Although a family-friendly four-door sedan, the Charger is also a thoroughly modern muscle car -- menacing, and poised for action.
Men, I suggest the next time your wife wants to shop for an SUV that you swing by Mountain View Dodge in Ringgold, Ga., and bring home a Charger like today's Pitch Black tester. While you're at it, point out that it has four doors, ample seating for five, and a trunk as big as a college dorm room. (An observation: Of all the creative color names I've seen on automobiles over the years, I think Pitch Black is my favorite. It perfectly captures the edgy vibe the Charger aims to create.)
The Dodge Charger gets new sheet metal for 2015.As part of its corporate centennial year, Dodge has redesigned the Charger for 2015, adding some modern character lines to its popular retro rocket.
Our SE-trim test car, provided by Mountain View Dodge sales consultant Eric Hill, stickers for $32,870. The price for a base Charger starts at about $28,000 and climbs to over $60,000 for the other-worldly, 707-horsepower Charger SRT Hellcat. A Charger in R/T trim with a 370 horsepower V-8 Hemi engine, a good option for driving enthusiasts on a budget, starts at $33,990.
STYLING AND FEATURES
If you don't appreciate the Charger's sexy sheet metal, you might want to skip the rest of this report and get back to shopping for minivans. But if photos of the Charger quicken your pulse, please read on.
Dodge says the new Charger borrows some body contours from the classic, 1969 Charger, but it also looks like it belongs squarely in the 21st century. LED running lights that wrap around the headlamps and the black mesh grille are unmistakably modern styling cues. Meanwhile the silhouette of the car, with its swept roof line and compact windows, looks like something out of a Hot Wheels car collection, circa 1970.
Our tester sports 18-inch, five-spoke aluminum wheels shod with performance Michelins, a package that adds to the Charger's aggressive stance. The wheel upgrade is part of a $995 sport appearance package that also includes a body-colored rear spoiler. The "popular equipment group" ($595) adds a rear parking assist system, remote start for cold winter days and a one-year subscription to satellite radio. The power sunroof package, a $1,295 upgrade, also includes a universal garage-door opener.
Inside, the Charger is not exactly Spartan, but neither is it opulent. True to its muscle car DNA, the dash is uncluttered and the gauges put a premium on driver feedback. There is both an analog and a digital speedometer, which came in handy as I misjudged my speed several times on I-75 and had to throttle back our big, black Charger.
Fast facts
Model: 2015 Dodge Charger Exterior color: Pitch Black Interior color: Black Engine: 3.6-liter V-6 Horsepower: 292 * Transmission: eight-speed automatic Fuel economy: 31 mpg highway, 19 mpg city Dealer: Mountain View Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram Price (as tested): $32,870
I especially appreciated the beefy new, three-spoke steering wheel which helps support the heavier-than-average steering weight. The way the new shifter fills up your fist is also a nice touch. Upper trim levels have paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel for those times that you want to override the eight-speed automatic transmission and pick your own shift points.
Room in the back seat is fine for three, as long as the center passenger isn't too wide in the hips.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
Sometimes I go months without driving a rear-wheel-drive sedan and forget how much rear-wheel power improves a car's balance and handling. With the front wheels freed from pulling the car, steering is unencumbered by competing forces. Rear-wheel-drive cars accelerate faster and feel more neutral through corners. Front-wheel-drive cars, meanwhile, are better when road conditions are less than ideal, but sacrifice handling.
All that is to say, the rear-wheel-drive Charger is a pleasure to drive. We found the base, 3.6-liter V-6 to be more than adequate for cruising and commuting. If you want to burn rubber, try the V-8s. All-wheel-drive is an option on six-cylinder models but not on V-8 equipped Chargers.
On our afternoon test drive on I-75, the Charger wanted to ignore the speed limit. The ride is so quiet and composed that you'll need to use cruise control in most situations to make sure you don't accidentally find yourself on the wrong side of the law.
On fast accelerations, like merging onto a freeway, the Charger has linear reflexes and no perceptible torque steer, which tends to be a bigger problem in front-wheel-drive cars.
I found the driving position inside the Charger to be comfortable, and visibility is pretty good, considering the car's smallish windows. Our tester had nice fabric seats, although leather seating surfaces are available.
BOTTOM LINE
For those of us who remember (and cherish) the original muscle-car era in the 1960s, cars like the Dodge Charger are just about irresistible. The fact that the Charger is also a reasonable daily driver for small families only adds to its appeal.
Dodge says the Charger should get about 31 miles per gallon highway and 19 mpg city, which isn't bad -- especially with today's sub $2-a-gallon gas prices.
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.