2010 Dodge Charger Engine Review
The Dodge Charger is back for 2010. There are four different engine options available for the Charger; this article’s main focus discusses these different engines so the car buyer can better make an informed decision.
The most basic engine available on the Dodge Charger is the 2.7 liter V6 that produces 178 horsepower and 190 pound feet of torque. When this engine is mated up to the 4 speed automatic transmission it is able to achieve 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. This engine is only available in the SE version of the Charger which starts right around $25,000.
The next step up is the 3.5 liter V6 which produces 250 horsepower and 250 pound feet of torque. This engine gets paired up to the 4 speed automatic as well and is able to acquire 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. This powerful V6 is available in all of the SXT models, including the All Wheel Drive version. It should be noted that the AWD version gets slightly worse gas mileage on the highway as the rating drops to 23 mpg. The SXT starts at about $26,900 for the rear wheel drive and $30,240 for the AWD version.
The Charger R/T comes with a 5.7 liter V8 Hemi. This commanding engine produces 368 horsepower and 395 pound feet of torque while holding on to a drivable 16 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. This engine’s superior technology allows some of the cylinders to stop firing when driving at certain speeds which helps it achieve almost the same gas mileage as the lower end models. The R/T comes with a 5 speed automatic transmission with auto-stick that allows the driver to manually select which gear the transmission is in. The R/T starts at just over $32,000 for the rear wheel drive version.
The SRT8 comes with the monstrous 6.1 liter V8 Hemi engine that produces a whopping 425 horsepower and 420 pound feet of torque. This ground pounder is also paired with the 5 speed automatic transmission with auto-stick which enables this car to get 13 mpg in the city and 19 mpg on the highway. This is a considerable loss of mpg, but when the amount of power this engine produces is considered we can understand why this loss occurs. Besides, with this much power, mpg is not really a focus. This car has a hefty price tag at about $40,000.
There are many options to be had with the Dodge Charger. The smart car buyer needs to decide what is more important; power and performance or drivability and fuel consumption? Of course, there is an option that does both well. The Charger R/T is a powerhouse as well as extremely drivable.
