The following review is for a 2022 Model Year. There may be minor changes to current model you are looking at.

Introduction

The Dodge Challenger is an old-school muscle car with only two doors, rear-wheel drive and available with huge, huge horsepower in a model whose name has already become iconic: Hellcat. For 2022 Dodge throws the book at the image with a new edition called the Jailbreak, which comes in more colors; meanwhile the Hellcat Redeye Widebody has increased its top speed to 203 mph. 

The Challenger engine options start with a V-6 making 303 horsepower in the two bottom models, then five models with V-8s of three cubic-inch sizes and horsepower ranging from 375 to 807 (not a typo). The V-6 is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, in rear-wheel drive with available all-wheel drive, while the V-8s are only RWD and come standard with a 6-speed manual transmission. If you want the 8-speed automatic, it's optional. 

If you need a four-door there's the similar Dodge Charger; however the Challenger is a muscle car with room for kids in the rear seat, and a big trunk. And it defies the old expectations, with comfortable front seats, standard cloth upholstery, and modern technology with touchscreen infotainment. 

Even in gas mileage, it's certainly better than the old days, with that 303-hp V-6 EPA-rated at 19/30/23 mpg, with rear-wheel drive; with all-wheel drive it gets 18/27/21 mpg. The smaller of the V-8s, 5.7 liters, gets 16/25/19 mpg with the 8-speed automatic, and it doesn't need premium fuel, as the 6.4-liter does. It gets 15/24/18 mpg with the automatic, and 17 combined mpg with the 6-speed manual. The 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 Hellcat gets 13/22/16 mpg. 

No automatic emergency braking is available. The NHTSA gives it five stars in crash safety. 

Lineup

Made in Canada, the Challenger comes in no fewer than 11 versions: SXT, GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, SRT Hellcat, SRT Hellcat Redeye, SRT Super Stock, and the new SRT Jailbreak Edition; and there are three widebody types. It's rear-wheel drive except in the lower two V-6 models, where all-wheel drive costs $3,000. 

The SXT with a 3.6-liter V-6 with an 8-speed automatic transmission costs $31,275, and is equipped with a power driver seat with houndstooth cloth upholstery, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and dual-zone climate control. 

The Challenger R/T Scat Pack comes with a 485-hp 6.4-liter V-8, RWD and a 6-speed gearbox for $43,600. Add the automatic for $1,595. It also has four-piston Brembo brakes, big wide tires on 20-inch wheels, and a nice cockpit with an 8.4-inch touchscreen, heated front seats, and a heated steering wheel. 

The SRT models add at least $20,000. At $83,575, the SRT Super Stock has the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 with 807 horsepower. It has extreme 11-inch wide wheels with a smaller diameter of 18 inches and drag-race-like tires that are street legal (but be careful in rain), a modified suspension with adaptive dampers, an active exhaust system, and other performance tweaks. 

The Widebody versions of Scat Pack, Hellcat, and Redeye add a 2.5-inch wider track and wider 20×11-inch alloy wheels with fat Pirelli P Zeros sized 305/35ZR20. 

The Challenger comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty. 

Walkaround

Not surprisingly, the Challenger is wide and low with big shoulders. Its physique is about attitude, not aerodynamics. It's been around for 14 years now, and its exterior has barely changed. It has a long hood with a big scoop, and wide grille with retro quad headlines, with optional orange trim. 

The standard wheels are big enough at 18 inches, but 20-inchers are available, along with other options like racing stripes, vivid colors, and graphics that try to get attention. 

Interior

The Challenger has things they didn't think of back when muscle cars were common, such as an instrument panel canted toward the driver, not to mention a touchscreen, which in the Challenger is easy to use, and contains all the performance gauges. 

The horizontal lines in the cabin are smooth, but outward vision is blocked by thick rear roof pillars. 

The front seats are ample, big and wide but contoured, generally comfortable especially for broad people, and come in durable fabric with a houndstooth pattern, or leather in upper models, optional on lower ones. 

Adults will have to squeeze in the rear. Technically, three can fit, but not even two will be very comfortable, with just 33.1 inches of leg room, Youngsters will be fine. If the Challenger is compared to a Mustang and Camaro, it comes out ahead, with a 6-inch advantage in wheelbase. 

The 60/40 rear bench folds to enlarge the already big 16.2-cubic-foot trunk. 

Driving Impression

The Challenger's weight, between 3,858 and about 4,500 pounds, takes the edge off acceleration, handling and braking, but it admirably meets the challenge. In the SRT-tweaked models, the handling rises well above that of a usual muscle car. 

The 3.6-liter V-6 is a proven workhorse engine, now making an impressive 303 horsepower and slightly less impressive 268 lb-ft of torque, which drive its models from 0-60 mph in an acceptable 6.3 seconds, not bad for that weight. 

The R/T Scat Pack uses the giant 6.4-liter V-8 that makes 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. Its standard beefy 6-speed manual gearbox has a big, fun, old-fashioned shifter, with a new-fashioned smooth gate and progressive clutch that will bring a smile to the driver's face and make them appreciate the car's character. The 8-speed automatic is quicker, if you want to spend $1,600. Adaptive Bilstein shocks are programmable, so the Scat Pack can be thrilling on the track and comfortable on the road. 

The 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 Hellcat is unlike any car in the world, with 717 horsepower and 656 pound-feet of torque and a speed of 199 mph, after a 0-60 mph time of 3.5 seconds. Things escalate quickly from there. There's the Redeye, with 797 hp and 707 lb-ft, and a time of 3.4 seconds. Oh yes, and the SRT Super Stock, with 807 horsepower and a 0-6 time of 3.3 seconds. There are actually quicker accelerating cars in the world, including electric, but nothing has the visceral feel of 807 supercharged horsepower from a giant V-8 with a manual gearbox. 

After hitting 203 miles per hour, the car needs to stop. The Scat Pack and Hellcat get 6-piston Brembo front calipers, and 4-piston rears, with big vents in the Redeye and giant 15.4-inch front rotors, for strong braking capability. 

Summary

The 2022 Dodge Challenger drives like an anti-electric car. It may be one of the last muscle-car coupes to wave the flag, but it still works extremely well, especially in the right-priced R/T and Scat Pack editions. 

 

-by Sam Moses with driving impressions by The Car Connection.