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There was never any question when it came to the R/T or Scat Pack debate for the previous Charger and Challenger. The R/T's 5.7-liter V-8 wasn't even in the same zip code of fun as the Scat Pack's 6.4-liter Hemi. Things are different this time around, because now both the R/T and Scat Pack Sixpack variants of the Charger are fitted with the Hurricane twin-turbo inline-six. Yes, there are still differences, but the experience gulf is nothing like as wide. Dodge muddies the water with its pricing strategy. But, even so, the R/T compares sneakily well to the more powerful and more expensive Scat Pack.
The old divide between the Dodge Charger and Dodge Challenger has gone, with the brand now offering the choice between two-door and four-door versions of the Charger, the sedan tested here carrying a $2000 premium over the equivalent coupe.
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The Lowdown
Zac Palmer
The Dodge Charger R/T Sixpack uses the Standard Output version of the 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six, rated for 420 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque. Those figures are 130 horses and 63 lb-ft down on the Scat Pack's High Output version of the same engine, with the biggest difference being the S.O.'s smaller turbos, which produce less boost. Also, the S.O. doesn't rev nearly as high, delivering peak power at just 5200 rpm and meeting its redline 300 revs later. The R/T even sounds a little different thanks to a unique exhaust that drops the valved design of the Scat Pack’s sports system.
Vehicle tested: 2026 Dodge Charger R/T 4-Door Base Price: $53,990 Price as tested: $67,160Location: Dalton, N.H.
More SpecsEngine: 2993cc twin-turbo inline-six
Power: 420 hp @ 5200 rpm
Torque: 468 lb-ft @ 2500 rpm
0-60 mph: 4.6-sec (mfr)
Transmission: 8-speed auto, all-wheel drive
Weight: 4741 lbs
MPG: 17/26/20 (city / highway / combined)
How Does It Drive?
Dodge
The specs already promised a good time, but the R/T powertrain experience was even better in reality than it was on paper. Sure, the Scat Pack will leave it for dead when the stopwatch is running, but the S.O. has its own nifty tricks. Most importantly, the engine in the R/T felt significantly more alert and responsive thanks to smaller turbos that spin up quicker. Peak torque is found at 2500 rpm for the R/T, while the Scat Pack's Hurricane engine makes you wait until 3500 rpm. The small 63-lb-ft disparity in torque peaks in the context of a car that weighs nearly 5000 pounds means the two accelerate off the line with shocking similarity. And when I was just cruising nowhere close to the redline, the R/T hardly felt like it was missing a beat compared to the Scat Pack.
My drive on snow-covered roads in and around the Team O’Neil Rally School in New Hampshire revealed some advantages to the R/T's gentler character, most obvious being the more easily accessed and less abrupt torque delivery. The S.O. engine's smaller turbos only boost to 22 psi, while the Scat Pack's 30-psi peak takes longer to arrive.
Dodge
Both R/T and Scat Pack get all-wheel drive as standard, and I tackled a skid pad, slalom course, and short rally stage at Team O’Neil to get a taste of the system working on slick surfaces. The R/T's less violent power delivery made doing endless donuts and quick transitions through the slalom straightforward, while the Scat Pack required big initial inputs followed by a more delicate touch. The R/T was definitely more forgiving.
Fitted with winter tires, the Charger is a blast in the snow, emphasizing just how different this new generation is compared to its predecessor. Okay, so the curb weight and enormous footprint on tight rally tracks still felt like a limitation, but the ability to drive hard in all weather conditions undoubtedly opens up the Charger's use case.
And don't worry, Dodge will still let the R/T driver select a rear-wheel-drive mode, disconnecting the front axle and leaving this model just as helpless in the deep stuff as the previous one. I confirmed as much in a snow-covered parking lot in an example fitted with the standard all-season tires.
Zac Palmer
Away from the slick stuff, the R/T experience can go one of two ways. I first drove an example that had been spec'd to the moon. Vitally, one of those options was the $2995 Performance Handling Group, which might as well be called the Scat Pack package. It essentially tacks on almost all the performance parts that come standard on the more expensive car, including big Brembo brakes, sport suspension, and the 275/40ZR-20 wheel-and-tire package. Features including launch control, line lock, an additional Custom drive mode, sport seats, and a rear spoiler are all included too. Dodge forces buyers to additionally select the $1495 Driver Convenience Group package alongside this, but for the $4490 total upgrade the result is an R/T that drives and feels like a Scat Pack everywhere except powertrain.
The slippery roads kept me from driving the R/T anywhere near as hard as I did the Scat Pack at Tail of the Dragon last year, but its ride-and-handling feel was practically indecipherable from a Scat Pack. You can't get the bigger 305-section-width tires that are optional on the Scat, but that's about it. Sadly, the smaller 275 tires don't help improve its numb steering any. The sport suspension made the car a bit nervous on rough surfaces, but it was stiff and serious enough to maintain a quick pace as long as the road isn't too tight or winding. Think colossal, capable muscle car, not a sports car.
Zac Palmer
If handling is less of a priority, skip the performance package and enjoy the cushier ride of the standard R/T. I spent a brief stint in an almost-completely base 4-Door (above) that stickered for $54,685 and rode on 18-inch wheels with big sidewall tires. Together with the standard suspension, the ride was significantly more supple on pockmarked dirt roads, although there was also additional dive under braking and roll in corners. The most unforgivable thing about this more basic version, though, was the lack of paddle shifters. Dodge's calibration of the new eight-speed auto leaves the car in the wrong gear often, making the inability to choose my own gears even more frustrating. You can add the tiny flappy paddles back in, but that would require the $1495 Driver Convenience Group box to be checked.
What’s It Like to Live with?
Zac Palmer
I was pleasantly surprised to see that the base R/T comes with a respectable interior. All the colorful stitching, leatherette-covered surfaces, and soft-touch areas in the nearly $70,000 R/T translate over to a base car. The most noticeable material and comfort difference is in the seats. Dodge's performance seat (same as what comes in the Scat Pack) drastically ups cabin ambiance above the cloth buckets in the base car, and the former are more comfortable over long distances too.
The R/T sounds mighty similar to the Scat Pack from the driver's seat, but it's missing the valved dual-mode exhaust. Dodge still gave it a throaty, BMW-like note from outside the car—it's just not the same volume as the Scat. My biggest disappointment comes with the speaker-enhanced soundtrack, which is perfect in Auto mode but verges on irritating in the boomy Sport mode.
Zac Palmer
The large infotainment touchscreen that runs wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto did its job well. All of the buttons and touch surfaces around it are the problem, as the climate haptics are slow to respond and miss inputs regularly. Assuming the car is fitted with heated/ventilated seats, those touch controls are hit or miss too. The base model I drove had the smaller instrument cluster fitted, but I hardly thought it was a downgrade—the optional 16-inch widescreen cluster is just overkill. No matter the choice, the tachometer remains annoyingly difficult to read.
Zac Palmer
This first drive of the R/T was also R&T's first shot at getting behind the wheel of a four-door Charger. It's comparable in practicality to the outgoing Charger, offering a boatload of legroom for rear seat passengers. If there are downsides to find, it'd be that the rear door opening itself could be a little wider for ease of ingress, and the headroom could challenge particularly tall folks. Thankfully, the four-door comes with the same enormously practical hatchback trunk. It's this level of practicality that is perhaps the Charger's best selling point.
Should I Buy One?
Zac Palmer
Dodge has moved the Charger a smidge upscale in price with this new generation. The previous Charger R/T started at only $46,660 in its last year on sale. Meanwhile, a base Charger 4-Door now sits at $53,990 before any options.
The most interesting comparison is with the Scat Pack. For just $5000 more, you can get the far more potent H.O. powertrain and the bevy of performance options loaded into the R/T's Performance package. What it comes down to is the type of powertrain experience you want. The R/T's version of the Hurricane is a better everyday companion and will even save you a few dollars at the pump, getting 1 mpg combined better than the Scat Pack. You're not missing a thing in handling with the Performance package tacked on an R/T, so you'd just need to decide if the extra $510 (the difference with the Performance pack) is worth it for the H.O. engine. There isn't even a looks argument to make, as the only real differences come in the wheel design.
Highlights and LowlightsWe Love: More responsive than the Scat Pack's engine. Switchable rear-wheel-drive mode and AWD traction. The R/T's interior doesn't feel cheaper than the Scat Pack's.We Don’t: Heavy and nervous when pushed in anger. Even a base model is over $50,000. Speaker-enhanced engine noise isn't great.Favorite Detail:Dodge is launching a new Fratzog stripe package alongside the R/T. It scatters little Fratzog logos throughout the racing stripes, which is a pleasing touch of whimsy. The stripes are even visible through the glass roof should you option the sticker package, a detail I've never seen before, given cars with racing stripes aren't typically equipped with full glass roofs.
Dodge
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