19th Place: Dodge Charger

Overview:

The Charger is billed as a sporty large sedan, with its aggressive looks, available V8, and rear-wheel-drive layout. But in its standard V6 form, it offers no such substance. It corners well for such a large car, but doesn't offer the benefits of an especially spacious and comfortable interior, top safety ratings, or a smooth ride to justify its size. It doesn't have too many key weak points, but for $28,000, it needs many more strong ones in this highly competitive class.

Driving the Charger:

The Charger has a stiff but well-controlled ride. There are no high-speed jitters or floaty motions, and the car recovers quickly from bumps, but road imperfections register prominently. Body roll is minimal for a large sedan, but the Charger never feels particularly nimble, especially compared to the smaller, lighter cars in this group. The steering responds quickly enough, but is too light. The 3.5-liter V6 used in this Charger is adequately powerful, but it does not live up to the vehicle’s sporty pretenses, and fills the cabin with an excess of its rather rough note under acceleration. A much more powerful and pleasant-sounding V8 is equipped on higher-trim Chargers that are above this group's price ceiling. Road noise is also excessive. Fuel economy is mediocre by this group's standards.

Inside the Charger:

The roomy front seats have flat cushions and little lateral support, but are otherwise comfortable enough. The large rear seat is well-padded but flat, and could use a little more foot space and a good deal more headroom. Low seats, a high beltline, and thick roof pillars compromise driver visibility and give the cabin a closed-in feel. The somewhat austere interior uses a few cheap plastics, but trim pieces fit together well. The recessed gauges are large enough and clear, but some controls could be higher. The multiple seat, steering wheel, and pedal adjustments help drivers get comfortable, but as noted, visibility is poor in all directions. Front-seat entry/exit is easy enough, but the rather low seats, low, sloped roof, and smallish footwell hurt rear access. The trunk is roomy, but has a somewhat small opening.

Charger pricing:

The Charger is well-equipped at $27,710 with the expected features in this group, as well as a hands-free cell phone link, power-adjustable pedals, and a power passenger seat.

Conclusion:

The Charger doesn't do most things badly, but it also doesn't do many things particularly well. It has a small interior for its size, a stiff and noisy ride, unexceptional acceleration with poor gas mileage, mediocre safety ratings, pedestrian interior appointments. Neither comfortable nor fun to drive nor inexpensive, it is not a worthy choice in its class.

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