2022 Honda Civic Hatchback vs 2023 Dodge Charger

Hatchback popularity had waned as consumers flocked to small crossover SUVs, leading several automakers, including Ford, General Motors, Hyundai Motor Group, and Nissan, to drop them from their U.S. lineups. Even the standard Volkswagen Golf, sold in America almost continuously since 1975, exited the States for 2022. Honda saw this as an opportunity and redesigned the 2022 Civic hatchback to capture a significant share of the remaining market. The new Civic hatchback, produced in an Indiana factory, was one of the few compact cars still made in the U.S. It was also expected to serve as the foundation for the revived 2023 Acura Integra, potentially sparking a hatchback renaissance.

The 2022 Civic hatchback needed to prove itself, and based on a week of driving, it was more appealing than most of its remaining rivals, though it could benefit from some improvements. Honda offered the Civic hatch in LX, Sport, EX-L, and Sport Touring trims, with prices ranging from $22,900 to $29,400, plus a $1,015 destination charge. The Sport Touring trim featured sophisticated digital instrumentation and infotainment displays, giving it a modern appearance. However, the CVT shifter operation slightly detracted from the overall sense of sophistication.

The 2023 Dodge Charger had remained largely unchanged since 2015, with a sleeker nose and sharper LED taillights. Despite its age, the Charger looked distinct and modern compared to competitors like the Accord, Altima, and Camry. The base Charger was somewhat drab, but any Charger with a V8 looked impressive. The R/T Scatpack Swinger model featured a widebody kit with flared fenders, 305-mm-wide tires on 20-inch wheels, and a large hood scoop. The interior, though dated, had chunky seats, analog gauges, and a small touchscreen with plasticky knobs and switches. The Swinger included green stitching on the seats and dash, green Dodge stripes on the seat inserts, and a Swinger badge on the dash.

The 2022 Honda Civic hatchback offered two engine options. The LX and Sport trims had a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine producing 158 horsepower and 138 pound-feet of torque. The LX came only with a CVT, while the Sport offered a choice between the CVT and a six-speed manual transmission. The EX-L and Sport Touring trims featured a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque. The CVT worked well with the turbocharged engine, and the Sport Touring's six-speed manual transmission was a delight to use. The Civic hatchback was front-wheel drive, with no all-wheel drive option. The suspension and steering provided a firm yet comfortable ride, and the brakes were adequate for daily driving but not for aggressive use.

The 2023 Dodge Charger came standard with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 engine, producing either 292 or 300 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of torque. The V6 was the only engine paired with all-wheel drive, but its performance was lackluster. The ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, however, was smooth and quick. The R/T models had a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque, while the Scatpack models featured a 6.4-liter V8 with 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. The Hellcat models had a supercharged 6.2-liter V8, producing 717 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque, or 807 horsepower and 707 lb-ft in the Redeye Jailbreak. The Charger handled well for its size, with good front-end grip and steering precision, but it was best to avoid mid-corner corrections. The ride quality was agreeable, and the braking was exceptional, especially on Scat Pack Widebody trims and above.

The 2022 Honda Civic hatchback excelled in functionality, with a trunk measuring 24.5 cubic feet and a two-piece cargo shade. The back seat was a 60/40-split folding design, though the load floor was not flat. All seating positions were comfortable, but the front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster, and there were no rear air conditioning vents. The driver’s seat had eight-way power adjustment, and both front seats were heated. The car featured black fabric seats in LX and Sport trims, while the EX-L and Sport Touring had black leather upholstery. Automatic climate control was standard, with a dual-zone system in EX-L and Sport Touring trims.

The 2023 Dodge Charger, despite its size, felt cramped inside. Headroom was adequate, but the footwells were tight, and the transmission tunnel reduced rear legroom. The trunk was large, at 16.5 cubic feet. The Charger's controls were straightforward, with large, easy-to-find buttons and switches for the dual-zone climate control, lighting, and audio system. The touchscreen and central screen on the instrument panel were user-friendly and did not require deep digging to operate.

The 2022 Honda Civic hatchback featured a new infotainment system. The LX, Sport, and EX-L trims had a 7-inch touchscreen display with physical power/volume and tuning knobs, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Sport Touring trim added a 9-inch touchscreen display, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless smartphone charging, navigation, and a 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint 2 surround-sound audio system. The Civic also had digital instrumentation, with a 7-inch screen and analog speedometer in lower trims, and a 10.2-inch display panel in the Sport Touring.

The 2023 Dodge Charger did not have the latest Uconnect infotainment system or advanced driver-assistance features. It had an 8.4-inch touchscreen with wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, voice recognition, and SiriusXM. The Charger SRT Dashboard app allowed customization of various performance settings, including throttle, steering, dampers, transmission, shift paddles, stability control, and engine output. The Performance Pages feature displayed real-time power and torque curves and other sensor measurements. Hellcat models had additional cooling functions for the supercharger.

The 2022 Honda Civic hatchback came with the Honda Sensing suite of safety features, including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, Road Departure Mitigation, and Lane Keeping Assist. New features included low-speed following capability and Traffic Jam Assist, available only with the CVT. Blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic warning were available on EX-L and Sport Touring trims. The Civic hatchback earned a "Top Safety Pick+" rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Dodge Charger performed well in NHTSA crash tests, receiving four out of five stars overall. It had rear parking sensors and a backup camera as standard, with optional forward collision warning, emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and adaptive cruise control on SXT, GT, R/T, and Scatpack models. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional on GT, R/T, and Scatpacks.