What is it?
The Dodge Charger SRT8 is truly the last of a dying breed. Although technically made in Canada, the Charger SRT8 is the epitome of the great American muscle car. Its styling – which includes a more aggressive front fascia, hood scoop, SRT-spec wheels and a rear wing – is just enough to indicate that this is no ordinary Charger, but doesn’t go over the top like some boy-racer tuner car. Even more importantly, the Charger SRT8 has the raw horsepower to uphold its storied nameplate.
What’s it up against?
As the Charger SRT8 is among a dying breed, its competition is becoming few and far between. The Pontiac G8 GXP closest fits the mold of the Charger SRT8, but General Motors officially pulled the plug on the Pontiac brand, making that comparison all but moot. If you squint hard enough, you could include vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG in the Charger SRT8’s competition, but with a price tag of just over $40 grand, potential Charger SRT8 buyers are more likely cross shopping cars like the Nissan Maxima and the Dodge’s cross-showroom sibling, the Chrysler 300C SRT8.
Any breakthroughs?
The Charger SRT8 follows the old-school Detroit tradition of big power in an otherwise fairly ordinary rear-wheel-drive sedan. Other than the 300C SRT8, you won’t find anything else from Detroit remembering this part of their Motown history lesson.
How does it look?
The Charger SRT8 retains the same basic styling of the standard Charger — which isn’t necessarily a bad thing – but does add a few unique styling cues. Up front, the Charger SRT8’s look is highlighted by its signature shark nose front end, but Dodge’s Street Racing Technology team has taken the liberty of adding a more aggressive front air dam and a hood-mount air scoop. Although technically not functional, the hood scoop does let air pass into the engine compartment and does give the Charger a decidedly aggressive look.
The side view of the Charger SRT8 is dominated by large 20-inch, SRT-specific alloy wheels. Look closer and you’ll notice massive slotted rotors clamped by large Brembo calipers – the same brand you will find on many of the world’s top performance cars.
Moving around back, the Charger SRT8 is finished off with a larger – but not obnoxious – deck lid spoiler and muscle car-appropriate dual exhaust.
And on the inside?
Step inside the Charger SRT8 and you’ll be greeted with standard LX platform affair. All Chargers received an interior upgrade in 2008, but the majority of those efforts went into better quality materials, not the overall design. As such, the Charger’s circa-2005 interior is starting to feel a bit dated. The overall quality and fit-and-finish is good enough to compete in today’s marketplace, but the style just left us wanting more. We could nit-pick a number of different details, but given the Charger’s relative old age and Chrysler’s current financial status, we’ll give this area a pass until the all-new Charger bows early next decade.
While the Charger’s interior design might not win any beauty pageants, it does serve as a comfortable and functional place to spend a few hours – especially when equipped with some of our test car’s options. Chrysler’s infotainement/navigation system is still one of the best in the business, offering a large touch-screen and easy MP3 connectivity. A redundant navigation display in the gauge cluster also helps to keep the driver’s eyes on the road. Thankfully, this system doesn’t make you scroll through several screens just to change radio volume like so many other complex systems from other manufacturers.
In order to keep back-seat passengers happy on longer trips, the Charger SRT8 offers a rear entertainment system, complete with RCA hooks and Sirius TV. Front-seat occupants will be just as happy, thanks to grippy and supportive SRT-specific bucket seats.
But does it go?
In the end, the Charger SRT8 isn’t about trying to deliver flashy styling, cutting edge interior designs or the most advanced electronics on the planet – it’s all about driving. And the Charger SRT8 delivers in spades.
The most attractive part of the Charger SRT8 package is easily its 425 horsepower 6.1-liter Hemi V8. Put your foot down on the go-fast pedal and the Charger SRT8 will easily light up its 245-series rear tires. Dodge says the Charger SRT8 can make the sprint to 60 in about 5 seconds, and we fully believe that claim. And perhaps even more impressive than Charger SRT8’s acceleration off the line is its acceleration at speed. In the Charger SRT8, on ramps and two-lane road passing maneuvers suddenly become playgrounds for the enthusiast – not to mention the symphonic roar of all eight cylinders beating in harmony.
But the Charger SRT8 isn’t all about straight-line performance. You won’t soon confuse the Charger with the BMW M3, but we were pleasantly surprised with the Charger’s demeanor when the roads turned twisty. Thanks to an upgraded suspension, the Charger SRT8 offers plenty of grip with only a hint of body roll – an impressive feat considering the overall size.
However, the Charger SRT8 is more at home on the daily commute than the autocross track, offering excellent damping on all but the most pot hole-filled roads. Its ride is on the stiff side but never feels jarring, making for a near ideal balance of sport and comfort.
Fuel economy isn’t likely a big selling point for this bulky beast, but it’s not as bad as the power would imply: 13 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway, according to the EPA. While we managed a rather impressive 22-24mpg during steady highway cruising, that figure dropped into the mid-teens – or lower – during mixed driving.
Why you would buy it:
You have AMG taste but a Dodge budget. The Charger SRT8 is an excellent choice for those that crave performance but must stick to a budget or have the capacity to do occasional people hauling.
Why you wouldn’t:
You should also keep looking if you value interior design and fuel economy above all-out performance. Suave the Charger SRT8 is not.
Leftlane’s bottom line
With the demise of the Pontiac G8, there simply isn’t another sports sedan on the market that can match the Dodge Charger on price and performance. Sure there are faster and better handling sedans out there, but you’d have to shell out nearly double the Charger’s price tag to land one in your garage. And it’s not exact as if the Charger is a compromise – its styling still stands out in a crowd and its seats are some of the best in the biz. Throw in some niceties like satellite navigation and back seat entertainment and you might even forget about the Dodge badge.
2009 Dodge Charger SRT8 base price, $41,420; As tested, $45,585.
TorRed exterior paint, $225; SRT Option Group III, $1,285; SRT Option Group II , $1,195; Video Entertainment System w/Sirius backseat TV, $1,460; Gas guzzler tax, $1,700.
