2023 is a big year for the Dodge Challenger. First and foremost, this is the last year the automaker will make a gas-powered muscle coupe as we know it. In addition, Dodge is celebrating two of its popular car models with “Last Call” editions to complete this muscle car chapter. Still, the 2023 Dodge Challenger hits the streets and has some promising features. In particular, US News liked three attributes of the condemned brute.
The 2023 Dodge Challenger has “ridiculously powerful” engines, and US News likes them
While the Challenger lineup starts with the SXT and GT trims, their 303-horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V6s are small potatoes compared to the eight-cylinder duds higher up the trim list. For example, the most lethargic of the V8s in the 2023 Dodge Challenger library are the 375-hp 5.7L Hemi in the R/T and the 485-hp 6.4L V8 in the Scat Pack.
However, while US News calls the big, heavy Challenger a “one-trick pony,” they still praise its gleefully powerful performance. For example, the 2023 SRT Hellcat produces 10 more horsepower with its supercharged 6.2L V8 than the first Hellcat, bringing that number up to 717. In addition, the top-of-the-line Hellcat Redeyes and SRT Super Stocks bump output up to 797 and 807, respectively.
If you’re looking to buy one of the last Dodge Challengers of this generation, you better budget for the tires.
Despite showing some age, the 2023 Dodge Challenger has a user-friendly infotainment system
The interior of the 2023 Dodge Challenger is familiar, although it is also old at this point. However, US News praises the user-friendly Uconnect infotainment system. They call the system “easy to learn” and point out that the unit has simple and responsive functions. However, the Challenger’s displays are dated and lackluster compared to recently updated models like the facelifted Ford Mustang and Toyota GR Supra.
Additionally, the Challenger’s infotainment screen options are typically larger than its most direct competitor, the Ford Mustang. For example, US News reports that the smallest display potential Dodge owners can get is a standard 7-inch touchscreen. However, the standard screen in entry-level Mustangs is a dismal 4.2-inch LCD screen. The Challenger’s larger screen bests the Mustang’s 8.4-inch unit versus the Ford’s 8-inch screen.
How spacious is the Dodge Challenger?
The third attribute that US News praised the 2023 Dodge Challenger is its general spaciousness. For example, the Dodge offers more rear-seat space than the Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. The Challenger also has a more accommodating cockpit with wider seats than its direct competitors.
Additionally, the 2023 Dodge Challenger offers 16.2 cubic feet of storage space. That’s a cave compared to the Mustang and Camaro. For example, TrueCar says the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro has about 9.1 cubic feet of cargo space, nearly half the space of the Challenger. Of course, the Dodge model is a bigger and heavier car than the tighter Chevrolet and Ford models.
Why is Dodge discontinuing the Challenger?
Despite the tenure and “so what” attitude of Tim Kuniskis and the Mopar brains that built these muscle cars, the Challenger is headed for the chop. Not even the Challenger can survive the industrial push for efficiency, hybridization and electrification.
Will you be picking up one of the last Dodge Challengers? Tell us in the comments below!
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