Short Take - 2016 Dodge Charger SXT Rallye

"That thing got a Hemi?"

Nope, it's got a Pentastar.

What we have here is a Dodge Charger that looks like it's got a fire-breathing V8 under the hood. I'm behind the wheel of a 2016 Charger SXT with the Rallye Appearance package that, at least externally, does quite a good job imitating it's higher-up R/T brother: 20" wheels? Sport suspension? Trunk mounted spoiler? Darkened fascia? All present and accounted for. Right up until you press the engine start button.

That is NOT a Hemi.

What it's got is a 3.6L V6 pushing out 300hp and 264lb-ft of torque (up from 292hp and 260lb-ft, thank you Rallye package!) through an 8 speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels. It neither sounds like a Hemi, or goes like one, but for 95% of the driving population, that's more than enough. Riding on the LX1 platform that was last revised for 2012 (but dates back to the Mercedes Benz W211 of the early 2000s), the Charger is getting elderly but you'd never know looking at it. Dodge sought to give the Charger a more Euro look for 2015, starting up front with a Dart-like face accented by a blacked-out R/T clip that, along with LED running lamps around the HID projector lights and in the lower fascia, gives the Charger a sinister look. The rear end is more rounded and, to my eye anyway, better integrates the 'race-track' tail lamps that identify the Charger as a Dodge product. The scallops along the sides that look tacky and forced on the 2014, looks smoothed in and better styled now. Those fakey-doo exhaust outlets now have a more styled appearance and while I wish the tailpipes were actually attached to them, that's just a minor nitpick from me. 

The Charger is a full sized car and with that comes wads of interior room. Front passenger room is more than adequate and it was easy to find a good driving position. The front seats could've used more bolstering, but then that's why you'd by the SRT models. Rear seat room was spacious with ample leg and knee room and three passengers shouldn't have a problem on extended drives. With the revamped exterior comes a reworked interior and it certainly looks it. Behind the new three-spoke steering wheel sits a new gauge cluster that is at once, both nice to look at but slightly infuriating due to the small font of the numbers. However, the new TFT display between the gauges is a welcome addition. Front and center in the dash is the Chrysler UConnect 8.4" infotainment system that remains one of my favorites. The display is intuitive and has quick reaction to touchscreen inputs, the downside being fingerprint accumulation. The shifter, another sticky point of just a few years ago, has been revised to include actual detents based on gear selection so no longer did you have to look at the TFT display to see what gear you were in (take notes BMW). All in all, the interior feels pretty luxurious compared to the 2014 model.

Driving around some airport B roads, the Charger drives big but its firmly damped suspension helps it carry its weight with aplomb. It's only when you really lean into corners that you realize Sir Isaac Newton wasn't kidding. While the 300hp V6 doesn't allow for the tail out shenanigans of the Hemi, there's still enough power on tap to at least make the Charger sporting. One of the changes for 2015 is the Charger's move to electric power steering and three modes to change the steering feel: Normal, Comfort and Sport. Comfort mode makes the steering feel light and allows for easy parking maneuvers while Sport adds (artificial) heft and makes the Charger feel smaller than its 120" wheelbase would suggest. I did try to get the tail out (purely for testing purposes of course) and was able to, while using the shift paddles but 264lb-ft aren't enough to hold it out in a powerslide. That being said, the ZF-sourced 8 speed auto is a fantastic piece, offering seamless upshifts when cruising and quick downshifts when it detects you're approaching a corner. The paddles do work but don't expect dual-clutch levels of responsiveness from them. The brakes, single piston units front and rear, stop the big Charger with authority and exhibited little fade. Underway, the Charger is remarkably quiet and refined, the elderly Mercedes architecture showing itself with bank vault solidity and stiffness. Even though this is an elderly platform, kudos to Dodge (nee Chrysler) for the continuous refinement and tinkering to keep the LX architecture on par with new platforms.

As this is the SXT level, what you lose in power compared to the fire breathing uplevel Hemis (5.7L, 6.4L 6.2L Hellcat) you gain back in gas mileage. The EPA rates the V6 Charger at 19 city/31 highway and I averaged a respectable 26 mpg during my few-hours long flog...er, testing. All wheel drive is an option though it saps fuel economy by 1 and 4 in city/highway respectively. The 2016 Dodge Charger SXT Rallye is a big car and harkens back to a time when full sized, rear wheel drive cars ruled the road. While crossovers are the it-thing today, the Charger still gives its driver all-American bragging rights over plebian Accords and Camrys, if not at the dragstrip. For those chops, Dodge will gladly point you to the 707hp SRT Hellcat in the corner.


Many thanks to Ernie for helping facilitate this review!

Short Test - 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8

2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 tester


Base Price - $43780
Price as Tested - $47140
Basic Specs
Engine - 6.4 OHV V8 470hp, 470lb-ft of torque
Transmission - 5 speed automatic
Rear Wheel Drive
4 wheel independent suspension


You can hear it from down the street. I'm talking about the 6.4 liter beast of a HEMI engine as the vehicle comes into view. A subtle, yet guttural growl that announces its presence in a way that takes you back to the golden age of muscle cars (yes, yes, I wasn't born in time to partake of that era but I've watched enough videos and been around enough vintage cars to know that sound). The car in question is the 2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 (392 for the engine size in cubic inches if you're from that era) and it sounds mean. Dodge's modern take on the muscle car has been around since 2006 when it debuted in concept form at the North American International Auto Show to much acclaim from the public. Despite being modernized, it was obvious that the Challenger took its design cues from its 1960s predecessor. Based on a shortened version of Chrysler's LX platform (Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger/Magnum) the Challenger has low and mean look to it, that definitely exudes presence and aggression, something the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang lack.

SRT8 = Street & Racing Technology via 8 cylinders

My test vehicle was a Challenger SRT8 equipped with the aforementioned 6.4 HEMI V8, putting out 470hp and 470 lb-ft of torque through the rear wheels via a 5 speed automatic with a manual shift mode. The 6.4 is a revamped version of the 6.1 liter that debuted in the original 2008 SRT8 version with 45 more horses and with the addition of Chrysler's cylinder deactivation system in an effort to enhance fuel economy. The pre-2011 models had an interior directly transplanted from their 4 door brethren i.e. cheap, thin and plastic looking surfaces that were as dull to look at as they were atrocious to touch. Now under Fiat ownership, Chrysler has done a substantial redesign of the Challenger's interior, opting for high quality materials, a new three spoke steering wheel (a vast improvement over the previous truck-like version) and soft touch surfaces. The suspension also had a thorough revision, lowered with stiffer springs, dampers and a change in wheel camber to enhance stability and improve cornering. Despite all this, the Challenger is a heavy vehicle weighing north of 4100lbs and as such, doesn't change direction as eagerly as the smaller Mustang.


Upgraded Interior


Settling into the comfortable, leather clad driver seat, I felt at once enclosed and at one with the car. The cockpit is roomy but still had an enveloped feeling to it. The ground was still wet with the recent rain and the route (see previous Dodge Durango review) was not conducive to any sort of high speed hijinks or handling tests. Despite it's firmed up suspension, the SRT8 still had enough give to absorb the rough edges as we motored around the streets of Miami Beach. Turning onto a long straight, which was unusually devoid of traffic, my Dodge rep flicked the transmission into Sport, engaged first gear and uttered two of the loveliest words one can hear when driving this sort of car: "Floor it".

And I did.

20" wheels with Brembo brakes

What resulted was a melodious few seconds of V8 roar, the rear wheels instantly breaking traction and the rear end stepping out slightly but not to the extent that I couldn't catch it. Traction control quickly intervened, hooking up the rear tires and the Challenger simply bolted to the next traffic light with a speed and ferocity perfectly suited to this kind of car. The brakes, large dinner plate sized Brembos, were firm and powerful, bringing everything to a halt at the next traffic light. I looked in the rear view mirror to see both my father and nephew grinning wildly. The Dodge rep smiled and said, "That my friend is what this car is all about."

No doubt.

Short as it was, driving the Challenger SRT8 is an aural as well as visual treat. The HEMI constantly reminds of its presence but not to the point of annoyance and exterior look of car drew attention whichever way we turned. The SRT8 version isn't cheap by any means: with a base price of $43780 it hunts in the same class as the smaller and more powerful 550hp Mustang GT500 as well as the upcoming 580hp Chevy Camaro ZL1. However, if you just want the looks (and don't mind the smaller fuel bill...who doesn't want that?) a base Challenger with Chrysler's much improved 305hp 3.6 Pentastar V6 can be had for a base of $24895. If you just gotta have a V8, then the R/T version with the "base" 390hp 5.7 HEMI stickers for $29895.

Dodge has done an outstanding job with the Challenger, imbuing it with classic muscle car styling and the engine power (and sound) that will give any driver a taste of what it was like to live life a 1/4 mile at a time.

2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392

stock photo courtesy of www.egmcartech.com