Dodge has a history of power, and through the years, they have fine-tuned their stock almost exclusively to trucks and SUVs. They even cut the best-selling Caravan. However, the Charger and Challenger were able to maintain their place in Dodge’s line-up.
The Grand Caravan may have been Dodge’s best-selling model, but the Charger and the Challenger are clearly the better-looking siblings. The Challenger and Charger are similar in many respects, but they do have their differences.
You may be wondering if the Dodge Challenger is expensive to insure or whether the Charger is more economical. Read on to find out how they stack up in price, safety, and even insurance rates.
History of the Charger
The Charger started as just a concept car built to house Dodge’s 426 Hemi. While that Charger failed to make it to market due to a Hemi shortage, the nameplate was born. When muscle cars hit the American market, Dodge chose to put their hat in the ring by introducing the Charger.
Dodge was also intent on testing their dreamy sports car in the NASCAR arena and quickly saw some victories. The coupe cemented its popularity among consumers, and the most iconic Charger, the second-generation 1968, was born.
The third-generation Charger was created to be at home on the racetrack. Some of the best drivers preferred it for its amazing balance. Its Daytona-style turned heads on and off the track.
When the Charger hit the mid-’70s, Dodge had to rebrand thanks to the advent of aggressive government emissions regulations. Muscle cars were essentially defanged, making the Hemi illegal in its existing form. Dodge looked to the luxury car market for a home for their darling.
Dodge and its parent company, Chrysler, were on the rocks for many reasons in the 80s. They tacked the Charger name onto a trim level for one of their compact hatchbacks and paired it with the smallest engine any Charger would ever contain.
Chrysler attempted to redeem the 5th generation Charger by teaming up with Carroll Shelby to maximize their 80s 4-cylinder engine. The Charger nameplate was iced after the 80s.
2007 brought the revival of the Dodge Charger, only this time as a four-door sedan with retro early 70’s good looks. Dodge also brought back the Hemi and paired it with the Charger. They pulled it off, and that sedan gathered quite a following. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat rocked the market with one of the fastest sedans ever built.
History of the Challenger
The Challenger came out in 1970 as Dodge’s competitor in the “Pony Car” market. Pony cars are compact, sporty coupes led by the Ford Mustang (hence the name). While Dodge was late to the game, the Challenger outsold its sister car, the Plymouth Barracuda, which had been around since 1964.
Dodge released this remarkable car with their iconic Hemi engine and gained a spark of popularity. Unfortunately for Dodge, this was just before the fuel crisis and onslaught of government regulations of the 1970s, which ended the muscle car market.
The ’70 Challenger T/A model, which stood for Trans Am, was a trimmed-down race car for the consumer market. The demise of the original Challenger came in 1974 along with the rest of the classic muscle cars.
Dodge revived the nameplate in 1978 in the form of a Mitsubishi made for the American market. The alliance between Dodge and Mitsubishi hoped to expand both brands’ presence. This second generation still lacked the power of its predecessor and fizzled.
Finally, in 2008 Dodge brought the Challenger back, and in 2015 finally offered the power boost the car was designed for from the beginning. The Dodge Challenger Hellcat was all that muscle car enthusiasts could ask for in a revived pony car.
How the Charger and Challenger Stack Up
In their current generations, how do these two classics compare? Obviously, the 4-door Charger sedan differs from the 2-door Challenger coupe in both appearance and function. But they both share the Chrysler LX platform.
Even though the Challenger is a two-door, it does have generous second-row seating and the most luggage space of comparable coupes in its class. The Charger is obviously better equipped to cart rear passengers with its 4-door sedan styling.
Safety Features
The Charger earned a 5-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Police departments have utilized the Charger for some time now, which speaks to its balance between safety and power. In crash tests, the Charger outranks the Challenger.
The Challenger will always rank lower in safety because it is a two-door coupe. Rear passengers in these vehicles are at higher risk of injury, but they are also more difficult to retrieve victims from in a severe collision.
Both vehicles offer the same safety tech and keep up with modern expectations. For example, forward collision warning, lane departure alerts, automatic braking, and backup cameras are all available for both vehicles.
Affordability
People like T.J. Watt might not have to consider budget constraints for their vehicles, but affordability matters to many of us. Off the lot, the Challenger is actually cheaper than the Charger.
The price gap is quite incredible with the most popular Challenger (the SXT) averaging around $30,000 while the most popular Charger (Scat Pack Widebody) registers over $53,000. However, the Charger prices pass the $85,000 mark with the Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye.
Insurance-wise, the Challenger is more expensive to insure than the Charger. Insurance companies view sports coupes as riskier entities based on the owners they typically attract. Sports cars are more expensive to insure from the start.
Ways to get around this added cost is to be careful in choosing a style. You can save a startling amount of money by downgrading your engine from a Hemi to a 3.6L 6-cylinder. Insurance factors in your drivetrain. It is still possible to have a hot-looking car with the right options package and still have the tamer drivetrain.
Amazingly enough, even though the Charger is a heavier four-door sedan, the Challenger doesn’t get any better fuel economy. Neither gets great marks for efficiency with 15 mpg city and 23 highway driving with the smallest V-8. But if you want the V8 experience, you realize there’s a price to pay.
Power
Each car offers an impressive array of styles and trims to fit every expectation. A casual driver who wants the appearance of a muscle car can opt for a smaller, more fuel-efficient engine without sacrificing looks. A muscle car gearhead can get a Hellcat in either model.
A manual transmission is only offered in the Challenger. If you crave an authentic driving experience, the Challenger fits that bill. The driving experience is otherwise with little differentiation between the Challenger and Charger.
Both have impressive torque in all engine options. You may need a side hustle, though, to keep up with the cost of premium gas for a Hellcat.
Dodge has fine-tuned their lesser V8 so that you can get plenty of power and burnout ability even without the Hellcat. Both the Charger and the Challenger also have available V6, V8 (5.7-liter or 6.4-liter), or two supercharged 6.2-liter V8s. The supercharged 6.2-liter V8s only take premium fuel and with it lower MPG (12 city and 21 highway).
Ultimately, the choice between the two gives buyers exactly what they want in style, power, and utility. Both operate on the same platform and offer very similar packages. They do maintain two distinct followings, however.
If you want a true retro muscle car experience, the Challenger gives you the manual transmission and coupe styling that checks all the boxes. If you are looking for a practical sedan that rocks the styling of vintage muscle and provides the power to back it up, the Charger is your car. Both of them will surely enhance your driving skills, so the choice is up to your preference.
Maria Hanson writes and researches for the auto insurance comparison site BuyAutoInsurance.com. She is passionate about helping drivers find their best insurance fit.
