This beefy sedan is a muscle car with grocery-getting manners.
Today’s Dodge Charger is a four-door, modern-day muscle car for the whole family that impresses with distinctive exterior styling and powerful performance.
The Charger is quite popular with CarMax customers - here are five reasons why.
1. Performance. The Charger is a breed apart from other competing large sedans, thanks to its impressive performance options. Adding a Hemi® V8 to the list of engine choices in 2012 gave drivers considerably more bang for their buck. And adding a new, 3.6-liter V6 to the lineup also gave drivers a powerful option for going farther on a tank of gas.
Over the years, Dodge has increased its Charger offering—there’s the SE, SE AWD, SXT, SXT AWD, R/T, R/T Road & Track, R/T Scat Pack, SRT 392, and the SRT Hellcat (whew!); each model offers considerable horsepower.
The 2012 Dodge flexed its muscles with four Charger models: the SE, SXT, R/T, and SRT8 Superbee. The SE and SXT come with a standard 3.6-liter V6 engine that puts out 292 horsepower and lots of torque. The SE shifts through a 5-speed automatic transmission; an 8-speed automatic is standard on the SXT and also available for the SE. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive optional on the V6 SE and SXT.
Then there are the V-8-engine options, including the Charger R/T, whose 5.7-liter Hemi® V-8 yields 370 horsepower, and the SRT and Scat Pack editions which offer a blistering 485 hp. For the most horsepower of all the Chargers—more than you’ll find in just about any sedan you can buy off the lot—there’s the SRT Hellcat. We’ll address this beast at the bottom of your scroll.
2. Smooth ride. The Charger underwent minor adjustments and upgrades in 2014, but it still guaranteed ride comfort thanks to its finely-tuned suspension. Customers say the Charger handles well in either 6- or 8-cylinder guise, and considering its substantial bulk, the Charger SXT brakes well—arriving at a complete halt from 60 mph in just 113 feet. Features like blind spot monitoring, lane departure warning, traction control, and rollover protection system let drivers enjoy the comfortable ride with confidence.
3. Great looks. In any configuration, the Charger’s design is unmistakably aggressive. It’s a four-door muscle car that rolls like a street tough—sleek and brawny at the same time. With 20-inch-tall wheels, LED daytime running lights, and a race-like taillight arrangement, the Charger definitely has an edge.
4. The price. Despite its looks, comfort, and big-time horsepower, the Charger is quite affordable. Plus, the 8-speed automatic transmission in many models helps with fuel mileage (up to 31 mpg on the highway), so you can save further when you’re at the pump.
5. The SRT Hellcat. The Dodge Charger lineup includes the mighty SRT Hellcat—the first off-the-lot American sedan that offers drivers more than 700 horsepower. Very few stock sedans can top the Charger’s 0-60 mph time, or its top speed claim of 200 mph.
While it does require premium fuel, the Hellcat’s mileage isn’t as bad as you’d think—13 mpg for city driving and 22 mpg on the highway in economy mode. When the Hellcat is in economy mode, throttle and transmission responses are softened and the engine’s output is capped at a mere 500 hp!
Is the Hellcat the ultimate family sedan for the money? Just maybe. With this much performance plus standard leather interior, heated seating and steering wheel, bigger brakes and more, its cost is unexpectedly affordable. Even with premium options like a 19-speaker audio system and a moonroof, this very high-performing, four-door sedan costs less than its closest competitors, the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63.
With impressive performance, styling, and comfort for a fair cost, the Dodge Charger is quite a value. And it comes in so many variants that you won’t have to look too hard to find the used Charger of your dreams.
