There are a lot of words to describe the 21st-century Dodge Charger. Subtle is not one of them. The scowling headlights. The chunky, brick-house shape accented by sharp creases and points. The available High Impact Colors. And of course … the Hemi.
The Charger might’ve shared underpinnings and drivetrain bits with the Chrysler 300 (as well as the Magnum wagon), but it was a far cry from the badge-engineered Chrysler Corporation vehicles of yore. When the sixth-generation Charger arrived for 2006, there was no mistaking it for anything other than a Dodge—thanks in no small part to those menacing crosshairs in the grille and the chrome ram emblems. It was clear that Dodge had made a conscious decision to put forgettable, conservatively styled, front-wheel-drive cars in the rearview mirror.
In the initial model year, the Charger was available with a 250-hp, 3.5-liter, V-6 in SE and SXT trim. But the big news was the 5.7-liter Hemi-powered R/T; the R/T, with Road/Track Performance Group; and the Dodge Charger Daytona R/T. At the top of the performance heap was the 6.1-liter-powered Hemi SRT8.
The Charger and the R/T underwent evolutionary changes before receiving a makeover in 2011, two estimates the average price at nearly $24,000, but their figures include sales of SRT8s, which can command higher sums.
