2021 Dodge Challenger Reviews, Pricing & Specs

We tested the basest Challenger for this review: A gray, rental-spec SXT on skinny tires. Even on plain 18-inch alloys, the Challenger is cool. It's the only modern two-door coupe that feels as big as a mid-size SUV. With squared-off fenders and round headlights, the hood is enough to take up its own parking space. When this Challenger came out, the style was retro, but now it's just familiar. The twin hood scoops, double-nostril grille, and matching rectangular taillights emphasize the Challenger's width. The hump in the body's shoulder line on the rear quarter panel, which parallels the shape of the rear quarter window, would be an unusual element on any other car. Most car designers want to reduce the visual mass of the body panels, but Dodge wants this vehicle to look stocky and thick. That's why the windows are slim and the roof looks chopped.

A Challenger must ride on 20-inch wheels to look properly mean. Ours was too sedate. Luckily, Dodge lets you take the Challenger SXT higher with two sets of dark 20s, hood stripes, tan Nappa leather, and the full rainbow of candy-colored paints (such as Hellraisin and Go Mango). Grab a fun color and the large wheels. It's mandatory. Challenger GT and Challenger R/T models add a central air scoop and a wide front air dam, while the R/T Scat Pack Widebody adds huge fender flares at all corners and a revised lower fascia. Hellcat models have twin hood scoops and the left inner headlight knocked out—it's an open hole to direct more air to the intake. Hellcat models can also be ordered with the Widebody kit, which includes wider front tires. The new-for-2021 SRT Super Stock has deep-inset 18-inch wheels on drag tires (this is the one valid exception to the 20-inch wheel rule).

The interior is as it was from the 2015 refresh—the only refresh Dodge ever gave this car—and it's just OK. The analog gauges with the red needles and thin type are still a pleasant throwback to old stereo receivers, while the standard central display between them is crisp and shows almost too much information, like the air intake temp. Upper trims have softer Nappa leather seats, contrast stitching, faux-suede headliners, carbon fiber on the top-stitched dash, and thicker steering wheels with metal shift paddles. The base car, for its price, is decent but nothing that will impress any car buyer today.

This rating does not apply to the Challenger's SXT and GT trims, both of which have a mediocre V6 engine, or to performance attributes such as handling and steering on any Challenger. The Challenger wins all the points as the highest-horsepower gas car for under $100,000—and for posting the most absurd numbers long before any electric car or hypercar made them seem normal. A Challenger is the most democratic and accessible sports car in the entire world. It's sold in as many flavors as a Coca-Cola fountain dispenser—303, 375, 485, 717, 797 or 807 horsepower—and, according the to EPA, can sip fuel at 30 mpg, 20 mpg, or dump the whole tank within hours (coaxing fuel economy in the Hellcat models above 10 mpg requires special skill).

Despite producing quintuple the output of most entry-level cars, Dodge doesn't let anything destroy the drivetrain. On R/T Scat Pack trims and above, a line lock feature brakes the front wheels for easy burnouts—think of it like an emergency brake set up in reverse. They have a launch control feature that lets the driver set the exact engine rev to match the friction of the surface. A launch assist reduces wheel hop—that unsettling shudder that shakes a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) car when the driver doesn't apply enough initial power—by reading the wheel speed sensors and automatically cutting torque. SRT Hellcat models have what Dodge calls an After-Run Chiller, which keeps the engine cooling fan and coolant pump running after the driver switches off the car. It lowers the supercharger's air temperature and tracks it within the car's onboard app so the driver knows when it's safe to run like hell all over again. Hellcat Redeye models have a Power Chiller, which is a second air conditioner for the supercharger (it reduces air intake temperature by cooling the supercharger's heat exchangers). With the 1320 package on the R/T Scat Pack, Dodge also includes a TransBrake, which keeps the eight-speed automatic transmission's output shaft locked before a launch to further gain revs and torque. A special Drag Mode for the 1320's adaptive dampers lets the car sink deeper on its rear tires for better traction. And do not ever forget the numbers: 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 203 mph, all for 80 grand. That's for the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody, but just about any Hellcat with 700-plus horsepower will do the sprint like no other car aside from a $400,000 Ferrari Superfast.

The base Challenger's 3.6-liter V6 in the SXT and GT is fine for highway cruising. It's quiet and efficient but has zero interest in having fun. Even in sport mode, there's never any joy. No nice sounds, no loud exhaust. It's a total buzzkill in a high-octane car. One plus: The V6 can be paired with all-wheel drive (AWD). But in our testing, we didn't find this system to react quickly enough to be of any benefit in poor weather. The price is right. Everything else is wrong.

The R/T is where any Challenger buyer should begin. Unlike the V6, this 375-hp, 5.7-liter V8 comes with a six-speed manual transmission, an active exhaust, and an upgraded suspension. The R/T Scat Pack does one better with a 6.4-liter V8 with 485 hp, plus larger Brembo four-piston brakes. All Challengers run a square wheel setup—all four tires and wheels are the same size, instead of staggered—but the Scat Pack Widebody has 305-mm tires in the rear and the front. That's massive. Adaptive Bilstein dampers and six-piston front brakes also come standard on this trim and all Hellcat models. Finally, there are three tunes of the monstrous supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Without any sarcasm whatsoever, Dodge attaches a "High Output" label to the 797-hp Redeye and 807-hp SRT Super Stock, but not to the 717-hp Hellcat. That car just has a "V8 Engine." The Challenger SRT Super Stock is a concession to anyone who couldn't buy the one-year-only 2018 Demon, which had 840 hp and a crate full of racing parts that Dodge couldn't legally assemble on the car. For $1, owners could buy the box and finish building the Demon but—wink wink—not drive it on the street. Uh-huh.

The $1 gag is still going. You can use this buck to delete the rear seat on Hellcat models. Or, with the 1320 package, you can add back the seat for $1. Additionally, for no dollars, you can elect to install a front passenger seat if you've deleted the rear seat. The only other single-seater car you can buy is the Ferrari Monza SP1.

Regarding the handling and steering, which we've waited to mention because they're not terribly important, they are adequate but unremarkable. The V6 models float and have little grip. The V8 models are planted and solid, but that's mostly a function of weight and very sophisticated traction control. These cars are unwieldy in tight spots, dislike small back roads, and on a damp road, the Hellcats are undrivable. That's why people keep buying them.

While a one-seater Challenger has the most cargo space, all Challenger models pack junk in the trunk—16 cubic feet. Many sedans don't offer that much cargo space, and neither the Chevrolet Camaro nor the Ford Mustang come close. Technically there are five seat belts in the standard configuration, but we strongly recommend ordering the back seat delete. It is useless. This is a car for two, but really, the Challenger is a car for one even with all the seats installed. No one wants to put up with a Challenger driver's juvenile behavior other than the driver.

Out the driver's seat, the view is moderately good—better than the Camaro's fortress of a cabin, worse than a Mustang's walk-in closet—but the side mirrors are small. Change lanes and park carefully. The nice thing about an older interior is there's nothing to relearn. The climate controls, stereo, and shifter are all conventional, as is the UConnect infotainment. As ever, it's simple, fast, and not distracting.

The seats are comfortable and come standard with six-way power adjustment for the driver and four-way power lumbar. They can be heated, cooled, and covered in cloth, leather, Alcantara faux-suede, or Nappa leather. There are 19 color and material combinations—blacks, grays, reds, brown, and an orangey tan—with a variety of two-tones and embossed or embroidered logos. You can choose from six steering wheels, including designs with flat-bottom rims, contrast stitching, Alcantara, and thumb grips. Some models have an illuminated SRT logo. All the wheels have stereo and volume controls neatly concealed behind the paddle shifters, which frees up space on the wheel spokes for more controls. This is smart.

We described the majority of this car's impressive technology in the Performance section of this review. The consumer electronics variety of technology is less impressive. The standard infotainment system's 7-inch touchscreen is too small for a modern car, but it does come with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The 8.4-inch screen should be standard, so be sure to order it with or without navigation. What's unique about this infotainment is all the performance data that Dodge collects and allows the driver to view in real-time. The Performance Pages app shows power, torque, G-force, and other vehicle vitals, plus it can record quarter-mile, 0-60 mph, braking, and other feats of strength. The UConnect system also makes it easy to make a custom driving mode for the throttle, transmission, suspension, and traction control systems. A proximity key comes standard, something that, for reference, does not come standard on many BMWs.

An Alpine audio system, power steering column, driver's seat memory, SiriusXM, HD radio, 4G WiFi hotspot, xenon headlights, auto high beams, and rain-sensing wipers are available with option packages. No driver assists are standard. Adaptive cruise control is optional but there is no semi-automated highway system. Would you want an 800-hp car driving itself?

Dodge is discontinuing the Hellcat V8 in a few years and replacing them with "eMuscle," or what may become the next electric muscle car. Given how the Dodge Challenger offers so much reliable power and backs it up with a full warranty, this may be your final chance to buy one of the greatest engines of the gasoline era. Regardless of the Challenger's impending exit, this car serves a limited but highly loyal customer base with a plethora of powertrains and custom options that very few cars, if any, can match. Viewed only from an objective angle, the Challenger should have left the scene years ago. It can't match the overall track performance of the Camaro and Mustang, which turn and steer with the best sports cars. But the Challenger, like a Jeep Wrangler, is very narrow in purpose. What it sets out to do, it does very well.

The 2021 Challenger starts at a $29,065 MSRP for the SXT. The R/T is the most affordable V8 trim level at $35,765. A Challenger SRT Hellcat is the best value of all: 717 hp for $61,465. If you desire, it's possible to option the Challenger to $100,000. Our SXT tester was $31,995—a great price without much grunt. Spending at least $40,000 is the way to go. But a word to the wise: Treat the traction control button as a gun trigger. When a Challenger goes off, everyone should stand back.