Monday, October 11, 2010

Rental Car Test: 2009 Dodge Charger SXT V6

When my Audi broke down a few months ago I got a rental from Enterprise, a Dodge Charger. I didn’t have a chance to publish my thoughts until now, so here we go.

The Dodge Charger feels large, sloppy, and bit lazy. It’s not sophisticated in build quality or handling and never pretends to be. There was a very noticeable gap mismatch on the trunk lid. One side was very tight fitting, the other I could almost stick my pinky finger in it. Well, I guess as long as the trunk opens and closes we are in business.

File:Dodge Charger -- Front.JPG

What you get is a big car with lots of sheet metal and an engine that is good, but not great.
Past 5,000 rpm the engine is coarse and you end up lifting off the gas before it gets there. A four speed automatic in a 2009 (and in 2010 models) is an embarrassment and just shows that Dodge does not give a damn. The Charger would be faster, more responsive, and get better gas mileage with a 6 speed automatic. But Dodge needed to save $200 per car. I wonder where else they saved money.
I tried the 178hp V6 base engine previously but the 250 hp 3.5l engine in my tester is the best engine combo for the Charger. The 368 hp V8 is better still, but makes the car too pricey. Checking CarsDirect.com shows that a Charger SXT goes for about 22K, which is a reasonable attractive price. Honda, Toyota, Ford, GM, and Hyundai all only offer 4 cylinders in that price range. And I rather have an unsophisticated V6 than a cheap sounding 4-cylinder.

Having said all that the Charger has attractive qualities.
It has that hard to define American brawn to it.  It’s almost feels like a family pickup truck. It does the job and never pretends to be anything more than a workhorse that just gets stuff done.
I liked the higher up driving position and the spaciousness of the cabin. It was reasonably quite on the freeway and around town. Comfortable, but not very sporty, it still retains precise steering.
If you are into driving a bit sportier you definitely need to upgrade the stock tires and rims. They are skinny and offer too little traction for cornering, accelerating, or braking. I had a hoot spinning out the rear end when late May rain made the northern California roads slippery.
Low traction tires + rear wheel drive + enough torque from the V6 = fun over-steer in corners.

There is one thing that prevents me from recommending the car.
No, it’s not reliability, which is about average with this engine (according to Consumer Reports) it’s the disappointing crash test results that make this a deal breaker for me. This is a family car and you want maximum safety for your family, right? According to the IIHS side impact crash protection is only marginal, the second lowest score, and therefore unacceptable in my book. There are many other family sedans at the same price point that protect you better.

The Verdict
I was surprised how much I liked the Charger, regardless of the miss-fitting panels and general sloppiness of the handling. If you are looking for a large family sedan that doesn’t look like one with a V6 when others are offering only a 4 cylinder, consider the Dodge Charger. But, since the crash test results are unacceptable I just can’t recommend it.

The Good
High driving position and spacious cabin
Attractive price for a V6 family sedan

The Bad
The engine is lacking refinement
The 4-speed automatic is a relict
Disappointing side impact crash test results
Sloppy build quality is noticeable in the details

A new and redesigned Charger is due for 2011 model year.
I expect this new Charger car to be much better. With a smoother and faster engine, a six speed automatic, and excellent crash protection. Wait for the new 2011 Dodge Charger before you buy, it will be at dealerships this month.

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