Test Drive: 2006 Dodge Charger SXT

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Ask any real car enthusiast – the kind who cares more about how a car drives than how pretty the dashboard is – and they’ll tell you that routing the engine’s power to the rear wheels is the ideal set-up for a driver’s car. It leaves the front wheels to handle directional duties unencumbered by the engine’s torque, allowing engineers to tune the steering and front suspension purely for handling and feel.

Since the 1959 launch of Sir Alec Issigonis’ innovative Morris Mini Minor and Austin Seven, however, front-wheel drive has been the benchmark for efficient use of interior space in cars and has become de rigeur in just about every market segment, from subcompacts to some SUVs. As a result, just a few higher-end manufacturers have stuck to the rear-wheel drive to preserve pure driving dynamics over providing the maximum interior space.

It’s just such a compromise between performance and interior packaging that Daimler-Chrysler was seeking to strike when it launched the first of its LX full-size cars (the 2005 Chrysler 300 and Dodge Magnum, and the 2006 Dodge Charger). Based on an older version of Mercedes-Benz’ E-Class platform, these cars are a rarity among big, mainstream cars. Among the Big Three, only General Motors’ Cadillac and Ford’s Lincoln upscale divisions offer big cars with rear-wheel drive: the Cadillac STS starts at more than $56,000, while the aging Lincoln LS can’t be had for less than $50,595.

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This left the door open for DC to market its full-size rear-drivers as an affordable alternative. Even the most expensive, and most powerful LX car currently available – the Chrysler 300C SRT8 – costs only $100 more than the decidedly less cool Lincoln LS, its 425 horsepower HEMI V8 obliterating the Lincoln’s tepid 280 horses. The Dodge Charger, on the other hand, is the lowest-priced full-size, rear-wheel drive car available on the market, coming in under $28,000 for a basic version powered by a 2.7-litre V6.

If, however, you think a smallish V6 making 190 horsepower is hardly enough to haul around a car weighing more than 1,700 kilograms, you’d be right. For many, though, a 340- or 425-horsepower V8 is overkill for everyday driving needs. Thankfully, there are lots of smart people at DC, and they saw the need for a medium engine to slot in between the small and large in their big-car engine portfolio.

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Medium in this case is a 3.5-litre V6, the engine that powers base-model 300s, and mid-range SXT versions of the Magnum and Charger. Recently, DC handed us the keys to a Charger SXT and turned us loose on the streets of Ottawa.

The 3.5-litre engine is carried over from DC’s LH cars, the front-wheel drive sedans these Mercedes-derived rear-drivers replaced after 2004. For use in the new cars, DC hooked it up to a five-speed automatic, also borrowed from Mercedes’ parts bin, and the same one used in HEMI-equipped versions of these cars.

While the HEMI is without a doubt the engine of choice for those who like big-bore burnouts and throaty exhaust notes, we found no fault with the 3.5-litre’s power, which we think most drivers will find to be more than sufficient on the whole. The only time we noticed the 90 horsepower this engine gives up to the HEMI was in highway passing manoeuvres. With the V8, overtaking is effortless; a little more planning is required with the 3.5-litre.

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Despite having two fewer cylinders than that formidable V8, the big six still produces a decent exhaust note that, as in the HEMI-equipped R/T model, is only audible under hard acceleration, making relaxed cruising a quiet affair.

Naturally, with 2.2 litres less displacement than the V8, this larger V6 is more frugal, but as is the case with most cars, matching the Natural Resources Canada fuel consumption ratings – 12.5 L/100 km city; 8.1 L/100 km highway – is all but impossible without driving with an unnaturally light foot. The smaller V6 is even better at the pumps (rated at 11.4 L/100 km city and 7.7 L/100 km highway) but to us, that’s no advantage given the power deficit it carries compared to the larger six-cylinder.

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We love this car’s five-speed automatic for its smooth, swift gear changes that are heard more than felt, even at full throttle. Downshifts occur promptly, but the engine offers enough mid-range torque to make kickdowns largely unnecessary with a light right foot. And owing to the Charger’s rear-wheel drive layout, the car goes only where the driver points it, with no annoying torque steer.

We’d recommend leaving the standard traction and stability control system on, however, especially in wet weather. The 3.5-litre is powerful enough to put the Charger into an unintentional powerslide in aggressive acceleration, even at speed. That said, switch the traction nanny “off” (a relative term here, as the system remains active, but simply allows some wheelspin and tailsliding before stepping in to crash the party), and this V6 can still pull off a smoky burnout.

Braking is confidence-inspiring, with big discs filling up all four of the 17-inch alloy wheels on our test car. The only soft point is the brake pedal, which is, well, softer than that found in the HEMI-powered Charger R/T, the difference owing to the bigger, even stronger brakes used in that more potent model.

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Ride and handling are equally competent, perhaps surprisingly so for a car that, again, weighs in at close to two tons. There’s a bit of float in the suspension, but quick turns are accomplished with little drama; the stability control program chips in here, applying the brakes on individual wheels as needed to keep the car going where it’s pointed.

Inside the Charger, front-seat space is quite good in every direction, and the seats – cloth in the case of our tester – are comfortable for long hauls.

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A lumbar adjustment for the front passenger seat is a nice touch; we wish more cars provided front-seat passengers this small luxury. We’d prefer more lateral support, though.

Move to the back and the packaging compromises of the rear-wheel drive platform and the gun-slit windows become apparent. In the back, headroom is limited by the tapering roofline. Those riding coach with two others will want to avoid getting stuck in the middle: the shape of the seat cushion means less headroom still, and the large driveshaft tunnel that runs the length of the car gives the centre passenger two options: rest their feet on the tunnel with knees in chest, or splay their legs on either side of the tunnel (we didn’t measure, but it’s got to be eight inches wide), taking up footspace normally reserved for the outboard passengers and making everyone unhappy.

2006 Dodge Charger SXT. Click image to enlarge

The trunk is generous enough, but the rear-drive compromise rears its head here, too. The drivetrain takes up space that would be left for cargo in a front-driver, limiting cargo capacity to 459 litres, compared to 595 litres in the Ford Five Hundred and 527 in the Chevrolet Impala.

Our SXT tester came with a decent list of useful standard features, including a split-folding rear seat (which isn’t available on the base model), an eight-way power driver’s seat and fog lights. Seventeen-inch aluminum wheels were nice-to-haves, replacing a steel wheel set-up in the same diameter.

Oddly, while the 3.5-litre V6 and five-speed automatic are touted as standard features in the Charger SXT, the drivetrain combo still adds $1,000 to the car’s $30,855 base price. The only option our Charger had was the $655 Protection Group, which includes side and side curtain airbags, a cabin air filter and self-sealing tires. All told, the grand total for our tester came to $35,110, including $1,200 freight and the $100 A/C tax.

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We like that Daimler-Chrysler has created a useful big car incorporating the dynamic benefits of a rear-wheel drive layout with the Charger’s in-your-face looks. Despite its interior space limitations, we think the Charger’s a well-executed big car that avoids the anonymous styling of other big sedans like the otherwise competent Ford Five Hundred, for example. Drivers with a serious need for speed (or who will use the car to tow a trailer) will want to cough up the extra cash for the R/T model; for those looking for a more practical daily driver with a bit of full-size flair, we think the Charger SXT is about as good as it gets for the price.