Charger vs Challenger: What's The Difference
While there are key differences between the Dodge Challenger and Charger including size and trim options, both vehicles still have a lot in common.
Written by Serena Aburahma
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
Dodge
is an iconic American company that has made some of the most famous muscle cars in American history. Two of those iconic Dodge muscle cars are the Dodge Charger and the Dodge Challenger, and Dodge is still selling them to this day. Here's a look at what's the difference between the Dodge Charger and the Dodge Challenger.
Charger vs Challenger: what's unique about the Dodge Charger
The Charger is the larger car, so it'll have more passenger space than the Challenger will. There are over 40 inches of legroom in the Charger, compared to about 33 inches in the Challenger. This size difference extends to cargo capacity, too.
The Charger is also the better car when it comes to safety. It has a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA, and it scored better than the Challenger in a few important crash tests.
While many muscle car owners won't sell their car, the Charger is also the better car when it comes to holding onto its value.
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Charger vs Challenger: what's so special about the Dodge Challenger?
The Charger may be the larger car, but Dodge decided to make the Challenger the faster car. Dodge will give the Challenger the new high-performance trims earlier than the Charger will get them. As a result, Challenger owners can get trims like the powerful SRT Hellcat.
Dodge also offers the owners the option of manual transmission, which gear heads will love. Dodge does not offer this option with the Charger. Combined with those powerful trim options, the Challenger is the better car for drivers who care about performance and driving capabilities.
Another advantage that the Challenger has is its price tag. This is mostly thanks to its smaller size. The Challenger starts at about $30,500, while the Charger starts at about $32,500. This makes the Challenger about $2,000 cheaper than the Charger.
MORE: You Can Own a Custom Dodge Charger or Challenger with New Jailbreak Package
Why you might pick one Dodge over the other
While these two Dodge muscle cars have their differences, they're ultimately still muscle cars that were built by the same company. As a result, they're also very similar cars in other ways. For example, in terms of their tech features, they're practically identical.
Their fuel economies will vary based on the engines that you pick, but if you pick the same engine, then it's also identical. There is going to be a small fuel economy difference if you get the Challenger with a manual transmission and compare it to a Charger with an automatic, though.
At the end of the day, Dodge has designed these two muscle cars in such a way that buyers have options no matter what. The Challenger might get first dibs on new performance trims, but the Charger will get those trims eventually.
That's why the Charger is the better car unless the $2,000 price difference is a deal-breaker. The Charger is safer, better for daily driving, and it's powerful enough as is.
MORE: The Deaths of the Dodge Charger and Challenger Have Just Been Made Official
Keep your Dodge muscle car insured
Muscle cars like the Dodge Charger or the Dodge Challenger can be expensive to insure. That's where
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