Which Is Better: A Used Dodge Challenger or Charger?

If you’re considering a pre-owned Dodge Challenger or Charger, there’s something important to remember: neither of these models is truly better than the other. They’re both fantastic cars that are incredibly fun and rewarding to drive, providing you with a terrific experience behind the wheel. What it comes down to is a more important question: which of these two cars is better for you? Before you visit the team here at your favorite used Dodge dealer looking for the perfect vehicle, it’s important that you take a little time to consider what each of these cars offers and try to decide which is a better match for what you need. Today, we’re going to consider these two models and what you should know when choosing between them.

A Question of Model Years

One of the first things you should keep in mind when considering either a Dodge Challenger or Charger is that these two models haven’t always been available every year. The perfect reminder of this is that while the Charger has been redesigned for the 2024 model year, the Challenger is now out of production, and its future is less certain. First released for the 1970 model year, the Challenger was initially available through 1974; it was discontinued until it returned for 1978 and was available through 1983. After that, it went on a very long break before it once again went into production for the 2008 model year and was available for 15 years—these most recent examples are what you’ll find when looking at used models.

The Dodge Charger has been available more frequently and steadily than the Challenger, but its production history also has plenty of gaps in it. Dodge released the Charger for the 1966 model year to compete with cars like the Chevy Camaro and Ford Mustang. It was available through 1978 when it took a break before returning with a new design for 1982 that was offered until 1987. The Charger went missing again until its return for the 2006 model year. The important thing to note is that you can find used Charger models from 2006 and 2007, but Challenger models didn’t become available again until 2008. There are more important differences between these two cars, but it helps to have a sense of when they’ve been offered and how they’ve changed.

Different Body Styles

One of the most important things to note when considering these two cars is just how different their designs and body styles are. We started with the model years they’ve been available because that will inform some of what we’re looking at, but this might be the biggest deciding factor when considering the Challenger and Charger. Although these are both powerful cars that are incredibly fun to drive, their designs are noticeably different, and that can impact the kind of experience you have with each of them.

If you’re looking for a traditional, powerful muscle car, then the Challenger is the one you need to check out. Since its return for the 2008 model year, the Challenger has been a two-door beast with a design that harkens back to the classic era of muscle cars. There’ve been changes through the years (a facelift and update for 2015 are worth keeping in mind when looking at used models), but it has remained a muscular monster with performance that’s meant to push you back in your seat as it roars to life every time you press the pedal. The combination of powerful engines (more on them in a moment) and available all-wheel drive makes the Challenger the perfect choice for a car with serious power.

With the Dodge Charger, we get something quite different: a four-door sedan with power packed under its hood that can put some dedicated sports cars to shame. Older versions of the Charger were quite different, and it’s been everything from a traditional muscle car to a luxury model throughout the years; the modern Charger is a midsize sedan with major power packed under the hood. The version of the Charger that returned for 2006 looks quite a bit like other sedans, while a redesigned new generation that launched for 2011 gave it styling that combines sedan design and a spacious interior with powerful, sports-car aesthetics. If you’re looking for a vehicle with great power and plenty of room inside for your passengers to be comfortable, then the Charger is an excellent choice.

Impressive Engines and Performance

Both the Dodge Challenger and Charger have remarkable engines that deliver incredible power for you to enjoy on the road. You’ll find multiple options out there on both models year after year, so it’s important to have a sense of what you can find for them. It would be difficult to try to go over every engine available on both models for the last decade, so instead, we’ll look at the 2023 Challenger and Charger to see what they have as an example of what you can find.

Looking at the 2023 Dodge Challenger, the engine lineup starts with a 3.6L Pentastar V6 engine with 303 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque; the Charger features the same engine tuned for up to 300 hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. You can also find Challenger models with a 5.7L HEMI V8 engine that provides 375 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque or a 6.4L HEMI V8 with 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. There are even some Challenger models with an insane supercharged 6.2L Hellcat V8 engine designed to deliver a truly unbelievable driving experience and up to 1,025 hp. The Charger offers a similar slate of V8 engine options, but its Hellcat variants top out at 807 hp.

In other words, the kind of performance you can find on these two vehicles is ultimately quite similar in terms of raw power. Both models have excellent starting engines and a wide range of incredible HEMI V8 powertrains, so you’ll discover all kinds of different power on both cars when looking at pre-owned models. Actual performance and your driving experience are still distinct, however, since you can find a six-speed manual transmission on some recent Challengers but not on Dodge Charger models from the last few years. Ultimately, both of these vehicles handle quite differently thanks to their body designs and other factors, so if you’re not sure which will best meet your needs, then taking them for test drives is the best way to go.

Which Dodge Car Is Right for You?

Shopping for a car isn’t always easy, and it can take some work to consider different options, see what they can do for you, and decide on the perfect ride with everything you need. When you’re looking at used models, then you have an even larger pool of vehicles to choose from; even if you’ve narrowed things down to the Dodge Challenger and Charger, you’ll still have a number of amazing options when looking at used versions of these two cars. That is why it helps to consider what each has to offer ahead of time so you can weigh their benefits and decide on which one seems best for you. Both of these cars offer exceptional power and performance, so it can help to consider whether you need a four-door sedan with plenty of room inside for passengers, or prefer a two-door muscle car that is built for pure power. If you’re still not sure which one is right for you, it helps to see them for yourself here at our dealership and take them for a spin to experience what they have to offer.

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