Tim Parker Chrysler

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Driving Impressions

The Challenger is a big, rear-wheel-drive car and feels like it. Yet the further up the power and performance scale you go, the lighter it seems to feel. You won't mistake it for driving a Mustang, it's too soon to tell about the Camaro, and other 2+2 two-doors in a similar price range, such as a BMW 3 Series, Infiniti G37, or Audi A5 aren't going to be cross-shopped because they're different animals. And it's okay to think of the Challenger SRT8 an animal: A well-behaved animal, but always ready to flex its muscles on the prowl for prey.

The Challenger SE drives a lot like the Charger because the Challenger is based on the Charger with just four inches taken out between the front and rear wheels. There's enough oomph to keep up with brisk traffic, though probably not a Mustang V6 automatic. The Challenger SE comes only with a four-speed automatic. As much as the engine and weight, the automatic is one reason the SE rates only 2-3 mpg better on the EPA City cycle than the R/T models with 50 percent more power. If you seek distinct appearance with space for the family on a budget the SE will do, but take note it won't be long before somebody in a Mustang ponies up as a challenger to your Challenger.

The next step is the Challenger R/T. We think the extra $9000 above an SE will have more effect on sales than gas mileage. The R/T features a Hemi V8 producing 371 to 376 horsepower, along with a firmer suspension, bigger brakes and tires, and a choice of a hefty-shifting six-speed manual or five-speed automatic. One could arguably have the most fun with the R/T. There's no need to park it in the winter and no miserable ride just because the roads are bad. The R/T goes quite well. Dodge quotes a 0-60 mph time of 5.5 seconds with the new six-speed manual. That power comes on strong, but we found it runs out quickly, as the redline is only 5700 rpm. That means drivers choosing the manual will have to do plenty of shifting during performance maneuvers. Sixth gear doesn't do much on the track or around town. It's strictly a highway gear meant for fuel economy; in sixth, the R/T cruises like a pussy cat, churning out 1800 rpm at 80 mph. We think the R/T will be the most popular model. The $10,000 saved versus an SRT8 would buy brake/suspension/tire upgrades to your preference and specification, or a serious engine upgrade that would keep you well ahead of any Dodge not labeled Viper.

Stacked up against a Mustang GT500 with a six-speed manual, the SRT8 with its automatic transmission is just slightly slower, although you can't call 0-60 in the high 4s and a 13-second quarter-mile "slow" in production $40,000 cars. Against a lower-priced Mustang GT, the SRT8 is faster, suggesting that in acceleration bang-for-the-buck you get what you pay for. Against a Charger SRT8 the Challenger is just marginally quicker, and the rear seat of a slope-roof Charger is not significantly more comfortable than the Challenger's.

It's easy to make an SRT8 go fast, you just stand on the gas and point it where you want it to go. Traction control does a very good job of turning controlled wheelspin into thrust and is easier than launching most high-performance manual transmissions; there's a solid feel to quick upshifts. It does not make manual downshifts as fast, but it will downshift into first gear. At the other end of the straightaway the SRT8's big brakes do a commendable job of slowing the pace, matching the GT500 and just a bit off some benchmark lighter coupes; there is a lot of travel in the brake pedal so initial bite might not be what you expect but keep pushing and you'll stop quickly.

When cruising, the Challenger is civilized. There is authority in the exhaust note but it doesn't sound like authority grabbed the bullhorn until you get into the gas and are rewarded with a satisfying rumble that becomes more howl as it winds up; manual gearbox cars use different mufflers and have a deeper tone. The automatic delivers crisp-not-jarring upshifts and gets out of first gear in a hurry unless you are hard on the gas. It will downshift once, or again, if you give it the boot.

The Challenger is too big and heavy to merit any consideration as a sports car and isn't ideal for tossing around on tight racetracks or mountain roads. However, it is close to surprising (if you didn't know the SRT division) how well the SRT8 copes with the weightand doesn't feel like the big, nose-heavy car it is. Body roll is considerable, but grip from the optional Goodyear F1 Supercar tires is substantial and the car is surprisingly well balanced in turns. In fact, it's quite easy to steer the SRT8 with the rear wheels or make it drift. That speaks well to the job Dodge and SRT did with the suspension geometry. The R/T model, by comparison, acts very much the same way, but its reactions are a bit slower. Power isn't as sudden, steering isn't as sharp, the brakes are as strong, and the weight doesn't transfer as quickly. It is possible to upset both versions, but you really have to be working at it or totally inattentive. Driven smoothly you will rarely be reigned in by the stability control, and for those times and tracks that stability control can be a detriment to advanced drivers, it can be completely turned off on manual transmission cars.

Many of the reasons the SRT8 displays such performance (among them the lightweight forged aluminum wheels, aluminum-intensive independent suspension all around, good spring and shock calibrations) also contribute to a decent ride. The SRT8 is smooth and quiet enough to cover long distances and deals well with even marginal roads; on sheet-flat roads it won't enjoy a significant advantage over the Mustang's solid rear axle, but as the surface gets rougher the more balanced Challenger should cope better even though it's heavier. The Challenger's mass becomes most apparent under heavy braking on a rippled road, a place many lesser-tuned lighter cars have the same issue.

Whether it's amplified by the oversize steering wheel or just part of the tuning like the long-travel brake pedal, the steering feel, even in the SRT8 with its performance-tuned steering, isn't as precise as the Mustang's. The steering is quick enough, with less than three turns lock-to-lock, yet it feels like shuffling the bottom third of the wheel through your hands is the most effective at making good time because you don't get a lot of feedback and this way are more inclined to make the minor corrections the car likes rather than yanking the big wheel too far. Maneuverability at low speeds is par for a big car.

On a fuel economy basis the SE is the only one you'd want to use for a commuter car, but until they get more popular you'll be an unintentional target as people zero in for a closer look. The others are better suited to local romps, weekend or special occasion drives, be it on a track, the street, or both.

One of the biggest advances over the original Challenger's era has been in lighting, and the SRT8's bi-xenon headlights allow it to be safely driven at freeway speeds or along rural highways in no-moon darkness. And with a bit of German in the bloodlines, the fog lights can be used without the headlights, at least where it's legal to light up the road instead of the fog.

Finally, with aerodynamics ever-more-frequently dictating shape and wind patterns, it was refreshing to find the new Challenger can comfortably be driven windows down without buffeting the occupants or thundering their ears. Admit it, at least part of the reason you buy one will be to be seen.

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