Dodge (16)
Rebirthed onto the auto scene in 2008, a decade later the classic-reboot Dodge Challenger continues its role as one of the leaders of the muscle-car rebellion taking place amid the inevitable move toward automation and electrification and SUVs.
Translation: Raw power hasn’t been completely forgotten, despite those trends taking over most of the industry.
I recently spent some time in a 2019 Challenger GT and I’m back with a full review on what this blast from the past has to offer.
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More than 90 percent of today’s vehicles can’t be called unique, as if you squint they look like half a dozen others. But you can’t say that about the Challenger, which features a bold design unlike anything else on the road, and truly screams “look at me” even from a distance.
It’s a little tight in the rear seat, but you can actually fit four adults in here, unlike the Challenger’s rivals.
With some vehicles, you wonder what you’ll get with each model year, with tweaks coming on every version. And then there are vehicles like the Dodge Durango, which generally hold steady with what they offer yet continue to maintain the public’s interest -- because what they are doing is working.
I recently spent some time in a 2018 Dodge Durango, and I’m back with a full report on this SUV, which you could call the big friendly giant of the three-row SUV segment.
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The short and simple way to describe the design of the Durango is that it’s perhaps the boldest looking of all three row SUVs. It’s large, heavy and muscular in design, a visual meant to present it as a strong vehicle -- which it is.
Sharing a platform with FCA relative the Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango is longer than the Jeep and adds a third row and features lots of leg and headroom.
I recently read a news story about a person arrested after leading police on a chase that including him going roughly 150 mph -- He was driving a Dodge Charger.
Not that you should do that, unless you like jail, but it’s a testament to what this brand is about; speed and power.
Even on the lower ends of their spectrum, Dodge’s vehicles stand out. I recently tested a more pedestrian version of the Charger (SXT model with just 292 horsepower, as opposed to the optional 707 horsepower Hellcat version) and I’m back with a full report (and no, I didn’t try to hit triple digits, though I’m sure it would have been a blast).
The Dodge Durango hasn’t undergone a major change in design for several years. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
It knows what it is (a boldly designed and powerful family hauler) and what it wants to do (provide a unique offering in a sea of three-row SUVs that can at times seem very generic), so there’s little reason to reinvent the wheel at this juncture.
Related in platform to Jeep Grand Cherokee, the Durango is a good mix of a powerful ride and a comfortable one -- a three-row SUV that you can be proud of. I recently spent some time in a Durango and here is a full report.
Dodge shocked the performance world when it launched the most powerful and fastest muscle cars in the world – the Challenger SRT Hellcat and Charger SRT Hellcat. Now, two years later, Dodge is raising the bar again with the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon.
“Most cars attempt to be everything to everybody. Then there are the rare few that revel in a single objective, rendering them totally irresistible to a subculture," said Tim Kuniskis, Head of Passenger Car Brands – Dodge, SRT, Chrysler and FIAT – FCA North America. "The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is conceived, designed and engineered for a subculture of enthusiasts who know that a tenth is a car and a half second is your reputation."
Despite the common perception, SUVs don’t have to be boring grocery getters.
Don’t believe me? See Exhibit A: The Dodge Durango.
I recently spent some time in a 2016 Dodge Durango Citadel, and the experience was far from pedestrian. Yes you can and will haul the family around in it, but it also shows a likeable character you don’t see in much of SUV world.
I recently read an article about how most people choose white, black or silver cars -- in part because it helps with resale value.
Thankfully, the vehicle I will be reviewing here -- a “Plum Crazy” colored Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack -- does not fit in that category; I’m glad these kind of vehicles still exist, even if it is in limited numbers.
From the moment this purple rocket pulled up to my driveway, it was a blast to look at and even more of a blast to drive. It probably drew more stares and comments than any other vehicle I have driven this year, and is among the best looking in my opinion.
Here’s a full report on this unique sedan from Fiat Chrysler’s power-centric Dodge division.
Some vehicles come and go and are barely remembered. You could say the opposite is true for the Dodge Grand Caravan. Around for decades, this minivan staple was already supposed to be dead and gone, but has again returned for the 2016 model year.
It’s the cat with nine lives, and I recently got a chance to test the 2016 Grand Caravan to see what it still had to offer as it drives off into the sunset and Chrysler’s more upscale Town and Country becomes the flagship minivan for FCA.
Every vehicle isn’t for everyone, as we all have our own unique needs in life.
The Dodge Dart, a compact sedan with room for a very tight five passengers, is one vehicle with a definite audience -- namely those without a large group to shuffle around town.
It’s competing against cars like the Ford Focus, Nissan Sentra, Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Chevy Spark, trying to get young buyers to latch on to the Dodge brand when they first start to get their own wheels.
I had a Dart for a weeklong test driver and I’ll let you know my impressions on how it holds up in this category.
You’ve got to hand it to the Dodge Challenger, for this reason alone: Cars today simply do not look like this, and the fact that the vehicle was brought back and modernized is a pretty awesome thing all around.
If you’re not familiar with the Challenger, look at some TV shows and movies from the 1970s (“Dukes of Hazzard” is a good place to start) and you’ll see plenty of these long land boats with rockets under the hood. None of the smooth curves of today in little compact packages -- just an extra long, badass vehicle that will win a drag race every time.
I was lucky enough to get a week behind the wheel of this throwback ride, channeling my inner Richard Petty as I struggled to restrain myself from hammering the gas and instead enjoy the speed in moderation.
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Some engines purr, some scream, and some growl in what almost sounds like an angry fashion.
The Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack edition, a powerful muscle car, has its own unique sound. It’s sort of a powerful buzz, an anticipatory tone, even when you are stopped, eagerly anticipating being used when you hit the gas and get moving.
After a week in this beast of a ride, I’m back with a full report on what it has to offer.
In the ever-growing crossover SUV segment, car buyers have several choices of size; Some are quite large (including Dodge’s own Durango), some are very compact, and others strike a balance somewhere in the middle.
One of those is the Dodge Journey, which I recently had a chance to test (a 2015 Dodge Journey Crossroad AWD model). I’m back with a full report on my experience and how the Journey fits into the segment.
With anything in life, you’ve got to have an angle.
That definitely applies in the auto industry, as you have to show up with a definite plan to compete in any segment, especially one as busy as the crossover SUV segment.
For Dodge, whose Durango competes in this class, there’s a definite plan of attack, and it involves power -- powerful looks, powerful engines and powerful towing capabilities.
I recently spent some time in a Durango and I’m back with a full report on what the vehicle has to offer.
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