New Challenger or Charger

[Cudajason]

All right gents, it looks like I will be in the market for new used car, I hit a deer with my chevy spark last night. I am fine, the car not so much and I expect it to be written off).

I am thinking of looking for a 2020 and up hemi challenger or charger.

Any tips on things to look at, is there a mileage (KM) threshold for a 5 year old car you think I should avoid.

I would prefer a lower mileage car of course.

if you have drive both a charger and challenger, anything you prefer over one or the other?

Any must have option you would look for?

Just blue skying for the moment.

Jason

[JH27N0B]

I'm on my second Challenger.  I bought an '09 R/T new and owned it 13 years.  It was a "nice day driver" not my daily.  I put about 38,000 miles on it until selling it after I'd bought another vintage car that took its spot in my garage.
I never had any problems with the car, it was in the shop twice in my ownership, first time for a free oil change the dealer offered, and then years later for an airbag recall.
I really missed it, and last year I noticed that dealers had a lot of leftover '23 "Last call" Challengers and Chargers and some were making good deals.  I found a 6 speed Scat Pack at an out of state dealer at a price I couldn't resist, so bought it.
It's my nice day driver too, but sadly I have to park it outside 6 months a year.  In winter I store one of my vintage cars and the Scat Pack gets garaged then.
If you're going to use the car as a daily, I think the Charger would be better.  You're up in Canada right?  The design of the Challenger side windows can be sort of a pain when it's icy out.  The window comes down about a quarter inch when you open the door to relieve air pressure, and goes back up after you get in and close the door.
If the window gets icy that function gets messed up.
The hemis don't get very good gas mileage.  In both my 09s 5.7 and my Scat Packs 6.4, I average around 16 mpg on mixed driving, both use premium.
The 5.7 got 26 highway, the 6.4 gets around 23 highway.
The Challengers front seat is perhaps the most comfortable I've ever driven.  The backseat is all but unusable except for kids.  So that's another consideration, do you drive with back seat passengers? If so, another reason the Charger would be better.
My Scat Pack has an upgraded interior package that I like a lot, with alcantara upholstery and the seats are heated and have ventilation that is nice in summer.
I have the upgraded sound system which is Alpine and great.
Some question the reliability of the MDS cylinder deactivation feature in automatics.  Watch for cars with "hemi tick".  If you use the correct oil, do oil changes on time, and don't idle excessively you should be ok.
All in all both Chargers and Challengers are good cars.  Ryan auto archeologist here has almost 300K miles on his 09 Challenger.

[MEK-Dangerous]

I'm sorry about your encounter with a deer. I've had a couple of those myself. Deer have not learned to look both ways before they cross a street.

Your question is a good one though. The Charger and Challenger are basically the same car, only the number of doors makes them different. The Charger might be more practical if you have back seat passengers often. I'm on my 4th modern Challenger now, and I have also driven Chargers as rental cars when I travel.

I will just say the number one must I would have is the upgraded leather interior which also gives you blind spot detection in your side view mirrors. This may be more necessary for a Challenger, because we know they have blind spots. 

The 5.7 Hemi has that Old School V8 sound. The 6.4 Hemi is somewhat different. It's not Old School, but you know it's not an average V8 either. It's more wicked sounding.   

[blown motor]

As the others said the back seat in the Challenger will be less roomy and not quite as easy to access but it's very useable. I have a two Challengers, well three actually, a 12 RT and a 15 SXT which is my daily driver. If horsepower isn't a high priority then the SXT is hand down the way to go. Much better gas mileage on regular gas and still plenty of power to pull out and pass. Plus it has all the great looks for less money. If you can find one with blind spot indicators that's a bonus, especially if you do a lot of four lane driving, which I think you might. I have 150,000 km on my SXT and it's been very reliable.
I think really that since both cars have the same drivetrain it come down to how much back seat use (for passengers Jason, for passengers) you have and which one you prefer the looks of.
One other note on the Challenger. In the rocker area just ahead of the rear wheels mother Mopar filled it with foam to help counter road noise and this is an area that is known to start to rust because the foam holds moisture. My SXT with 150,000 km is just starting to show bubbles in that area.

[dodj]

Never owned either...but by looks I'd buy the Challenger.

[ec_co]

Both are built on the same chassis, so it's a matter of preference and practicality, 2dr vs 4dr. I owned a 2010 Challenger with the Exterior appearance package (TA style snorkel hood, rear spoiler, 20" wheel) - unfortunately I had to sell it a couple years ago after I was ran over, but I absolutely loved that car to death. My preference for new would be a Shaker hood widebody Challenger, to me those are the most aggressive looking packages to show what a modern muscle car truly is.

[captcolour]

I second what @ec_co said.  Once you really see a widebody, you won't want anything else!  Bought my wife a 2021 widebody 6.4L 6-speed with the shaker. Awesome car.

[captcolour]

Here's a pic at the dealer when I bought hers back in April, 2021.

[Cudajason]

Thanks guys, I apricate all the feedback.  Still waiting the her if they will write off my spark.

While I do love the widebody challenger, I think that is a little outside the budget right now.  They go for 70K plus here.

I need a good solid daily driver.  I am focusing in on a Charger GT right now. 2023s with low KM are plentiful.  Some nice colour combos as well.

I think that will give me the fun factor I want balanced with the option to haul the family around with hockey equipment.  Balance out travel with my wife and her ram.

I also commute a min of 3 days to the office right now, some highway some two lane, so its a more practical choice the a hemi.  not like I do not have the cuda for summer fun!



   

[ec_co]

Sounds like a solid choice and decision. The Pentastar V6 is actually a pretty decent one, the biggest problem is something with either the water pump housing or the cooler, I can't remember for sure, but check it out ahead of time for preventative maintenance in the future. 300hp isn't bad and you'll get great fuel economy

[Cudajason]

Well they did end up writing off my spark, which I am VERY happy about, I hated that car!!!

after thinking I was going with a v6 charger, I made the mistake of test driving a 2022 Charger RT Daytona....oh man I fell in love.

SO I pulled the trigger, take delivery later this week!

Looking forward to getting back to driving a nice car everyday. 

[JH27N0B]

Looks like the same color as my Scat Pack Challenger, is that frostbite blue?

[Challenger in NC]

congrats!

[Cudajason]

Looks like the same color as my Scat Pack Challenger, is that frostbite blue?

Yes sir!  I was not sure I would like it, but man its a nice colour!

[ec_co]

That frostbite is a killer color, it seems to be a mix of the B5 and B7, photos do not do it justice, you got to see it in the sunlight. Congratulations!