Shopping for a 2022 Dodge Charger? Start With These Three

• There are a lot of Dodge Charger variants to choose from. We think you should take a look at these three.
• Our recommended spec emphasizes the most bang for your performance buck.
• Our worthy alternative recognizes that not everyone lives where it is dry and sunny.
• Our emotional choice is expensive but thrilling in every way.

If you want to get yourself a brand-new piece of classic Americana before that happens, we've picked out three versions of the 2022 Dodge Charger that should scratch that itch.

The recommended spec

Edmunds recommends the 2022 Dodge Charger Scat Pack to muscle-car shoppers seeking the best bang for their performance buck. The Scat Pack's base price starts just above $45,000, including the $1,595 destination charge.

A 6.4-liter Hemi V8 is standard in this model, whipping up 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, and the Scat Pack has all of the "I go fast" bodywork details, including a menacing hood scoop. A limited-slip rear differential, launch control, and upgraded suspension and braking components back up the straight-line performance. Inside, the Scat Pack's front seats offer more bolstering to hold you in place in corners and curves.

If we were shopping for a Charger Scat Pack, we'd make sure to add the Plus Group for its  blind-spot monitoring system and leather seats with simulated suede inserts. Check the box for the Dynamics package for its forged aluminum wheels and Brembo brakes, which can quickly slow the heavy Charger from highway speeds. Pair them with the sticky Pirelli P Zero summer tires to make the most of all the Scat Pack's performance upgrades. For good measure, we'd also add the adaptive suspension and the 19-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system. All in, our Charger Scat Pack would run $53,245 including the destination charge.

The worthy alternative

If you live in a part of the country where inclement weather during the winter is common, the 2022 Dodge Charger GT AWD makes plenty of sense. Its 3.6-liter V6 cannot match the Scat Pack for attitude or outright thrust. But the GT's all-wheel-drive system makes the Charger a four-season car, and the GT looks nearly identical to the Scat Pack on the outside.

Prices start at $38,220, including destination. Similar to our Scat Pack spec, we'd upgrade the GT AWD with the Plus Group, which adds an absolute wealth of features for a pretty reasonable price. Then we'd add the Technology Group for its safety systems and rain-sensing wipers, then cap things off with the nine-speaker Alpine premium sound system.

The grand total, including the destination charge, is $44,305.

The emotional choice

You could see this recommendation coming from a mile away. And if you have a vivid imagination, you could probably hear it too. However, when it comes to an emotional pick for a new 2022 Dodge Charger, it can only be the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody Jailbreak.

Dodge claims the Hellcat Redeye is "the most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan in the world." The new-for-2022 Jailbreak model adds credence to that claim, bumping the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine's output by 10 ponies to 807 horsepower. Torque remains the same at 707 lb-ft.

How would we build our ultimate Dodge Charger? Well, you want to attract some attention with this car, but not the wrong kind. Paint the car in Sinamon Stick, a subtle darker orange hue, and instead of boy-racer stripes, add a gloss-black roof. We'd upgrade to a Granite finish for the standard lightweight wheels, wrap them in the optional summer tires, and install the orange brake calipers. Satin chrome exterior badges would play well with the Granite finish wheels, and we'd spring for the black rear spoiler.

Inside, our Charger Jailbreak would have the black Laguna leather and Alcantara seats, the suede headliner, the real carbon-fiber trim, and the Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

The Jailbreak's base price is $81,945. However, the final tally for our build, including the $2,100 gas-guzzler tax and destination charges, is $95,402. For a Dodge Charger. Ouch.

Edmunds says

We recognize the absurdity of paying BMW 7 Series money for a non-luxury sedan that can trace its design and engineering back in not just years, but decades. But this is the Dodge Charger we're talking about. With the entire automotive industry moving to electrification, the Charger is a rolling tribute to and final celebration of the power and fury of fossil fuels, Hemi V8s and old-school muscle car performance. We're going to miss it, but all good things eventually must come to an end.

How would you spec a Dodge Charger? We want to know, so tell us in the comments below.