[OrangeCar]

We all love cars. But then, not all cars are born equal. Some steal your heart the moment you see them. It is love at first sight.

A couple of months ago I had to travel and I chanced upon this beauty. Fell in love. Rented it out. LOVED IT! Every bit of it. Could not take many pictures. Could not spend much time with it. My trip was short. We parted ways.





Overtime, it seemed to have missed me too. It lost its shine. But none the less, it was still the same inside out. I had to travel back. Rented a car. It was a lousy Chevy Equinox. No finesse. Small seats. Small steering wheel. Big body. Surprisingly peppy engine. It had a 3.6L V6 engine. The heart in the Equinox reminded me of my love’s heart. Exact same displacement, but just much better. Much more fun loving. I befriended the rental guy and asked if I could meet my love again. The guy at the counter said, he could try and will let me know if it comes back from the other people who merely rented and drove it. I did not lose heart. Kept following up with the rental guy. One day, the phone rings. It was him. My baby was back. Exact same model. Same engine. Same interiors. Almost the same mileage on the odo. Just that, it had gone pale, since it too missed me. Yes, the grey became the white. In no time I was sitting in its lap and holding its wheel. Here it is.





All right. Enough of the Karan Johar type narration.
Coming to the point. I just love this car. And in this thread I will try to describe what the car is all about and how it felt driving it for the period I was able to rent it out. I have tried easier format (definitely easy for me to write it up) in this thread.

(Pardon poor quality pictures. They are taken from my phone and setting is a garage.)

Exterior –

Fact: Full sized sedan starting with a crosshair grill with a bulged hood. The sides show off the sculpted door scallops and ends with the trademark long LED tail lamp.

Feel: You will love the looks (in this case, I will say – No! Looks are not subjective. Everybody has to like it). The bonnet is visible from the driver’s seat, especially when the driver’s seat is lifted all the way up. The headlamps are sharp. The fog lamps are powerful LEDs which illuminate the road meaningfully. The DRLs look sharp in day and night times. Every time you enter the car, you see the design on the side profile and know the car is so different from all other sedans. It is unabashedly bold. When you see other Chargers on road, you relate to them, because of their distinctive LED tail lamp, simply eye catching.

Below, the white beauty parked in between a boring Chevy Equinox and a stunning Cadillac Escalade. You can see, the Charger holds its own even in front of the intimidating Escalade.



Also, to give an understanding of size, I parked it next to a Hyundai Elantra. Pics show how much more bigger this car is. This large size makes it challenge to drive it in narrow NYC lanes.



Engine –

Fact: 3.6L V6 engine. Power, mere 300HP. Torque, 264 pound-feet (approx. 358 NM). Rated fuel efficiency is 19MPG city / 30 MPG highway (approx. 8 kmpl / 12.5 kmpl).

Feel: Even though it is a monstrous engine, it is absolutely peppy. It is a rev happy engine. Slam the accelerator, the first shift from 1 to 2 happens at 6.5K rpms. The engine does not feel stressed. Additionally, the engine goes vrroooomm and you will love it. It further encourages you to rev it harder. There is also a sweet turbo whistle sort of sound at around 4k to 5K rpm. I was not able to figure out if there is a turbo. With very aggressive driving, I have been able to get around 18 – 21 mpg.

The lever to open the hood is below the steering wheel (the conventional place). You see the long hood opened.



The huge hood is held in place by two gas struts. Unlock the hood, the hood automatically goes up. Does not need much effort to shut it down either.



Huge engine covered by a giant cover. Underneath is the 3.6L V6 - a gem! Notice the battery is missing! More about that, later..





The insulation under the hood does not help. Blame the engine. It is loud. You can hear it in the cabin, especially when you cross 3k rpm. But hey, you will love it. No complaints here.



Transmission –

Fact: 8 speed automatic transmission. No sport mode on the SRT variant as standard. No paddle shifts either.

Feel: This transmission and engine feels like as if they are made for each other. The gears shift is smooth and complements linear power delivery, and I have never felt the need for a sport mode. The driver’s display shows the gear in which you are currently in (you can change settings to display this). And, the gear knob seems to be stolen from a space station, or at least it looks so. The chosen gear is illuminated. If you are in the manual mode, M gets illuminated. The electronics will not allow you to choose a gear you are not supposed to be in. For example, at standstill you can choose 1, 2 and not beyond (as in any automatic).



Drive Mode –

Fact: Rear wheel drive. AWD available on all variants as an option.

Feel: DO NOT BUY THE AWD, it is not as fun. Yes. There has not been a single day where I have not experienced the rear wheel spin. The garage I park is in the underground. On the exit ramp, I slam the A pedal, the rear wheels spin and it gives me a kick. Just love it. A month ago, there was a major snow storm and there was a thick layer of ice that formed on the roads. Imagine a RWD and ice on road. You are forever in drift mode. Thankfully the roads did not have much traffic. The only time I was trying to keep to my lane was when I saw 4X4 truck catching up, it just zoomed past – thanks to it’s AWD. Even slightest moisture on the road will spin wheels if you are not gentle with the A peddle.

There is also a huge bulge at the rear seat for transmission tunnel. Fifth person can sit there though, might not be comfortable for long drives.

Suspension –

Fact: I believe the front suspension is independent type and rear are 5-link type. (not too well versed with suspension designs).

Feel: Suspension is definitely tuned for performance. The ride is generally bumpy on roads which have broken tarmac. Also, the suspension is quite noisy. You can hear it working as you bounce on the seats.

Wheels –

Fact: 5 spoke 18inch alloys are standard. Can be upgraded to various rim sizes such as 20 inches and different designs and colors.

Feel: The 235 / 55 R18 Michelin Primacy tires provide decent grip (although they are generous enough to provide rear wheel spins!). However, the previous charger (grey one I had) suffered two punctures. Yes, two in a week’s time!



Safety –

Fact: These are standard (yes, standard on this almost base version) – traction control, electronic roll mitigation, electronic stability control, hill start assist, tire pressure monitoring system, front airbags, front seat mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags – to mention a few.

Feel: Have driven it in snow. Have seen the traction control kick in and correct you. Have switched off traction control and tried being aggressive. I don’t think the traction control switches off completely, it still keeps you from being a fool to a certain extent.

Dashboard -

Fact: Large dashboard with the center console pointed towards the front passengers.

Feel: The top portion is plastic and does not feel cheap. The portion facing driver is also plastic, but has carbon fiber finish. It looks good and does not feel cheap either. All buttons are easily accessible. Note the silver accents on the steering wheel. Also notice the lockable glove box.



Close up of the carbon fiber like pattern and the ac vent.



Center Console –

Fact: 8.4 touch screen. USB / SD card inputs available. 2 additional USBs for charging and charging port available.

Feel: The touch screen is big and decently responsive to touch. One can control radio, audio (usb/sd card etc.), controls (such as seat warmers, steering feel settings, etc), apps, climate control settings, phone calling using it. Below pictures should give you a good feel of things that could be done from the screen. Additionally, the system is very user friendly. Bluetooth connectivity is easy. Integration with physical buttons on the dashboard and steering wheel is seamless. One can switch without effort from using physical buttons and on screen buttons without much of a fuss. Single touch can switch off (and on) the screen if you feel it is distracting. Settings such as timing of follow me lights, sound equalizers, steering mode (comfort/sport/normal) etc are also accessed via this screen.







The physical buttons below the touch screen are also user friendly. You can use the buttons in the middle of the volume and radio tuner rotary dials to enter menu and select songs/options. Also notice the traction control off/on button. The traction control is never switched off completely. Selecting it will make the system say 'Traction control in Sport Mode' - meaning you can have a little more fun.



Steering –

Fact: Three modes available as standard – Normal, Comfort, Sport. Steering wheel comes with Cruise Control buttons, phone control buttons, and menu up-down buttons. AWD options come with AWD mode buttons.

Feel: The steering wheel size is perfect size. The wheel is wrapped with a soft touch leather material. It is soft and smooth to hold and at the same time chunky. The steering is very precise, adequately responsive and feels connected to the road. Still, lacks a bit compared to the Fords. There are four buttons behind the steering wheel, right at the 9:20 position to change volume/track. There is only one stalk behind the steering wheel which does the job of switching the indicators, high-beam on/off/flash, windscreen washer, wiper, wiper speeds. The only grouse I have is the distance between the steering wheel and stalk is a bit too much, at times you feel like you are stretching, especially when your hands are frozen due to the chill.

Also, on the left hand side there are 3 phone control buttons. Exactly on the right side, at the same position there are no buttons. I believe on the AWD variant, there are AWD option buttons on it.



Dials –

Fact: Tw0 fixed dials for tachometer and speedometer. Everything else is customizable.

Feel: This is driver’s delight. He gets all required information in one go. Speed/engine revs, temperature and fuel level. The temp gauge and fuel gauge, even though they look mechanical, are digital. Plus, the background carbon fiber sort of background matches that of the texture on dashboard. This is customizable too.



Additionally, you can view the below –

Screen 1 – Speed (mph / kmph – instant switch by pressing OK button on steering wheel)



Screen 2 – Tire pressure + Coolant temperature + Transf temp (guessing transfer case oil temp) + oil temp + Battery voltage + remaining oil life. (Only thing missing is your neighbor’s room temperature!)





Screen 3 – Average FE, distance to empty, current MPG.



Screen 4 – 2 Trip meters



Screen 5 – Audio details



Screen 6 – Messages



Screen 7 – Screen set up. You have to be standstill to operate this. You can use this to exactly determine which section of screen should show what information. My settings, top left is miles to empty. Top right, instantaneous FE. Right – gear selection + display the actual manual gear.





Continued..

[OrangeCar]

Rear Seat -

Fact: The car is a 5 seater. Isofix safety points provided.

Feel: The rear seat can accommodate 5. But the middle passenger will be comfortable only for short distances. The base and the back recline for middle passenger is hard and the transmission tunnel is huge. Will almost reach the knees of short people. If there are only 2 in the back, the seats are supportive. The back cushion almost extends till the doors to provide bucket seat like experience. They are well carved out. Under thigh support, head room are all adequate. There are rear AC vents plus 2 USB charging points. Grab handles on either side with cabin lights on either side.



Rear AC vents and 2 USB ports for charging purposes only.



Massive transmission tunnel hump.



Boot -

Fact: Capacity is 16.5 cubic feet. (approx 470 liters)

Feel: Well laid out boot. Can easily carry two large airport bags. Plus some additional luggage. There are two boot lamps on either sides and shopping bag hooks too. Also, there is a opening in the boot for boot release/fuel lid release.



Underneath is the spare wheel. It is not full size. It is just to get you to the nearest place to fix your puncture. Also, the battery is housed here.



Some other minor things from the car -

Visors: both passenger and driver visors have mirrors + two lamps + extensions for additional sun blinding functions. Also notice the Charger branding on the dashboard.



Cabin lamps: there are two lamps above the driver. Each one can be individually operated. Two on either side of the rear passenger doors.



Headlamp lever: European style. Automatic headlamps available. Push the knob to switch on fog lamps. Fog lamps switch off automatically when high beam is switched on. Also notice boot release button. Button disengaged while moving. Also notice the brightness up/down knobs to adjust instrument panel brightness.



Buttons on door: Lock/unlock. Window up down lock/unlock. Front windows auto up/down. Mirror adjust buttons. The passenger door also has auto up/down feature for both windows and doors lock/unlock buttons.



Driver seat: 8 way power adjustable seats. Seats up/down, seat back forward/backward, seat forward/backward, lumbar in/out.



Foot well: A & B pedals spaced well. Dead pedal is usable. Also notice handbrake [eerrrr.. footbrake??].



Hood: The hood is visible from diver's seat. Especially when you have moved driver seat to its highest position.



Antenna: Shark fin type.



Rear view mirrors: extremely small for a car of this size. Takes some getting used to.



Request sensor: on the front door handles for key less entry.



Buttons behind the steering wheel: two buttons on either side, volume up/down on one side, track next/previous on the other side. No paddle shifts. (Pardon the extremely poor quality picture. It was quite difficult to get a picture of buttons behind the steering wheel)



Fuel lid release button: I don't know why Dodge did this. I had to do research to figure out where this was. The fuel lid release button is on the door.



Indicators & Tail Lamp: are all LEDs.



Keys: Dodge badge on the back. Front has
- Lock button
- Unlock button (one press - just driver door. press twice - all doors)
- Boot release button (press twice)
- Remote start button (press twice. car starts and keeps the seats heated and ready for you. Music would also be switched on. The rear tail lamps and front headlamps will also be switched on. Get in. The start button will be in blinking 'Run' mode. Press it to get going. Feature is a boon during harsh winters).
- Panic button (to switch on the beepers).



The car is priced at $29,995 ex-showroom (approx. 20L). This is ex-showroom and I am not sure of additional levies.

At this price, it seems the like a steal. It is priced a little above Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, Honda Accord, Ford Fusion.

But, if you look at pricing in INR, it seems a steal. And that is why I believe cars made in India are expensive. Partly because of high taxes and partly because of manufacturers fleecing consumers. Indian consumers don't seem to fight for better pricing. Creta selling for 15L, Hexa at 21L is brilliant pricing apparently. Only higher competition can bring prices in control.

Short list of upgrades available –
$2000 – black rooftop
$1200 – sunroof
$100 – premium cloth upholstery
Multiple packages such as blind spot detection package for approx. $1200, super track pack for $500 which gets you performance tires and improved rear axle ratios. Other packages available too.

Available variants and their price.

SE - $27,996
SXT - $29,995 [the one reviewed in this thread]
R/T - $34,895
DAYTONA - $39,995
R/T SCAT PACK - $39,995
DAYTONA 392 - $44,995
SRT 392 - $51145
SRT HELLCAT - $67,645 [the meanest variant!]

It is also nice that consumers can choose any variant and add a package. It gives buyers choice of features they like and they don't have to jump to a higher variant for want of 2 of 10 features available in the higher variants. Again, flexibility to buyers.

---------------

Conclusion: If I did get a chance, will I buy one? Nope! Why? Because, if you own a car, you would probably want to take care of it. Occasionally push it but not every day. But if you own a Charger, there is no escaping having fun. You will hit the peddle hard. You will brake hard. You will take corners aggressively. End impact, you will be hurting the longevity of the car. Moreover, this is not a Japanese/Korean product that will keep running for a decade. Given that, this car will only be admired, occasionally borrowed to be enjoyed. The car you would own, will still be a boring – wear a tie, show up on time – kind of car, i.e., a Japanese/Korean one. I conclude this with a heavy heart.

The car is returned. It was happy being with me as much as I was with it (or I would like to assume so). Love you Dodge! Respect!

[Rehaan]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[v1kram]

"Below, the white beauty parked in between a boring Chevy Equinox and a stunning Cadillac Escalade"

It's the Chevy Trax, not Equinox.

[The Brutailer]

Muscle car. Hmmm. More than the car, I'm astonished by the price. 20 lakhs for a 300 BHP! Lol, the BMW 530d makes 250 odd bhps and costs 70 lakhs+! Vento/City cost close to 17. How manufacturers have taken us for a ride in India..

We all love cars. But then, not all cars are born equal. Some steal your heart the moment you see them. It is love at first sight.

Couldn't have said better.

I wish a supercar rental service would've been launched in India. People who can't ever buy a 5cr+ car could've atleast expirienced it for a few hours. Would've led to lesser distractions like taking selfies and skydiving. Human mind needs a stimuli to function properly. What better way than to drive a supercar every 6 months?

[OrangeCar]

Originally Posted by v1kram

"Below, the white beauty parked in between a boring Chevy Equinox and a stunning Cadillac Escalade"

It's the Chevy Trax, not Equinox.

I stand corrected. Thank you.

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

Would've led to lesser distractions like taking selfies and skydiving. Human mind needs a stimuli to function properly. What better way than to drive a supercar every 6 months?

We'll take selfies with the car!

[Mtv]

I had a Chrysler 300C rental from Enterprise last year when I went to California. I had initially asked for a Dodge Charger, but they were all out. The only full size available on their lot was a lovely black 300C which was offered to me at the same price. I drove it away without hesitating.
Under the skin the 300 is identical to the Charger. My friend had a similar charger to the one in this thread and we could not differentiate between the drivability of the two.

I've always loved the Chrysler 300. Regardless of its less than stellar image of a "bargain Bentley" or a poor man's luxury car in the states, I have been a fan of the 300 since the days of that one "Midnight Club 3 DUB edition". Even the protagonist in the hit series "Breaking Bad" drove a near identical 300 in some of the episodes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKa9J8bglSM

Here's mine in all it's glory.





Parked next to an identical version of the car I own at home



Parked next to an identical version of the car I'd LOVE to own at home



All in all, owning this car was a wonderful experience. It turned heads everywhere I went and I ended up driving almost the entire length of the California coastline, From San Diego to San Fransisco, and even to Yosemite and Las Vegas.

TO MODS: Can you rotate my first image ? I just couldn't seem to get it right side up. thank you so much

[amitoj]

Very nice review! Much more detailed than the one I had put up of my Charger
Team BHP's First! Hemi Powered 2012 Dodge Charger

Can't believe its been almost 5 years! And it is still going strong.

Originally Posted by OrangeCar

Fact: 3.6L V6 engine. Power, mere 300HP. Torque, 264 pound-feet (approx. 358 NM). Rated fuel efficiency is 19MPG city / 30 MPG highway (approx. 8 kmpl / 12.5 kmpl).
The lever to open the hood is below the steering wheel (the conventional place). You see the long hood opened.

Fact: 8 speed automatic transmission. No sport mode on the SRT variant as standard. No paddle shifts either.

You meant "No sport mode on the SXT", right? That one letter makes a lot of difference!

Originally Posted by OrangeCar

Feel: DO NOT BUY THE AWD, it is not as fun.

Agreed. But the few extra horses help a bit

[OrangeCar]

Originally Posted by Mtv

Under the skin the 300 is identical to the Charger.

Even the protagonist in the hit series "Breaking Bad" drove a near identical 300 in some of the episodes:

The 300 is a great car too. I love its cockpit like dials. The thing is, 300 being a luxury sort of car - will be driven more maturely. Charger being a muscle car - will be driven like nuts!

Also, in Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston destroys, painfully burns down a Challenger. The good thing is, he has enough fun with it before doing so.

Originally Posted by amitoj

Very nice review! Much more detailed than the one I had put up of my Charger
Team BHP's First! Hemi Powered 2012 Dodge Charger

You meant "No sport mode on the SXT", right? That one letter makes a lot of difference!



Agreed. But the few extra horses help a bit

I did go through your thread before posting this. Was looking for other Charger posts.

Yes, it is a X and not a R. That makes a difference of quite a few horses!
I guess I was thinking of the better SRT all the while.

Uncontrolled RWD with lesser horses trumps more powerful but controlled AWD.

[apachelongbow]

Originally Posted by The Brutailer

Muscle car. Hmmm.

I wish a supercar rental service would've been launched in India. People who can't ever buy a 5cr+ car could've atleast expirienced it for a few hours. Would've led to lesser distractions like taking selfies and skydiving. Human mind needs a stimuli to function properly. What better way than to drive a supercar every 6 months?

There is one in Hyderabad. Called driven. You can check out their website. They seem to have a Porche, a R8 and now a Mustang as well .... ps: Mods can take this down if it voilates our rules. I am not associated with the said brand in any manner.

[studentonwheels]

I've always wanted to own a car from Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep.
I drove a chrysler 200 to Tennessee last year around this time and fell in love with it. It's had its fair share of criticism for lack of reliability much like the rest of the Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep cars but I loved the way it looked. I ended up buying a Nissan Altima instead, just because I wanted a reliable car. American cars certainly have their appeal, especially a Dodge Charger. I wonder if you would actually buy this car over a more reliable Japanese counterpart and prove me silly...

[OrangeCar]

Originally Posted by studentonwheels

I wonder if you would actually buy this car over a more reliable Japanese counterpart and prove me silly...

Nope. I concluded my report by saying this - "The car you would own, will still be a boring – wear a tie, show up on time – kind of car, i.e., a Japanese/Korean one."

Reason - reliability. American cars have a soul to them. But Japanese/Korean have the longevity.

Your Nissan Altima is highly fuel efficient + reliable. But a Charger can never match that.

[anand_lukose]

Never driven a charger before but I have few fans of it and can understand the fun you must have had. Hope you get to have more fun. Maybe with the HEMI V8 ! God !

Alternatively, I've always wondered why Ford can't release the fusion with a V8 from the mustang. Chevy has the SS sedan which they need to import from Australia thus making it obscenely expensive for a regular sedan. And they have to discontinue it pretty soon. Which gives us only the Dodge Charger.

Considering the reliability of Dodge over Ford, I would take a Fusion V8 anyday . Should be quite the fun !

Dear Ford ! Pretty please ?

[amitoj]

Originally Posted by OrangeCar

Reason - reliability. American cars have a soul to them. But Japanese/Korean have the longevity.

That's actually a myth held strongly by most outsiders, based on decades old views. And specially among the Indian diaspora here. Ford, GM and Chrysler have had to up their game in face of Japanese competition, specially after the government bailouts. And all for the best, because now the American cars have soul as well as reliability.

Originally Posted by anand_lukose

Alternatively, I've always wondered why Ford can't release the fusion with a V8 from the mustang. Chevy has the SS sedan which they need to import from Australia thus making it obscenely expensive for a regular sedan. And they have to discontinue it pretty soon. Which gives us only the Dodge Charger.

Truth be told, V8s are a dying breed in these times of turbocharged 4 and 6 cylinders. Still, kudos to Dodge for coming up with logic defying beasts like Hellcat and the upcoming Demon.

[Vikram Arya]

Originally Posted by anand_lukose

Never driven a charger before but I have few fans of it and can understand the fun you must have had. Hope you get to have more fun. Maybe with the HEMI V8 ! God !

Alternatively, I've always wondered why Ford can't release the fusion with a V8 from the mustang. Chevy has the SS sedan which they need to import from Australia thus making it obscenely expensive for a regular sedan. And they have to discontinue it pretty soon. Which gives us only the Dodge Charger.

Considering the reliability of Dodge over Ford, I would take a Fusion V8 anyday . Should be quite the fun !

Dear Ford ! Pretty please ?

American/European manufacturers are moving away from 6/8 cylinder configuration even for their mid size sports sedan. None of the big 3 have a 6 cylinder engines for any of their platform is the commuter segment. Even Mercedes/BMW/Audi are moving away from 6 cylinder configuration for their E Class/5 Series/A6. The sportier E43/540Xi/S6 constitutes a miniscule percentage of sales (interestingly Audi is the only one offering a 4 ltr. TFSI V8).

Dodge Charger is a Muscle car with 4 door and over 90% of its sales come from the 6 cylinder offering and not the 8 cylinder RT/SRT versions.

Fusion on the other hand is a commuter & you’ll never see even a 6 cylinder on this. All the American OEMs are driven by the CAFÉ standards and they have to bring down the fleet average to 52 MPG by 2024. Therefore for every Mustang that Ford sells with a V-8, they sell 20 with a turbo charged 4 banger and that is likely to be their mainstay in the years to come. I would even say that we’re lucky that we’re able to have an option of buying a V-8 engined Mustang in 2017/18. It is declining trend and I can safely say that it is one of the last V-8s that you will see on a Mustang (I hope that it doesn’t happen tough). Heck Ford is even contemplating bringing a 3 cylinder 1 ltr. engine from Europe for its hatch backs.

As for Dodge Charger’s reliability, I have owned one (5.7 ltr. V8) from 2008 to 2012 and clocked 110,000 kms without an issue. I regularly charged oil/air filters and engine oil and that’s it; the car never went to the shop for anything.

Currently I’m driving a 2013 Ford Edge and the car is about to hit 100,000 km mark; it has already gone thrice to the shop. Twice for air-conditioning mal function and once for door ajar light that just wouldn’t go off. At the same time I must say I have owned a Ford Ikon back in the day in India and car had bullet proof reliability.

Now this could very well be a one off however a 2017 Dodge Charger is as reliable a vehicle as a Ford Fusion. Though I must also add that Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler as a brand suffers from a low reliability perception/ratings however it should be mentioned that a number of other platforms coming from the same brand contribute to that as well. Ford owners have their own share of horror stories to tell (and so do folks owning vehicles from a number of other mainstream manufactures).