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:

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  315 Miles into it - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By brian31508 - February 22 - 9:29 pm

  Well ive had the Brand new 2011 Dodge Charger for about 3 days so far. Its red which is an extra $941. This car is pretty damm nice. I love the new touch scree with the Garmin nav system. The only thing I can see that I would like to have so far would be to be able to use the voice response system to adjust the climate control and the heated wheel and seats. I love the camera that senses rain on the windows and turns the bright lights on for you thats a great system. One problem ive had already is the infrared sensor on the door stopped working of i couldnt open the door with the key in my pocket. The dealership is ordering a new handle I guess. This car is awesome so far buy one.

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  My Baby - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By 172mph - February 16 - 12:20 am

  First off I love this car to death. Unfortunately it has left me with a hunger for something even faster...Why?...Why NOT?!! They are very fast, too fast to let the wife drive it in fact. They are VERY customizable...take a look at the Diablo Tuner, CIA and GetRag rearends...cheap upgrades and you can take SRT8s especially after a custom tune. I have a fair amount done to mine and I dont know why people are complaining about the MPG. I figure Im turning nearly 400HP at the crank now and can STILL get 25-26MPG out of her with the MDS still active (you can shut it off with the Diablo if you want). No problems with it at all...None, its kinda strange not to have problems.

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  The Best Full Size Automobile in America - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By 1atomic - January 22 - 8:05 pm

  Im the very happy owner of a powerful new V8 Charger. The V6 test driven was perfect, but we opted for a Hemi powered R/T to gain AWD. The quality is by far the best in North America. We tested many new 11 autos & narrowed our choice between a Charger & 11 Durango. The materials are of high quality, the ride-handling combinations perfectly balanced. We are an Acura & Honda family but added this Dodge to show the country & Chrysler our support. The Chargers on par w/ our 10 Accord Crosstour, yet a totally different car. Both excel in their respective categories. A compliment to Chrysler Co. If enormous power & AWD are not needed, the new V6 should please everyone. Test drive both 1st.

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  Beware of the oil change - 2010 Dodge Charger
  By uwe1 - January 11 - 7:17 pm

  I had a 2006 SRT 8 for 27 months. Nothing really to complain about, the power is awesome! Just be aware that if you lease, Chrysler makes you come to the dealership every 3,000 miles or 3 months (which ever occurs first) for an oil change. And this baby needs a lot of oil, I usually spent > $100.

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  2011 Dodge Charger - 2011 Dodge Charger
  By jaymo1 - December 26 - 2:44 pm

  I just picked up a new 2011 Dodge Charger. Wow! Incredible vehicle! Great MPG 29.5 MPG from DC to Baltimore, fast (292HP), easy to use 8.3" touch screen controls heated seats and you can pause and rewind live music (Sirius) playing on the radio, handles the rough roads in DC and Baltimore like a very expensive car, old school power steering - you can make a U-turn with one hand, very quiet interior, black headliner. The racetrack/LED rear lights look very nice at night. One of the best vehicles that I have ever driven! 10 out of 10! People keep stopping me at red lights, gas stations, asking me how much it costs and how I like it. Pretty cool for a base medel, entry level vehicle (27H)

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  GET YOU SOME!!! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By camik - December 15 - 12:20 pm

  I absolutely, 110% LOVE this car!! I have driven other sports cars in the past but they never had enough room! This Charger is fast AND its very roomy! I keep seeing people complain about the gas mileage...Ummm...hello! Why did you buy a V8 if you wanted good gas mileage?? Its not meant to get great gas mileage, its meant to go fast and look awesome! :) My entire family loves this car and it turns all kinds of heads! I would highly recommend the Dodge Charger R/T to anyone looking for an awesome sports car!

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  Not to bad.... - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By romash - December 15 - 9:46 am

  Not to bad of a car at all. Read all the reviews and everyone was bang on....The only problem I have had is with my rims...Living in Toronto I have to deal with snow and salt. I have the 18 inch chrome 5 upgrades and they are simply terrible. They have peeld twice and they look horrible, really noticeable and Chryler even afetr seeing them wont do a darn thing about them. They claim its because of our Canadian weather, problem is this car was made in Brampton CANADA, how do they not know these things...

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  Unhappy w/ 2nd charger - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Anonymous - December 6 - 2:13 pm

  I currently drive a 2008 charger I bought used in August. This car has already had a new transmission and has been in the shop 5 times. I had all my dummy lights come on (which I have pictures of) imediately took it in to have the dealership find no codes. The car at one point was stalling to again find no codes. Currently it is in the shop for kicking, stalling, and occasionly not going in reverse. Just got off the phone with the dealership and again no codes. I dont know what to do. I have already taken it to a different dealership. This is my replacement charger I previously had an 07 that I had to tow to dealership to find out it had frame damage not reported in carfax.

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  lemon--should have been yellow - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By grandmas race car - December 2 - 2:00 am

  In cold weather relay shorts the car still starts but no heat, no radio & gear shifter wont move. Passenger side front power window occasionally quits working. Have replaced tie rod ends, (floor pedal assembly& throttle controls twice) & now it needs a new heater core. Itt definitely fun but a financial drain. It may have a lifetrain powertrain warranty but not worth the hassles. This is not a keeper

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  Worst Car I Have Ever Owned - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By Brandie - November 30 - 2:00 am

  I would NEVER recommend buying a Dodge Charger to anyone. In 3 months we bought 2, and they both had so many mechanical problems the dealer had to buy them back. I did not even own the 2nd one for 2 weeks when the engine blew up and all of the electronics melted. The 1st one has vibration problems that Dodge said was normal. The check engine light was always coming on and it was misfiring in the cylinders. Both of these cars were a complete nightmare. They get great gas mileage because they are always on the back of a tow truck!