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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  by ted - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By ted garrett - March 22 - 6:04 pm

  have owned 1969 charger {383ci} and a 1973 charger {400ci} 1964 plymouth sport fury {383ci} a 2006 charger 5.7. every one of these were great. im 63 yrs and just bought the 6.1SRT. i put a $500.00 deposit at the police station just in case.

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  2006 Charger R/T - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By WARREN37 - March 19 - 10:00 am

  My silver steel metallic R/T is so much fun to drive. the V8 with MDS gets me 28.5 mpg highway (no thats not a typo), so those boring drives to and from work dont drain my wallet. When I want to tear up the hometown over the weekend, she has plenty of power to turn heads. Granted, while "fun-driving" I get a much lower mpg, but thats not what you buy it for. The aggressive looking front-end practically pushes cars out of your way on the highway.

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  Changed Man - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By H2flint - March 18 - 2:25 pm

  This is my first non GM car ever. Luv the look and style plus GM has no good V-8s so I went with the Charger. The interior is much nicer than the 06-07 models. It handles well and has lots of power. It turns heads and is a real driving joy. I am late 20s and single but it is still probably the sportiest 4 door ever made. Recommend to anyone single or family

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  Economy lost out this year - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By DVLocker - March 16 - 5:46 pm

  I have been a Ford man all my life. I always shopped for a practical economy car. This year Style and comfort won over. I was looking at the new economy cars when I took a test drive in a used 07 Charger for fun. I fell in love. The style and solid build won me over. As far as the gas, I found I have been uncomfortable all these years for nothing. I am getting 25 MPG which is not that far from the 28 I was getting in a small car. Now I am not just another follower in a Focus I am leading the pack.

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  An awesome car - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Scott - March 10 - 9:50 pm

  I love this car. I thought with having just a 2.7l V-6 that it would lack in performance. But no way, this car goes as fast as you need to go. And the fuel economy is awesome. It might not win drag races (big deal) but it will definitely pass "ole slow poke" on the interstate. Extremely comfortable, ultra-quiet, and just plain fun to drive.

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  Surprised "downgrade" - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By Steve - March 10 - 1:42 pm

  I was going from a 4 cylinder Mercedes to a larger car. Liked the look of the Charger and just thought Id drive it without any real intent to buy. It drove surprisingly well. Ive some minor issues like the hood has come unlatched by itself a couple times and the child safety lock keeps re-engaging itself, but other than that the ride is surprisingly quiet and smooth and it is very responsive. It is deceptively large inside even for me standing over 6 feet tall to have leg room to spare front and rear seats.

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  Love the Charger! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By vrvray - March 6 - 2:07 pm

  Im a snow bird and the R/T is a road car. The power levels out the hills in WV with total style and comfort. Mileage is as advertised providing you keep your foot out of it! That isnt easy to do! I averaged 26.6 mpg from Hartsville, SC to Tampa, FL. Cant beat it and boy do we get the looks, all black is the way to go!

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  My retirement toy. - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By A.A. - March 4 - 10:12 pm

  I LOVE my SRT 392 . Its my daily ride and Ive owned it around seven months. Too date, ownership has been trouble free. The 392 Hemi is very strong and along with the eight speed transmission does a good job getting this roughly 4500 pound car moving. If I behave, I can easily get 17 MPG around town which is better than my 2007 SXT 3.5 LTR AWD Charger got. Mileage or the increased cost of car insurance were never even considered in my decision to order this car. Ive always loved performance cars and had a 69 340 GTS Dart when I was 16 and to this day still own a 69 340 Dart Swinger. My car is heavily optioned and is painted in Crystal Granite with black interior. The interior is beautiful and so much richer looking than my 2007 which had way too much plastic. My 2007 Charger had horrible blind spots and I could never see the back of the car when I was backing up. These are no longer issues for me in my 2016. The car looks fantastic with its styling and the way it sits. The active exhaust is loud during start up but quiets down when the RPM drops. There of course some give and takes. No more pulling up to a parking lot cement block unless you want to tear up your front fascia. Curbs can also be real mean to those 20" hyper forged wheels. I even had to find another car wash for the winter months because this car does not have enough ground clearance for some automatic cars washes. I gave up an AWD vehicle for a RWD vehicle and were just getting into winter along with snow where I live. This is a daily driver which is one reason I didnt want a Hellcat but seeing Im retired I can stay home if the snow is too deep or borrow my wifes Grand Cherokee.

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  SRT8 Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By pthead - March 3 - 2:06 pm

  I have an Inferno Red 2006 SRT8 Charger and absolutely love it.  I love to drive it. Country roads, interstates, it doesnt matter.  Tire have to be replaced about every 25000 miles and the gas mileage isnt the greatest but you dont buy a car like this for those reasons. You even get a free SRT8 Track Experience class when you buy one.

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  R/T with R/T package - 2008 Dodge Charger
  By sendero - February 13 - 6:37 am

  The Charger is a real surprise. I have the R/T package on my R/T ( sport seats /suspension / 20 inch rims / 350 HP). After 18,000 miles, I can say this car is not only a comfortable and quiet cab, its roominess surpises all who get into it. The R/T package is great and really sets the look with the extra body moldings. The packages performance upgrade over the base R/T is substantial. We also have a Honda Odessey which is a well known quality vehicle. The Dodge is a more comfortable and queit ride. Yep, the performance muscle car is more comfortable and quiet then the Honda. My friends have the Pontiac GXP and the Mustang GT. They even like the Dodge a lot.