2015 Dodge Charger – Jump In, Hang On

A lot has changed for the Charger since its introduction as a muscle car back in the 1960s. Reintroduced a few years ago as a four-door sedan, many believed that the Charger was just another has-been hoping to ride along on its former glory. Boy were they wrong. The 2015 Dodge Charger is a powerful, well-designed sedan with options ranging from “highway cruiser” to “track-ready, F the prick in the Porsche.” For 2015, a few changes improve the new Charger that go beyond the Hellcat powertrain option.

To start with, the exterior of the 2015 Charger is less in your face about its muscularity. The almost cartoon-like rear end with its huge fender bulges and wide build has been tempered down a bit. The result is a more refined, but still muscular look that deemphasizes the Charger’s past and instead drives it forward. The style cut in the front door, swooshing back to the rear, is still there, but has also been shallowed to continue this slightly more upscale and forward-looking design. Finishing these changes, the grille has also seen some modifications to continue this trend.

Inside, the Charger is still excellent. Despite its low price point, the 2015 Charger manages to have great seating, a blue collar, but quality interior, and well-natured ergonomics. The T-handled shifter is still there (no round knobs for Chrysler’s performance cars, thank you) and the back seat and trunk still have more square footage than the average city apartment.

Big changes for the 2015 Charger happen under the hood. Like most of the Chrysler-Dodge lineup of late, engine and transmission upgrades are big news. The Charger still has a V6 option as well as not two, but three V8 engines to choose from. In addition, the eight-speed automatic transmission becomes standard across the trims as is the expected rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive has been reduced to availability only in the V6 options, which Dodge says is due to the take rate for it being very low in the V8s – not a surprise.

So.. engine options. They are aplenty and there’s definitely something for everyone. We drove the V6 with AWD and loved it as a great highway cruiser with plenty of get-up and respectable fuel economy. The 3.6-liter Pentastar is well-known to Chrysler fans and does well in the Charger, producing 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque with an EPA estimated 31 mpg highway in rear-wheel and 27 mpg highway in AWD. Upgrading to the Rallye group boosts horses to 300.

Next up is the also tried-and-true 5.7-liter Hemi. This engine, which we also saw in the Challenger R/T and on the track in the Challenger Shaker, produces 370 hp and 395 lb-ft. The EPA gives it 19 mpg combined.

Dodge fans will also recognize the 6.4-liter V8 offered in the 2015 Charger in both the R/T Scat Pack and SRT 392 trims. This produces a growling 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of tire-spinning torque. EPA fuel economy estimates are 18 mpg combined, so you don’t lose much going from the five-seven to the six-four.

Finally, new for 2015, is the Charger Hellcat with its screaming 6.2-liter supercharged demon outputting 707 hp and 650 lb-ft. With 0-60s in the very low fours, it still manages 16 mpg combined from the EPA. Yes, we are definitely in #want mode on this one and plan to drive one soon.

However you stack it up, the 2015 Dodge Charger is both unique and desirable. Sometimes, great things come in big packages. Jump in, hang on.