2023 Dodge Charger: The One We'd Buy

• The 2023 Dodge Charger signals the end of an era.
• Several special-edition models close out the current Charger’s long run.
• We recommend three versions, one for almost any budget.

If you’re looking for the 2023 Charger with a compelling blend of value, performance and visual attitude, get the Charger Scat Pack in standard or Widebody style. Prices start just north of 50 grand, and the Scat Pack boasts a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 cranking 485 horsepower to the car’s rear wheels.

We prefer the Charger Scat Pack Widebody for its more aggressive look but also because it comes with stickier tires, bigger brakes and an adaptive suspension that gives the driver the choice between a comfortable or sporty ride. Cloth seats are standard, but you can alternatively spec premium leather with synthetic suede inserts. In addition, an optional 19-speaker Harman Kardon audio system ensures that the Charger entertains you in more ways than just the V8’s rumble and rapid acceleration.

Equip a Charger Scat Pack Widebody with all the upgrades, and you’ll need to budget about $70,000 for your new muscle car.

The bargain baller

If the Charger Scat Pack is too much, whether in terms of price or power, Dodge has an alternative that costs less, gets better gas mileage, and likely saves you money on insurance premiums. Better yet, it still packs a punch in terms of visual attitude and offers an optional all-wheel-drive system for four-season driving.

The Charger GT is the version we’re talking about, and if you can resist adding options, you can park one in your driveway for less than 40 grand. It comes with a hood scoop, 20-inch wheels, cloth seats with a houndstooth-check pattern, and a 300-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 engine. Like all Chargers, the GT has standard rear-wheel drive. The optional AWD isn’t cheap, adding around $3,000 to the car’s price, but if you live where Old Man Winter makes travel treacherous, it’s worth the cost.

What does a fully loaded Charger GT AWD cost? With every option box checked, you’re at about $50,000.

The breakout ballistic missile

Charger buyers with fat wallets will want the SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak (or the King Daytona limited-production model based on it). With 807 horsepower and 707 lb-ft of torque from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine, this version of the Charger represents peak muscle car.

To get a Charger Jailbreak, you start with a tab of more than $90,000, but it does come nearly fully loaded right from the factory. There are only a few core options and packages to choose from, along with a long list of appearance upgrades. The Jailbreak offers a range of paint colors, stripe packages, wheel designs, and finishes for the wheels, brake calipers and badges. You can also paint the hood, roof, rear spoiler and exhaust outlets black if you want to, and choose from four different leather and seat-belt colors and three each of dashboard trims, steering wheels and floor mats. A suede headliner is also available.

In addition to these appearance items, you can upgrade the SRT Hellcat Redeye Jailbreak with navigation, a 19-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system and a power sunroof. Considering how few people will spend this kind of cash on a new Charger, you’re almost guaranteed to build yourself a one-of-one version of the Jailbreak.

Or you can choose the King Daytona to secure a one-of-300 model before the gas-powered Charger sets off into the sunset for good.

Edmunds says

What began as a traditional full-size sedan with touches of nostalgia has become a performance icon symbolizing the end of an era. The age of electrification is upon us, and Dodge must transform or die. In celebration of gasoline, internal combustion and burning rubber, the 2023 Dodge Charger closes the books on what performance used to mean as the company prepares to start a new chapter that defines the brand for the future.

If you’re old-school, grab a 2023 Charger while you still can.