2011 Dodge Charger Review and Prices

By Chuck Giametta

2011 DODGE CHARGER BUYING ADVICE

• The 2011 Dodge Charger is the best car for you if you want the all-new edition of the only popularly priced, American-brand, rear-wheel drive full-size sedan.

• The redesigned 2011 Dodge Charger appears ready to delve deeper into its muscle-car past. Only spy shots of camouflaged prototypes were available in the time for this review. But the car seems poised to reflect the spirit of the 1968-1970 Charger classics with more fidelity than the 2006-2010 model could muster. No matter how looks, the 2011 Charger will defend a proud tradition of affordable big-car performance.

• Should you wait for the 2011 Dodge Charger or buy a 2010 Dodge Charger? Wait for the 2011 Dodge Charger. It’ll have the latest styling and Chrysler’s promising new Pentastar V-6. Don’t be afraid to shop the still-very-viable 2010 Charger for close-out bargains on Hemi V-8 models, however.

2011 DODGE CHARGER CHANGES

• Styling: The 2011 Dodge Charger will return as a full-size four-door but with all-new styling inside and out. The Dodge-trademark cross-bar grille remains, but likely in a bolder form that loses the outgoing model’s retreating chin. The windshield pillars probably will be thinner and raked back a few degrees to aid aerodynamics. The roofline could be lowered a bit and given a more of a fastback flavor, tapering to a trunklid that integrates a lip spoiler. Classic-Charger devotees are excited about chances the body side will contain an embossed reverse scoop. That would be a retro nod to the 1970 car and an inviting venue for the R/T badges that identify sporting Chargers. A slightly concave tail panel also would honor the spirit of the ’70s. The 2011 Charger will continue to share its basic engineering with the all-new 2011 Chrysler 300. The 2011 redesign of both cars, however, could provide Chrysler an opportunity to take the 300 upscale and the Charger deeper into sports-sedan territory. The previous generation Charger/300 shared a 120-inch wheelbase (distance between the front and rear axle). It was among the longest in the industry and key to their outstanding passenger room. Some reports speculate the 2011 redesign may put Charger on a slightly shorter wheelbase than the 300. A 116-inch-wheelbase version of this platform was the basis of the new-for-2010 Dodge Challenger coupe. And it’s probable this basic structure will eventually be used for cars from Alfa Romeo and Lancia. Those European marques, along with Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram truck brands, are controlled by Fiat. The Italian automaker took over bankrupt Chrysler during 2009.        

• Mechanical: The 2011 Dodge Charger will continue to feature V-6 and V-8 power and again be based on a traditional rear-wheel-drive chassis. Optional all-wheel drive (AWD) should return to enhance snowy-weather traction. But it’s the rear-drive foundation that sets Charger apart: no other sedan – foreign or domestic -- in its price class has it. Rear-wheel drive is revered by handling purists because it balances the weight of the powertrain over the length of the car. And unlike front-wheel drive, it doesn’t compel the front tires to propel the car as well as steer it, a demand that can corrupt both traction and directional control. The 2006-2010 Charger was developed while Chrysler was owned by Daimler of Germany. Its road manners benefited from genuine Mercedes-Benz suspension design. How much of that so-called LX platform survives in the 2011 Charger’s “LY” platform is open to debate; Dodge insists it’s an all-new design. Uncontested is that the 2011 Charger will feature Chrysler’s new-generation V-6 engine touted for its combination of power and fuel-efficiency. Code-named Pentastar, the new engine shows up first as a 3.6-liter in the redesigned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. There it’s rated at 280 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque (torque is the key component of acceleration). The same Pentastar is likely to be the 2011 Charger’s base engine. It’ll replace a milquetoast 2.7-liter V-6 (178 horsepower/190 pound-feet of torque) and the old but game 3.5-liter V-6 (250/250). Due for a return in the sporty 2011 Charger R/T model is Chrysler’s 5.7-liter Hemi V-8. Expect a slight bump from the 2010 version’s best ratings of 372 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. The Hemi should also retain a deactivation system that saves gas by shutting down four cylinders in light-throttle cruising or while the car is at a stop. A big step forward in powertrain efficiency would be introduction of an eight-speed automatic transmission. It’s the subject of several speculative reports and would replace the outgoing Charger’s four- and five-speed automatics.      

• Features: The smaller Dodge Avenger has been a deserved sales disaster and though a heavily revised version is on the way, lack of a viable midsize sedan to serve lower-price shoppers puts the 2011 Dodge Charger in a bit of a bind. Skimp on standard features and Dodge risks losing value-conscious buyers. But including lots of equipment as standard drives up the base price and puts Charger out of reach of a mass audience. The solution, of course, is careful management of trim levels and options packages. Of particular interest will be how Dodge handles competitive pressures to furnish the 2011 Charger’s cabin with quality-grade materials, which can be costly.  Still, expect even the base 2011 Charger to come with a nice array of standard amenities, including power windows, locks, and mirrors, plus air conditioning, height-adjustable driver’s seat, tilt/telescope steering wheel with audio controls, split/folding rear seatbacks, and alloy wheels. Leather upholstery, heated front seats, power moonroof and audio upgrades are certain to be available at extra cost. So will the latest iteration of Chrysler’s unconnect infotainment system. It facilitates hands-free operation of a navigation system, Bluetooth phone link, hard-drive music storage, and USB iPod interface.

2011 DODGE CHARGER PRICES

• Prices for the 2011 Dodge Charger had not been released in time for this review but Dodge will be under pressure to keep this car attainable to a broad buyer base.

• Matching the 2010 Charger’s $24,600 starting price isn’t likely because that was for a very basic model with the plebeian 2.7-liter V-6 and four-speed automatic transmission. A Pentastar powertrain is sure to be more expensive – raising the possibility that Dodge will in fact field an entry-level 2011 Charger with something other than its newest V-6. Nonetheless, expect 2011 Charger base prices to start well under $30,000. Higher-trim-level V-6 versions will spill over $30,000.

• The 2011 Dodge Charger R/T with the 5.7-liter Hemi should be priced from around $34,000. AWD wouldn’t be available on an entry-level model, but would add about $2,000 to the price of a 2011 Pentastar V-6 or 2011 R/T Charger. (Estimated base prices in this review include the manufacturer’s destination fee; Dodge’s fee for the 2010 Charger was $750.)

2011 DODGE CHARGER FUEL ECONOMY

• EPA mileage estimates for 2011 models had not been released in time for this review but Dodge says the Pentastar V-6 will improve fuel economy by some 8 percent over other Chrysler V-6 engines. Smoother aerodynamics and further powertrain efficiencies will also come into play as Dodge strives to reach a goal of reducing overall Charger fuel consumption by close to 20 percent. Cutting weight would help, too. But without reducing this sedan’s overall size, and accounting for additional standard features, the 2011 Charger is likely to weigh about the same as the outgoing model: around 3,800 pounds with the V-6, around 4,100 with the V-8.

• All things considered, expect 2011 Dodge Charger fuel-economy ratings of roughly 18/29 mpg (city/highway) with the Pentastar V-6 and 17/28 with the Hemi V-8. Figure about 17/28 and 16/27, respectively, with AWD. An entry-level V-6 may not earn higher ratings than the Pentastar six, being marketed instead for its lower initial purchase price.

• Dodge recommended midgrade 89-octane gas for best performance with both the 3.5-liter V-6 and the Hemi V-8. It recommends less-expensive 87-octane for the Pentastar V-6 in the 2011 Grand Cherokee, but seems likely to continue to recommend 89-octane for the Hemi V-8.

2011 DODGE CHARGER RELEASE DATE

• The 2011 Dodge Charger should be in showrooms by late 2010.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE DODGE CHARGER

• If the high-performance SRT8 version isn’t on the docket when the 2011 Charger debuts it’s certain to be waiting in the wings. This is the model that puts Charger on the muscle-car map. The outgoing Charger SRT8s packed a 6.1-liter version of the Hemi V-8 rated at 425 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. They had suspension and tires fortified for good handling, special front bucket seats to hug you in place during fast cornering, and just enough exterior scoop/spoiler/wheel work to signal its rude intentions. Any 2011 Charger SRT8 would have all that – and may get a 6.4-liter Hemi with 475-525 horsepower. The SRT8 model probably will remain rear-drive only.

• Don’t rule out turbocharging for a performance version of the Pentastar V-6, but more likely are measures intended to make the new engine more fuel efficient. These could include introduction of cylinder deactivation. Very probable is application of Fiat’s Multiair technology, which improves engine breathing and broadens the power band to boost output and reduce exhaust emissions.

• Fiat seems keen to use the Pentastar in some of its European models and to employ its Multiair four-cylinder engines in new cars for the U.S., either as Fiat products or perhaps as Dodge-badged adaptations. The Charger isn’t apt to go four-cylinder. But its basic structure is quite likely to underpin a future Alfa Romeo sedan that could come to America and a Lancia flagship that probably would not. A Dodge in Alfa clothing -- that’ll be interesting,

2011 DODGE CHARGER COMPETITION

• Ford Taurus: Easily Charger’s closest rival for sport-minded fans of big American sedans. Taurus was heavily revamped for 2010 with aggressive new styling inside and out. It offers front- and all-wheel drive and a choice of a 263-horsepower V-6 or Ford’s hot twin-turbo EcoBoost V-6. The latter defines the Taurus SHO. a Charger R/T-fighter with 365 horsepower, 350 pound-feet of torque, a sport suspension, and AWD. It’s a techie approach to muscle. Base price range for mainstream Taurus models is $26,000-$34,000. Fuel economy is 18/28 mpg with front-drive, 17/25 with AWD. The Taurus SHO starts around $38,000 and rates 17/25 mpg.

• Acura TL: Now that the rear- and all-wheel-drive V-6 and V-8 Pontiac G8 sedan sleeps with the fishes, Charger’s field of rivals narrows quickly. But we’ll submit for your consideration this midsize sedan from Honda’s upscale division. The TL comes only with V-6 power and is smaller than the Charger. But it has extroverted styling and aims for an enthusiast sedan buyer. Base TL models have front-wheel drive, 280 horsepower, rate 18/26 mpg, and start around $36,000. The top-line SH-AWD model has all-wheel drive, 305 horsepower, manual or automatic transmission, and rates 17/25 mpg. It starts around $43,000.

• Buick Regal: OK, now were stretching -- but maybe not to the breaking point. Regal is a sedan, though it’s really a class size smaller than the Charger. And it is a domestic, though it’s really a redressed Opel Insignia from GM’s European operation. That’s a good thing, because the donor Opel is respected for great handling. Regal launches as a 2011 model in base form with a 182-horsepowr four-cylinder engine. Charger intenders would be interested in what follows for model-year 2012: a performance version that resurrects the GS badge from muscle Buicks of the past. This one employs a turbo four-cylinder of about 255 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and comes with AWD. It’ll offer a manual transmission, too. Count on relatively light weight to result in good performance. No word yet on fuel economy or prices but mileage should be respectable and pricing affordable.