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 Take - 2015 Dodge Dart

Ahh, the Dodge Neon. The automotive equivalent of a caveman, next to the more advanced Japanese set (to say nothing of the equally ancient Chevy Cobalt), it was a decent runabout of a compact car. However, in SRT form, it was the king of the sport compact car segment. What it lacked in the finesse of the Honda Civic Si/VW GTI set, it more than made up for in brute force. Whereas the Si was a high rpm VTEC screamer and the GTI brought a high tech 2.0L turbo, the SRT4 was armed with a large bore, fire spitting 2.4L with a large turbocharger. Like bringing a sledgehammer to a katana blade fight. So American.

But alas, the Neon was too rough-edged a thing to survive for long, popular as it was. Enter the quasi-SUV Dodge Caliber to take up the reins in 2007. But the Caliber came to market at a very weird and hostile time, not to mention it couldn't hold a candle to the quality of its competitors. From 2007 to 2012, the Caliber soldiered on, holding the compact candle for Chrysler while it divorced from Cerberus Capital Management Group (who we're pretty sure abused the company) into the welcoming arms of Fiat. Finally, we thought, here's a chance for Chrysler to finally get the love and tender care it needs to shine. The first product of this marriage would be a compact car based on the excellent platform of the European Alfa-Romeo Guilietta compact, slightly altered for bulky Americans (i.e. wider, longer).

Built on the Compact U.S. Wide (CUSW) platform, the Dart is on the larger side of the compact segment. However, designers did a fine job in differentiating it, not just from the Guilietta, but from pretty much everything else in the segment. If you squint really hard, you can see some elements of the Neon design in the body. From the rising belt line and large windshield in the front 3/4 view to the neat rump and large glass area. Resplendent in black paint and murdered-out black wheels, my tester was, err, murdered out. Tint the windows and you'd have a properly sinister, yet handsome looking compact. The headlights are large, yet (again blacked out) squint into a squashed Dodge cross-hair grille with a gaping maw down below, flanked by brake cooling ducts with integrated fog lights. Around back, the brake lights from Dodge's now signature 'race track' pattern that are unmistakable for anything else but a Dodge. Taken as a whole, the Dart looks purposeful and while not exactly pretty, is a good looking car.

Inside, things get even more interesting. The race track pattern on the tail lights is reflected in a lighted ring around the instrument cluster. The instruments themselves are large and easy read and feature a large LCD between the speedometer and tachometer for trip and vehicle information. The 8.4" UConnect system was large and as user friendly as the automotive press suggests. Bright, clear and with quick response to touch inputs, the system was a joy to use (take note Ford). The seats featured premium black cloth and while the fronts were wide and offered good support, I was a bit surprised at how little space there was in the back. For a compact car than on the larger side of the class, the Dart's backseat was short on legroom, despite having good width for elbows and shoulders. For comparison sake, the Toyota Corolla offers a huge backseat with limo-like legroom. Headroom was on the low side compared to others in the segment, but at least the materials were quality. Everywhere you're likely to place your hand felt decent to the touch, if not plush and luxurious. Occupying the driver's seat, all controls fell readily to hand. Interior wise, the Dart is a huge improvement over the Caliber's Rubbermaid-like cabin and felt like a larger car than it was, which some buyers will appreciate.

Under way, the Dart also drives like a larger car. Powering the front wheels is the 'Tigershark' 2.4L inline four cylinder, mustering 184hp and 172lb-ft of torque through a standard six speed manual transmission (a six speed automatic is optional). On an empty stretch of road, I timed a 0-60mph run from a standstill in a tick over 8 seconds, right in the thick of the compact segment. On the outside, revving the engine gave a somewhat pleasant exhaust note but cresting 4500 rpm the note turned thrashy and coarse. Though the 2.4L will rev willingly, it's not an engine that sounds particularly good doing so (see Honda Civic for that).  On some curvy roads and long sweepers, the Dart's Guilietta-based platform shines though. The strut-front and multilink rear suspension take a set and the Dart hunkers down through the corner. This being the SXT model, the suspension is softer but with a hint of Euro firmness that fought body roll at the limit. Understeer ultimately prevails, but the Dart didn't urge me to push it harder. Opt for the GT model and the suspension is even starchier though ride quality may suffer. Grab it by the nape and the car will play along, but it doesn't have the always-willing-to-play character of the Mazda3. While the Corolla will insist that you DESIST from any shenanigans behind the wheel, the Dart will prove entertaining and willing. However, the Dart is in its element loafing along at 70mph, the suspension doing its best Dodge Charger impression, soaking up bumps and giving a big-car ride. The steering is quick but was at times lifeless with little feedback on how far I was pushing the Dart. The six speed manual had long throws and I'd sometimes catch 4th when downshifting to 2nd. 

While the Dart's driving dynamics aren't top of the class, it will satisfy the technogeek with it's veritable list of standard and optional equipment. I can't say enough about the user friendly nature of the UConnect system and the availability of things like heated seats, satellite radio, rearview camera, Bluetooth, navigation and heated steering wheel. My black SXT tester came standard with the 2.4L/six speed manual and from there, was equipped with the Blacktop Package (black 18" wheels, black fog lamp surrounds, black exterior mirrors),8.4-Inch Touch Screen UConnect Group (Illuminated Instrument Panel Surround, iPod® Control, Remote USB Port as well as the aforementioned 8.4 touchscreen) and elements from the Rallye Appearance Group (Active Grille Shutters, black Crosshair grille with black surround, dual rear exhaust with bright tips, fog lamps, leather-wrapped steering wheel, touring suspension, rear stabilizer bar, underbody aerodynamic treatment). As tested price is $21,128 (including $995 destination). As value or money, the Dart ix excellent for the price. It's a decent drive and includes a plethora of technology that nowadays is essential for any modern car buyer. If you're looking for a driver's car, you could do worse (ahem, Hyundai Elantra) but as an all around daily driver, the Dodge Dart is a great choice. Mopar fans clamoring for a return of the SRT4 will have to wait till 2017.

Hat tip to Doug for helping to make this review possible!