The new Dodge Charger is redesigned from the ground up, with more aggressive styling that has direct links to the original 1st Gen Dodge Charger. New for 2011 is a brand new interior that is the best I have ever seen in this price range, With this being the only rear-wheel drive car in its class, is it good enough to keep the powerful rear-wheel drive large sedans in productions like the 300, or is it going to let the smaller, front wheel drive cars take over?
Starting with the exterior, new aggressive front grill, with a attitude that almost screams "Get out my way" The back of the car has been redesigned with a taillight the stretches across the entire back side of the car, and these LED lights give the car a iconic look that echo’s 70s car design. The side of the car gets an air vent stamp that adds to that retro look. A new option available this year is the "Black Out" which gives you a blacked out grill, 20in black wheels, black spoiler that sits on the back of the car, and the best leather seats out of any American car maker I have ever tested. In my option, this is the best looking car you can buy for less than 30k.
Once you step inside the interior it only gets better for the 2011 Dodge Charger, with soft touch leather. When you get to the dashboard, the center piece is real aluminum, not plastic. If you opt for the Rally plus package, you get an upgraded Audio system, with a big color touch screen display, you also get some more upgrades in the package like, heated and cooled cup holders, which work surprisingly well. New advanced safety features include driver knee air bag, you can also order your 2011 Dodge Charger with Adaptive Cruise Control, with forward collision warning system, and blind spot waning alert system.Our Dodger Charger that we tested came in a Penstar V6 that produces a class leading 292 Horsepower and 260 Lb. Feet of Torque. Which would make this a fast car if the gearing on the 8-speed transmission wasnt so bad, forget about accelerating in the freakishly long 1st gear, the engine feels asleep in anything below 2,000 RPM and once you get to 5,000 RPM the automatic transmission shifts, which would not be a problem if the push-to-shift system works, but it takes so long for the car to change gears that it’s not even worth trying. But what dose these long gears, low RPMs, and slow shifts mean? it means 19 city, and 33 Highway (My own personal driving) and around the normal day I averaged 26.4 MPG, which is great in this day and age where a gallon of gas costs you $3.50. As they always say “You win some you lose some"
For a car that weighs almost 4,000lbs its not that bad in the corners, but don’t get me wrong, it’s not a car you take into the mountains for fun. While you get a soft suspension, which is great for around town, and every day driving, but when you become a weekend warrior, the car rolls severely in the turns, the leather racing seats do keep you from flying out of the cabin, but that’s about it. When you add a super soft suspension, and a car that weighs more than two tons, it’s not a nice combination.
All in all this is a car in its own class, and if you want something that has good looks, and won’t give you a kick in pants at the pump, this is the car for you.
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