Used 2023 Dodge Charger

The 2023 Dodge Charger is in its swan song as the Dodge brand prepares for a future of electrified muscle cars. We expect the Charger name to continue, likely in some form of the Dodge Charger Daytona EV concept, but this is the final model year in its current form.

The Charger is among the last in a dying breed of full-size sedans with rear-wheel-drive (and optional all-wheel drive) and powerful V8 engines available under the hood. The mighty supercharged Hemi V8 can produce more than 800 horsepower, but there’s still a more modest and practical base V6 with a nice balance of power and efficiency. Speaking of practical, this 4-door sedan has a roomy interior making it a good family car.

It all depends on what’s under the hood. The 2023 Charger can be pleasantly pushy, utterly ballistic, or something in between. These days, the option of having a V8 in a non-luxury sedan is rare. It’s this or the Chrysler 300, which is a close relation.

Anyone buying a Hellcat also receives a day’s tuition in high-performance driving school included in the price. They’ll need it because few people get to spend much time in such high-horsepower machines. How fast is the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye? It leaps from standstill to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and can hit a top speed of 203 mph.

The 717-horsepower Hellcat is also phenomenal. Both cars will catapult toward the horizon as soon as the driver even thinks about pressing the accelerator, it seems.

None of the Charger variants are noticeably careful with gasoline. The car’s basic weight and size contribute to this situation. But anyone wanting a rear-drive, V8-powered large sedan probably isn’t too worried about fuel economy.

Sometimes a car deserves a bit of leeway, like when it offers considerable power for little money or has lots of space. So we’re not going to judge the 2023 Charger too harshly for its dated interior styling and so-so material quality.

We like that the configurable digital driver information display is standard, and the infotainment system is one of the more user-friendly examples. For a pinch of prettiness, the front cup holders are Illuminated. Thanks to the sheer size of this car, the rear legroom is generous, and the trunk is big.

Cloth upholstery is standard in most versions. The Hellcats come with leather and are available with leather/simulated suede (Alcantara) upholstery, plus real carbon fiber trim accents. The Jailbreak package offers choices like Hammerhead Gray leather and red seat belts.

As anyone who has spent time driving behind a Dodge Charger at night will know, that large LED taillight arrangement is bright enough to be obnoxious. Hood scoops and dual exhaust pipes also enhance the Charger’s muscle car looks at the GT level and up. From the R/T trim, buyers can also order stripes. It would be slightly disappointing not to choose some kind of embellishment like that.

The SRT Hellcats’ standard Widebody treatment brings 20-inch alloy wheels that are 11 inches wide, which really fill those flared fenders. All that rubber readily applies the cars’ tremendous power to the tarmac.

Dodge commemorates the final model year of this generation of the Charger with a few Last Call special editions. These are primarily appearance packages that you’ll only be able to get this year in limited quantities. They include the Super Bee, Swinger, and King Daytona editions which all have their own unique aesthetics sure to command attention in traffic. They’ll all be available in Spring 2023.

SXT
Let’s hear it for the most affordable 2023 Charger. It comes with a V6 engine, but this one is an award winner and propels many Jeep/Dodge/Chrysler vehicles. The SXT is the lightest Charger and offers the option of all-wheel drive.

SRT Hellcat Redeye
Let’s also hear it for the fastest, most powerful production sedan. Creating something like this takes a special kind of wildness, and we’re glad to see Dodge indulging its wild side.

In SXT trim, the 2023 Charger is not exactly crammed full of standard equipment. It comes with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry/ignition, remote start, configurable driver information display, sport front seats, cloth upholstery, power-adjustable front seats, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel.

The infotainment system has a 7-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, two USB ports, voice control, satellite radio, and a 6-speaker audio setup. Wi-Fi isn’t available, not even as an option.

Safety features include all the mandatory things like traction/stability control, airbags, and a rearview camera. But rear parking sensors are about the only things going beyond that.

All-wheel drive is available in the SXT and GT, both V6-powered variants. Buyers happy with rear-wheel drive but less satisfied with 300 horsepower can study the range of V8 models in the 2023 Charger lineup.

GT has 3-mode electric stability control, Sport driving mode, 20-inch alloy wheels, fog lights, rear spoiler, dual-zone automatic climate control, self-dimming rearview mirror, and a CD/DVD/MP3 player.

R/T has an active exhaust system to complement its 5.7-liter V8. The Scat Pack brings its own 6.4-liter V8 and the option of a Widebody kit that’s standard with the SRT Hellcats. It also has Brembo brakes, limited-slip differential, heavier-duty cooling system (fitted to the Hellcats as well), launch control, configurable driving modes, driver’s-side memory settings, heated front seats, and the upgraded alarm system. All these items are in the Hellcats.

Along with supercharged V8 engines making immense power, the 2022 SRT Hellcat models also have adaptive suspensions with Bilstein shock absorbers and a Track mode (optional in the Scat Pack), an intercooler system, blind-spot monitoring, self-dimming driver’s-side mirror, ventilated seats, leather upholstery, and heated rear seats. The Jailbreak package is $995.

A Driver Convenience Group package brings blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert to non-Hellcat models, plus the upgraded alarm system. A Technology Group bundle (not available in the Hellcats) includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing wipers, and automatic high beams.

Other options for most of the range include leather upholstery, power-adjustable steering column, larger alloy wheels, navigation, a 9-speaker Alpine surround-sound system, or a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup.

Propelling the entry-level SXT trim is a 292-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. This same engine makes 300 horsepower when the optional all-wheel-drive (AWD) system is in the picture and/or when this unit is in the next-up GT trim. Either way, regular 87-octane gasoline is fine. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is the standard arrangement, and it’s the only configuration once the Dodge Charger comes with a V8 engine.

A 5.7-liter V8 motivates the R/T with 370 horsepower, using mid-grade 89-octane gas. The Scat Pack employs a 6.4-liter V8 for 485 horsepower running on premium 91-octane gas.

The SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye versions have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Supercharging is a form of forced induction along similar lines as turbocharging. Both methods extract greater power from an engine’s displacement, usually while using premium gasoline. In the SRT Hellcat’s case, it’s 717 horsepower. The SRT Hellcat Redeye ramps that up to 797 horsepower and the Jailbreak treatment boosts it to 807 horsepower.

All versions of the 2023 Charger use an 8-speed automatic transmission.

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

3.6-liter V6 (SXT AWD, GT, GT AWD)
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)

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

6.4-liter V8 (Scat Pack)
485 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
475 lb-ft of torque @ 4,100 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 15/24 mpg

6.2-liter supercharged V8 (SRT Hellcat)
717 horsepower @ 6,100 rpm
650 lb-ft of torque @ 4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 12/21 mpg

6.2-liter supercharged V8 (SRT Hellcat Redeye)
797 horsepower @ 6,300 rpm (807 hp for Jailbreak)
707 lb-ft of torque @ 4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: est. 12/21 mpg