Review: 2015 Dodge Charger AWD SXT

2015 Dodge Charger AWD – Roomy, Stylish and Powerful Even With V6

Likes:

Spacious, Smartly Designed Interior
Sharp Exterior Styling
Well-Balanced and Powerful Engine Choices

Dislikes:

Rear legroom
Rear entry/exit

For most Americans, cars are about getting from point A to point B as cheaply as they can. These people don’t want any fancy features, plush interiors or a strong power train. They want cheap and fixable with good fuel economy. If only they had an opportunity to drive a vehicle like the 2015 Dodge Charger AWD. Their view about owning a vehicle would be rocked by this amazing sedan.

Driving Impressions – Well-Balanced, Powerful Even in V6

One of the truly interesting things about the 2015 Dodge Charger is the variety of engine choices and trim levels there are. You can literally buy very different vehicles within the Dodge Charger family. Of course, we are speaking of differences between the base V6 model and the 707 HP Hellcat. While the horsepower changes, the smooth drive doesn’t.

Cruising on the interstate, one thing is immediately clear with our Dodge Charger SXT AWD tester, this sedan was built to deliver a great ride. It simply flows down the road, mutes bumps and glides through the corners. Slowing and speeding up are no concerns with its 8-speed transmission. The car effortlessly slips through the gears to keep the sedan in an optimal horsepower range. When you want to stomp on it, the V6 engine in our tester obliged without hesitation.

During the 300 plus miles we drove the sedan, we were hard pressed to find any issue with the 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 292 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. This engine performed so well that we wonder why people would want the 5.7L V8 found in the Charger R/T and R/T Road & Track editions–unless of course, they planned on taking it to the track. In that case, we would opt for either the 6.4L V8 found in the Charger R/T Scat Pack and SRT 392 trims, or the turbocharged 6.2L V8 found in the SRT Hellcat.

If the track isn’t a part of the buying decision, the V6 provides a surprising amount of power for the larger sedan. It also returns adequate fuel economy with EPA-estimated 19/31/23 city/highway/combined MPG. These numbers drop a bit with AWD to 18/27/21 city/highway/combined MPG.

Speaking of AWD, the longer wheelbase of the 2015 Dodge Charger adds some concern on icy roads with more opportunity for the rear to slide. In the case of the Charger, its AWD system completely takes that worry away. If you don’t believe us, then believe the police who drive a Dodge Charger AWD as their squad car year around. Simply put, the police wouldn’t mess with a car that was lousy in the snow.

Sharp, Appealing Exterior

Turning our attention away from the well-balanced power train, let’s focus on the exterior, which can be literally summed up in one word – wow. Sure looks can be subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we think the 2015 Dodge Charger is attractive to the majority of the people.

The front end is the first thing that really grabs your attention. With the larger blacked-out grille or split depending on trim level, it creates a “look at this cool car” reaction. The headlights are molded into the grille and they flow nicely into the sides. Also, the LED lighting strip surrounding the lights looks great during the day and at night – not always found in other vehicles.

From the side, the sedan doesn’t give the impression of being a large car. On the contrary, the character lines that create an indentation instead make it feel smaller.

On the rear, the signature taillamps are molded into the trunk with lighting strips that tie the whole rear end together. Add in the dual exhaust and the 2015 Dodge Charger has a strong presence.

Roomy, Stylish Interior

With a great exterior and impressive power train, you would expect the 2015 Dodge Charger to fall short somewhere and the interior is a likely candidate. Unfortunately, for the critics, this is simply not the case.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, it is surprising how easy it is to drive. All of the knobs are well within reach and the dash layout is one of the best looking in its class. Visibility is ideal for most drivers as is the mirror placements.

With passengers, the cabin still feels really roomy and you can see why police prefer to use this vehicle since there is so much room for their equipment.

About the only knock on the sedan is the rear that could use a tad bit more legroom and could be easier to enter/exit like the front doors. Yet, most four-door vehicles have this same problem.

Solid Buy

These days there are many competitors on the market, yet you will be hard pressed to find one with all the features of a Dodge Charger and rear-wheel drive. And yes, some of those competitors offer better fuel economy, but they don’t have the same power train options. The amount of flavors the 2015 Dodge Charger comes in as well as its AWD capability simply makes it a top choice. Don’t believe us? Have a police officer pull you over and ask them. We bet they would recommend the Dodge Charger.

2015 Dodge Charger SXT AWD Specs:

Engine: 3.6L Pentastar V6 with 24-valve DOHC
Power: 292 hp @ 6350 rpm
Torque: 260 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
Transmission: 8-speed Automatic
Options:

Ivory Tri-Coat Pearl Exterior Paint
Navigation/Rear Back-Up Camera Group
- Uconnect 8.4-inch Touchscreen
- 3D GPS Navigation
- HD Radio
- SiriusXM Traffic/Travel Link
- ParkView Rear Back-Up Camera

Estimate EPA fuel economy (mpg): 18 city / 27 hwy / 21 combined
Price as tested: $35,485