Likes - Cool retro styling
- Hemi grunt ‘n growl
- Sweet 6-speed manual
- Large-car comfort
Dislikes - Heft hampers handling
- Ho-hum interior
- Sticker shock and awe
- Citation immunity not included
Tech Specs - SE: 250 hp, 250 lbs-feet of torque 3.5-liter V6; 4-speed automatic
- R/T: 372 hp, 401 lbs-feet of torque 5.7-liter V8; 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual
- SRT8: 425 hp, 420 lbs-feet of torque 6.1-liter V8; 5-speed automatic or 6-speed manual
- 0 to 60 times: 7.8 seconds (SE), 5.5 seconds (R/T), 4.9 seconds (SRT8)
- EPA city/hwy mpg, 4-speed automatic: 19/27 (SE)
- EPA city/hwy mpg, 5-speed automatic: 16/25 (R/T), 13/19 (SRT8)
- EPA city/hwy mpg, 6-speed manual: 15/24 (R/T), 14/22 (SRT8)
- Curb weights: 3,819 lbs (SE), 4,041 lbs (R/T), 4,140 lbs (SRT8)
What's New/Changed - New Plum Crazy Pearl and Detonator Yellow colors
- Otherwise essentially unchanged from the 2009 model year
The Vehix View - A worthy, if somewhat softer, competitor to its born-again muscle car rivals Camaro and Mustang. Make ours an R/T or SRT8 optioned with the must-have six-speed manual.
First Impressions
The 2010 Dodge Challenger has a whole lotta retro goin’ on, from the yesteryear lines that faithfully mimic those of the 1970–1974 original, to the “bigger is better” theme stoutly sung by its optional Hemi V8s and “road-hugging” weight. As a contemporary take on the classic muscle car, it’s all about powerful presence—which the Challenger has in spades, albeit with a subtlety reflective of version 1.0.
More than just a mere throwback, though, the Challenger appeals with an artful mix of Nixon-era nostalgia and Obama-age tech. The current generation, now in the third year of its model run, has an undeniable sleekness and slickness that translates the original’s body language into the modern idiom every bit as successfully as do its traditional rivals, the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang.
Pricing, Trims and Options
Base prices start at $23,460 for the V6-equipped SE and quickly top the $30,000 mark for either of the models motivated by Hemi V8s, with the mid-level R/T starting at $31,585 and the top-of-the-line SRT8 going out the door for at least a whopping $41,955.
With thousands of dollars worth of options available—including 20" chromed-aluminum wheels, audio upgrades, a navigation system, high-intensity-discharge headlamps, a power sunroof, and much more—the price of a lavishly equipped R/T can rise to the low $40,000s while that of a similarly sybaritic SRT8 can run to well over $45,000 faster than you can say "sticker shock."
Interior Features
That XL exterior translates into an L interior, with ample stretching-out room up front but noticeably less head- and legroom in back; if you’re taller than 5’9” or so, be prepared to duck if you’re riding aft. Still, front and rear seats are generously sized, comfortable, and nicely supportive.
The Challenger’s outward visibility, which is compromised by its aggressive, low-roof styling, ranks mid-pack among its muscle-car competitors. The view out of the Challenger is decidedly more expansive than the Camaro’s, but the glassier Mustang trumps them both.
Interior styling is as static as the exterior is dynamic: while the Camaro and Mustang each sport a special retro-themed look inside, the Dodge simply recycles the Charger’s humdrum dashboard.
Trunk space, which is predictably plentiful at 16.2 cubic feet, is shallower vertically than you might expect but impressively deep from front to back. Access is aided by the standard 60/40-split folding rear seat.