Quick question: In which city will you find the headquarters of Stellantis, owner of 14 car brands? Detroit? Perhaps Modena, because they own Maserati? Maybe Paris, for their Peugeot stake? Nope, no and “non.” It’s Amsterdam, for no logical reason whatsoever.
Why bother with this quiz?
To reinforce the reality that car making is a global enterprise. The Canadian-made Dodge I drove this past week has an equal helping of Canadian and American-made parts. (A Ram, for context, is 39% Mexican.) And so, with tariffs again on the table, and the possibility that the $51,995 Charger R/T I was testing this past week will only get more expensive, I’d argue that if you’re buying a globally-sourced muscle-sedan with an inline six power plant, this, not the German-made BMW 540i XDrive, is the AWD whip to get.
Performance and Driving Impressions
- Engine: 3.0L twin-turbo inline-six
- Horsepower: 420 hp
- Drivetrain: AWD
- 0–60 mph: Approx. 4 seconds
Dodge has a we’re-not-embarrassed swagger. Gaze out the glass from behind the squoval tiller of this long-nosed Charger, and you’re reminded via the graphic across the hood nostril that this straight-six is what Dodge calls a “SIXPACK”—in all caps.
This mill makes 420 horsepower (the top-grade Scat Pack produces 550hp), which is more prodigious than the 375hp in the BMW 540i. That’s an apt bogey because both of these full-size sedans have 3.0-liter in-line sixes and achieve high-performance, four-ish-second 0-60 times. But the difference is that the BMW costs nearly $70,000 and has a more cramped second row and less cargo capacity.
Getting back to how the Dodge drives, it’s great, with especially impressive steering that’s predictable and fun right up to the limit of grip. That stickiness could be amplified with optional summer tires, but considering my test drive came during epic downpours, I was happy with the all-seasons.
“It’s a practical muscle sedan that’s not insanely expensive, and probably the one and only car of its kind.”
Also, vs. the obvious comp (Mustang GT) the Dodge is more impressive because it’s complaint. You can (but don’t need to) add the $8,000 in options that my tester had. But for the most part your right foot subs just fine for manual downshifts (who needs paddles?), and while the upgrades get you a stiffer suspension, I actually think the best part about the Charger is that it’s long-mile friendly. Speaking of which, out of the box you’re still getting adaptive cruise control, which allowed me to go from open 90 MPH highway runs down to walls of stop-and-go where all I had to do was steer and watch my ETA yawn into red tail lamp hell.
Tip: You may want the cheaper of the two performance options packages, more for comfort than added driving ambition, because the $2995 package also includes 12-way power seats. (And, okay, also Brembo brakes.)
Related – 2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Review | The 707-hp Family Sedan
Interior
Stellantis’s instrument and infotainment setup is absolutely the right model for every other carmaker on the planet. Yes, there’s a big tablet screen, but they keep all of the stuff you want a single tap away. Tap once to enter climate functions, or jump to CarPlay, or jump to performance settings. Heck, there are even both a tuning and volume knob for audio!
The rest of the interior is roomy — if imperfect. Versus Mustangs I’ve driven, the seating position and especially rear-seat space are decidedly posh by comparison. But it’s not Teutonically glorious, the way BMWs can be, so in that sense a 5 Series has the Dodge beat. Brush any surface (save the comfortable suede seats), and you’re in contact with a vibe that’s far more NASCAR and far less Ritz-Carlton.
All that said, this is (for 2026) a fast, fun, and versatile four-door sedan that’ll tote you and three adults and a lot of stuff — thanks to 23 cubic feet of trunk capacity — or with the rear seats folded, you’ve got wagonlike roominess.
Styling
It’s maybe hypocritical to damn the plasticky M.O. of some of the cabin’s materials while praising how this car looks. It is, without question, retro. Dodge even calls the paint “Bludicrous,” so it’s not like the bean counters got in the way of celebrating all that is retro and fun about the Charger’s great looks, right down to the menacing headlamps and logos that illuminate like demonic eyes when you approach with the fob in your pocket.
I love that Dodge even offers this beast with a fixed glass roof and a painted stripe that bisects it. Does it make sense that the Charger still has so much overhang in the rear, like Chargers of yore? Nope. Who cares! The point is fireworks and hooning—or not needing to do any of that and still enjoying the Charger’s refined driving manners.
Takeaway
I know that most buyers are far more likely to compare the Charger to the $50,000, 480-horsepower Mustang GT than to a 5 Series BMW. But the Mustang is a two-door, rear-wheel-drive car that’s far less pragmatic. (Snow alone would prove kryptonite, let alone fitting a car seat.) So this Charger fits into a super niche slot. It’s a practical muscle sedan that’s not insanely expensive, and probably the one and only car of its kind.
