2012 Dodge Challenger Overview Change Vehicle

This 2012 Dodge Challenger overview explains changes for the model year, provides a summary of the 2012 Challenger, and includes Dodge Challenger safety, reliability, and fuel economy information.

Remember the muscle car glory days of the late 1960s and early 1970s? If you’re still rocking a moustache, mutton-chops, a hairy chest, bell-bottoms, and Roxy Music eight-tracks, the Dodge Challenger is your dream car. Oh, and get a life. The rest of us can merely appreciate its retro-themed design, capable performance, and surprisingly roomy accommodations.

Dodge revamps the 2012 Challenger lineup, and it includes SXT, SXT Plus, R/T, R/T Plus, R/T Classic, and SRT8 392 models. Beyond that, few changes are in store for the new Challenger. Die-cast zinc paddle shifters are added to SXT Plus, R/T and SRT8 392 models equipped the available AutoStick automatic transmission. An 18-speaker, 900-watt Harmon/Kardon audio system with Greenedge speaker and amplifier technology debuts for 2012, and the SRT8 392 is equipped with a heated flat-bottomed steering wheel, a two-mode adaptive damping suspension, and Radar Red leather seat inserts.

The least expensive path to Challenger ownership is to get the SXT model, which is simply equipped with cloth seats, air conditioning, power windows, power door locks, power mirrors, a leather-wrapped tilt and telescopic steering wheel, cruise control, and a stereo with a CD/MP3 player. The Challenger SXT includes a strong 305-horsepower V6 engine, an AutoStick automatic transmission, a sport suspension, and 18-inch aluminum wheels, along with Keyless Go push-button ignition. Options include an upgraded Boston Acoustics audio system, Uconnect Voice Command Bluetooth connectivity, satellite radio, and Mopar-sourced interior upgrades including a T-Grip shifter.

Getting the SXT Plus is like adding a luxury package to the standard Challenger. Nappa leather, heated front seats, Uconnect Voice Command with Bluetooth audio streaming, satellite radio, and a Boston Acoustics sound system are included, along with automatic headlights and fog lights.

The SXT Plus model also grants access to a much wider array of optional features. Upgrades include 20-inch chrome-clad wheels, a power sunroof, remote engine starting, heated side mirrors a security alarm, a HomeLink universal remote, and individual tire pressure monitoring. A hard-drive entertainment system with Uconnect Voice Command, music file storage, a USB port, an auxiliary audio jack, and satellite radio is also available, along with a Garmin or GPS navigation system with Travel Link service, real-time traffic and weather, and other features. The SXT Plus can also be outfitted with an optional Super Sport Group that includes a performance suspension, performance brakes, 20-inch wheels, a rear spoiler, a Sport mode with paddle shifters for the AutoStick transmission, and a 3.06 rear axle ratio for quicker acceleration.

Move up to the Challenger R/T models, and both the standard equipment and optional feature lists are similar to the SXT lineup. The difference here is that the R/T gets a 5.7-liter Hemi V8, a six-speed manual gearbox, a performance suspension, performance brakes, performance steering, a limited-slip rear differential, and a rear spoiler. The options list is similar to the SXT Plus, but the R/T can also be outfitted with performance tires, R/T fender stripes, a premium hard-drive Boston Acoustics audio system, and an AutoStick automatic transmission. A Super Track Pak option includes Goodyear Eagle F1 summer performance tires, upgraded suspension and brake components, and the ability to defeat the stability control so that you can roast the extremely expensive tires at will.

Choose the R/T Plus model and it comes with the same luxury-themed features as the SXT Plus, along with a security alarm, a HomeLink universal remote, and body-color side mirrors. Available options mirror the R/T, but high-intensity discharge headlights are also offered on this model. An upgraded version of the R/T Plus is called the R/T Classic, and it adds 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, dual R/T side stripes, functional hood scoops, and HID headlights.

At the top of the Challenger lineup sits the monstrous SRT8 392. Endowed with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, an upgraded clutch, SRT-tuned steering, Brembo brakes, and an adaptive damping suspension with a lower ride height, this Challenger performs like no other in history. Plus, it comes with a one-day performance driving school at the SRT Track Experience to teach you how best to use all of this car’s firepower. To ensure that it doesn’t get confused with “regular” Challengers, the SRT8 392 is equipped with full-body stripes, four-inch rectangular exhaust outlets, unique 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, and an SRT flat-bottomed heated steering wheel. You can also track driving data through a special Performance Pages section of the vehicle information center that tracks acceleration, cornering, braking, and other data.

Options for the SRT8 392 include lightweight forged aluminum wheels, Goodyear Eagle F1 Supercar tires, a power sunroof, a 900-watt Harmon/Kardon premium surround-sound audio system, and a variety of hard-drive entertainment and navigation options. Believe it or not, a well-equipped Challenger SRT8 392 tops $50,000. Whoa. This ain’t the 70s, after all.

Challenger buyers have a choice between three engines, each of them powerful enough to impress but not quite as muscular as equivalent powerplants in the Dodge’s primary competitors, the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang.

The Challenger SXT is equipped with a 3.6-liter V6 engine making 305 horsepower and 268 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed AutoStick automatic is standard, and SXT Plus models outfitted with the Super Sport Group get die-cast zinc paddle shifters. The EPA says you can expect 18 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway with this model.

The Challenger R/T comes with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 pumping out 375 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on this model, with the paddle-shifted five-speed AutoStick automatic optional. Get AutoStick, and this engine has a Fuel Saver mode that shuts down four of the eight cylinders when cruising and decelerating to conserve gas. Mileage estimates are 15-city/23-highway with the stick shift and 16-city/25-highway with the automatic.

The SRT8 392 is the most powerful Challenger, equipped with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 cranking out 470 horsepower and a matching amount of torque. As impressive as that sounds, the 4,160-pound Challenger SRT8 392 falls short of the 2012 Camaro ZL1 and the 2012 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 on both fronts, so if it’s bragging rights you seek, check the Chevy showroom. A six-speed manual gearbox with a dual-disc high-performance clutch is standard on the SRT8 392. A five-speed AutoStick automatic with paddle shifters and Normal, Sport and Manual driving modes is optional. With AutoStick, a Fuel Saver mode shuts down half of the Hemi V8’s cylinders to improve mileage, which is important since this engine requires pricey premium fuel. No matter which transmission you choose, the SRT8 392 is rated to get 14 mpg in the city and 23 mpg on the highway.

In case you’re wondering, each of the Challenger’s engines is covered by a five-year/100,000-mile warranty. That’s not quite as generous as the Camaro, but better than the Ford.

Challengers are well equipped in terms of safety features. They’ve got seven standard airbags including a knee airbag for the driver, a traction and stability control system, and a hill start assist system. The four-wheel-disc anti-lock brakes include electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, ready alert braking, and rain-brake support.

How the Challenger performs in a collision, however, is a mystery since the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway (IIHS) haven’t tested this model. The only rating from either organization is a 4-Star rollover resistance score from the NHTSA.

Evidently, reliability is not a Challenger strong point. The model gets the lowest possible predicted reliability rating from Consumer Reports, and an average rating from J.D. Power and Associates. However, J.D. Power did give the Challenger an award for initial quality in 2011, so maybe things are looking better on this front.

If you buy a Dodge Challenger, prepare to be impressed with its ability to carry people and stuff. The back seat is actually habitable by someone other than a child, and the 16.2 cubic-foot trunk is positively enormous for a coupe. Yeah, it’s got a really tall liftover height to clear with heavier items, but still.

In terms of performance stats, here’s what Dodge is claiming for the Challenger SRT8 392:

• Accelerates to 60 mph in less than five seconds

• Runs the quarter-mile in the mid-12s

• Stops from 60 mph in 117 feet

• Top speed is 182 mph with the manual gearbox (175 with automatic)

• Skidpad grip is .90g

Try that in your “Vanishing Point”-era Challenger.

If you stack a Challenger up to an equivalent Camaro or Mustang on a drag strip or race course, the Dodge is unlikely to prove victorious thanks to a power deficit and a weight surplus. However, the reason the Challenger is porkier is because it’s bigger, and that means you can actually put your family into one and, given the size of the trunk, even take a trip someplace. You can’t do that very easily in the Chevy or Ford. Plus, the Challenger’s interior is a nicer place to spend time than its competitors, and it has undeniable retro-design appeal.

By Christian Wardlaw