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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  Charger R/T - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By rsstopper - May 27 - 4:46 am

  Ive never owned a Dodge in my life. I think I was missing the boat. Its a tight, quiet, comfortable 4 door Tank. With the 5.7L Hemi the gas mileage is low but the 4/6/8 cylinder shut down system works pretty well. On the highway the mileage quickly is 24mpg with an added plus of using regular gas. Overall, a great car with a happy owner.

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  Simply Awesome - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By JB - May 19 - 8:26 pm

  After driving SUVs for years. I checked out some cars. I needed a larger car with a good backseat. Ruled out the Mustang GT. The 1 I kept looking at was the new Charger RT. Only thing I didnt care for was the standard leather interior. But, I didnt want the stripes on the Daytona. Once I saw an RT with the Road & Track Pkg, I knew that was the car I wanted. Love the interior & all the features of the new Charger. Great styling, power & handling. It is a solid built car. Doesnt have the cheap plastic interior like a lot of vehicles. After added few accessories I couldnt be happier. Interested in this size car, you NEED to check it out!

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  2015 Dodge Charger SXT Plus - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Revron - May 17 - 7:57 am

  Bought this car about 5 weeks ago and still learning many things about the features. So far it has been working great. It is a comfortable ride, so quiet that often you are up to speed quicker than you realize. It has all the safety features we wanted and they work extremely well. Have had several compliments about the looks of the car as well as the ride. The gas mileage is still increasing as there is less than 1000 miles at this time. We test drove several vehicles and this was the best overall for the money. It is not a $60,000+ car but the interior and amenities are right up there. The exterior is retro but modern. In reading some of the other reviews, we wondered if those drivers who had nothing nice to say bought the car without a test drive or really looking at it. The technology works fairly easily but does take a little while to learn. Our salesman sent us videos to help learn things as well and that was a plus. We got a great deal as this was a leftover new 2015. It is very heavy and could use a little more horsepower for the size/weight but definitely moves and we made the choice to buy the 6 cylinder so knew what we were getting. Will update this review when we have had the car longer but so far we are very happy.

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  Chsrger RT - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By alterius - May 15 - 11:13 pm

  The Charger RT is a fun car, has room for the family, and has good power, but is not a muscle car. 340 hp or even 350 hp with the Pereformance package is not enough to really push around 4000 lbs. For individuals who want real muscle, only the 425 hp SRT8 will do.

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  Unhappy owner - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Jake - April 21 - 11:26 pm

  I purchased an 06 Daytona and have had excessive rattling/vibration from the trunk lid due to the stock stereo. The car is not fixable by the dealer. I was told all of the Daytonas on the lot have the exact same problem. The power sunroof has an intermittent problem. The car will not smoke the tires as shown in the picture. The hood is a decal,not paint as some of you may have seen wrongly described. My pride of ownership is fading as more problems arise. The car sits because it has lost its appeal to me & the body and paint was damaged by the dealer. 2700 miles are all it has on it.

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  Great car unless you go through car washes. - 2015 Dodge Charger
  By Joehonea10@gmail.com - April 16 - 10:55 am

  I bought this car in July of last year. Had been a great car until about 2 months ago. The door handles have cheap plastic covers over them and when I went through the touchless car wash and got to the end where the blowers dry the car my passanger side door handle flew off. Didnt notice until i parked to vaccum I found the peice but some of the clips were broken so it wasnt a tight fit thats when I realized they are kind of flimsy they move around a little when you wiggle them. So I brought it to the dealer and told them what happend and they told me to super glue it back on. I wasnt going to do that to a brand new car and had to talk to a few people before somebody helped. They dont sell just the cover so I had to get a whole new handle. They paid for it after I exchanged words with the manager. I got my new handle with cover. I figured the first one was just defective because the drivers side and others held ok in the wash. I went through the was a few more times and it popped off again on the same door and at the blow dryer at the wash again. When you spend a good deal of money on a car you dont expect door handles to just snap off in the car wash. Especially a brushless one love the car but this one issue is vary frustrating and I wouldnt have bought this car if I would have known what I know now. In the mean time I guess Ill be washing it delicately by hand.

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  great car - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By J maynard - March 27 - 4:14 am

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  The hottest 4 door for the money - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By crl69 - March 25 - 9:26 pm

  Im 20 and I have had 7 cars before this one and of all the cars I have found the one that i really enjoy to drive. it gets great gas mileage and it has great horsepower. I love to see people when they look and you can tell they are saying, "what kind of car is that". I have never wanted a red car but this red is hot. if you want roominess, sporty looks, and great performance go test drive this car. Im almost positive you will not be disappointed.

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  Chargers are fun - 2006 Dodge Charger
  By Drasil - March 2 - 1:16 am

  The handling is excellent. The V6 SE has plenty of pick up power. Plenty of leg and head room. Id take one over a Mustang GT anytime.

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  Big Horsepower Bang - 2016 Dodge Charger
  By Paul Nieporte - February 23 - 12:58 am

  Great muscle sedan for the price.