While some manufacturers can do no right, others can do no wrong, and Chrysler seems to be the latter right now. The 300 sedan is as hot as four-alarm chili, and the word HEMI has people genuflecting. The only thing left to do was bring back a hot rod called Charger. The 2006 Dodge Charger is poised to take the market by storm. There are six flavors (SE, SXT, R/T, Road and Track Performance Package, and Daytona R/T), ranging from $22,995 to $32,495.
If you're going to recycle a name, be it for a car or a can of soup, it better taste as close to the original as possible. You can stick on a new label or completely redesign the exterior, but if the essence isn't there, be prepared to be served a heaping helping of grief. Luckily for Dodge, the new 2006 Charger not only is as tasty as the original, but also has some new ingredients that will help it become a staple in a lot of American (and Canadian) homes. The biggest difference between old and new is the addition of rear doors. Some purists may lament the coupe-to-sedan morph, but four doors sell better, and ya gotta go with the flow. The look is consummately Dodge, with the large crosshair grille, an aggressive front end with headlamp "eyes" that look a bit sinister, and a long hood that hints at the power underneath. The strongest point on the vehicle is the rear quarter panel, which gives the appearance of a powerful animal's rear haunch. Even the decklid with the integrated rear spoiler that carries the line from the side is a nice element. The whole look of the Charger is effective, memorable, and polarizing. Some love it; some don't. But at least it doesn't look like every other sedan in the segment.
If you like the way the 300 sedan and Magnum wagon look inside, you'll love the Charger. It features the same clean dash and silver accents on the steering wheel, doors and center stack. The instrument panel and gauges are Viper-inspired and definitely driver oriented; the passenger need not look over at the speedometer or trip meter since they're impossible to see because of the tunnel design of the gauges. The SE and SXT versions both have cloth seats, while the R/T gets leather as standard. The SE is so reasonably priced it's hard to believe that such amenities as cruise control, a CD player, tilt/telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry, air conditioning and power door locks/mirrors/windows are standard. What does Dodge think it is, Hyundai? Good for those Dodge boys; they're catching on to the fact that those features are what we want included in the low price. Now you won't be bragging about HEMI power at that level, but you will get a robust 250-hp 3.5-liter High Output V-6 matched to a five-speed automatic with AutoStick, 17-inch wheels and tires, and a decent exhaust growl that will make others take notice. If you want them to plug their ears as you drive by, get the Daytona R/T, that exhaust rattles the bones.
What makes a good vehicle great is balance. On the road and on the track, the Charger showed us that it can be all things to all people. The cabin is quiet, the seats comfortable, and the ride is nicely damped for highway cruising. On the track, the V-8 models coupled with the Road/Track performance package had poise during hard cornering as well as at high speeds on the straightaway. That $1,500 option package includes more aggressive suspension tuning and a tuned exhaust, taking the 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 up 10 horses from 340 to 350 hp total. The 390 lb-ft of torque going to the rear wheels doesn't hurt one bit, either. Stopping the Charger was impressive. The large disc brakes with standard ABS suffered no fade, and felt good even after repeated hard use. The stability program (ESP) worked without being intrusive, and kept us from sliding off the track corner after corner. This is the third vehicle off the LX platform (300 and Magnum), and like its sister vehicles, the Charger has some heft to it (the R/T is over 4,000 pounds), but it feels more substantial than overweight. And even though it's rear drive, the 53/47 percent front-to -rear weight distribution helps with that balanced feel we talked about earlier.
After a long driving day on a new-vehicle launch, we sometimes look forward to getting out of the car. But I was sad to part with the Charger, and especially depressed when I had to leave the track. The right racetrack paired with the right car makes me realize how much fun it is to drive a truly inspiring vehicle. This fall, even more excitement comes along for Charger, with the introduction of the 6.1-liter V-8 SRT8 version that will produce the same 425 hp as the original 1966 model. We don't know if it will sport the 490 lb-ft of torque that the first one had, but it's worth dreaming about.
There's much more to talk about with this car: the Multi Displacement System that allows the V-8 to run on four cylinders when not under heavy acceleration for fuel economy savings, the fact that it will be the vehicle for NASCAR in the Nextel Cup Series, and even its Bluetooth capabilities. But the greatest joy of new-vehicle ownership is discovering all those little details on your own. That's what forges the bond between car and driver, just like the Chargers did from four decades ago. Only a handful of new vehicles will become classics 40 years from now. The 2006 Charger definitely is on that short list.
