On the road, the 2.7-liter V6 is less than adequate for this full-size car, but it's the most frugal choice, with an EPA-estimated 18 mpg City, 26 Highway. The 3.5-liter V6 produces 250 horsepower and is EPA rated at 17/24 mpg City/Highway. When pushed, the V6 breathes a bit harder than the V8 and requires more room when passing on crowded two-lanes. The 5.7-liter V8 makes the Charger R/T a muscle car, with a 0-60 mph time in the neighborhood of 6.0 seconds. The SRT8's 6.1-liter Hemi cuts that time by almost a second and provides thrilling passing punch and throttle response. Rated at only 14/20 mpg, the SRT8 is saddled with a $2100 Gas Guzzler Tax.The 5.7-liter V8 features Dodge's Multi-Displacement System that conserves fuel by shutting down four cylinders when they're not needed to maintain the car's momentum. The system is can't be felt, but it can be monitored. For 2008, Dodge has added a Fuel Saver Mode display that indicates when four cylinders have been shut down.
All of the Chargers are good cruisers, comfortable motoring along at 70-80 mph. The Charger is quiet at that speed, with little wind or road noise. The 3.5-liter SXT model felt perfectly in its element on the bumpy highways between Detroit and Michigan International Raceway. Steering in the SE and SXT models we drove seemed a bit over-assisted at times, and could have used more on-center feel.
The recalibrated steering that comes with the Road/Track package offers better steering feel across the speed range. Some drivers may find the rumbling exhaust note of the Road/Track tiresome over long distances, though. The SRT8's lowered ride height calls for care when parking to avoid scraping the front fascia scrape; it can drag on sharp pavement transitions.
We drove a Charger along winding, two-lane back roads in southern Virginia then at Virginia International Raceway near Danville. The Charger is moderately nose-heavy and will understeer a bit when turning into corners before the electronic stability program steps in; the program's threshold seems set high enough to allow altering the line through a corner with deft throttle application.
The Performance Group comes with fatter, stickier tires (P235/55R18 Michelin MXM4s) and suspension tweaks that combine to reduce body lean in corners and quicken turn-in response. A price is paid, however, as the sportier suspension and tire combination resonates more over broken pavement, not harshly, but noticeably. The tires that come standard on the R/T and optional on the SXT are neither as wide nor as grippy, but they offer a quieter ride.
The AutoStick transmission works equally well in either Automatic or Manual mode. In Automatic mode, full throttle upshifts wait until redline and downshifts for passing are executed with minimal delay. In Manual mode, the transmission holds a gear to red line before shifting (unless you shift sooner, of course). Only by tromping the gas in manual mode can you force a downshift, and then only for as long as the pedal is held to the floor; ease up ever so slightly, and the higher gear takes back over, and somewhat abruptly.
The Charger's brake hardware is shared with Mercedes-Benz, but the software code for the stability program, brake assist and traction control is written by and for Dodge. Mercedes engineers could learn something from Dodge. Pedal feel is firm, braking is reassuringly linear, and there's no perceived interference from the electronic watchdogs, yielding smooth, controlled stops. We haven't always been able to say the same about the braking characteristics on some of the Mercedes models.
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