2021 Dodge Challenger

In terms of pricing, the 2021 Dodge Challenger has a starting MSRP of $28,870. Its main rivals are the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro. The Nissan 370Z, although not a pony or a muscle car, is a worthy competitor to these muscle cars at a similar price point. Continue with the article to know how it performs in front of other muscle cars in the segment.

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Dodge Challenger is broadly available in five different trim levels to choose from, viz. SXT, GT, R/T, R/T Scat Pack, and the top-of-the-line SRT Hellcat. You will get a separate article for all the trims except the SXT and GT trim, as they are all different in many ways. The SXT trim gets a decent list of features and is good enough for your daily commute. But if you want more features, you always have the option to upgrade to the GT trim. 

The 2021 Dodge Challenger comes decently loaded right from the base trim. The base SXT trim starts at an MSRP of $28,870 for FWD and $31,870 for AWD drivetrains. You get 19” alloy wheels for the FWD variant and 20” alloy wheels for the AWD variants. It comes with a 7” touchscreen display that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The SXT trim also offers dual-zone climate control. The upgrade to the GT trim gives you access to performance steering wheels and steering-mounted paddle shifters.

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The base SXT trim is more than enough for your daily commute, but if you are serious about performance, then the GT trim becomes a better choice. It gets a performance steering wheel and steering-mounted paddle shifters to help you take manual control of the car in a sportier way. We recommend going for the GT trim for those who like to get involved in driving, otherwise, the SXT trim will be more than enough for you.

The 2021 Dodge Challenger comes with several engine options depending on the trim and specs you get. With the base SXT and the GT trim, you get a 3.6L naturally aspirated V6 engine pumping out 303 HP and 268 lb-ft of torque. The engine produces enough power to give you a delightful driving experience in your daily commute. It takes an impressive 5.3 seconds to reach 0 to 60 miles per hour. The quarter-mile run takes 13.8 seconds, which is again a good figure for the segment.

In terms of the more consumer-oriented variants, the Challenger and its competitors are more or less in a similar ballpark, be it their power output figures from the engine, or be it their performance quotients. But things tend to get a bit different when we talk about the more serious stuff. While the Nissan 370Z tops out with the NISMO in terms of performance, the Challenger, Mustang, and the Camaro have a number of variants to choose from, depending on your budget and need.

How well does the 2021 Dodge Challenger handle?

This might be one of the biggest Achilles Heels of the Dodge Challenger. Although it is a bit understandable the 2021 Challenger is a muscle car and muscle cars historically haven’t been the most nimble cars to drive, but the modern-day muscle cars have definitely come a long way from their ancestral pasts, which goes the same for their handling as well. Its competitors like the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro are good examples. 

The Challenger might be a treat to drive on open and empty straight bits of roads, but if you put it through a tight corner, even at a moderate speed, its beefy size and mass become apparent. It might demolish most of the cars out on the drag strip, but try driving it around twisty circuits at speed, you will soon understand that having crazy horsepower is not the only answer.

Braking Performance

With great power comes great responsibility. And the same goes for the Dodge Challenger as well. The Challenger gets 12.6” brake rotors for both front and rear wheels, and they perform very well in real-life instances. The braking performance of the 2021 Dodge Challenger is one of its strong points, and it impresses with its class-leading braking performance. It takes only 105 feet of distance to stop the car from 60 to 0 mph, which is very impressive considering the weight of the car.

With the Dodge Challenger and its competitors having very similar brakes with similar-sized rotors, the Challenger arguably has one of the better performing units among them all. It is not the lightest car in its segment. In fact, it is on the heavier side of the spectrum, to say the least. With that in mind, its braking prowess is actually quite impressive.

The 2021 Dodge Challenger offers very decent mileage for the segment. It has neither the best fuel economy in the section nor the worst. The 3.9-liter V6 engine manages to deliver 19 mpg in the city, 30 mpg on the highway, and 23 mpg of combined fuel economy. The 18.5 gallons of fuel tank helps it deliver the best highway range in the segment. 

The 2021 Dodge Challenger is one of the better choices in terms of fuel economy for the segment. Especially, when we compare it with its competitors, most of them are in a very similar ballpark with regards to fuel economy. When comparing the overall range, the Dodge Challenger offers the most at 555 miles on the highway.

The interior of the 2021 Dodge Challenger suits its muscle car image, quite rugged and tough. Although quite sophisticated, the interior doesn’t look anything over-the-top or flashy like some of the luxury cars at the same price point. Although not the most feature-rich car of its segment, Dodge has put high attention to detail in the quality of the materials used in the car. 

Newer Dodge Challengers have made a significant improvement in terms of interior quality and make the inside of the car a really nice place to be in. The front seats are quite comfortable and provide decent support as well to provide a snug fit. Heated and ventilated seat options are also available for both the driver and passenger, but only the driver’s seat gets power adjustment functionality.

With 94.0 cu-ft of interior passenger volume, the 2021 Challenger is actually one of the most spacious, if not the most spacious among its rivals. Moreover, the passenger capacity of 5 is also a huge plus as well. The 2021 Ford Mustang and the 2021 Chevrolet Camaro in comparison can only accommodate 4 people, while the 2021 Nissan 370Z loses the game, as it can accommodate 2 people only. Standout interior features include:

• Heated and ventilated leather seats
• Power adjustable driver’s seat
• Memory feature for driver seat, steering column, side mirrors, and radio presets
• Heated steering wheel
• Dual-zone automatic climate control
• Interior air filtration

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2021 Dodge Challenger features a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration are also available as standard from the base trim. Dodge has its own Uconnect software for the infotainment system. Although the animation could be more fluid, the touch response is not that bad. 

The Uconnect interface is quite easy to use, and Dodge is constantly working on it to make it even better. The screen is decently visible under direct sunlight as well. Voice-activated audio controls and wireless phone connectivity are also available along with AM/FM/HD/Satellite Radio. Music is managed by a standard 6-speaker sound system with speed-sensitive volume functionality. Highlight features of the infotainment system:

• 7” touchscreen display for the infotainment system
• Steering wheel mounted audio controls
• Radio data system
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay 
• External digital memory control
• Wireless phone connectivity
• Voice-activated audio controls

Being a thoroughbred muscle car, the 2021 Challenger does look the part. Although looks are subjective, it might arguably be one of the most attractive-looking muscle cars available in the market right now. Some might also argue that the Challenger sets the benchmark for a modern-day muscle car with a proper retro look all over it. With the muscular wheel arches, along with the proper muscle car silhouette, the 2021 Dodge Challenger stands out from the rest with its iconic grille, which also houses the twin circular headlamps on both sides.

In terms of exterior dimensions, the 2021 Challenger is one of the longest, if not the longest cars out there, and that too by quite a margin as well. It also has one of the longer wheelbases as well. The ground clearance is also very generous for a muscle car, and it is bigger than the competition in every dimension. When comparing the curb weight, Ford Mustang is the heaviest option in the segment. Key exterior features include:

• Mopar Shaker hood and cold-air intake
• 19” or 20” alloy wheel
• Black Chrome finish for the grille
• Projector Headlamps with LED DRLs
• Variable Intermittent Windshield Wipers

As mentioned earlier, the 2021 Dodge Challenger is a part of the 3rd Challenger generation introduced for the 2008 model year. It started out on the Chrysler LC platform up until the 2014 model year. The 2015 model year saw a shift to the new Chrysler LA platform, which remains the same for the 2021 model as well. The foundation of the body is a solid structure built with high-strength steel along with specially designed front and rear crumple zones to help absorb impact energy and redirect it away from the passengers.

According to Dodge themselves, the 2021 Challenger has more than 70 available safety and security features. On top of all the generic passive safety features like airbags and traction control, the Challenger also has an impressive list of advanced active safety features to prevent crashes from happening in the first place. Some of these standout safety features include:

• Forward Collision Warning
• Adaptive cruise control
• Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection
• Automatic high beams
• Rain brake support

2021 Dodge Challenger vs 2021 Ford Mustang

The Ford Mustang might just be one of the most balanced, if not the most balanced among the muscle cars available in the market right now. It has a good balance of straight-line performance along with agility around the corners, which makes it the ideal car to use both as a daily driver and a good track-day companion as well. Just like the Challenger, the Mustang also has a huge lineup of choices for every budget and need, but the Mustang loses some edge, especially when compared to its competitors in interior space. 

2021 Dodge Challenger vs 2021 Chevrolet Camaro

The Camaro is another natural competitor to the Challenger, and Camaro is a completely different beast. Where the Challenger relies on brute force and outright performance, the Camaro believes in lightweight and nimble handling. In fact, it might just be one of the most nimble out of all muscle cars available in the market right now.

2021 Dodge Challenger vs 2021 Nissan 370Z

Although not a muscle car, the Nissan 370Z has some strong credentials to compete in this segment. Coming from Japan, the far East, the 370Z does not have any V8s to offer in its lineup. All the trims are powered by the same 3.7L V6 producing 332 HP. The performance-oriented NISMO version bumps that up to 350 HP, which is nowhere near as crazy as some of the crazy powerful variants of its American muscle car competitors, but its price tag is also nowhere near as crazy as their prices as well.

It is actually quite incredible for what you get at this price point. Fuel economy figures are also on par with the segment as well. Handling and going around the corners might be a bit of a stretch, but other than that, you won’t be having much of an issue with the car. Overall the 2021 Dodge Challenger is a pretty solid option in the thoroughbred muscle car segment, and you won’t go wrong by getting one for your garage.