2021 Dodge Charger vs 2021 Honda Civic

The 2021 Dodge Charger, in its seventh generation, continued to captivate buyers with its array of variants, including the top-tier SRT Hellcat Redeye. Despite the minimal surface differentiation between models, the Charger maintained its "brotherhood of muscle" appeal. The widebody format, available on some models, added an athletic stance, complemented by options like the functional performance hood. The Charger offered a variety of tire, wheel, brake, and exterior color options, with standard halogen projector headlights and optional HID projector lights. However, the design had remained largely unchanged for a decade, making it hard to determine the model's age.

Inside, the Charger had seen updates over the years but still lacked in comfort and convenience features. The fit and finish had improved, but the gauge cluster and climate controls revealed the model's age. The interior featured a fair amount of hard plastic and rubberized surfaces, with cloth seats standard on most trims and Nappa leather on higher trims. While the Charger offered heated and ventilated seats on more expensive models, the overall interior quality did not match the higher price tags of some variants.

The 2021 Honda Civic, known for its segment-defining versions, continued to impress with its four-door sedan, five-door hatchback, and performance-tuned Type R formats. The 2021 model year saw the discontinuation of the two-door coupe and the sporty Civic Si. The Civic sedan, available in LX, Sport, EX, EX-L, and Touring trims, ranged from $21,250 to $28,300, with the test car priced at $29,690. The Civic's interior, though not as dramatic as when first introduced, still featured quality materials and thoughtful detailing. The Touring trim's Cosmic Blue Metallic paint and 18-inch wheels added to its appeal, though the styling remained polarizing.

Inside, the Civic offered a comfortable and roomy cabin, comparable to a decade-old midsize car. The driver's seat provided eight-way power adjustment, while the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Leather upholstery was standard from the EX-L trim upwards. The rear seats offered excellent thigh support and a comfortable backrest angle, though the lack of rear air conditioning vents was a drawback. The center console provided ample storage space, and the trunk offered 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly reduced in the Touring trim due to the premium sound system.

The 2021 Dodge Charger excelled in performance, offering a range of powertrains. The SXT, SXT AWD, GT, and GT AWD models featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The R/T model boasted a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 with 370 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque, providing a 1,000-pound towing capacity. The Scat Pack models had a 6.4-liter HEMI V8, delivering 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The SRT Hellcat featured a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI V8 with 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, while the SRT Hellcat Redeye topped the lineup with a supercharged 6.2-liter HEMI high-output V8, producing 797 hp and 707 lb-ft of torque.

The Charger offered a connected driving experience with configurable drive modes and Performance Pages for SRT models. The automatic transmission provided smooth upshifts, though downshifts could be clunky. The Brembo brakes on the test car were softer than ideal for track driving but performed well on the street. The Charger was available in rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations, with the latter indicated by "AWD" in the model name.

The 2021 Honda Civic offered two engine options. The LX and Sport trims featured a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The EX, EX-L, and Touring trims came with a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing 174 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. The turbocharged engine provided a more spirited driving experience, with a sophisticated four-wheel independent suspension and responsive steering.

However, the CVT was a drawback, with a sloppy gear lever and droning noise. Despite paddle shifters and a Sport mode, the CVT's performance was unsatisfactory. The Civic's fuel economy was a highlight, averaging 34.8 mpg on a 140-mile driving loop, surpassing the EPA estimate of 33 mpg in combined driving.

The 2021 Dodge Charger, a four-door, five-passenger sedan, balanced speed and power with family-friendly features. The interior, though dated, was functional and easy to read. The instrument cluster varied by model, with speedometers ranging from 140 mph to 220 mph. The steering wheel offered easy-to-reach buttons, and paddle shifters were available on all but the base model. The 60/40 split-folding rear seat expanded the trunk space, which was average for its class.

The 2021 Honda Civic sedan sat low to the ground, making entry and exit a bit of a workout. Once inside, the driver's seat offered eight-way power adjustment, while the front passenger seat lacked height adjustment. Leather upholstery was standard from the EX-L trim upwards. The rear seats provided excellent thigh support and a comfortable backrest angle, though the lack of rear air conditioning vents was a drawback. The center console offered ample storage space, and the trunk provided 15.1 cubic feet of cargo space, slightly reduced in the Touring trim due to the premium sound system.

The 2021 Dodge Charger came with basic standard features, including push-button start, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, a six-speaker audio system, four USB ports, Bluetooth, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio, keyless entry, and a 7-inch infotainment touchscreen. Available features included a sunroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, an 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen, a six- or nine-speaker Alpine or a 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, HD Radio, navigation, and a WiFi hot spot. The Uconnect infotainment system was user-friendly but had some deeply buried functions.

The 2021 Honda Civic's technology showed its age. The LX trim offered a 5-inch LCD screen, Bluetooth, and a 1.0-amp USB port. The Sport trim upgraded to a 7-inch high-definition touchscreen, an eight-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, text-messaging support, basic HondaLink connected services, and a 1.5-amp USB port. The EX trim added HD Radio and SiriusXM satellite radio, while the Touring trim included navigation with voice recognition, digital traffic, and a 10-speaker premium audio system. The voice recognition system in the Touring trim was unsophisticated, and the premium sound system was nice but not essential.

The 2021 Dodge Charger had not been crash-tested by the IIHS, but the 2020 model received mostly "Good" ratings, with "Poor" marks for headlights. The NHTSA gave the 2021 Charger a four-star overall safety rating. Standard safety features included brake assist, electronic stability control, hill start assist, rear park assist, rain brake support, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, and automatic headlights were available on some models.

The 2021 Honda Civic came standard with Honda Sensing, which included adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go capability, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and a Lane Keeping Assist System. Automatic high-beam headlights and a multi-angle reversing camera were also standard. The Civic offered LaneWatch, a camera-based blind-spot monitoring system, starting with EX trim. However, LaneWatch had limitations, including susceptibility to damage and only monitoring the right side. The Civic did not offer a traditional radar-based blind-spot warning system or rear cross-traffic warning. The 2021 Civic earned a Top Safety Pick designation from the IIHS for the Touring trim and received five-star ratings from the NHTSA in every assessment.