By Cars.com Staff
Cars.com National December 8, 2010Vehicle Overview
There aren't many full-size family sedans like the Charger. It's a rear-wheel-drive muscle car with an available V-8 engine. The Charger has been redesigned for 2011, and changes include more aggressive exterior styling, a revised interior and a new base V-6. The Charger competes with the Ford Taurus.
Exterior
The Charger has always been an aggressive-looking car, but the redesigned 2011 model raises the sedan's meanness factor. It all starts up front with a restyled grille that has a lot more tension in its design — Dodge designer Mark Trostle described it as "Superman's chest" — and that contributes to the furrowed look of the headlights. Much of the sheet metal is new as well, with hood and door scallops that provide more visual interest.
The rear roof pillars take on a different shape, but perhaps the biggest change is to the car's rear, which gets full-width illumination when the headlights are on. It helps make the Charger as distinctive from the rear as it is from the front. Additional exterior features include:
- Standard 17-inch aluminum wheels; 18-, 19- or 20-inch rims optional
- Standard halogen headlights; high-intensity-discharge headlights optional
- Standard chrome exhaust tips
- Standard LED taillights
- Optional fog lights
- Optional heated side mirrors
- Optional power sunroof
- Optional rain-sensing windshield wipers
Interior
The Charger has sported one of Dodge's better interiors of recent memory, but the changes it gets for 2011 are still welcome. From the dashboard — which is pretty tall — to the steering wheel to the newly available 8.4-inch touch-screen system, much has been updated. One change is that the leading edge of the roof has been shifted rearward a little, making it easier to see stoplights when you're first in line at one.
The Charger has a relatively large backseat that's accommodating for adult passengers and features a 60/40-split folding backrest. Dodge claims visibility for rear passengers is better thanks to new quarter windows, but the roofline means taller passengers' views out the side windows are still limited. Additional interior features include:
- Standard cloth upholstery; leather optional
- Standard manual air conditioning; dual-zone automatic air conditioning optional
- Standard cruise control; adaptive cruise control optional
- Standard 4.3-inch touch-screen CD audio system with USB and auxiliary ports
- Optional 8.4-inch touch-screen system with SD card reader
- Optional Garmin-based navigation system
- Optional Alpine premium audio
- Optional heated and cooled cupholders
- Optional front and rear heated seats
- Optional heated steering wheel
- Optional Bluetooth connectivity
Under the Hood
The base engine is Chrysler's new 3.6-liter V-6, which is rated at 292 horsepower. The optional 370-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 features cylinder deactivation to save fuel under light load. Both engines team with a five-speed automatic transmission.
- Both engines can run on regular gas
- Rear-wheel drive standard; all-wheel drive optional for V-8 models
- Three suspensions available: Touring, Performance and Super Track Pak
Safety
Available safety features include:
- Standard antilock brakes
- Standard side-impact airbags for the front seats
- Standard side curtain airbags
- Standard driver-side knee airbag
- Standard stability system
- Optional power-adjustable pedals with memory
- Optional blind spot monitoring system
- Optional collision-warning system
- Optional rear parking sensors
- Optional backup camera
Additional Reviews
Cars.com Expert Reviews
| Mike Hanley | Cars.com National | August 3, 2011 |
| Cars.com Staff | Cars.com National | December 8, 2010 |
Affiliate Reviews
| Scott Burgess | The Detroit Newspapers | June 30, 2011 |
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