First Charger reviews hit the internwebs

[Intrepidation]

First Charger reviews are in

Car and Driver First Drive

To make customers happy, all versions of the Charger get dual exhaust tips and the option of up to 20-inch wheels (17-inch aluminum wheels are standard). Choose the right options, and the V-6 Charger can look just like the Hemi V-8 version, spoiler and all. For those who can’t resist the lure of the Hemi engine, the 5.7-liter V-8 carries over from last year with an expected 370 horsepower. That engine has no trouble fulfilling the Charger’s muscle-car contract. But the V-6 isn’t the rental-fleet special any more. The corporate 250-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and the 178-hp, 2.7-liter V-6 are dead, replaced by a new 3.6-liter V-6 that will make an estimated 292 horsepower. Both the V-6 and V-8 use a carry-over five-speed automatic; more gears are rumored for the future. While the six lacks the deep rumble and torque of the V-8, it can accelerate the Charger with plenty of thrust (we estimate 0 to 60 in 6.5 seconds). Despite the added V-6 power, the new engine should achieve fuel economy in the neighborhood of 18 city and 26 highway, numbers that would match the far less powerful 2.7-liter V-6, thanks to the five-speed transmission (up from four) and the new, more slippery body.

Larger side glass, the small sail windows in front of the C-pillars, and the slightly lower beltline increase the glazed area by 15 percent and remove the previous car’s high-waisted, tank-like cabin ambience, especially in the back seat.

Dodge also addressed our primary gripe with the previous ­Charger: its Chinese-car interior quality. Dashboard plastics now have leathery graining, seat fabrics have moved out of the econobox realm, and all the pillars are now covered in headliner fabric instead of plastic. Plus, there’s real aluminum trim on the dashboard, and soft surfaces welcome resting elbows. A 4.3-inch touch screen is standard and controls the radio, climate, and vehicle settings. Opt for navigation, and the display grows to 8.6 inches of  big-screen glory. There’s noise-absorbing laminated glass in the windshield, and the front side windows are double-paned to further quiet the cabin. The last hints that Daimler once owned Dodge—the Mercedes turn-signal, wiper, and cruise-control stalks—are all gone, replaced by Dodge’s own parts. A new smaller-diameter steering wheel, wrapped in soft leather, hosts buttons for radio tuning, volume, cruise control, and the trip computer.

Dodge left the brakes, the chassis layout, and the 120-inch wheelbase alone, which is fine by us. The multilink front and rear suspensions remain, but the Charger has been retuned to feel smaller, more agile, and sportier despite its full size and expected weight increase.

A big part of  the Charger’s sportier feel is a new, quicker steering rack (2.5 turns lock-to-lock versus 2.8 turns in the old car) that now features electrohydraulic assistance to save fuel. Effort remains on the light side, but the prompt steering makes the Charger feel more manageable and smaller than it used to. Turn-in is more immediate, and the wheel loads up slightly in response to cornering loads. Pointed straight, the precision of the new steering makes the previous car feel as if it had a vintage, recirculating-ball system. All-wheel drive remains available, but the feature is now a stand-alone option. Previously, all-wheel drive meant a raised ride height that would elicit the question, “Where’s the flood?” For 2011, Dodge has lowered the AWD model’s suspension by one inch, bringing its stance nearly in line with that of other Chargers.

A careful mining of  Dodge’s past gives the new car enough retro touches to tie it to the Chargers of  yore. But Dodge didn’t throw out what so many people loved about the previous generation. Though they’ve been tweaked a bit, the forward-canted crosshair grille, the glaring headlights, and the fighting-bull stance remain. Yes, the Charger’s still a bad-ass, but it’s now a better car to live with. In other words, it is managing its anger quite well.

Insideline First Drive

Most obvious is the new sheet metal, which is more faithful to the revered 1968-'70 Dodge Chargers without making the car look too old to cop an attitude. Indeed, the new front fascia is just as scary as Giants' closer Brian Wilson's beard.

Dig deeper into the 2011 Dodge Charger and you'll note that the carmaker has bulldozed the 2010 car's plasticky interior, retuned the suspension and swapped out the wheezy, old V6 engines for a new 3.6-liter Pentastar motor.

While the engineers were busy, the accountants found room to cut the price. You can have a Pentastar V6-equipped 2011 Dodge Charger SE for $25,995 — $200 less than a 2010 Charger with the 3.5-liter V6. Better yet, Dodge has lopped a full $2 grand off the base price of the V8-equipped Charger R/T ($30,995).

The least aggressive Touring suspension is also standard if you order all-wheel drive ($2,150) on your 2011 Dodge Charger R/T, and our test car has it — in combination with 19-inch wheels and all-season tires. The big sedan feels a little soft through the tight turns on Highway 1, but there's a grace and fluidity to it that the previous Charger never had. This improvement takes on more significance when you note that the new car is heavier — mostly because Dodge had to reinforce the unit body to improve crash performance.

In an effort to prove just how much better the revised car handles, Dodge lets us loose at Infineon Raceway for some hot laps.

It's trustworthy for a big lug and it gets sideways in a predictable and endearing fashion.

Dodge hasn't made any changes to the drivetrain on R/T models, but the fact that there's a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with an estimated 370 horsepower available at all for the 2011 model year should make you happy.

On the other end of the spectrum, getting a V6 Charger is now a viable option, as the new Pentastar V6 engine is expected to make just over 290 hp and 260 pound-feet of torque. You're not stuck with a four-speed automatic anymore, either, as the five-speed auto is standard with the V6, too. Look for an 18 city/26 highway mpg rating on the V6 Charger.

Maybe the most shocking thing about our 2011 Dodge Charger R/T test car is how modern and ergonomic the interior feels. There's an 8.4-inch touchscreen (optional on all trim levels) in the center of the soft-touch dash, and it's neatly integrated into the same bezel as the attractive gauge pack. The new steering wheel is a bit heavy on the buttons, but comfortable to grip at 9 and 3. Finding a good driving position is easy, and we'd have no qualms about sticking with our tester's standard cloth upholstery.

The navigation system uses Garmin software, and though the street labeling isn't as consistent as it could be, there's no arguing with the colorful display and simple destination entry. If you've ever used a Garmin Nuvi, you can use this nav system without ever cracking the manual.

Keyless access, a USB jack, a driver knee airbag and laminated windshield and side-window glass are standard on all 2011 Chargers. Dodge is making a point of offering all the upscale extras with either engine. So even if you choose the base V6, you can still option your Charger up with adaptive cruise control (bundled with a collision warning system) and the Driver Confidence package, which includes blind-spot monitoring, a back-up camera and rear cross-traffic detection.

there's little doubt that the 2011 Charger is supposed to make you feel uneasy. It's the last rear-drive family sedan standing, and unlike the Pontiac G8 (RIP), it's not meant to be a BMW 5 Series on the cheap. It's a baddie.

It has a more refined ride than its predecessor, and its handling is honest and secure. Its cabin has finally made the leap from the 1990s and offers both quality materials and the modern technology you expect in this price range.

[Intrepidation]

Interior looks great, I love how Chrysler is finally adding some color options to the palette besides shades of gray. Really nice touch that that silver bezel is real aluminum and not painted plastic.

Love the exterior.

[daves87rs]

Not lovin' the spoiler. but the rest of the car is sexy...

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

I'm in love.

[Robert Hall]

Love what I've seen so far...I grew to like the current car, though the slab sides and tiny windows took some getting used to. But this looks great.

[balthazar]

I would HOPE there's a way to deactivate "Press Brake pedal and Push Button to Start" - I don't need to read that every frickin time I insert a key...

I, too would prefer no spoiler.

Dash bezel has a carbon-fiber-esque pattern to it- might look pretty snazzy even if 'merely' plastic.

Charger looks great so far...

[Intrepidation]

I would HOPE there's a way to deactivate "Press Brake pedal and Push Button to Start" - I don't need to read that every frickin time I insert a key...

I, too would prefer no spoiler.

Dash bezel has a carbon-fiber-esque pattern to it- might look pretty snazzy even if 'merely' plastic.

Charger looks great so far...

Plus, there’s real aluminum trim on the dashboard

[balthazar]

[Intrepidation]

I can't wait to check one out in person.

[Delta Force79]

I'm loving this new Charger as well, but that goes without saying since I liked the previous one as well, well except for the interior. This new Charger's interior while somewhat simple in it's design isn't trying to look like every other interior out there now, the driver oriented nature of the design and the one piece dash bezel is a nice change from the trend of individual gauges pods with a hood thats looks like it was put on as an afterthought. I also like the fact Chrysler is using actual black interiors with contrasting seats and trim, looks world better than the gray $h! thats been in every Chrysler product since like '04 or so. Way to go Chrysler, keep up the great comeback.

[ZL-1]

Not lovin' the spoiler. but the rest of the car is sexy...

+1

[ocnblu]

Nicest car in its class, easy. Very well-done.

[jwbouch]

I love what I'm seeing and reading about this new Charger, and can't wait until it hits dealer floors so I can go see one. My question would be about all those LEDs across the back. I think it looks terrible when a series of LEDs like that has 1 or 2 burnt out. Any idea how that works? Can they be replaced one bulb at a time if/when they burnout, or do you have to replace a whole assembly? That would be my only concern, but I really like what Dodge has done with it!

[Intrepidation]

LEDs rarely "burn out", and they can be replaced, though it usually takes more work.

[SAmadei]

LEDs rarely "burn out", and they can be replaced, though it usually takes more work.

Agreed. I haven't seen one car yet with a missing LED... unless the lens was physically damaged. Replacing them? I imagine cracking open the lens assembly if needed... and soldering in a new LED. Hopefully, it won't be too hard to match them up.

[jwbouch]

Agreed. I haven't seen one car yet with a missing LED... unless the lens was physically damaged. Replacing them? I imagine cracking open the lens assembly if needed... and soldering in a new LED. Hopefully, it won't be too hard to match them up.

I was just following a VW ( I think) yesterday that had one of the LEDs burnt out of it's third brake light. Typically, that is where I see them burnt out. Just wondered.

[SAmadei]

I was just following a VW ( I think) yesterday that had one of the LEDs burnt out of it's third brake light. Typically, that is where I see them burnt out. Just wondered.

Well, it can always happen. I see traffic lights from time to time with a missing LED here or there... but they are on 12-18 hours a day for years on end.

Also, I've seen quite a few third brake lights that look like LEDs... but are actually very small incandescent bulbs. They might be as hard to replace as LEDs, though.

[Robert Hall]

Don't LEDs typically last longer than regular bulbs?

[SAmadei]

Don't LEDs typically last longer than regular bulbs?

In theory, they will last forever... in reality, they should outlast the car... but there are always exceptions. They are very low wear and tear... and when they do, it tends to be simply dimming, rather than outright failure. Your more likely to have a physical contact issue, like corrosion or damage than damage to the LED itself.

I've ground the epoxy lens down to force LEDs into custom spots and never had a failure... but then I'd wipe my (relatively) greasy fingers across a small LED element and would have them all die... or I'd momentarily short the resister out with a screwdriver by accident and immediately damage them permanently. They are pretty robust... I'd have no fear.

[balthazar]

I've seen numerous LEDs out on cars.

[Intrepidation]

Don't LEDs typically last longer than regular bulbs?

Yes, much longer.