2019 Dodge Charger

The most striking view of the Charger is its profile, which gathers in the middle in an homage to Chargers of the 1960s and their famed Coke-bottle shape. The fenders swell from there, and the roof pillars are thick and pronounced. Up front, the Charger gets a wide, thin grille that changes texture based on model but is always black.

At the rear, the Charger features a ring of LED taillights and, on most models, a spoiler. The GT gets the tougher look of the high-performance models, though without the performance. Among those features are the hood scoop with air induction, a styled fascia, sculpted side sills, and the decklid spoiler.

Inside, the Charger has a retro-inspired look that is harmonious with both the exterior and the rest of the lineup. Subtly carved surfaces characterize the soft-touch dash. A large swath of thin matte metallic trim encloses a 7.0-inch instrument panel display flanked by easy-to-read gauges, as well the central infotainment system in either 7.0- or 8.4-inch sizes.

Charger V-6 models handle fairly well, with accurate steering and controlled moves for their 4,000-pound curb weights. The ride is complaint and body lean is noticeable, but the Charger isn’t billed as a sport sedan.

Variety of V-8s

While V-6 models may be the choice for the family, V-8s will appeal to the muscle car set. Dodge offers them in hot, spicy, or burn-your-mouth off varieties.

They start with the Charger R/T. Its 5.7-liter V-8 makes 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, which gives it a 0-60-mph time below 6.0 seconds and a rumbly exhaust note aided by an active exhaust system. Cylinder deactivation helps save fuel, and the ride remains forgiving.

The R/T Scat Pack boasts a 485-hp 6.4-liter V-8 that ups the price above $40,000, lowers the 0-60 mph time to about 4.5 seconds, and improves the handling for track duty, but starts to eat into ride quality; the stout 20-inch tires can thwack against sharp bumps.

The SRT Hellcat is a straight-line monster with its 707-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, but it also can tackle a road course, but more on that in a minute. The 0-60 mph time drops to a lightning quick 3.7 seconds—if you can get the 275 mm rear tires to hook up—and the top speed reaches a claimed, and ludicrous, 204 mph.

Dodge outfits the R/T Scat Pack and SRT Hellcat with Brembo brakes, and the Hellcat gets six-piston front calipers, adaptive dampers, and a drive-mode system that lets the driver change the character of the transmission, throttle, steering weight, and dampers.

Those modes give the Hellcat multiple personalities. It can be calm and firm but forgiving on the street or amped up and stiff for the racetrack. A black key limits output to 500 hp so valets won’t have access to all 707 raucous horses.

Use the red key, though, and acceleration is a pure thrill unmatched by cars that cost three times the price. Take the Hellcat on a racetrack or canyon road and it becomes a handful to, well, handle. The rear end wants to kick out when lightly provoked, the tires can’t handle all that power, the ride is rather stiff, and the driver has to wrestle the 4,500-pound curb weight around corners.

With its now 15-year-old design, however, interior space isn’t maximized. That means rear knee room isn’t overly plentiful and taller rear passengers may want for head room. The angle of the roof also requires a steeper duck than the norm to get in.

Trunk space, however, is old-school large with 16.5 cubic feet to fill with life’s miscellania.

As for materials, base Chargers look plain, with lots of rubbery-touch black plastic. At the higher end, though, buyers get supple leather, metallic trim, and easy-to-use infotainment with a large 8.4-inch touchscreen. At the $70,000-plus price of the Hellcat, though, the cabin doesn’t deliver the goods of a true luxury car.

Chargers with the V-6 are commendably quiet and so are the V-8 models as long as you lay off the throttle. Most V-8 buyers, however, will like the throaty, macho sound of the engine, so rev it all you want—as long as you can afford the gas.

Standard on the safety docket for the Charger are a rearview camera, six airbags, and rear parking sensors. Also available are adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitors, and forward-collision warnings and automatic emergency braking. 

The Charger’s high beltline gives it a hot rod-like appearance, but that restricts outward vision a little more than other large sedans.

For performance, we like the 485-hp R/T Scat Pack. It comes with a high-performance suspension with Bilstein dampers, Brembo four-piston brakes, a line lock, launch control, an aluminum hood with a functional scoop, a rear spoiler, 20-inch wheels, heated cloth performance bucket seats, and SRT Performance Pages digital readouts. It also adds LED fog lamps, dual-zone automatic climate control, memory for the driver’s seat and exterior mirrors, a heated steering wheel, and an 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system.

At the top of the heap is the 707-hp SRT Hellcat. It adds six-piston Brembo front brakes with red calipers, performance-tuned steering, a competition suspension with adaptive dampers, all-season performance tires, HID headlights with LED accents, blind-spot monitors, leather upholstery, cooled front seats, heated rear seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and a keyfob that drops power output from 707 to 500 horsepower. New for 2019 are the torque reserve and after-run chiller from the 2018 Challenger SRT Demon.

Options include a nine-speaker Alpine audio system, a 900-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system with 18 speakers, a Dynamics Package that adds the six-piston Brembo brakes and 20-inch wheels, and nappa leather. Blacktop and Daytona packages also add style and numerous features.

Move up to the 5.7-liter V-8 and the 2019 Charger will require mid-grade fuel and mileage will drop to 16/25/19 mpg.

The 6.4-liter V-8 drinks premium fuel, and its ratings come in at 15/24/18 mpg. The top SRT Hellcat with its 6.2-liter V-8 also takes premium, and its fuel economy is a lousy 13/22/16 mpg. What do you expect with 707 hp?