Dodge’s Family Muscle Car gets Refreshed
Of the nine available trims for the Dodge Charger, the R/T with its gorilla-strength 370 bhp 5.7-liter HEMI V8, serves as the middle child in the Charger family line-up. Freshened with new front and rear styling, the 2015 Dodge Charger is offered in nine different trim levels. From the 292 horsepower Pentastar V6 Charger SE to the over-the-top 707 horsepower Charger SRT® Hellcat, Dodge aims to please anyone’s budget and power preference.
| 2015 DODGE CHARGER R/T ROAD and TRACK | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | Power | Torque | Transmission | MSRP | Price As-Tested | Rating |
| 5.7L HEMI V8 | 370 bhp @ 5,250 rpm | 395 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm | 8-speed automatic | $36,995 | $43,460 | Buy it! |
The R/T and the R/T Road and Track trims are favorites because they play the roles of both a family sedan and muscle car admirably. If you drive it gently, the Charger R/T will feel like a well-appointed sedan. Push it hard and it will assault your senses and act like a real muscle car. Separating the R/T from the SE and SXT trims are 20-inch satin carbon aluminum wheels, Alcantara suede and leather covered performance seats, driver’s seat memory, performance engine and transmission calibration.
The 2015 Dodge Charger R/T Road & Track trim emphasizes a little more on performance and comes standard with a unique 3.07 rear axle ratio (versus the standard 2.62 rear axle ratio), a sport-tuned Super Track Pak suspension, a high-speed engine controller, paddle shifters, Sport Mode II, and Dodge’s Performance Pages integrated into Uconnect. Convenience and comfort features such as ParkSense rear park assist system, ventilated seats, heated steering wheel, and vehicle security alarm also come standard. Additional cost for the R/T Road and Track trim is a mere $3,000 for better handling and higher performance capabilities.
With 395 lb-ft of torque, the Charger R/T is brutal and has enough torque to chirp the tires all the way up to highway speeds. But there is more to this sedan than muscle-power. From ignition to the last blip of the throttle before switching off the car, the HEMI has the best soundtrack I have ever experienced. When deep into the throttle, the muscular sedan roars like a big cat on a charge. When cruising, it settles into a pleasantly, contented hum.
Clearly the Charger R/T is a big sedan. It weighs over 4,200 pounds and slurps gas like a thirsty sailor on shore-leave. Even though the HEMI has four-cylinder mode fuel saver technology, the hefty V8, paired with an eight-speed Torqueflite transmission, is rated at 16 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.
On the road it is evident that the Dodge engineers worked their magic tuning the suspension, making the car firm and planted. Too often American muscle cars have a bad history of imprecise, wallowing steering feel. This is not the case with the Charger. Activating Sport Mode II electronically changes the Charger R/T with a more aggressive throttle response and steering feel. Set in sport mode the steering is heavy, but fast and remarkably accurate. It also enables lightening quick gear changes and a more vigorous gear transmission calibration. When Auto Stick is engaged with Sport Mode, the driver can select and hold a gear without unexpected shifts all the way to redline.
Inside, driver and passengers are treated to a more than comfortable cabin and a suite of technology features built into the Uconnect system and 8.4-inch touchscreen media center that will satisfy any technophile. With the R/T Road and Track trim, the driver can use the Uconnect system to activate launch control and view the performance pages – a system that records everything from g-force measurements, to acceleration times, and the level of power and torque at any given moment.
New interior design elements include a thick-rim three-spoke steering wheel, a customizable 7-inch full-color driver information display (DID) cluster, premium materials and a choice of 19 trim and color combinations. The Charger R/T boasts big, comfortable leather and Alcantara suede seats that make it fairly comfortable for long hauls while still holding you when tossing the car around corners. Trunk space is pretty darn generous at 16.5 cubic feet.
I give the Charger R/T and R/T Road and Track a “BUY IT!” rating.
In my book, the Charger R/T offers the best balance of V8 power and everyday drivability in a sedan that has a long list of standard features and starting MSRP of $33,595. The R/T Road and Track trim, which adds more performance features, starts at $36,995.
Check out this fun TFLcar first drive review of the 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat as Roman tries to hang on for dear life and also gets addicted to the power.
2015 Dodge Charger R/T Road and Track Specs:
- MSRP base price: $32,995
- Price as tested: $43,450
- Engine: 5.7L HEMI V8
- Power: 370 hp @ 5,250 rpm
- Torque: 395 lb-ft @ 4,200 rpm
- Transmission: 8-speed Torqueflite automatic with Auto Stick control
- Drivetrain layout: RWD
- EPA estimated fuel economy (mpg): 16/25 (city/hwy)
- Curb weight: 4,264 lb
- Length / width / height: 198.4-in / 75.0-in / 58.2 in.
- Wheelbase: 120.2 in.
- Optional equipment: Beats® audio group, Technology group, Driver Confidence group, Navigation/Rear Back-up Camera group, power sunroof, 20-inch Classic II polished forged aluminum wheels
Recently announced is the Mopar ’15 Performance Kit for the 2015 Charger R/T. This limited-edition kit is a street-legal performance package that includes the Scat Pack Performance Stage Kit 1, plus a front strut tower brace and bright pedal kit for only $3,550. The Scat Pack 1 package adds 18 horsepower and 18 lb-ft of torque with the addition of a Mopar Performance cat-back exhaust, cold-air intake, Stage 1 premium fuel powertrain control module, and high-flow oil filter. Only 50 of these kits will be offered starting June 2015.
