When all is said and done, no matter what options you choose the Charger is one terrific car. It looks bold and brazen, perfect for its mission as the Ram-badged brand's flagship sedan, performs with few faults, yet is extremely refined. I didn't feel a single shake or hear one rattle when driving it on the open road, nor when punishing it around the racetrack. Despite the low-speed rumble of the HEMI's exhaust note, it's not overly imposing. Actually, it's quiet at highway speeds. The Charger, whether in V6 or V8 trim, is an extremely impressive new sedan, that I believe will sell amazingly well. Man I wish I'd bought DaimlerChrysler stock when it was low a few years ago. Those days are gone, unfortunately, or fortunately if you're a Chrysler Group exec, but the muscle car era is alive and well, thanks to cars like the Charger.
Specifications:
- Price Range (MSRP): $22,320 - $36,475
- Body Type: 4-door sedan
- Layout: front engine, RWD
- Base Engine: 190-hp, 190 lb-ft of torque, 2.7L, 24-valve DOHC V6
- Optional Engine: 250-hp, 250 lb-ft of torque, 3.5L, 24-valve SOHC V6
- Optional Engine: 340 hp, 390 lb-ft of torque, 5.7L, 16-valve, OHV HEMI V8
- Optional Engine: 350 hp, 390 lb-ft of torque, 5.7L, 16-valve, OHV HEMI V8
- Transmission: 4-spd auto (optional 5-spd auto with manual mode with 3.5L V6 and 5.7L V8)
- Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS with EBD
- Curb Weight (min - max): 3,727 - 4,031 lbs
- Seating Capacity: 5
- Cargo Volume (trunk): 16.2 cu ft
- Fuel Economy (estimated city/hwy): 21 / 31 mpg (2.7L)
- Warranty (mo/miles): 36/36,000 comprehensive - 60/60,000 powertrain
- Direct Competitors: Acura TL, Audi A4/A6, Buick LaCrosse/Lucerne, BMW 3-Series/5-Series, Chevrolet Malibu/Impala, Honda Accord, Hyundai Sonata/Azera, Infiniti G35/M35/45, Lincoln LS, Kia Optima, Mazda 6, Mercedes-Benz C-Class/E-Class, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima/Maxima, Pontiac G6/Grand Prix/Bonneville, Subaru Legacy, Suzuki Verona, Toyota Camry/Avalon, Volkswagen Passat, Volvo S60/S80
- Web Site: www.dodge.com
*Note: Exactly what is the 9-land steering gear that comes as part of the upgraded Performance Handling Group or Road/Track Performance Group, depending on which press release you read? According to Chrysler Group's Joe Grace, "The steering gear for the Charger has a nine land valve which improves steering feel by improved damping characteristics especially in aggressive cornering."
But wait, there's more. As seen at Allpar.com, an engineer explained the 9-land gear in much greater detail: "Imagine a shaft that is not round, but has nine sides, and is inside a round tube. That creates 9 separate passages (between the outside flat surfaces of the shaft and the round inner surface of the tube). When the engine is running, power steering fluid enters at the base, and exits through ports in the tube's sides. When you drive straight, there is no power assist because the fluid is passed through the tube tangentially, so all the road feel from the tires come up to the steering wheel. As you enter a turn, at slower speeds, you can turn the wheel faster with less effort because the 9 sides act like a vane pump or pinwheel in a garden sprinkler; the faster the wheel turns, the more fluid passes through, and the more assist you get. In reality it's a little more complicated, but this gets the gist of it across. In my opinion, it is simply a band-aid to a poor, probably Mercedes-based design."
