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2013 Dodge Charger

2013 Dodge Charger

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Overview

The Dodge Charger stands out among similar large cars in several key areas. It tops the list for best resale value, indicating a strong market demand and a high return on investment for owners. It also ranks first for towing capacity, demonstrating its superior power and utility. Furthermore, it leads in terms of horsepower, highlighting its impressive performance capabilities. These rankings collectively suggest that the Dodge Charger is a top choice in its category, excelling in value, functionality, and power.

Overview

The 2013 Dodge Charger is a five-passenger sporty full-size family sedan that is fun to drive, has three available engines, available all-wheel drive and a spacious and comfortable interior. With its aggressive looks and performance to match, this is not your average family sedan.

What Experts Think

Although the list of competitors to the 2013 Dodge Charger isn't lengthy, the field is getting quite competitive. There is strong competition from the all-new 2014 Chevrolet Impala, plus the 2013 Ford Taurus, Chrysler 300 and the Hyundai Genesis. Still, the Charger holds its own, say the automotive experts, due to its unique styling, powerful engines and lots of standard and available features.

"With its bold looks and performance to match, nobody's going to say the Charger is just another sedan with a big backseat." (Edmunds)

Consumer Guide is high on the Charger's "vast passenger room," along with available all-wheel drive and solid construction, saying these make the car "a reasonable choice for buyers who need the room of a large car but don't want to give up power or performance in the process."

"If a snarling V8 and razor-sharp handling seem like they'd conflict with your need for a safe, roomy and affordable family sedan, the 2013 Dodge Charger is ready to prove you wrong," says Kelley Blue Book. The editors add that even with the base V6 engine, the Charger is "one mean machine and carries a price that won't break the budget."

"While it shares much with the Chrysler 300, the Charger has a tougher look and more of a sport-tuned chassis. It's big inside and out, and makes a pretty bold statement rolling down the road, even in base trim." (Car and Driver)

Automobile heralds the Charger as a vehicle that "makes a statement both visually and dynamically." In addition, Charger has numerous new options beyond its already long list of available options, plus "good efficiency, great power, and a whole lot of emotion, this sedan should appeal across a broad spectrum of car buyers."

Over at Consumer Reports, editors are impressed with the responsive handling and steady, comfortable ride of the rear-wheel-drive sedan. While the "refined" V6 performs well, a "juicier" V8 is optional, and the sporty SRT8 uses "an incredibly-powerful" 6.5-liter V8.

What Owners Say

In general, owners posting comments on sites such as Edmunds, Kelley Blue Book, Cars.com and others have mostly good things to say about their purchase of different trims of the 2013 Dodge Charger.

Of course, it depends on the owner and the model, as well as what they were looking for in a car when they made the purchase. As an example, owners of the SRT8 aren't looking for high fuel economy numbers. That's not why they bought the ultra-high performance sedan. More than one owner commented that the performance is nothing short of breathtaking, while one said the ride is "glass smooth and Lexus quiet."

Kudos too for the "monster sound system" that makes any trip seem much too short. And an all-wheel drive SXT with an eight-speed transmission in the snow? Owners are blown away by the car's excellent traction.

Other positive comments include great styling, great price, value for money spent, roomy interior, superb build quality, good gas mileage for all-wheel drive, good balance of handling and comfort for those who commute, cozy seats and good sound (even without Beats upgrade).

Negatives include gas mileage, huge blind spot (although somewhat offset by proximity sensors light in side mirror), cheap cloth seats, and one owner had a transmission go out at 5,000 miles.

Model/Trim Lineup

The 2013 Dodge Charger is a full-size sedan available in SE, SXT, R/T, SRT8 and SRT8 Super Bee trims.

Standard equipment on the base Charger SE includes a 3.6-liter V6 engine, five-speed automatic transmission, 17-inch wheels, cruise control, keyless entry, remote start, tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, six-way power driver's seat, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, a six-speaker audio system with 4.3-inch touchscreen, AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, USB with iPod control and auxiliary audio input jacks.

SE offers an optional Blacktop package that adds blackout trim, performance suspension, rear spoiler and 20-inch wheels in Pitch-Black. The package also includes Uconnect audio with 8.4-inch touchscreen, the Beats audio system and a 300-horsepower V6 engine.

The Charger SXT adds to SE features with a standard ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, fog lights, automatic climate control, steering-wheel-mounted cruise and audio controls, 12-way power front seats with power lumbar support, and an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen with a 276-watt Alpine audio system.

Going for the R/T trim means 18- or 19-inch wheels, the 370-horsepower HEMI V8 engine, a five-speed automatic transmission, performance transmission and HID headlights. Optional is the R/T Road/Track package: performance-oriented 3.06:1 axle ratio, blackout honeycomb grille, and supportive front seats with suede inserts.

Other options include adaptive cruise control, Garmin navigation, leather seats, heated rear seats, heated steering wheel, power sunroof and all-wheel drive. R/T Max and Road/Track trims include 20-inch wheels.

The Charger SRT8 is the ultra-high performance trim that has a bigger V8 engine, a three-mode adaptive high-performance suspension, 20-inch wheels, beefier brakes, three-mode adjustable stability control, a rear spoiler and special styling. The SRT8 also includes the R/T's optional equipment plus heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, navigation system, rearview camera, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system and special interior accents.

While the name sounds like it would have more equipment than the SRT8, the SRT8 Super Bee is in actuality a less-luxury, more-affordable version of the SRT8. Gone are the adaptive suspension, Xenon headlights and Harman Kardon audio system. In addition, the touchscreen interface is smaller. But the Super Bee is distinctly its own personality, including impossible-to-miss yellow or black paint accented with Super Bee graphics and emblems, unique hood and grille treatments, and special features inside the cabin, including striped cloth seats festooned with embroidered Super Bee logos on the front headrests.

Performance

Among the motoring press, most consider the 2013 Dodge Charger a sporty-handling sedan, if not a performance sedan. Even with the base V6 engine, there's more than enough power to plaster a grin on your face.  But the Charger offers a choice of three engines, all of which are matched with a five-speed AutoStick automatic transmission with manual shift mode, and the ZF eight-speed automatic is optional on Charger SE and standard on Charger SXT trims.

The Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 is one of the best engines Chrysler ever built, concur the auto critics. Couple its smooth operation with the nice growl (aficionados would call it a big cat purr) when the engine is pushed hard and the Charger perfectly fits its muscle-car image.

Standard in the SE and SXT, the 3.6-liter V6 engine produces 292 horsepower (300 horsepower with the Rallye or Blacktop package) and 260 pound-feet of torque. EPA-rated fuel economy is 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway/27 mpg combined with manual transmission, 19/31/23 mpg with automatic. In all-wheel drive (AWD) configuration, the numbers are 18/27 mpg. With the SXT and either Rallye or Blacktop package, the numbers are 19/31 in rear-wheel drive (RWD) and 18/27 mpg (AWD)

The 5.7-liter HEMI V8 in the Charger R/T now makes 370 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque. Reviewers say this is more than enough to propel the Charger from zero to 60 mph in under six seconds - not bad for a family sedan. This engine also has a fuel-saving mechanism that deactivates four of the eight cylinders when in light-load cruising mode. Fuel economy numbers with this engine are 16/25/19 mpg (RWD), 15/23/18 (AWD).

The king-of-the-hill powertrain is the 470-horsepower 6.4-liter HEMI V8 in the Charger SRT8. As might be expected, fuel economy in this high-performance engine choice suffers, coming in at an EPA-estimated 14/23/17 mpg. As for zero to 60 mph times, Dodge claims the Charger can reach it in less than five seconds - and with a top speed of 175 mph.

Reviewers also hail the Charger's suspension system, more than capable of handling aggressive driving, excellent steering response and somewhat firm ride.

Interior

Despite its somewhat intimidating exterior looks, the interior of the 2013 Dodge Charger is generally considered to be one of the nicest that Dodge builds. Among the motoring press, there's divided opinion on the quality of the materials used, with some saying they're cheap and plastic, while others maintain the materials are quality soft-touch.

What aren't in question are the supportive front seats. That's evident from the large side bolsters. Testers also like the thick-grip steering wheel in integrated controls for cruise control, audio and driver-information center.

While the back seat is a comfortable fit for two adults, it's cramped for taller-stature passengers due to the slant of the rear roofline.

Most reviewers don't like the small trunk opening, commenting that this makes it difficult to load bulky items. Trunk space is an adequate 16.5 cubic feet.

Safety & Reliability

What's a sporty family sedan without stellar safety equipment and strong crash rating scores? Dodge took this to heart, equipping the 2013 Charger with seven standard airbags (including knee airbags), active front heat restraints, antilock brakes, stability control, traction control, and a tire-pressure monitoring system.

Optional safety features include a blind spot warning system, a rear cross-path warning system, rearview camera and a forward collision warning system included with adaptive cruise control.

In crash testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2013 Dodge Charger earned a five-star overall rating, including four stars for front and five stars each for side and rollover testing. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Charger its highest rating of "good" in frontal-offset, side-impact, rear crash protection and roof strength tests and named it a Top Safety Pick.

In terms of reliability, the 2013 Dodge Charger received a two and a half circle score in the J.D. Power Predicted Reliability rating. That means Charger ranks between "The Rest" (two circles) and "About Average" (three circles).

Consumer Reports says that reliability for the Charger is "well below average."

 

2013 Dodge Charger Trims

Trim Engine Drive Train MSRP
Police 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder RWD 29970
Police 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 29970
SE 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder RWD 26295
R/T 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 29995
R/T Road and Track 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 33995
R/T Plus 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 31995
R/T Max 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 36495
AWD R/T 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder AWD 32495
AWD R/T Plus 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder AWD 34495
AWD R/T Max 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder AWD 38995
SRT8 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 45250
AWD SE 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder AWD 29595
SRT8 Super Bee 4dr Sedan 8 Cylinder RWD 42250
SXT 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder RWD 29295
SXT Plus 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder RWD 31295
AWD SXT 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder AWD 31795
AWD SXT Plus 4dr Sedan 6 Cylinder AWD 33795

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