2018 Dodge Charger R/T 5.7 test drive review

"KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time" (kngt)
01/03/2019 at 12:48 • Filed to: Dodge Charger, Dodge Charger r/t, Dodge Charger Rt, Charger RT, Charger 5.7, 5.7 HEMI, Dodge, Sedans, sedan, Test Drives, test drive, Oppo review, Opporeviews, Dodge Charger R/T 5.7, 2018 cahrger, 2018 charger R/T, dodge charger HEMI, Dodge Charger 5.7, 2018 Dodge Charger, 2019 dodge charger, 2019 Dodge Charger R/t, 2019 Charger RT, Charger 345, Mopar

My favorite type of vehicle is a powerful RWD/AWD sports sedan. I have driven this family of cars before as rentals, but only the V6 versions. R !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . So much so I was thinking maybe a V8 Charger or Chrysler 300 would work as a next car? I have heard good things about the 5.7 motor and even better things about the 6.4 Hemi.

The example I tested had a MSRP of $39K, decently loaded with heated seats, Navigation, Blacktop package (Spoiler, badges, wheels, blacked out grille). They had It listed at $31K but that’s with stacking rebates upon rebates.

Exterior: Exterior and interior hasn’t changed much in like forever so there’s not a lot to talk about. The 2019 R/Ts are getting the fascia from the bigger 6.4 versions so I like that more than this front face.

What I drove- 2018

What I like better- 2019

Interior: I checked out the back seats first, ride height was perfect. Not too tall not so short you had to fall into the seats. The sloping roof line does necessitate bending your head slightly to get in. But once you’re in, at 5’11” I had plenty of head and leg room. Very comfortable except this blind spot area blocking your view partially.

5 adults can sit back here for short distances. Child seats shouldn’t be a problem at all. Trunk is big, this is a very good family car given the RWD platform compromises.

Lots of legroom at 5'11"

Ok, driver’s seat- I simply LOVE the seats in this and the 300. They are made for above average size people clearly and it just hugs you. Perfect shape and size for me. Even if it was just cloth it felt so good. Perfect for long distances. Switchgear quality was good. T -shifter feels good to use, Fit and finish was good everywhere considering this is a brand new car and not a trashed rental. The biggest single area of complaint was the sea of dash material which is a soft touch rubberized plastic. It was worse than my 2013 model car which has similar material but better executed. Otherwise everything is good, not great. I think they have better material on the 2019s but not sure if it comes on the R/T or only Scat pack/Daytona and above. Anyway, front visibility is good despite the humongous hood which I like, gives the car such presence. The rear blind spot wasn’t bad at all once I started driving.

UConnect is great. No complaints, fast easy to use big 8.4 Inch screen with tons of features and customization. Just wish there was physical button for heated seats instead of a 2 step process on the screen. All HVAC controls had physical backups- Liked that. Gauges are fantastic! Informative and look great. Steering wheel has a great feel and has paddle shifters and easy shortcut buttons.

Driving Impressions: This car somehow feels bigger than a Chrysler 300, donno might be just me. Turning radius is not small so have to keep that in mind in tight parking spaces. I got on to a 35MPH road first then went on the Freeway with 70MPH limit for the most part.Engine was not loud sounded like a V6 in fact at low revs. But it did have a good rumble at startup.

Starting off, it rides well. The 20 inch wheels don’t crash over bumps at all. Firm but not harsh. Dodge has done very well with the suspension tuning. Gas pedal is sensitive, Brake pedals were a little mushy initially but the brakes themselves are great. Car has good refinement with NVH. Steering is electric and seems fine. Nothing excellent but is responsive if lacking some feedback. In normal mode the ZF 8 speed is smooth and you hardly notice it.

Now, I put it into sport mode and took the on-ramp and that’s where the real fun begins. The R/T is a brute! Great sound! It just roars to life. There is very little lag for like a second on initial throttle tip in and then this thing RIPS with that awesome V8 snarl!

The beefy torque (395 Lb/ft) provides wonderful thrust and the 8 speeds shifts very quickly making a satisfying “brap” when it does. This has more than enough speed to pass most cars on the road. Tests have shown 5.1 to 5.4 0-60 but passing 30-50, 60-80 is what it does best. Sometimes there’s no need to even shift gears. Speaking of which, leave it in auto mode for best results. Using the paddles, downshifts are quick but upshifts take a second. Obviously, a manual would only make it better. In short, this is perfect for highways. Calm composed, quiet with low wind and tire noise and then when you need to pass someone, just give it half throttle and it drops a gear or 2 and boom you’re doing 90. And then I took some off-ramp curves quite aggressively. Man, this car can hang! No drama no fuss and then you can power out through the turns and it just grips. Given it was sunny and 50F but still. You can feel the weight for sure, but it is not lumbering. Handling capability is there even if you don’t have the handling feel of a sharp sports sedan like the Germans.

It is sufficiently refined without any rattles or squeaks and doesn’t feel like an ancient platform and I love what Dodge is doing with just stuffing big engines in their cars and loading them up with features. I believe continuously working on the old platform helped to refine this vehicle with each passing year.

If you want to watch a detailed review, Alex on Autos does a great job and I agree with a lot of what he says in the driving dynamics part-

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The Competition: The Chevy SS I drove a while back was like this but sportier and with 415HP 6.2 it was a much faster, beast with better handling, and I like it more than this 5.7 Charger, but the 370Hp is more than enough for me for daily duty plus the SS has abysmal fuel efficiency. The 485HP 6.4 Hemi must be an absolute monster I think, perhaps I would get to drive one sometime.

If you wanted something used with a similar concept but more relaxed and luxurious, a 420Hp, 5 sec 0-60 V8 Hyundai Genesis is a very good option, and they’re quite affordable -

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Another, faster Japanese alternative is an Infiniti M56/Q70 with the V8 (420Hp, <5 sec 0-60) Interiors and exterior is more sophisticated

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The Stinger GT is another car that has similar mission which I liked a lot with a very European-inspired take on the formula, but hard to beat a ‘Murrican V8. Wish Ford made a proper RWD/AWD sedan with the Coyote 5.0. Sigh, if only…

Final Thoughts:

It’s a cruiser when you need it and a bruiser when you want it.

I feel this will fit the bill for a sporty family car very well. Negatives will be:

Poor fuel economy- 16 /25/19 combined.

Interior materials (I can live with that if I am not paying an MSRP of $40K+)

FCA unreliability and long term quality (BUT, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , Consumer Reports actually included the Charger/300 in their Recommended list for 2018, the 5.7 and ZF 8 speed have proven reliable).

You would think low resale, but the higher end 5.7/6.4 versions usually hold their values well. They have quite a few rebates on the 5.7 R/Ts more than the higher end Daytons/ScatPacks/SRTs because most people either go for the V6s (which also had AWD) or the 6.4Hemis. I would probably like mine with Heated/vented seats +heated steering wheel and Blind spot monitoring but skip all the other safety and tech including Navigation and Beats Audio (base system is fine). It would be about $39K configured that way, before incentives.

But, for under $28K this is a lot of car and that’s how I would buy one. The used market for these is pretty good and I will consider waiting to get a used 2018/19. You can get fully loaded 3 year old ones under $27K with less than 30K miles. Here’s a barely used 2018 decently spec’d for $27K. Almost exactly same as the one I drove:

https://www.carstory.com/detail/2018-dodge-charger-pontiac_il-2C3CDXCT8JH233772

And speaking of the Chrysler 300, they seem to depreciate more than Chargers as you can get a 2018 V8 loaded one for $26K. The interior is much nicer and it looks stylish as well.

https://www.wowwoodys.com/inventory/all-vehicles/vehicle/2C3CCAPT6JH227768/Certified-Used-2018-Chrysler-300-Chillicothe-MO

Overall, I like this car a lot, and would recommend that you check out both if you’re looking for a fast comfortable RWD family sedan, before they are permanently discontinued after 2020, or so I heard...Sure, they have their faults, but they also have an undeniable appeal. Just go try one. They are really the last of their kind.

TL; DR- Flawed but Fantastic.

DISCUSSION (45)

lone_liberal > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 12:57

If they had the 5.7 with AWD it would make the list of my new car, but I already have a summer-only car and don’t need two. And before anyone chimes in I’ve driven RWD in the winter. In fact m y first car was RWD and I drove it year round. I drove a 72 Camaro in the winter. I do not want to do it anymore.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 12:57

The 5.7 Eagle doesn’t get a lot of rebate stacking and holds value well because they know it’s a proven, bulletproof design. You know a block is good when I’m only using 3 aftermarket parts - 2 because there’s no factory equivalent - when increasing wheel output by more than 100HP . I mean, seriously. It’s more than 90% OE content.

The 6.4's hold value because of perceived desirability, not actual reliability. They’ve been shitshows from day one in terms of reliability. But “HELLCAT!!!”

Arrivederci > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 12:57

Great write-up! Been many years since I’ve driven the R/T (previous generation) and I was massively disappointed. I did get a go in a Scat Pack with the 6.4L about a year or so ago and that thing was a RIOT! So much fun, I’d happily drive one of those. I may have to give the R/T another go since they’ve improved it quite a bit over the years. I do like that it’s getting the 6.4L cars nose (but I bet those owners don’t).

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/03/2019 at 13:00

Yeah, it’s like a different car altogether when it comes to availability, desirability and resale in the 6.4.

5.7 seemed more than enough for me and I did some research beforehand on the forums and they pretty much confirm it’s solid, along with the ZF 8 speed.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/03/2019 at 13:01

What’s wrong with the 6.4?

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 13:01

Great review!

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > lone_liberal
01/03/2019 at 13:01

Too bad they stopped offering that combo in 2014, but I understand their reason was low demand. AWD would be a good nice to have for sure for those who can afford the additional MSRP and MPG costs.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
01/03/2019 at 13:02

Thanks !

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Arrivederci
01/03/2019 at 13:06

Unintended consequence of new 2019 nose- The V6 GT versions also get that so exclusivity is diluted even more.

I just saw some videos on the 2019 Daytona. Looks like they fixed that massive rubberized plastic dash and the trim with much better ones but that might be only on the 6.4 versions

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever
01/03/2019 at 13:07

Let me put it to you this way: when’s the last time you heard of an engine that routinely spun bearings, burnt valves, blew head gaskets, and dropped valves in the first 5,000 miles?

If you answered anything other than “the 6.4 Hellcat” you’d be wrong.

Chan - Mid-engine with cabin fever > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/03/2019 at 13:10

So are Scat Packs less reliable than Ferraris and Alfa Romeos or something?

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 13:11

It very much is, because it very much is an entirely different car, essentially.

The 5.7 is more than enough for I would say 99% of people, minimum. If you really want more power? That’s the one that has a MASSIVE amount of it on tap, WITHOUT sacrificing reliability one bit. The biggest risk I’ve found is burning cylinders due to inadequate fuel. But adding power to a 5.7? It’s easy and it’s cheap and it doesn’t break shit .

The ZF 8 speed’s a damn good gearbox in nearly everything, and FCA managed to not fuck up the programming. It’s no 545RFE, but even I’ll admit the 545RFE’s time came and went. 5 gears isn’t enough and my fuel mileage proves it. But like all automatics I haven’t actually been trained on, it may as well be magic.

jmgadget > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 13:30

I just picked up my ‘19 Daytona with the 5.7 and it has the upgraded dash and the SRT seats and the Mopar CAI . I traded my ‘16 R/T Blacktop for the Daytona as I wanted the better appearance and growl of the new exhaust (and the new UConnect/Performance Pages ). I never once had an issue with the 5.7 and it only ever saw service for its regular oil changes and tires. When I traded in the old R/T it had no noticeable interior rattles/squeaks and was in great condition material wise. If you are in Ohio there should be a very well taken care of ‘16 B5 R/T with all the goodies (except Nav and Tech Pack) with about 32k Miles.

Prior to the R/T I had a 300S V6 with the 8 speed and never had any quality issues with that either.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/03/2019 at 13:31

The 6.4 and 6.4 hellcat are two different engines correct? The 6.4 is the 492 package and the hellcat is the blown version. But two separate engines, or is the only difference the blower?

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > jmgadget
01/03/2019 at 13:38

So they upgraded it for the package regardless of the engine. Great!

Thanks for sharing your experience. This is defintely one of my top contenders for next ride, among others mentioned in my post

NKato > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 14:57

Going to be keeping an eye out for the 2015+ Charger Pursuit AWDs that will hit the auction block in the next ten years.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > NKato
01/03/2019 at 15:03

They’re super basic with even worse interior quality but the only way to get the V8+AWD. You can find some lightly used ones for under $25K already, some closer to $20K with more miles.

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/752115516/overview/

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc
01/03/2019 at 15:12

The 392 ScatPack/Daytona/SRT is the 6.4 L, the Hellcat is actually slightly downsized at 6.2 Liters but could be fundamentally same and so the issues could be same across both of them. I’m no expert on these Mopar engines

Kinja'd!!!

NKato > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 15:16

You’re talking to someone who drives a CVPI. I do basic interior as a requirement. :p

My biggest concern is maintenance. I have no idea how it stacks against the CVPI.

merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 15:17

Gotcha. So is it the 6.2s that are problematic or the 6.4s? I didn’t realize they had so many issued.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > NKato
01/03/2019 at 15:19

Now I get why you want one of these LOL

Long_Voyager, Now With More Caravanny Goodness > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/03/2019 at 16:14

EJ25.......

NKato > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/03/2019 at 18:05

Basic interior also means easy to clean. Most police vehicles also have a rubber floor instead of carpet.

Variance > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/03/2019 at 20:19

I’m confused, are you talking about the 6 .2L Hellcat, or the 6.4L Apache (392) ?

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Variance
01/03/2019 at 21:05

Hi Confused, I’m Typo!

Should have read “the 6.4 and Hellcat”.

How they fucked up the Apache so bad, I do not understand.

Discerning > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/05/2019 at 11:44

My understanding is that the 5.7 heads don’t flow very well and that tuning FCA products can be a pita.

If one wanted to make a bunch of power and have a quick car, they might as well just buy a GM or Ford.

If you need a big car and you’re happy stock or happy with under 450hp with mods , then buy one of the LD cars.

MM54 > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/05/2019 at 11:47

A few years ago I had a rental (so very-base model) Charger. After a short while, I figured out why it seemed to familiar - it drove like my crown vic.

Discerning > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/05/2019 at 11:51

Appatently the newer heads flow ok, but my understanding is that tuning is a pita unless someone figured that out by now.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Discerning
01/05/2019 at 12:45

It depends on the PCM architecture. The TIPM shitshow in late models makes everything a nightmare, and everyone involved in the non-repairable TIPM should be taken out back and shot.

I mean that. If you let the TIPM happen, you deserve to be shot.

Basically any of the VVT shit I avoid, because it’s newer generation PCM, and a total shitshow.

Also, people really do not understand the LA-descendant blocks for shit, and it’s constantly on show at all the ‘WOO WE R HEMI TUNER’ shops.

First, there’s 5.7 GenIII and 5.7 Eagle. The 5.7 Eagle heads flow like crazy out of the box - 331cfm intake and 186cfm exhaust. But the 5.7 GenIII heads are no slouches either - 285/186 - despite being 0.05" smaller on the intake valve.

But then there’s the 6.1 GenIII and 6.4 Apache heads. The 6.1 GenIII’s put down 322/195, the Apaches put down 339/241.

So yes, you read that correctly. The 5.7 Eagle head flows more than the 6.1 head, and is within a valve polish of the 6.4 Apache on the intake side. The only ‘stand out’ is the Apache’s 241 exhaust. The other three heads are within 10cfm on the exhaust.

However, when it comes to velocity ? The 5.7 GenIII is king, hands down. Mild port and a mild cam will pick up over 100HP. Flow isn’t everything. The other thing is that the Eagle heads make power because of compression. Not headwork. GenIII block and Eagle heads will bolt straight up and make somewhere north of 450HP on race gas due to the massive CR jump - from 9.6 to over 12 . Dialing it back to pump gas, the Eagle heads don’t make more power than ported GenIII heads.

Which is why on paper, the Wingspan 348 is king of the heap. With less than 10% non-OE content, no cam, no bore, no stroke, and machining limited to clean-up and oiling ? It goes from 345HP to a very conservatively estimated 450HP and 475ft/lbs. Let me emphasize very conservative . And it will definitely pass OBD-II tests and should pass tailpipe tests.

And you can count the number of non-Mopar parts used in it on one hand with fingers left over. Even if I do decide to change the timing drive.

TylerJ > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/05/2019 at 13:47

Out of curiosity , what are those three parts?

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/05/2019 at 14:01

Still don’t understand why they don’t offer AWD with the V8. I mean it’s not like the Powertrain doesn’t exist they just don’t sell a consumer version.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > TylerJ
01/05/2019 at 14:41

Camshaft - this is for power reasons rather than stock part deficiencies. There isn’t enough torque bias on the stock grind for what I want.

Valve seats and springs - there isn’t an OE part that can handle higher RPM operation, but more safety than necessity.

Connecting rods - the forged 6.1's use different wrist pins, so I have to go aftermarket to keep the OE Mahle pistons.

Don’t misunderstand that it’s just three power adders; there’s very little ‘stock’ left in the design. But that’s only by the strict definition of stock. The crank, the heads, the intake, the injectors, etcetera? They’re all Ma Mopar OE out of the service parts catalog. Not the Performance catalog.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > camarov6rs
01/05/2019 at 15:25

They stopped it due to low demand. But the car is so much better now and there’s not much c ompetition so might do better. Anyway, I didn’t feel it was a big miss coz I live in the South and this is a muscle car anyway so RWD suits its character.

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/05/2019 at 15:38

Didn’t know they ever did. Agreed RWD fits the muscle car character but living right below Canada makes me wish for is anyway lol

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > camarov6rs
01/05/2019 at 15:39

stopped it in 2014 with the last verison. Nice to have for most of US but not needed. Canada for sure though, I think it’s a mistake they dont offer it with the 5.7, keep the 6.4 RWD.

camarov6rs > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/05/2019 at 16:02

Seems very easy to put it back since the platform hasn’t changed and they have a model certified for police. Wonder if they are worried about fleet EPA average by adding a less efficient model.

Discerning > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/05/2019 at 19:08

That sounds like plenty. I just can’t help but feel like it’s not a whole lot when you consider how much the lt1 and current coyote make. Though I suppose thats where the 6.4 comes into play - unless they're as terrible as you say. But it’s still good I suppose.

Discerning > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/05/2019 at 19:11

But rods are a pretty serious undertaking. We're talking engine out work. It just seems like a lot of work to make the same power that the other guys are making stock.

Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks > Discerning
01/05/2019 at 20:04

One, they aren’t making the power stock on a 5.7. Full stop. 5.7 Eagle’s peak rating is 399HP-390ft/lbs or 375HP-401ft/lbs.

Two, that’s more than the 6.1 makes stock . The 6.1 is 425HP, 420ft/lbs. So yeah. These are not numbers anyone gets to scoff at .

Three, that’s a conservative preliminary estimate based on a zero-map, maximum reliability setup . I’ve been doing this a long time. Those numbers will almost definitely go up. Significantly.

Four , never implied it wasn’t an engine rebuild. You’re not making anything over stock on a 150 k mile motor without a major overhaul, period. Not even the most reliable block there is. Doesn’t change the fact that none of basically none of the parts are performance parts. It’s all straight off the repair parts shelf for emissions legal, road going, mass produced cars.

Discerning > Spamfeller Loves Nazi Clicks
01/05/2019 at 20:11

I get it - it just seems like a lot of work to go through to make that power - but to each their own.

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
01/05/2019 at 21:36

Great write up! Glad to see that they fixed a lot of issues as of 2016. It's definitely a tough call between a used 5.7 Charger or 5.7 300. The 300 is a lot of car for the money but the Charger is one of the best looking sedans on the road right now.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Carbon Fiber Sasquatch
01/05/2019 at 22:55

Thanks! Yeah I like the Charger for its performance focus and looks but you do get a more luxurious one and decently sporty ride especially if you go for S version for the same money. Some great deals put there.

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
02/13/2019 at 12:10

Good read. I’ve been thinking about a Charger for my next car, and was happy to see they put the new nose on the R/T. Still not a big fan of the interior on the base R/T but I can live with it. Also don’t want 20" wheels. FCA has the best colors; it’ll be hard to pick one. Like you, I’ll probably wait to buy a used 2019.

KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time > Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom
02/13/2019 at 12:18

Thanks! You gotta option up to a Daytona or Scat Pack for much better interior but I can’t recall if they are for the 5.7 versions or only 6.4 from 2018. If you get the Plus pack on the normal R/T you get leather which is nice, but I like the houndstooth cloth seats.

No way around the 20" wheels unless you buy the V6's 18"from craigslist or something. But the ride is not harsh at all, firm but not cushy obviously.

You can already get used 2018s for under $27K, <25 K miles

Turbineguy: Nom de Zoom > KingT- 60% of the time, it works every time
02/13/2019 at 12:39

I had a Scat Pack for a week to review in 2017. The power was awesome and the exhaust sounded great. It had the cloth interior, which was meh but not awful. I’m ok with the 5.7 though and don’t need the extra power of the 6.4. Hell, even the V6 has more hp than my Town Car so anything would be an improvement, but the V8 has the best sound.