Pros
HEMI power and acceleration
Navigation system accuracy and ease of use
Autostick® 5-speed transmission that matches perfectly with the engine
Cons
Thirst for gasoline
“Am I speaking English?” voice command system
Uncomfortable front seats
Driving Impressions
My tester was a Deep Water Blue Pearl Coat SRT8 RWD with the HEMI 6.1 liter V-8 (425hp/420 lb-ft torque) paired with a 5-speed AutoStick® automatic transmission. Loaded with SRT Option II and III groups, it included such things as a killer sound system (322-watts and 13 speakers) with in-trunk Kicker sub (200-watts), multimedia navigation with GPS, iPod interface, uconnect phone, and security system. A Video Entertainment System with Sirius Backseat TV service was also on the options list. Brembo brakes provide the stopping power and a free-flow cat-back dual exhaust system provide the bark for the engine’s bite. The rear has a color-matched spoiler and SRT8 chrome badge on the trunk lid below the Charger name. In addition to the high-performance suspension and 4-wheel performance brakes, it had the special 20″x9.0″ SRT rims wrapped in 245 and 255/45ZR20 Eagle F1 rubber.
For a performance car, driving couldn’t have been easier. You can press the remote starter on the key fob to warm up the car, get in and drive off. Regardless of the hard acceleration or braking, the Charger came back for more and never winced. Forward visibility is excellent, but side and rear is a bit hampered due to the sheer size of the car. Still, driving around town and in traffic is quite easy. Going to work one morning, I floored it to merge with faster traffic, accelerating as if I was on a Yamaha R1 motorcycle. *GRIN* I did find myself driving faster than normal because 1) I could and 2) because of the car’s insulation: it feels like you’re driving slower. Kudos to Dodge. The 5-speed Autostick transmission is well designed and matched to the engine. The shifts are smooth no matter how hard I accelerated. The C-pillars are thick, and at night, I had to rely on the sideview mirror to see what was to my right.
Dodge, Charger, SRT8, Review, 2009,
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