Dodge Challenger (2023)

Redline Reviews is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger Black Ghost. He admires its 807-hp supercharged V8, dramatic sound, sleeper styling, usable rear seat, large trunk, and collector-worthy rarity, calling it a thrilling “time capsule” that still puts a smile on his face. The week-long test also exposes serious compromises: weak traction, a 4,500-pound curb weight, dated infotainment and camera technology, mediocre handling, uncomfortable long-trip seat support, and roughly 14 mpg in mixed driving. He ultimately prefers the Scat Pack as the more usable choice, but views the Black Ghost as an emotionally compelling final-era muscle car.

Max is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger T/A, especially its head-turning retro design, glorious naturally aspirated V8 soundtrack, spacious practicality, and entertaining line-lock and launch-control features. He considers the 5.7-liter HEMI a usable, approachable way to enjoy a V8, praising its stability, brakes, and surprisingly competent handling. Still, he’s clear that it is not genuinely fast, with slower acceleration than its appearance suggests. The dated interior, poor rear-view camera, wind noise, rough cylinder deactivation, firm ride, and less-snappy transmission are notable flaws. Overall, he sees it as an immensely fun, characterful cruiser rather than a serious performance weapon.

Sarah -n- Tuned is intensely enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown, even preferring its naturally aspirated Scat Pack character to a Hellcat. She praises the dramatic styling, widebody stance, comfortable seats, excellent Brembo brakes, strong grip, adaptive suspension, and genuinely engaging 6.4-liter V8. Her hands-on inspection also offers unusual mechanical detail, while the drive shows it can be both thrilling and relaxed on a road trip. The cramped rear seat and disappointing 14-mpg fuel economy are real drawbacks, but she considers the Shakedown an exceptionally fun, well-balanced farewell to traditional V8 muscle.

The Straight Pipes are genuinely enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown, celebrating its V8 character, manual transmission, dramatic burnout potential, and old-school charm. They especially enjoy how usable and comfortable it remains, with roomy rear seats, adaptive suspension, and a surprisingly quiet cabin. Their criticisms are candid but minor: the shaker hood is mostly cosmetic, the shifter has too much slop, seat ventilation is weak, and the heavy Scat Pack is not especially quick by modern performance standards. At roughly $83,575 CAD, it is expensive, but they view this final-year V8 as a uniquely enjoyable farewell.

Rory is exuberant about the Challenger Hellcat, calling it the last great muscle car. He loves its 717-hp supercharged V8, outrageous acceleration, distinctive styling, and wonderfully dramatic combination of V8 rumble and supercharger whine. The car feels thrillingly raw and stable when sliding, while its cooling system helps sustain repeated punishment. Still, the heavy body, difficult traction, modest launch results, awkward paddle shifters, and less-polished cornering leave it behind a Mustang Shelby GT500 or European sports sedans. Rory views those shortcomings as part of its charm: an unapologetic, visceral throwback rather than a sophisticated sports car.

Scotty Kilmer is strongly positive about the V6 Dodge Challenger, calling it affordable, fun, and practical. He praises its 305-hp-class power, smooth eight-speed automatic, quiet ride, decent fuel economy, lower insurance and maintenance costs, and styling nearly identical to V8 versions. His scan of a used example found only minor, noncritical electronic and HVAC codes. Kilmer concedes it lacks the Hemi’s dramatic acceleration and warns that the Challenger’s rear-wheel-drive muscle-car setup is bump-sensitive and potentially slippery in winter. Still, his enthusiasm is clear: for buyers who do not need extreme horsepower, he considers the V6 a smart, controllable bargain.

Prime Autotainment is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger Shakedown. The reviewer loves its menacing widebody styling, naturally aspirated 6.4-liter V8, satisfying sound, spacious trunk, comfortable cabin, and everyday usability. He considers the 485-hp Scat Pack the sweet spot, arguing that Hellcat-level versions are excessive for street driving. The Challenger feels heavier and less agile than a Mustang or Camaro, with merely adequate paddle-shifter response, but its relaxed ride, practical rear seat, and thrilling straight-line power make those compromises worthwhile. Its final-year status adds genuine emotional appeal.

Drive with Paul is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger SXT, calling it one of the best cars he’s driven. After 2,000 rental miles, he praised its striking retro styling, huge trunk, comfortable rear seat, smooth ride, maneuverability, strong fuel economy, and surprisingly capable cornering. The V6’s 6.2-second 0–60 run felt adequate, though he preferred the stronger, better-sounding HEMI V8 in the R/T. Criticisms included uncomfortable long-distance seats, poor Michelin Primacy tires, limited phone storage, a tiny Apple CarPlay display, no USB-C, and a low-resolution backup camera.

Ben Hardy is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger Hellcat, calling it beautiful, comfortable, and one of the most authentic muscle cars available. He praises its supercharged V8’s sound, effortless acceleration, relaxed ride, spacious trunk, and more usable rear seat than a Mustang or Camaro. His main reservation is that it feels heavier and less planted than a Shelby GT500 or Camaro ZL1, prioritizing cruising comfort over sports-car handling. Hardy ultimately prefers the GT500 for sharper driving dynamics and short-term rarity, but expects the discontinued Hellcat’s styling, sound, and character to support strong long-term desirability.

Joe Raiti is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger Scat Pack Swinger, calling it the essence of classic muscle-car fun. He loves its F8 Green paint, gold-accented Shaker hood, widebody stance, powerful 475-hp 6.4-liter HEMI V8, comfortable cabin, intuitive controls, and surprisingly compliant adaptive suspension. The car feels thrilling and easy to drive, with strong brakes and genuine old-school character, even without Hellcat-level power. Raiti acknowledges its dated technology, modest seat bolstering, heavy body, and uninspired exhaust design, but treats those as minor compromises. For him, the Swinger is a memorable, emotionally satisfying farewell to the traditional Challenger.

Bros FOURR Speed is enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger R/T Plus as a comfortable, practical entry into V8 muscle. The reviewer enjoys its retro styling, deep exhaust note, smooth eight-speed automatic, roomy cabin, usable rear seats, large trunk, and upscale leather-and-Alcantara interior. It feels relaxed and easy to drive daily, though its size and weight limit handling, and the R/T lacks the shove of a Scat Pack or Hellcat. Compared with a Mustang GT, BMW M240i, or similar alternatives, it is less agile, but its V8 soundtrack and classic muscle-car character remain the main appeal.

Hawkeye Rides is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Challenger Scat Pack. He loves its intoxicating 485-hp V8, smooth and surprisingly quiet cruising, strong brakes, planted feel, and value under $50,000, calling it a sweet spot before Hellcat-level excess. The test drive also exposes familiar compromises: dated Uconnect performance pages, a long hood and awkward proportions, limited rear-seat space, mediocre fuel economy, and steering and dynamics that are engaging but not especially sharp. Overall, it feels like an emotional, old-school muscle car recommendation—especially for buyers who prioritize exhaust sound, straight-line performance, and character over modern refinement.

Ethan is cautiously positive about the V6 Dodge Challenger, appreciating its styling, comfortable seats, effective suspension, responsive eight-speed automatic, and genuinely attainable highway fuel economy. He considers it quicker than its reputation suggests and surprisingly capable in corners, but the praise is overwhelmed by concerns about poor materials, weak fit and finish, questionable reliability, excessive weight, and exceptionally poor visibility without blind-spot monitoring. His rental experience presents the Challenger as a cool, characterful design undermined by aging engineering and cost-cutting, making it enjoyable in concept but frustrating in everyday use.

Steve Hernandez Mejia is warmly enthusiastic about the 2023 Challenger R/T, especially its soulful 5.7-liter HEMI V8 and unmistakable exhaust note. He appreciates the comfortable leather-and-Alcantara seats, roomy trunk, sunroof, solid cabin, and usable five-seat layout, framing the car as a memorable last chapter for traditional muscle. Still, the Challenger feels bulky in tight spaces, rear-seat legroom is poor, fuel consumption is heavy, the small paddle shifters feel cheap, and the dated infotainment and low-quality backup camera disappoint. Overall, he views it as an imperfect but special, genuinely enjoyable alternative to increasingly sanitized electric performance cars.

Shane GTC is highly impressed by the Challenger R/T’s value and performance. After driving his brother’s 5.7-liter HEMI with a six-speed manual, he found it punchy, fast, confidence-inspiring, and satisfying enough that he never wished for the 392 Scat Pack’s extra power. His key insight is financial: discounted R/T models, especially well-equipped manuals, can deliver the classic American muscle experience for dramatically less than a Scat Pack. He does acknowledge personal regret for overlooking the R/T earlier, but his overall sentiment is enthusiastic, calling it an excellent daily driver and possibly the Challenger lineup’s sweet spot.

Auto Andrew is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger R/T, calling it one of the last true V8 manual muscle cars. He praises its deep, unfiltered V8 sound, instant throttle response, easy-to-modulate clutch, torque-rich engine, comfortable ride, and distinctive styling. He also appreciates its grand-touring character and surprisingly practical trunk. However, the Challenger feels enormous, with a wide turning circle, limited headroom, undersized brakes and tires for track use, an aging interior, long shifter throws, and a dated backup camera. Overall, he views those shortcomings as acceptable compromises for its character and heritage.

Chabby’s Extra’s is clearly enthusiastic about the 2023 Challenger R/T. He enjoys its muscular V8 soundtrack, strong acceleration, smooth-shifting automatic, bold Sublime styling, and unapologetically large old-school character. The drive shows that it remains fun on winding back roads without needing extreme speeds, while the comfortable 40-series tires add practicality. Still, he acknowledges noticeable body movement, nose dive under braking, bouncy ride quality, modest handling precision, and occasional wheelspin. Overall, those flaws are part of its charm: he views the discontinued Challenger as a wonderfully brash, increasingly attainable muscle-car throwback.

Ben is highly enthusiastic about his 2023 Challenger SXT, calling it a dream car and praising its aggressive looks, comfortable cloth seats, practical AWD, and surprisingly lively V6. His hands-on drive confirms strong around-town acceleration, enjoyable Sport mode shifts, and a more appealing engine note after adding a K&N intake. He also appreciates the Blacktop package’s understated styling and the car’s value compared with V8 trims. The enthusiasm is tempered by a basic seven-inch interior, skinny tires, bland exhaust, and reduced comfort in Sport mode, but he remains convinced it delivers plenty of muscle-car excitement for the money.

Jet is highly enthusiastic about the 2023 Dodge Challenger R/T T/A, calling it a fantastic piece of muscle-car history and praising its V8 sound, responsive throttle, torque, Alcantara seats, distinctive styling, and upgraded comfort features. He appreciates the final-year significance and expects T/A models to become collectible. Still, he admits the 375-hp R/T is not exceptionally fast, the brakes are basic, the steering is less convenient in standard trims, and the rental car showed poor cleanup after a previous crash. Overall, his affection and nostalgia clearly outweigh the shortcomings.