2022 Dodge Charger vs 2022 Honda Civic

The 2022 Honda Civic was available in LX, Sport, EX, and Touring trims, with prices starting at $21,700 and going up to $28,300, excluding a $995 destination charge. A new five-door hatchback was also introduced later in the year. The Civic Touring, priced at $29,690 with destination charges, featured an extra-cost Morning Mist Blue paint. The Civic Sport, with Platinum White Pearl paint and the Honda Performance Development (HPD) appearance package, was estimated at just under $25,880. The redesigned 2022 Civic had a more conservative and plain appearance compared to its predecessor, resembling the larger Accord sedan. The interior adopted a minimalistic approach, with improved materials and a span of metal honeycomb mesh running across the dashboard to hide the air vents.

The 2022 Dodge Charger, running on a platform dating back to 2005, had undergone significant updates in 2011 and 2015. The 2015 facelift gave it a modern and menacing look, while the interior, though dated, offered ease of use with its thick bezels and chunky buttons. The Charger was available in multiple trims: SXT, GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, Hellcat, Redeye, and Jailbreak. The SXT trim featured a V6 engine, power-adjustable front seats, rear parking sensors, cloth upholstery, a six-speaker stereo, and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher trims added more powerful engines, performance features, and luxury touches like a Harmon Kardon premium stereo system and heated-and-ventilated front seats.

The 2022 Honda Civic offered two engine options: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque for the LX and Sport trims, and a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine with 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque for the EX and Touring trims. Both engines were paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with Step Shift programming to mimic a traditional automatic. The Civic's Sport and Touring trims included a Sport transmission mode for quicker responsiveness. The Civic's improved structural rigidity, revised suspension tuning, and enhanced steering feel made it fun to drive, with the Touring trim offering quicker acceleration. However, the Civic Touring's fuel economy fell short of the EPA's estimate, returning 30.4 mpg on a 95-mile driving loop.

The 2022 Dodge Charger offered a range of powerful engines. The SXT and GT models featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine with 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, or 300 hp and 264 lb-ft in the SXT AWD and GT trims. The R/T trim had a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 with 370 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. The R/T Scat Pack boasted a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 with 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. The SRT Hellcat had a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi V8 with 717 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque, while the Redeye and Jailbreak trims offered even more power, with 797 hp and 707 lb-ft of torque for the Redeye and 807 hp for the Jailbreak. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with rear-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive available for the V6-powered trims. The Hellcat and Redeye could sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, with a top speed of 196 mph. The Hellcat Widebody's 11-inch-wide Pirelli P-Zero tires and wider track improved cornering and precision.

The 2022 Honda Civic's redesigned front seats offered better support, with the leather-lined Touring trim featuring a power-adjustable driver's seat. The back seat had more legroom than most in the segment, but the backrest angle might feel too reclined for some. The Civic lacked rear air conditioning vents and heated rear cushions in the Touring trim. The new center console had less storage space but more accessible cupholders. Trunk volume was 14.8 cubic feet, or 14.4 cubes with the Touring trim, which had a smaller trunk due to the premium sound system components.

The 2022 Dodge Charger, a large sedan, offered plenty of legroom in both rows, but headroom was limited, especially in the rear seats. The center console bin and trays around the shifter were smaller than those in most modern sedans. The Charger provided 16.5 cubic feet of trunk space, but the small trunk lid and high rear bumper made loading large items challenging. Despite these limitations, the Charger offered sports-car performance with four doors and a usable trunk, making it more versatile than many high-performance cars.

The 2022 Honda Civic featured digital instrumentation, with the Touring trim offering a 10-inch display panel with greater customization and a Vehicle Activity display. The standard infotainment system had a 7-inch touchscreen with volume and tuning knobs, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. The Touring trim added a 9-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, wireless smartphone charging, HD radio, satellite radio, and a navigation system. The Touring trim also featured a 12-speaker Bose Centerpoint 2 premium surround-sound audio system, offering a richer audio experience.

The 2022 Dodge Charger came standard with a 7-inch touchscreen running the Uconnect infotainment system, which was easy to use and featured a dock area with large icons for major functions. An 8.4-inch version of the Uconnect screen was optional on the base SXT and standard on the rest of the lineup. Both screens came with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the Charger wasn't the most advanced car on the road, its blend of technology and conventional controls offered a user-friendly experience.

The 2022 Honda Civic featured an upgraded Honda Sensing collection of advanced driver assistance systems, including Traffic Jam Assist, adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and Lane Keeping Assist. The Civic also had a new wide-view front camera and eight ultrasonic sonar sensors in the front and rear bumpers. The Civic EX and Touring trims included a proper blind-spot warning system and rear cross-traffic alert. The Civic's vehicle architecture was stronger, with new front airbag designs and rear side-impact airbags. A standard rear-seat reminder system was also included.

The 2022 Dodge Charger offered only a backup camera and rear parking sensors as standard equipment. Optional safety features included forward-collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, automatic high beams, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert.