride quality and interior design also contribute to the overall appeal. There are a couple downsides, notably a lack of rear headroom and lifeless steering, but overall the Dodge Charger is one of the most fun-to-drive large sedans on the market.

Used Dodge Charger Models
The current Dodge Charger was heavily overhauled for 2011. Although it maintained the platform of its predecessor, it is largely a redesigned model. Besides styling changes, interior quality, driving involvement and overall refinement were dramatically improved. Its new V6 engine was also a huge step up from the old six-cylinders. In the current Charger's first year, only the SE and R/T trim levels were available.

Although it's closely related to the current model, the Dodge Charger from 2006-'10 differed in many ways. At its debut, only SE, R/T and SRT8 trims were available. The SE had a 250-hp 3.5-liter V6, while the R/T had a 340-hp version of the current car's 5.7-liter V8. The SRT8 came with a 6.1-liter V8 good for 425 hp. All came with a five-speed automatic transmission. For 2007, a 190-hp 2.7-liter V6 engine became standard on the SE, while the 3.5 became optional.

From 2006-'10 Dodge offered a couple performance packages for the Challenger R/T -- the Daytona and Road/Track packages included sport-tuned suspension and steering. There was a SXT trim level from 2008-'10; it came standard with the 3.5-liter V6. Other notable changes for this period included an improved interior and new features in 2008 and an increase to 368 hp for the R/T for '09.

Overall, we were impressed by this revived Charger's spacious cabin, comfy ride, affordable price and available all-wheel drive. Of course, the big V8 was a nice bonus as well. However, the V6 engines were always disappointing, especially the 190-hp 2.7-liter, which was both underpowered and inefficient. As such, we would avoid it. The cabin also had a low-buck feel (even after the interior was improved for '08), with subpar materials and forgettable design. Rear seat entry was also hampered by the sloping roof line. But overall, this Charger will be a solid choice for a large sedan.

From a historical standpoint, the Dodge Charger originally debuted as a1966 model. This Coronet-based coupe had a unique look, with a sweeping fastback and concealed headlights. But it's the second generation of the Charger that was most popular. This was the one that served as the basis for the winged and race-wining Charger Daytona of 1969 and, later, the bright orange "General Lee" from the 1980s television show The Dukes of Hazzard.

Less popular were three successive generations of Chargers. Third- and fourth-generation models from the 1970s were emasculated by new emissions regulations. A fifth generation, made available from 1982-'87, was a variation of the front-drive Dodge Omni 024 economy hatchback. Near the end of its production, there were sporty, turbocharged versions modified by Carroll Shelby that culminated in the Shelby Charger GLH-S.

User Reviews:

• 

  Awsome Car!!! - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By speedyg1 - December 23 - 8:55 pm

  Ive had my V6 Charger 6 months & love it! This is my daily comuter & I love every minute in this car. The body lines & styling are beautiful, mine is Toxic Orange so it really turns heads! A bit dissappointed the wheels are caps so, new wheels are in the near future. Interior is layed out nicely. Took a 1200 mile trip and found the seats are not as comfortable for that long of a drive. Love the touch screen and heated seats. Rides extremely well & quiet. Surprised the racing features under the front end came standard on the ralley ed. Performance is awsome, had it up to 140 & still hadnt hit the floor! Mileages is around 27 freeway. Found the V8 had more road noise & didnt ride as nice.

• 

  The best car Ive ever owned - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By gina4ever0 - December 8 - 5:05 am

  I love all of the options with this car, I also love the attention I get when Im out in the car.. Everyones head turns, and Ive had people to stop me a lot asking about my Dodge Charger 2011 R/T. I do wish it got a little better gas milage. Over all its a 4.8 stars in my book. This car is quiet, reliable, and fun to drive.

• 

  2012 Charger SRT8: getting what you pay for - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By mtstevens82 - November 20 - 2:19 am

  Having driven the 2011 R/T for most of the year, I was already familiar with most of the features but was completely unprepared for the improvement in handling and power this beast brings to the table. On a highway you can easily top 100 mph without the pedal getting halfway down and still be treated to a symphony from the engine, which prompted an unprintable exclamation of approval from my first passenger. The auto mode sets the suspension for maximum comfort and in even the sharpest turns the car remains level. Sport mode unleashes the cars max performance. Fuel economy is about the same as I had with the R/T, although thats more due to San Diego traffic than anything else.

• 

  Best vehicle I have ever owned! - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By lyss - November 15 - 1:07 pm

  I bought my charger in late 2008 and I still own it. I cannot seem to find myself wanting to trade it in due to having no problems with it. I wrecked it back in early 2010 and even with all the repairs that were done at the dodge dealership I have had good luck so far... This is my 2nd dodge I have owned and plan on sticking with it.

• 

  Great fun - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By grandemamou - November 13 - 8:42 pm

  We had settled on a Maxima and went to look at the Charger as a base of comparison. I was blown away with the build quality and materials of the interior. Gone are the cheap hard plastics replaced with high quality soft to the touch materials Great power with the Hemi and smooth as silk ride. We have about 2,000 miles on it and couldnt be happier. Steering is a little numb but this is a big car. Super comfy so I guess there are compromises.

• 

  The Dodge Charger SRT8 is a Beast... in a good way - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By jfwright1955 - November 13 - 10:03 am

  The 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 looks means, sounds mean, it is mean. Seeing it parents will lock their kids indoors peering out the windows until this bad boys gone by. Even parked youll want to cross the road just to walk around it so it cant bite. When you first fire up the engine you know unmistakably theres a beast under the hood. However, from the inside of the cabin you hear a quiet, pleasant exhaust note. Romp on it and its a whole different story. Whatevers under the hood wants to get out and its going to drag the car and passengers along with it whether they like it or not. Youd better hang ladies and gentlemen because youre going for a ride like youve never had!

• 

  glad I took the chance - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By noasiancars4me - October 25 - 11:09 pm

  After spending my life going with Camrys, Accords, and other so thought quality mid sized clone cars I took a shot with this car when it first came out in 2006. It was only 1500 more then the accord I was looking at, at the time. This car is a lot more comfortable and a lot more fun to drive then the array of Asian cone cars out there. Its paid for now and I dont know what I am going to do if I ever have to go back to the cars we have been taught to believe are better quality. This car for me proves that to be totally the opposite in fact. 5 years and 80k miles later it is "by far" the best quality car I have ever owned. (Yes BMWs and Mercs are out of my price range)

• 

  love it , hate it - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By pookylopez1 - October 22 - 6:47 pm

  Honestly have had it , i have a love and hate relationship with this car, i love the look and love how it drives, BUT only when this car is not giving problems! its costing me so much money, sometimes doesnt reverse, the gears sometimes dont work, they tell me its 2 sensors, i pay over 1000.... its fixed... for 4 weeks until it decides to do it again.. .wont go over 35.... getting fixed again. wow, and the service engine soon light wont go away, and of course my registration is due in 3 days, and it wont pass the smog check. in conclusion i wish that i never got this car.

• 

  Do yourself a favor! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By kirtie - October 1 - 8:30 pm

  Fast! Fun! Great looks! Very comfortable! Why wouldnt you want to drive one? The only answer I can think of is that you havent tried one yet! I traded a Lincoln in for my Top Banana R/T and have suffered NOTHING in the way of comfort, handling/performance or style. The only thing the Lincoln had that the Charger does not is good visibility. I can only say that to appreciate the excellent build, ride, and fun of this car you must test drive one. It ranks as the best car Ive ever owned, and Ive had a run at most of them out there!

• 

  Fast, Fun, Gorgeous and Very Comfortable - 2012 Dodge Charger
  By hemi_for_me - September 14 - 11:01 am

  Although I never would have bought a Chrysler product in the past, the 2011 Charger redesign is amazing. Its beautiful, fun, blazingly fast, quiet and extremely comfortable. I only wish they would have had the 8 speed automatic available for 2011. The extra gas milage from the 8 speed would have been greatly appreciated. Otherwise, absolutely love this car. Cant believe I bought a dodge! Audio system and navigation are good, however some of the applications are not compatible with the iphone (like reading text messages). Also, I wish the doors would automatically lock on exiting the vehicle. The passive unlock system works well, but you still have to lock the doors when you exit.