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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  Love it! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By troy - January 1 - 3:04 pm

  I had Chrysler products in the past and thought I would never buy one again. I was wrong! The Charger has power, lots of room and 4 doors. I know a Charger with 4 doors? I have 2 kids in car seats and there is plenty of room for them in the back seat. The traction control is the best I ever used. Being in Wisconsin I thought the rear wheel drive was a bad thing. The charger traction control is better than the FWD with traction control Honda Oddysey my wife drives. She prefers driving the Charger when she can. I love this car and I get alot on compliments with it.

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  2007 Charger 3.5 SE - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Andy - December 30 - 10:13 pm

  Coming from a 2004 V8 Nissan Titan, I have to say that Im impressed with the 3.5 V6 engine, and I can only imagine how the Hemi would feel. The gas saving is big, again coming from a full size truck, but is OK comparing to a regular sporty sedan. Lots of room inside, and very comfortable. The design could have been better, it looks "long", but its still nice looking! Maybe a 2 door like it should be? The rims on the lower packages need redesigning, I dont know why they still offer steel wheels with hubcaps. The wheels dont get better until you reach the R/T package, just not fear.

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  2006 Dodge Charger RT Hemi - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Michael - December 22 - 10:56 am

  Will put any car on the road today to shame. Excellent handling, more power than you can imagine, runs circles around the stang... Very well crafted and fun to drive. Handles the road better than any car Ive owned or seen in along time. This is the one car youll brag about for years to come...

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  2006 Dodge Charger - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Richard - December 20 - 1:26 am

  The car is amazing it has A good preformance and I think that it should be upgraded to A new style like design A new muffler.Or something ?

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  I have a love-hate relationship with my Scat Pack - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By voice3 - December 17 - 8:45 am

  Ive owned my Scat Pack for approximately 6-months and have 3200 miles on it so far. Heres my pro/con assesment. Pros: Driving this car is incredible (I always look forward to driving it and the power is exceptional), I really like both the interior and exterior styling, ride comfort is very good (if you like a firm ride), highway gas milage is surprisingly good, tech features like blind spot detection and adaptive cruse control work very well, great overall family car. Cons: Build quality is poor (body panels are a bit off - the hood fit is particularly poor, white body paint doesnt match bumper color, a few interior rattles even with just 3000 miles), dealer service is the worse Ive experienced anywhere (Major World Dodge in NYC), side mirrors are too small and have blind spots no matter how they are adjusted (definitely get the tech package with blind spot detection), hard to see the front of the car over the scoop (Dodge does not offer front parking sensors). Despite the shortcomings of this car, I would not trade it for anything else in its price range because the driving experience is very very good and I like the styling. I just wish Dodge had better quality control both for its cars and dealership network...

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  What An Automobile! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Chief - December 16 - 8:43 pm

  This car is the most fun I have had behind the wheel since my first Corvette ( a 1973) and a Shelby Mustang in the 60s (1966 GT350H). The ride is silky smooth, the autostick is very close to a stick shift, and of course the Hemi is totally awesome. We both love this car and highly recommend it to moms and dads who need a sedan for their family, but who still "love to drive" a cool car!

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  Fully Charged! - 2007 Dodge Charger
  By Oliver - December 9 - 11:54 pm

  I traded my 2000 BMW 528i for this Dodge. I was hesitant that I would not enjoy my Charger as much. Wrong! Excellent car. Good gas mileage and sporty styling. I am always getting compliments. And the ride is better then the Bimmer. I wish Dodge would go the extra mile and give the minor touches that would put the car over the edge.ie.. lighted vanity mirrors, light in glove compartment, auto adjusting rear view mirror and more cup holders. Also move the cruise control to the steering wheel. Overall very pleased. American muscle with European refinement.

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  First Dodge ever - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By rudy - December 8 - 12:53 am

  The car looks great. You get a lot of "thumbs up" when you are driving. Talk about a head turner, there must be a lot of people with sore necks watching you drive by. The car rides and drives like or better that a Lexus, with 340hp under the hood. Its great to have a rear seat DVD for the kids, nav system, heated leather seats, Sirius radio, room for the family, and all the performance you could want. Its also great to be able to take the kids to school, fill up the huge trunk at the grocery store, and still be able to blow away some punk kid in a foreign car. I never though I would ever own a Dodge. This car changed my mind.

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  Charger SRT 8 - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By jsdixon - December 1 - 1:50 am

  Just got the car and drove it about 500 miles in 3 days. I traded a Corvette for this car and am VERY happy I did. This car has more power, better transmission (5 speed auto), and a very easy to use navigation system. This is the best car I have ever purchased.

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  Very Cool Car! - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Hard_Charger - December 1 - 12:13 am

  I bought my RT a couple of weeks ago and I love it. It drives nice and has a lot of power. I love the GPS system and the interior layout (although the cupholders should be larger).