Used 2020 Dodge Charger

In the grand scheme of things, Dodge’s Charger is the last of the traditional big American sedans. Though not as huge as the land yachts that wafted over American highways from the 1950s through the 1980s, the 2020 Dodge Charger is still actually longer than its Dodge Durango 3-row SUV stablemate. And because of the giant market shift to SUVs where conventional cars are generally smaller than a generation ago, it changes the direct competition to cars like the Kia Stinger, Chevrolet Impala, Toyota Avalon, and Nissan Maxima. The Charger enjoys excellent interior space for front and rear passengers and also offers a huge trunk.

And while the base model comes standard with a comparatively modest 292-horsepower V6 engine (and rated at 300-hp when paired with optional all-wheel drive), the Charger’s overall design is far sportier than most family sedans. But where the automotive gods giveth, they taketh away, too. The Charger always has a bit of throwback in its proverbial soup, feeling a bit rougher around the edges than the latest Honda Accord, Chevy Impala, or Toyota Avalon in the large sedan class and fares less well on resale value, reliability, and the latest in fuel-efficient engine technology, though many enthusiasts flock to the Charger’s powerful V8s for a fix of massive power.

But out on the road, the Charger becomes a very good highway cruiser, especially the more modest V6 versions. They never lose their sense of size, always feeling big and heavy, but the Scat Pack and Hellcat Chargers basically defy the laws of physics in the handling gambit. They weigh well over 4,000 pounds, yet grip and change direction over twisty roads with astonishing ability. No one will ever confuse it for a sports car weighing 1,000 to 1,500 pounds less, but you can’t stuff five people and their luggage into a 2-seat sports car, either.

Starting with the base and 2nd-level SXT and GT models, the 2020 Dodge Charger accelerates and handles adequately, if without much thrill. Once underway, they shine on the highway, gobbling up miles, where they may also even reach their rated fuel economy number of 30 mpg. But as the road twists, the two lesser trim levels in the Charger range lose out to the middle and upper-level Charger brothers on handling, braking, and a feel of quality. The interiors feel slightly built to a price with middling cloth upholstery. However, if all-wheel drive is a consideration, only the SXT and GT trim levels can be had with this traction-focused system.

Next up the ladder are the Hemi V8 models that start with the R/T, making 370 horsepower from their 5.7-liter engine, which wakes up the performance. Both the aforementioned V6 GT and the V8 R/T offer a Performance Handling Group which adds Bilstein shock absorbers and high-performance suspension tuning, 20 x 9-inch forged alloy wheels with 245/45ZR20 all-season tires, and 4-piston Brembo brakes with fixed calipers, which we’ve driven and recommend highly. Inside, the handling package adds sports seats, a flat-bottomed leather steering wheel with shift paddles, and the Dodge Performance Pages app that keeps tabs on driving performance stats with an 8.4-inch diameter Uconnect infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also now standard on every Charger model.

The Charger Scat Pack ups the power stakes with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 knocking out 485 horsepower, plus a completely different suspension with Bilstein shocks. Specific chassis changes from last year’s Scat Pack include 27 percent stiffer front springs with a 52 percent stiffer rear anti-roll bar. This is the sweetest of the many Charger variants, offering eye-opening yet usable performance & handling (0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds) at a fairly reasonable cost and all the room you could ever expect from today’s sedans. On top of that, the new-for-2020 Charger Scat Pack Widebody adds 3.5-inch wider fender flares, 20×11-inch wheels with 305/35ZR20 Pirelli P-Zero all-season performance tires, and 3-mode Bilstein adaptive shocks with Auto, Sport, and Track modes. The Scat Pack Widebody may yield ride stiffness too severe for some as an everyday car, but it’s still a performance bargain.

Finally, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat caps off Dodge’s 4-door musclecar lineup, powered by a 6.2-liter Hemi Hellcat V8 making 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. It’s actually only built as a Widebody now, and posts a top speed of 196 mph, reaching 60 mph from rest in just 3.6 seconds, traversing the quarter-mile mark in 10.96 seconds, and posting a maximum lateral acceleration on the skidpad of .96g.

Other Hellcat changes include electric power steering rather than hydraulic, making parking lot maneuvering easier. The effort required of the steering at road speeds can be adjusted by the driver through settings in the onboard Performance Pages app.

While we love all the horsepower we can get and tested both the Scat Pack and Hellcat Widebodies on the racetrack and the road, the Charger Scat Pack with its 485 horsepower was nearly as impressive around the racetrack as the 707 horsepower Hellcat, yet costs nearly $30,000 less, making it a much better realistic deal. Unless you’re at a dragstrip, you’ll never miss the additional 200 horsepower. Really. And no Chevy Impala, Toyota Avalon, or Nissan Maxima could ever elicit the same sort of smile on the driver’s face as can a few brisk minutes with a V8-powered Charger.

No matter which of the four different engines you choose, it will mate up with an adaptive 8-speed automatic with a manual shift mode that never gets in the way. A manual transmission is not offered.

The Charger, especially in Scat Pack and Hellcat regalia, is a total extrovert, but inside, it’s fairly businesslike. Akin to its 2-door Challenger brother, the Charger angles the instruments and controls toward the driver. Supportive seats in every trim level are comfortable, though the base SXT trim starts you off in somewhat cheap-feeling cloth. The big 8.4-inch Uconnect infotainment touchscreen (optional on a few models, standard on others) is excellent, easy to navigate, and processes input quickly. We highly recommend it. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also now standard on every Charger model. Sportier models get grippy seats which are both comfortable on long drives and supportive when driving briskly, and rear-seat room is just plain ol’ big, even for adults.

There’s no mistaking the Dodge Charger for anything but a modern American sedan with sporty intentions. It even glowers at you from the front view. It’s big, but it doesn’t try to hide its size, either. All Chargers have a cove-like indentation at the sides, starting at the front doors, which tapers off in depth as it rises toward the back, accenting a feel of motion and — in yoga terms — a downward dog position. It’s all a fancy way to make it appear planted to the ground, and it works. Subtle changes for 2020 include a revised Hellcat Widebody grille and other minor updates.

VIBRANT COLORS AND COLOR NAMES
Dodge clearly has fun with their cars, and that extends to naming their colors, like Go Man-go (orange), Hellraisin (purple), Cinnamon Stick (copper), ToRed (bright red), and Smoke Show (silver-gray).

BIG V8s
Three different V8s are offered in the Charger, capped by the bonkers 707-horsepower, supercharged Hellcat engine (717 hp in limited Daytona Anniversary trim), but the sweetest model that hits all the marks best and still costs in the low $40,000s is the 485-hp Charger Scat Pack.

Most notably, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are all now standard across the whole Charger range, including the base SXT sedan. Rear parking sensors, LED daytime running lights, a noise-reducing windshield, and front side glass, 7-inch infotainment touchscreen with Uconnect 4 are all standard now on the base 2020 Dodge Charger SXT.

Trim levels from SXT, GT, R/T, Scat Pack, and Hellcat are also tethered to an increasing list of options that become standard as you walk up those levels, in addition to engine choices. But the bigger single options include higher-power and multiple-speaker audio systems from either Alpine or Harman Kardon. The big packages include the Performance Handling Group, Navigation, and Technology Group, which bundles the higher-tech active safety systems like adaptive cruise control with forward-collision warning and braking and lane departure warning. (Though blind-spot monitoring and cross-path detection are in the Driver Convenience Group and Plus Group and should really be in one group with the other active safety features.)

Four distinct engines are available in the 2020 Dodge Charger. Starting with the SXT and GT, the 3.6-liter V6 with 292 horsepower (300 in the SXT with all-wheel drive and the GT), offering adequate power and quite decent highway fuel economy for the car’s size. The R/T model comes with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 370 horsepower. Scat Pack models come with the 6.4-liter Hemi, making a stout 485 horsepower. Finally, the 6.2-liter supercharged, intercooled, and rip-snorting SRT Hellcat has 707 horsepower (and a slight boost to 717 in the Daytona 50th Anniversary). All engines are backed up by an 8-speed automatic transmission that rarely puts a foot wrong. No manual transmission is offered.

Charger SXT
3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6
292 horsepower @ 6,350 rpm
260 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/30 mpg

Charger SXT with AWD and Charger GT
3.6-liter naturally aspirated V6
300 horsepower @ 6,350 rpm
264 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/30 mpg (RWD), 18/27 mpg (AWD)

Charger R/T
5.7-liter naturally aspirated V8
370 horsepower @ 5,250 rpm
395 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/25 mpg

Charger Scat Pack

6.4-liter naturally aspirated V8
485 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
475 lb-ft of torque @ 4,200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/24 mpg

Charger SRT Hellcat
6.2-liter supercharged V8
707 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
717 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm (Daytona 50th Anniversary)
650 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/21 mpg

Charger SRT Hellcat Daytona 50^th Anniversary
6.2-liter supercharged V8
717 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
650 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/21 mpg