The muscle car look of the 1960s and 1970s was one that we admired and still think back to and discuss. Nothing was more evident in muscle cars than the front ends that we square and angry along with the sleek shape from the hood to the roof that finished in a fast back style or at a small but important flair at the rear. Riding on large wheels with powerful and loud engines under the hood these cars gave the ultimate joy ride to owners who might race them for bragging rights or just test them out at the track to experience the amazing features of these awesome machines.
With Dodge bringing back the Challenger we have a true muscle car that enters the modern age and has the computerization needed to make the most use of the power from under the hood along with the capability that is offered from the suspension and steering. If you are looking for a car that has the style you admired from the days gone by while giving you the amazing combination of features you want on a car of today, the Challenger is the right choice for your driving pleasure.
Taking the Challenger out for a spin is certainly hazardous to anyone who is watching nearby. The sound and feeling of pure awesome power just might cause a coronary for those with weaker constitutions than yours. The raw power under the hood, especially at the SRT Hellcat model is simply insane. The drive in this beauty is certainly planted, aggressive and confident allowing you to maneuver through some corners in a fashion that is more aggressive than some other sports cars on the market today. You can dial back the power for younger and less experienced drivers when you choose the Hellcat, but you will want to have maximum power available for your own driving experience.
Looking at the features the Challenger brings to the party we see the Uconnect infotainment system with the 5.0-inch touchscreen, Bluetooth connectivity, USB and auxiliary ports, a six-speaker audio system, a six-way power driver’s seat, a leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, dual zone automatic climate controls and remote starting. There are ten trims to choose from and each one comes with its own list of great features for you to enjoy on that particular trim level to give you the right Challenger to drive.
Looking to the options you see that the Challenger has a wide range of trim and packages to enjoy. With ten trim and thirteen option packages you can practically create your own Challenger to drive. Some of these great features include the Uconnect system with the 8.4-inch touchscreen, a navigation system and an audio system that includes SiriusXM radio. Some of the packages to consider are the R/T Classic Package, the Technology Group, three different Sound Groups, a Super Sport Group, a Super Track Pak group and the Scat Pack Appearance Group all to give you a great selection in order to have the Challenger you want to drive.
You might think the Challenger is all about the performance, but one look inside and you will see it’s about the comfort as well. With the touchscreen at the center of the stack and plenty of control features your drive will be full of the information you want so you know what is going on with every system of the car. The seats are comfortable and spacious up front and the rear seat can fit three people even though it’s a bit smaller. There is a large trunk in order to give you space for all your stuff to go along with you on the drive, making this a great car for a cross country trek.
On the outside you see what you expect to from the front to the rear. This car looks like it came straight out of the muscle car world that has passed us by but also gives us a modern feeling. You will feel a significant attraction to a car that is so bold in its appearance and gorgeous in its style that gives you chills and memories of a car that would easily rip through the competition on the track.
The Challenger does come at a wide price range, and with ten trims that should really not be a surprise. the base SXT trim the price shows up at $27,990 while the R/T starts its life at $32,990 and the R/T Scat Pack comes in around $40,000. Moving to the SRT 392 will ask for a little over $51,000 and the monster power beast the SRT Hellcat tops the pricing off at $65,653 to bring you the most powerful Challenger ever and certainly a bargain when you compare the price with other models that have similar horsepower to offer you.
Speaking of horsepower, we save the best for last. The Challenger shows up with four different engines for you to choose from. At the SXT model the engine is a 3.6-liter V6 that can make 305 horsepower and 268 lb.-ft. of torque. This is a great way to have over 300 horsepower and the fuel mileage of 19 city/30 hwy mpg along with a great eight-speed automatic transmission to fully enjoy a ride you can take every day in this great version of the Challenger.
Next is the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 which offers 372 horsepower and 400 lb.-ft. of torque with the automatic transmission along with 375 horsepower and 410 lb.-t. of torque for the six-speed manual transmission. This is the engine for the R/T model and brings you fuel numbers of 16 city/25 hwy mpg for the automatic while the manual will make 15 city/23 hwy mpg. Third is the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 that is placed in the Scat Pack and SRT 392 offering you 485 horsepower and 475 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine uses the same two transmissions as the 5.7 Hemi giving you fuel numbers of 15 city/25 hwy mpg in the automatic and 14 city/23 hwy mpg in the manual.
Finally, the top of the power platform for the Challenger is the SRT Hellcat which is powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged Hemi V8 engine bringing in 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque. This engine uses the same two trannys and gives you 13 city/22 hwy mpg in automatic while the manual reaches 13 city/21 hwy mpg. Regardless of which Challenger is right for you the one you want will be waiting at your Dodge dealer, come on in and let them show you the car you want to enjoy some awesome driving in.
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