Road Test
Full Test: 2006 Dodge Charger RT
Yeeee-Huhhh?
To many of us, the words "Dodge Charger" evoke images of a brawny coupe with Coke-bottle contours and hideaway headlights. Especially with the recent release of the Dukes of Hazzard movie, it's the 1968-1970 version of Dodge's classic muscle car that first comes to mind. Hard-core partisans have taken issue with DaimlerChrysler's revival of that traditional coupe name for the 2006 Dodge Charger, a four-door sedan. We say, OK, it might have been nice to save the name for a sporty coupe, but it's now on a sedan. Let's move on.
Sharing its rear-drive platform with the Dodge Magnum RT wagon and Chrysler 300C sedan, the Charger RT puts more emphasis on driving dynamics, especially when equipped with the "Road/Track Performance Group" option ($1,600), as our test car was. Standard on the R/T Daytona, this package includes sport seats, enhanced steering, firmer suspension, Michelin performance tires and 10 more horsepower.
The 2006 Dodge Charger sedan certainly looks aggressive. From the front, the reverse-canted grille and angled headlights give it a menacing appearance, like a gangsta rapper's mug on a CD case. No wonder 50 Cent wanted one. True, we see no visual link to past Chargers (well, the cool ones anyway), but the new Charger is attractive in its own right. The styling is both clean and aggressive, its stance is beefy, and those looking for a sedan with serious attitude should like it.
In Da Dodge
Thankfully, the cabin won't remind you of an old Charger — you know, flat seats, "Age of Aquarius" ergonomics, a spindly steering wheel. Pony up for that Performance Group package and you'll get sport seats with serious lateral support and all-day comfort. Two-stage seat heaters (also part of that package) warmed our backsides and hearts alike during cold morning commutes. There may be more hard plastic trim on the dash and door panels than we'd prefer, but fit and finish is very good overall.
If you've been inside a Dodge Magnum, the Charger's interior will look familiar. Not a bad thing, as large white-faced gauges and sound ergonomics are hard to fault. A thick-rimmed steering wheel that tilts and telescopes along with power-adjustable pedals allow drivers of all shapes and sizes to get comfortable. A thoughtful feature is the one-touch, three-blink lane-change feature on the turn signals. Nice for those of us who actually signal our intentions.
With a 120-inch wheelbase, backseat room is plentiful. A fold-down center armrest provides additional comfort if only two are riding in back. Should you go nuts at Costco and the 16.2-cubic-foot trunk isn't enough, you can always employ the 60/40-split folding rear seat.
Big Bruiser That's More Than a Cruiser
With the RT, Chrysler's now famous 5.7-liter Hemi V8 comes standard. It puts out impressive numbers: 340 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 390 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. That Road/Track Performance Group option bumps horsepower to 350 hp at 5,200 rpm (torque remains the same) by increasing the size of the intake tube running into the throttle body and replacing the three-passage muffler unit with a more straight-through design. "And that's a real 10 hp," says Burke Brown, the chief engineer on the Charger. "The muffler significantly reduces back pressure."
Hooked up to a quick-shifting five-speed manually selectable automatic transmission, the power plant gives the big sedan big performance. We're talking about a car that weighs more than a new Cadillac DeVille, but running up to 60 mph takes just 6.2 seconds, while the quarter is dispatched in 14.3 ticks. That's about the same as our Magnum RT long-termer, which posted 6.3 and 14.4 seconds for the same tests.
One staffer felt that the Charger's tranny slightly outperformed the unit in our Magnum by responding more crisply to throttle inputs, and stepping down more quickly when a downshift was needed during highway merging and passing. He also liked the fact that its Autostick manual select feature is tuned to hold a gear indefinitely like a real manual transmission.
Against EPA estimates of 17 city/25 highway, we only averaged 14.4 mpg during our time with the Charger. Some blame falls on Los Angeles traffic and our own lead feet. More wide-open spaces would have helped us reap the rewards of the Hemi's Multi-Displacement technology. At constant freeway speeds, when power demands are low, this system shuts down four cylinders (in just 40 milliseconds, quicker than an eye blink) to enhance fuel economy. When the need for speed arises, you're running on all cylinders again, without so much as a hiccup.
Dances Pretty Good for a Heavy
The Performance Package also adds more aggressive, more fade-resistant brake pads. Hauling the car down from 60 mph ate up only 121 feet of pavement, impressive for a 2-tonner. Equally important, the big four-wheel discs didn't fade at all during our trio of simulated panic stops. ABS is standard and brake pedal feel is linear and firm.
As with the brakes, the Charger RT's handling belies its pudge factor. In addition to allowing juvenile displays of tail-out power, rear-wheel drive contributes to the Charger's decent front-to-rear weight distribution (53/47 percent), which in turn promises more balanced handling.
Carving up a twisty road is more fun than you'd think considering the Charger's bulk. Differences over the regular Charger R/T, besides the tires, are thicker front and rear antiroll bars, which measure 30mm front and 15mm rear, and German-made Nivomat self-leveling shock absorbers that are 20-percent stiffer.
The steering also received a retuning in the form of a unique steering gear with nine grooves instead of six. Brown says passing the hydraulic power steering fluid through the additional grooves made for more precise tuning and allowed his team to achieve the steering feel they wanted without the crude kickback the stiffer suspension and stickier tires would have otherwise caused. It also makes the steering 20-to-25-percent heavier than it is on a regular Charger or any Magnum.
"We started with the Michelin tire, which very much has a performance character to it," says Brown. "Then we tuned the rest of the suspension to go with it."
Quick reactions, nicely weighted and precise steering and effectively quelled body roll are the results. Yes, you can sense the Charger's heft on initial turn-in, but there's no slop in the suspension and steering — it remains composed and the tires don't squeal until you start to get overzealous.
The ride is firm but controlled. Even on Downtown L.A.'s broken-up streets, the Charger absorbed most of the bumps without drama. Sharp impacts can give you a little spank, but overall, the RT provides an agreeable, sporting balance between handling and ride.
At Least They Didn't Call It a Polara
Whatever you think of the decision to use the name, there's no denying the 2006 Dodge Charger RT is a lot of car for the money. For a starting price of around $30,000, you get a stylish, powerful, roomy car with a tough attitude and very strong performance. But the Charger doesn't just perform better than its platform siblings, it feels better.
"When we were engineering the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger, we wanted all three vehicles to have their own character," Brown told us during a phone interview. "We wanted each car to feel different."
Well, we've driven all three, and we like the Charger's character the best. It's the bad boy of the bunch and it wants to party. Hard. Stoke the coals and order the optional Road/Track Performance Group. You won't regret it.
Sharing its rear-drive platform with the Dodge Magnum RT wagon and Chrysler 300C sedan, the Charger RT puts more emphasis on driving dynamics, especially when equipped with the "Road/Track Performance Group" option ($1,600), as our test car was. Standard on the R/T Daytona, this package includes sport seats, enhanced steering, firmer suspension, Michelin performance tires and 10 more horsepower.
The 2006 Dodge Charger sedan certainly looks aggressive. From the front, the reverse-canted grille and angled headlights give it a menacing appearance, like a gangsta rapper's mug on a CD case. No wonder 50 Cent wanted one. True, we see no visual link to past Chargers (well, the cool ones anyway), but the new Charger is attractive in its own right. The styling is both clean and aggressive, its stance is beefy, and those looking for a sedan with serious attitude should like it.
In Da Dodge
Thankfully, the cabin won't remind you of an old Charger — you know, flat seats, "Age of Aquarius" ergonomics, a spindly steering wheel. Pony up for that Performance Group package and you'll get sport seats with serious lateral support and all-day comfort. Two-stage seat heaters (also part of that package) warmed our backsides and hearts alike during cold morning commutes. There may be more hard plastic trim on the dash and door panels than we'd prefer, but fit and finish is very good overall.
If you've been inside a Dodge Magnum, the Charger's interior will look familiar. Not a bad thing, as large white-faced gauges and sound ergonomics are hard to fault. A thick-rimmed steering wheel that tilts and telescopes along with power-adjustable pedals allow drivers of all shapes and sizes to get comfortable. A thoughtful feature is the one-touch, three-blink lane-change feature on the turn signals. Nice for those of us who actually signal our intentions.
With a 120-inch wheelbase, backseat room is plentiful. A fold-down center armrest provides additional comfort if only two are riding in back. Should you go nuts at Costco and the 16.2-cubic-foot trunk isn't enough, you can always employ the 60/40-split folding rear seat.
Big Bruiser That's More Than a Cruiser
With the RT, Chrysler's now famous 5.7-liter Hemi V8 comes standard. It puts out impressive numbers: 340 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 390 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. That Road/Track Performance Group option bumps horsepower to 350 hp at 5,200 rpm (torque remains the same) by increasing the size of the intake tube running into the throttle body and replacing the three-passage muffler unit with a more straight-through design. "And that's a real 10 hp," says Burke Brown, the chief engineer on the Charger. "The muffler significantly reduces back pressure."
Hooked up to a quick-shifting five-speed manually selectable automatic transmission, the power plant gives the big sedan big performance. We're talking about a car that weighs more than a new Cadillac DeVille, but running up to 60 mph takes just 6.2 seconds, while the quarter is dispatched in 14.3 ticks. That's about the same as our Magnum RT long-termer, which posted 6.3 and 14.4 seconds for the same tests.
One staffer felt that the Charger's tranny slightly outperformed the unit in our Magnum by responding more crisply to throttle inputs, and stepping down more quickly when a downshift was needed during highway merging and passing. He also liked the fact that its Autostick manual select feature is tuned to hold a gear indefinitely like a real manual transmission.
Against EPA estimates of 17 city/25 highway, we only averaged 14.4 mpg during our time with the Charger. Some blame falls on Los Angeles traffic and our own lead feet. More wide-open spaces would have helped us reap the rewards of the Hemi's Multi-Displacement technology. At constant freeway speeds, when power demands are low, this system shuts down four cylinders (in just 40 milliseconds, quicker than an eye blink) to enhance fuel economy. When the need for speed arises, you're running on all cylinders again, without so much as a hiccup.
Dances Pretty Good for a Heavy
The Performance Package also adds more aggressive, more fade-resistant brake pads. Hauling the car down from 60 mph ate up only 121 feet of pavement, impressive for a 2-tonner. Equally important, the big four-wheel discs didn't fade at all during our trio of simulated panic stops. ABS is standard and brake pedal feel is linear and firm.
As with the brakes, the Charger RT's handling belies its pudge factor. In addition to allowing juvenile displays of tail-out power, rear-wheel drive contributes to the Charger's decent front-to-rear weight distribution (53/47 percent), which in turn promises more balanced handling.
Carving up a twisty road is more fun than you'd think considering the Charger's bulk. Differences over the regular Charger R/T, besides the tires, are thicker front and rear antiroll bars, which measure 30mm front and 15mm rear, and German-made Nivomat self-leveling shock absorbers that are 20-percent stiffer.
The steering also received a retuning in the form of a unique steering gear with nine grooves instead of six. Brown says passing the hydraulic power steering fluid through the additional grooves made for more precise tuning and allowed his team to achieve the steering feel they wanted without the crude kickback the stiffer suspension and stickier tires would have otherwise caused. It also makes the steering 20-to-25-percent heavier than it is on a regular Charger or any Magnum.
"We started with the Michelin tire, which very much has a performance character to it," says Brown. "Then we tuned the rest of the suspension to go with it."
Quick reactions, nicely weighted and precise steering and effectively quelled body roll are the results. Yes, you can sense the Charger's heft on initial turn-in, but there's no slop in the suspension and steering — it remains composed and the tires don't squeal until you start to get overzealous.
The ride is firm but controlled. Even on Downtown L.A.'s broken-up streets, the Charger absorbed most of the bumps without drama. Sharp impacts can give you a little spank, but overall, the RT provides an agreeable, sporting balance between handling and ride.
At Least They Didn't Call It a Polara
Whatever you think of the decision to use the name, there's no denying the 2006 Dodge Charger RT is a lot of car for the money. For a starting price of around $30,000, you get a stylish, powerful, roomy car with a tough attitude and very strong performance. But the Charger doesn't just perform better than its platform siblings, it feels better.
"When we were engineering the Chrysler 300, Dodge Magnum and Dodge Charger, we wanted all three vehicles to have their own character," Brown told us during a phone interview. "We wanted each car to feel different."
Well, we've driven all three, and we like the Charger's character the best. It's the bad boy of the bunch and it wants to party. Hard. Stoke the coals and order the optional Road/Track Performance Group. You won't regret it.
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