2019 Dodge Charger Review

　　

zzdcar' Expert Review

byKurt NiebuhrSenior Vehicle Test Editor

　　Kurt Niebuhr has worked in the automotive industry since 2005. A automotive photographer by trade, Kurt is now one of zzdcar' high-performance test drivers. He's driven and photographed hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles all over the world, so Kurt's library of automotive experiences would certainly make for a good book. When not dreaming about getting his racing license or trying to buy out-of-date film for his cameras, Kurt can usually be found cursing at his 1966 Mustang.

　　

What's new

New interior and exterior styling tweaksRevised trim level names and feature availabilityPart of the seventh Charger generation introduced in 2011

　　The 2019 Dodge Charger isn't a sensible car for sensible drivers. Instead, it's for drivers who want a car that looks cool, makes cool noises, goes obscenely fast and comes in colors such as Go Mango, Plum Crazy, TorRed and White Knuckle. If you're looking for something state-of-the-art, fuel-efficient, refined and anonymously styled, the Charger is not your car.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2019 Dodge Charger SXT 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 8A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$159/mo  for Charger SXT

　　Charger SXT

　　SXT 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 8A) (Most Popular) - $29,220 MSRPSXT 4dr Sedan AWD (3.6L 6cyl 8A) - $33,320 MSRPGT 4dr Sedan (3.6L 6cyl 8A) - $31,495 MSRPR/T 4dr Sedan (5.7L 8cyl 8A) - $35,995 MSRPScat Pack 4dr Sedan (6.4L 8cyl 8A) - $39,995 MSRPSRT Hellcat 4dr Sedan (6.2L 8cyl S/C 8A) - $65,545 MSRP

　　vs

　　$197/mo

　　Avg. Large Car

　　It is practical, though. Four doors, a roomy cabin, and a raft of safety features make the Charger a legitimate choice for family duty. A broad range of standard and optional creature comforts let you tailor the Charger to taste, while the car's Uconnect infotainment interface remains one of the best around. It's even available with all-wheel drive, which helps bolster this performance sedan's usability in inclement weather.

　　For 2019, Dodge has made a few updates as well. The SRT Hellcat gets a new grille and features to help improve drag-racing performance, including a line lock, a launch assist feature, torque reserve, and after-run chiller. Below that, the SRT R/T Scat Pack gets new styling options and available adaptive suspension dampers. Charger GT and R/T models receive a host of chassis and electronic upgrades, including a performance suspension, a new rear axle ratio and recalibrated steering.

　　These changes help keep the Charger fresh. The latest generation has seemingly been around forever (since 2011), yet it's still one of our favorite big sedans. It's the only one that blends classic hot-rod performance and style with modern sensibility.

　　Notably, we picked the 2019 Dodge Charger as one of zzdcar' Best AWD Sedans for this year.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating

7.4 / 10

　　

Trim tested

　　Each vehicle typically comes in multiple versions that are fundamentally similar. The ratings in this review are based on our full test of the Dodge Charger Daytona 392 (6.4L V8 | 8-speed automatic | RWD).

　　NOTE: Since this test was conducted in 2018, the current Charger has received some minor revisions, including new trim level names and feature availability. Our findings remain applicable to this year's Charger, however.

　　

Scorecard

Overall	7.4 / 10
Driving	8.0
Comfort	7.0
Interior	7.0
Utility	6.5
Technology	8.0

　　

Driving

8.0

　　For its intended purpose, the Charger is excellent. It launches like a Saturn V rocket, makes glorious noises along the way, and has respectable handling prowess. Its steering and low-speed throttle response are disappointing. But as a performance package, the Charger is hard to beat.

　　

Acceleration

9.0

　　This is a big and heavy car that gets going in a hurry. At our test track, it accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds — very impressive for a 4,400-pound car. Passing power is never an issue.

　　

Braking

9.0

　　Braking performance is excellent. Repeated heavy brake use showed no fade. In town, the pedal response feels a bit soft at first, but short stopping distances inspire confidence. On our test track, a simulated-panic stop from 60 mph took just 102 feet.

　　

Steering

6.5

　　The steering is well-weighted, and the chunky steering wheel feels good in your hands. But there's hardly any road feel. You'll have little idea what the front tires are doing. The steering supposedly stiffens up in Sport mode, but it's hard to notice.

　　

Handling

7.5

　　Through high-speed corners, the Charger stays surprisingly flat. Unfortunately, it's not a very engaging experience since you don't feel connected to the car. Notably, midcorner bumps can degrade stability and cause a lot of movement at the rear of the car.

　　

Drivability

6.0

　　The gas pedal is overly sensitive at tip-in. Flex your big toe and the Charger bolts off the line. The only remedy is to be super gentle. Around town, the big Dodge is respectably maneuverable, and there's never a lack of power on long highway grades.

　　

Comfort

7.0

　　The Charger's seats and ride are firm but bearable. The climate control's performance is adequate on hot days, and you're well-insulated from road noise inside. It's a good car for road trips. For a performance car of this caliber, it's very livable.

　　

Seat comfort

8.5

　　There are big, comfy seats up front with lots of bolstering and plenty of lumbar support. The rear seats have similarly supportive padding. Overall, these seats will keep you comfortable on a long road trip and keep you in place when the road gets twisty.

　　

Ride comfort

6.0

　　You can feel just about every bump on the road, but the significant amount of sound insulation mutes the noise that some rough roads generate. Ride comfort suffers if you drive over a midcorner bump.

　　

Noise & vibration

6.0

　　There's always one noise or vibration of some kind happening in the Charger. The 6.4-liter engine rumbles nicely, but it wears on you on long trips. The tires are a bit noisy over 50 mph, too. Everything is damped down by a lot of sound insulation to make it bearable, but it's not a hushed cabin.

　　

Interior

7.0

　　A very roomy and user-friendly interior makes the Charger an excellent place to spend time. But poor visibility and troublesome rear-seat entry hurt the score a bit. From the driver's seat, most owners will have an enjoyable experience.

　　

Ease of use

8.0

　　Thanks to the combination of the easy-to-use Uconnect interface and some redundant buttons and knobs on the steering wheel and dashboard, this is a very user-friendly interior. Not much searching for controls is required.

　　

Getting in/getting out

6.5

　　The rear sloping roofline means an adult will have a hard time getting into and out of the back seat without grazing his or her head. Getting into the front is easy thanks to wide door openings, but the driver's seat is mounted a bit low.

　　

Driving position

7.5

　　The driving position feels right. There's a standard tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, and the controls are within an arm's reach. The driver's seat has plenty of adjustability.

　　

Roominess

7.0

　　The Charger is spacious on the inside, especially in the front seat. The back seat has a suitable amount of shoulder room, hip- and headroom for two adults and one kid in the middle. But other large sedans are a little more accommodating in back.

　　

Visibility

5.5

　　The big roof pillars impede your view. A small rear window and a sloping windshield both affect visibility, too. When going around a turn, it's difficult to get a clean look of where you're headed.

　　

Utility

6.5

　　The trunk is average, while small-item storage is subpar. Car seat accommodation is merely acceptable. Sure, it can be a usable family vehicle on daily drives, but there are better choices for holding a bunch of stuff.

　　

Small-item storage

6.5

　　The door and center console pockets are small, and they're paired with small can-size cupholders. Rear-seat storage is limited, too. This isn't uncharacteristic for the class, but it's also not a standout.

　　

Cargo space

6.5

　　The trunk has a decent 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space. But there's a high liftover, and the space narrows significantly toward the back. This is typical of American cars in the class, but non-performance-oriented competitors do much better.

　　

Child safety seat accommodation

6.5

　　The LATCH anchors are hard to find and get to. The back seat is big enough for bulkier safety seats. But the Charger's low roof makes it difficult to load a seat and attend to a child.

　　

Technology

8.0

　　Dodge's Uconnect system is one of the best in the class. It responds quickly to inputs and catalogs music collections with lightning speed. An optional 19-speaker stereo drives up the price quite a bit — we'd skip that particular option — but voice controls and navigation are excellent.

　　

Audio & navigation

7.0

　　The optional 19-speaker stereo gets loud, and sound quality is decent. But it's not worth the price premium over the standard sound systems. The navigation is effective and easy to use.

　　

Smartphone integration

8.5

　　Uconnect responds instantly to inputs and helps you navigate through your media library quickly. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on the Charger regardless of trim level.

　　

Driver aids

7.5

　　Rear camera and rear parking sensors are standard. The Technology Group option adds adaptive cruise, forward collision warning and lane keeping assist. All work well, with no false positives. The adaptive cruise is relatively conservative and maintains long following distances.

　　

Voice control

8.0

　　The native voice controls are very easy to learn, and they can control navigation, audio and connected devices. The Uconnect system understands natural language and has an easy-to-learn menu structure if you want voice controls to be understood quicker.

　　

Which Charger does zzdcar recommend?

　　While Dodge sells plenty of Chargers with the V6, this big sedan is at its best with a V8 under the hood. Consideration should begin with the R/T, which comes well equipped with the essentials plus some luxuries such as heated seats. If you can afford it, step up to the Scat Pack powered by the 392 (6.4-liter) 485-horsepower V8. We'd also add the Driver Confidence and Technology packages for their driver assistance features and xenon headlights.

　　

2019 Dodge Charger models

　　The 2019 Dodge Charger is a five-passenger, four-door sedan available in five main trim levels: SXT, GT, R/T, Scat Pack and SRT Hellcat. The SXT and GT trims come with the V6, while the others come with increasingly powerful V8 engines culminating in the 707-horsepower Hellcat. Rear-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available on the SXT trim.

　　The SXT starts with a 3.6-liter V6 engine (292 hp, 260 lb-ft of torque) matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission. From there, standard features include 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and ignition, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, a power-adjustable driver's seat, and a 60/40-split folding back seat. Tech features include Dodge's Uconnect infotainment system with a 7-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth, dual USB ports, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and a six-speaker sound system with satellite radio.

　　When you opt for the all-wheel-drive version of the SXT, you also get an uprated version of the 3.6-liter V6 engine (300 hp and 264 lb-ft), 19-inch wheels, LED foglights, heated mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, upgraded cloth upholstery, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, Uconnect with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, HD radio, a 4G LTE in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, and an upgraded six-speaker sound system.

　　Next up is the GT. It's equipped similarly to SXT AWD trim but has rear-wheel drive, 20-inch wheels, and suspension and styling enhancements. The R/T is equipped similarly to the GT, but it comes with a 5.7-liter V8 engine (370 hp, 395 lb-ft).

　　The Scat Pack adds to the R/T a bigger 6.4-liter V8 engine (485 hp, 475 lb-ft), Brembo high-performance brakes, a limited-slip rear differential, heavy-duty engine cooling, and power-adjustable front seats.

　　For the above trim levels, a variety of optional packages are available. Highlight features include xenon headlights, an upgraded suspension and tires, a panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, a navigation system, a Harman Kardon sound system, a power-adjustable steering wheel, and heated rear seats. For added safety, check out the Technology Group package that includes most of today's important driver assistance features.

　　Finally, the SRT Hellcat tops the Charger line with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 (707 hp, 650 lb-ft), upgraded steering and suspension tuning, and almost all of the above options.

　　

2019 Charger Highlights

Type: SRT HellcatSedanSedan

　　Trim: SXTGTR/TScat PackSRT HellcatSXT

　　

Base MSRP	$29,220
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	23 MPG
Cost to Drive	$159/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.5 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	rear wheel drive
Warranty	3 years / 36,000 miles