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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  One heck of a car! - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By Josh - May 12 - 11:19 am

  The car is GREAT to drive!!! Absolutely more than I expected. Inside and out! More room than I could want & the trunk space is excellent. It has tons of Get Up and Go!! Even with 4 adults!!! The interior is luxurious and the features are extraordinary. The factory audio system is leaps and bounds better than anything Ive heard (excluding audio upgrades). Its rides smooth at any speed.

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  A Blast From The Past - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Adele Skubic - May 8 - 9:53 pm

  This is a fun car. It reminds me of the 1968 Charger I drove in my 20s. I love the way it sounds and the way it handles and manuvers. I feel like a kid in the candy store. It is really a comfortable car. I put the spoiler on the back and chrome wheels. I get so many compliments on this car. I got the gun metal gray one. I was hoping it would have come in burgundy. My 68 was that color. I think if you keep creating cars with style instead of some companys making cookie cutter cars you will ahead of the game. I think the muscle car era was great, you could just look at the vehicle and know right away what it was. They had distinction not like many of the cars today.

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  People are Attracted to my Baby! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By YG - May 6 - 5:43 pm

  My baby is a real monster. My supervisor once told me it was too manly for me.. Manly? LOL! Im a girl and I love this thing. I have had it for a year and a half and I have had no problems with it... Its a keeper. It attracts peoples attention. I know they say that Dodge is not very good with its cars... I hope that this statement is wrong and I hope not to have any problems with it.

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  You need to get one - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Spencer - April 30 - 8:56 am

  My six year old son giggled with glee the first time I opened up the Hemi on the way home from the dealership. To say this car is fun to drive is to say a rollercoaster is pretty neat. I was really suprised, almost disappointed, with how quiet the engine was until I gunned it, and any time I step on the gas. The low growl of the Hemi then ellicits the appropriate grin. This is the first car I have bought that I have had fun driving. Im 64" tall and dont have to have the seat all the way back. There is plenty of room for my whole family of 4. I cant wait for my first road trip with my son next week. Dont cheat yourself....Get the Hemi if you buy this car! I cant recommend it enough.

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  Great Ride!! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By sgpd101 - April 30 - 6:36 am

  This is my very frist top performance vehicle and I love it. I have the Daytona sport package in Top Banana. You really notice her as she is traveling down the road. I am thinking about a couple of modifications. I want to change the exhaust to the cat-back magnaflows, and was thinking about changing the seatbelts to a 5 point harnass system. Overall, I could not be happier with this vehicle, and she is a joy to drive.

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  Beats the old ones! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Plum Crazy SRT8 - April 27 - 4:04 pm

  I have owned musclecars of all types over the last 30 years from 455CID 442s to 440 powered MOPARS and this car beats them all. Yeah, yeah its a 4 door but so what, it crushes any of the old cars in ride, handling and especially performance. Stock 1/4 mile times in the high 12s and 0-60 in the mid to high 4 second range prove what a beast this car is. The Plum Crazy color takes me back to 1970-71 when the Dodge Scat Pack prowled the streets. The modern 6.1L Hemi is underrated at 425hp, its closer to 450hp! That is net horsepower, not gross like in the old days. Get one while you still can because these cars will be gone forever by 2012.

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  A lovely car to own - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By Rick - April 21 - 3:25 pm

  This is a very smooth comfortable car with lots of style, very unique, not a cookycutter. We ordered the Customer Perfered Package 26H which gives the interior many features which really make the interior much nicer with leather,automatic headlights,heated front seats, dual zone air with ATC, and 1 touch up/down power front windows. The Protection group adds Side air bag protections and self sealing Contioental touring tires. We added 18" chrome wheels which really make the Bright Silver stand out. I feel so comforable with this car and love driving it. It feels solid and firm and very stable on the road. There is lots of power with the 3.5 and the 4-speed Automatic. You have got to test it.

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  Fun - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By j wills - April 16 - 9:06 pm

  A pleasure to drive. The only complaint is they dont have a stick shift for the R/T. Have been very satisfied thus far with the Charger. Just remember to use the cruise control.

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  Not bad at all!!! - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By R - April 16 - 4:18 pm

  The 2015 Dodge Charger is a dirty dog. If you want power, shes got it! Comfort, shes got it! Gas efficiency, oh yeah, shes got it!!! Just , a tad,above my budget. Im almost certain, my next vehicle will be one.

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  A Lifetime Warranty Te-2,500 mile report - 2009 Dodge Charger
  By TCB09RT - April 15 - 1:19 pm

  So far my r/t has been trouble free, nothing but fun, and I havent gotten any tickets-yet ) the contitracs are not holding up so well. I had to have tires rotated at 2000 miles, and dont expect them to last the summer (even though the primordial urge to do long Smokey burn-outs has diminished somewhat) at 2500 miles the evic informed me of an oil change. The dealer did the oil change for free per the agreement. They also informed me that my vin required fix rrt 09-019 no start/hard start/long crank. I havent experienced the issue, but am glad for the lifetime powertrain warranty and that I bought the maxcare lifetime warranty. My 2 yr old daughter loves the car she says, "black car! Zoom!"