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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  Vroom vroom! - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Dan Bruns - September 13 - 2:26 pm

  If you do not like going fast, do not buy this car. It is the perfect combo family car plus performance. 375+ horsepower to tow the kids around? Oh yes I love it.

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  Great Car! - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By duginmt - September 12 - 12:36 am

  I bought this car used with 21K miles, saved about 10K over new. It started out life as an FBI undercover car for the first 2,500 miles. Then a private party bought it and installed 20" X 8" wheels and Kuhmo tires, along with a spoiler. Love the looks of this car, and it has plenty of power stock. It is the quickest car I have ever owned. The keyless key fobs are a little weird but I am getting used to it. The car has a firm but comfortable ride, and handles very well. I do not find the steering wheel effort to be too hard at all. About right for a sports sedan. My 4-year-old son thinks it is a racing car, the fastest car around, he says! So far, it seems very reliable. Buy 1!

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  2009 Charger RT RWD 5.7 L - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By MJ - September 10 - 11:37 am

  Have only had the car two weeks. Traded my 2004 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Intimidator Edition of five years on it and have not regretted it at all. There is no road noise and rides great. I test drove cars for two months including the Pontiac G8 GT and the new Chevrolet Camaro. The seats in the G8 had no padding and the Camaro had limited vision in spots. When I drove the Charger I knew this is it.

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  overall impressed - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By happy so far - September 9 - 3:03 am

  Got the car almost a year ago. Now it has 55k miles. Paid $13k. Gas mileage is about 300 miles to the tank. Put 20s on it and it looks great. Love the exterior look. Got pinstrip down the doors to the trunk, didnt like it at first but it breaks up lines and it looks great. I knew the interior wasnt anything super. I like the White gauges. Will need to replace the power steering hose soon it is slightly leaking. Oh and tint all 5 Windows

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  Money well spent! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Andrew - September 8 - 9:45 am

  Best money I have ever spent! Car rides incredible,feels powerful,sounds throaty! I added a K & N cold air intake and the ride is incredible. Car is a definite head turner!

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  Charger RT beats Merc E500, Lexus LS430 - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Value Hunter - September 8 - 8:26 am

  RT is 68th car in 25 years. Incredible value and performance. 0-60 in 5.2 with road/track performance pckge - amazing handling. Sticker of $33,695 sold at $30,100! Have owned 04 LS430 & 01 Mercedes E500. Both cars today would be over $60k equiped same way. RT rides on Mercedes platform and has 5 speed Mercedes tiptronic transmission. It drives effortlessly and is very quiet,extremely comfortable & fun

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  Quite Surprised - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Sina - September 7 - 8:41 am

  This is my first experience with American cars, so far despite what I had heard before Im pleasantly surprised. Charger is at the front and back, very quite engine, smooth transmission and extremely good on gas for a heavy muscle car. Interior has average quality, lots of plastic everywhere you look...One of the biggest problems I have wit this car is the stability, poor is the only word I can think of. There was some vibrating of the engine which is still there and some sort of strange problem wit tranny which i have been told all of them have (it kind of unsmooth at the beginning of movement). Over all if you can find it for a cheap price, I would definitely say go for it.

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  What a Ride! - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By DRH - August 26 - 6:48 pm

  I bought my Charger as my retirement present to myself. I LOVE IT!. I added a K&N cold air box and laminar flow air inlet. It was supposed to add 20 HP, I dont think it did, but it sounds GREAT! The car is Tor-red, with the chrome clad wheels. Im constantly being stopped to talk about it. I have 20K miles on it, and have only done oil changes and tire rotation. Great acceleration, fun cornering. I dont drive it much in the snow, but when I did, the computer did a good job with the wheel spin. I live in a rural-sub urban area, I get 20-22 mpg depending how close I get to the city. Much better mileage at 55 than 70 mph (over 30mpg at 55, 26mpg at 70). Try it out.

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  great car - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By kc - August 24 - 8:57 pm

  This is my first mopar product in 48 years and you cant get a better choice for the money, it rides great, it looks great and is easy to own, with lots of room for upgrades.

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  Unhappy in Bay Area - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Unhappy Owner - August 19 - 12:13 pm

  I bought the car with 21,000 miles. I didnt start experiencing any problems until my car kept vibrating when I stopped. I had it checked and was told that my tire rods were worn. Then I started hearing a noise coming from the engine (a rocker shaft). After having this and a 90,000 mile service costs me $2087.00. Now my engine light constantly comes on. I was told to open the gas cap and let out some of the air. After reading a lot of the reviews, I noticed that this car should have had some recalls. Of course my extended warranty ended at 70,000.