Should You Buy a Dodge Challenger or Dodge Charger?

One age-old question never ceases to fall out of date: should you buy a Dodge Challenger or Charger? Do you want unbridled muscle under the hood and incomparable performance? Or do you want a four-door with extra room and comfort without sacrificing the ability to burn rubber and tear up the road? Which one do you go with? Which one is better for your budget? And most importantly, which one will make you look awesome while driving? Well, we’re here to help you find answers to those questions, so when you visit your trusted Lexington Dodge dealer, you’ll know exactly what to look for. If you think that the only difference between the two models comes down to badging and nameplates, then you thought wrong. It’s time to discover your perfect Dodge.

Sports Sedan vs Muscle Car

Dodge has made it their mission to revive the muscle car era for today. While so many other automakers are dead-set on being eco-friendly, mechanically cognizant of emissions, and designing based on the various state regulations, Dodge decided to head in the opposite direction. For the two biggest name plates representing the brand – the Charger and Challenger – they’re both far removed from the small block, low-liter, hybrid designs that most other coupes, sedans, and luxury town cars from other manufacturers have pursued in recent years. You won’t find a 1.4-liter four-cylinder in the Charger, and you certainly won’t find an electric motor tucked away anywhere near the Challenger. Instead, both vehicles are paired with either V6 or V8 engines and lots of horsepower to boot.

However, you get two very different experiences out of both vehicles. While you can get a Hemi for the Charger or the Challenger and powertrain options with well over 700 horsepower, there are distinctly different classifications for both vehicles. In the case of the Charger, it’s a sports sedan for most intents and purposes. You could argue that certain trims could turn it into a luxury sedan, but it’s still a four-door sedan with a sporty personality, large trunk space, and adequate seating for up to five.

The Challenger, meanwhile, is all muscle. There are no ifs or buts about its purpose: it’s designed for those who have a need for speed. The Challenger is a throwback to production-made muscle cars – the kind of vehicles that used to roam the streets quite readily from the mid-1950s up through the early 1970s. It doesn’t purr; it growls. The two-door, five-seater coupe is only available with either a lot of power or a heck of a lot of power. If you crave a vehicle that hearkens back to the hey-day of when the word “muscle” meant something prefaced before “car,” then the Challenger is the ideal vehicle for you.

How Much Muscle Do You Want?

When it comes to the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger, it’s not a matter of whether or not you want a car with muscle under the hood and plenty of horsepower to boot. It’s a matter of asking how much of it do you want and do you have what it takes to harness it? Both the Challenger and Charger come with a bevy of features designed around taming hundreds of horsepower and nearly equal amounts of torque.

The 2021 Dodge Charger

In the case of the 2021 Dodge Charger, it comes in seven trim variations. The 2021 model year added the new SRT Hellcat Widebody trim to the line-up in addition to the six other trims, which includes the SXT, GT, R/T, Scat Pack, Scat Pack Widebody, and the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody. Each trim offers something a little bit different in terms of performance, convenience, and luxury. The higher up the trim line you go, the more power you unlock for the Charger.

It starts off with a 292 horsepower V6 Pentastar engine. The GT trim ramps things up to a 300 horsepower V6, while the R/T introduces drivers to a 370 horsepower 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The Scat Pack and Scat Pack Widebody go a step further with the 392-cubic inch Hemi V8 with 485 horsepower with 475 lb-ft of torque. However, if you absolutely need your four-door sports sedan to conquer the road like no other, the Charger SRT Hellcat Widebody sports a 6.2-liter Hemi V8 with 717 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. And if that somehow isn’t enough for you, the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody boasts an outstanding 797 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque.

But maybe you don’t want a four-door. Maybe you don’t need the extra space provided in the sedan. Maybe you just want raw power in a coupe? In that case, the two-door Challenger provides you with all the muscle you could hope to get your hands on when it comes to a production vehicle.

The 2021 Dodge Challenger

The 2021 Dodge Challenger takes it a step further with 10 different trim options, including the all-new, all-powerful Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock. The ten trims include the SXT, GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, R/T Scat Pack Widebody, SRT Hellcat, SRT Hellcat Widebody, SRT Hellcat Redeye, SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, and the SRT Super Stock. The SXT and GT are the entry-level trims, paired up with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 with 303 horsepower. The R/T gives you a bit more oomph with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 that delivers 375 horsepower, while the R/T Scat Pack and R/T Scat Pack Widebody feature a 392-cubic inch Hemi V8 with 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque.

The SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Widebody make a huge leap forward with a 6.2-liter Hemi V8 that delivers 717 horsepower and 665 lb-ft of torque, while the Hellcat Redeye and Hellcat Redeye Widebody’s supercharged V8 bumps the horsepower up to 797 with 707 lb-ft of torque. If that still isn’t enough power for you, the Challenger SRT Super Stock is the ultimate new-generation muscle car, housing an incredible 807 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque, making it the fastest, most powerful production muscle car on the market.

A Matter of Taste

If the two-door or four-door debate doesn’t phase you, but features do, it makes it a little more difficult to delineate between the Challenger and Charger since both come with a lot of the same safety, convenience, and infotainment features. This includes Uconnect touchscreen support, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, media streaming, and luxury package options with leather trimming, heated and ventilated power seats, and premium upholstery.

Both the upper trims of the Charger and Challenger are outfitted with performance parts, such as Bilstein adaptive shocks, Brembo multi-piston performance brakes, and optional 20-inch carbon aluminum wheels. However, the Challenger gives you a little extra pizzazz in the performance department, with the SRT Super Stock being outfitted with Nt05R drag radial tires and a 3:09:1 rear axle ratio to make the most out of the vehicle’s enormous torsional output.

Even the physical modifications to the Challenger are all function-based, with the dual-snorkel hood scoops working as cold air intake filters to keep the massive engine as cool as possible. Another big difference between the two is that many of the Challenger’s trims come standard with a manual transmission, whereas all the Charger trims come standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

What About the Fuel Economy?

There is a fairly significant difference between both vehicles when it comes to fuel economy. The starter trims for the Challenger have the same fuel economy ratings as the Charger at 19 miles per gallon in the city and up to 30 miles per gallon on the highway. However, by the time you get to the R/T trims for both vehicles, you can see that your mileage is reduced with the Challenger, as it utilizes its fuel to more efficiently gain revs as opposed to the Charger. So the R/T, R/T Scat Pack, and R/T Scat Pack Widebody trims manage 15 miles per gallon in the city and 23 miles per gallon on the highway. Finally, the SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Widebody get up to 13 miles per gallon in the city and 22 miles per gallon on the highway.

The Charger, however, gives you 16 miles per gallon in the city and 25 miles per gallon on the highway with the R/T trim, and just one less gallon for the city and highway mileage with the Scat Pack and Scat Pack Widebody. The Charger’s SRT Hellcat and Hellcat Widebody still manage 12 miles per gallon in the city and 21 miles per gallon on the highway.

In both cases, you have the option of choosing fuel economy over power. However, if you want the efficiency of getting more power out of your vehicle, the Challenger is absolutely the way to go. If you would prefer to save some coins in the dollar-to-miles ratio during your travels, you can go with the Charger, where you gain some extra savings with the fuel economy from the R/T, and Scat Pack trims.

Visit Dan Cummins for the Challenger and Charger

Your best Lexington Dodge dealer is Dan Cummins CDJR. If you want to get the best possible deals on a new or used Dodge Challenger or Dodge Charger, you need to visit our dealership. We offer multiple colors, trims, and specials for all your Dodge desires, whether you want a luxury muscle car or a convenient sports sedan.

If you need help getting financed to purchase a Charger or Challenger, visit our finance department online to find out how you can get pre-qualified today in a matter of seconds for your next purchase. Alternatively, you can use our online payment calculator to determine what you can afford and how much you can expect to pay each month. Our lease advantage also makes it possible for you to explore additional options when it comes to acquiring your next vehicle. Once you’ve made your decision between the Charger and Challenger, call us or stop by the dealership to begin your exciting adventure with a powerful Dodge muscle car.

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