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2016 Dodge Charger SXT Review

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The 2016 Dodge Charger SXT delivers American muscle, with enough room to carry kids and groceries. It’s a sports car that is also practical as your daily driver without making compromises to what you can do. You won’t find a family sedan that is more fun to drive at this price than the Dodge Charger.

Yes, the Hellcat gets a lot of the attention, but the 2016 Charger SXT includes a new Super Track Pak for 2016 that adds driver focused features. The Blacktop appearance package is also back, taking the style up a notch.

The 2016 Dodge Charger is available in 9 different models with an array of options and trim packages that allow you to find the Charger that fits your needs and your attitude. Most models are rear wheel drive, but you can purchase a 2016 Dodge Charger SXT AWD if you need better handling in wet conditions.

2016 Dodge Charger SXT Review Summary

The 2016 Dodge Charger SXT strikes a bold pose anywhere you go.

The 2016 Dodge Charger SXT strikes a bold pose anywhere you go.

The 2016 Dodge Charger SXT offers the most attitude you’ll find in a four door sedan and it handles impressively well even in wet and slick conditions. Few cars on the market can go so quickly from a real Sport mode that leaves rubber behind you to safely and confidently carrying your friends and family.

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The 2016 Dodge Charger starts at $27,995 for the SE. The Dodge Charger SXT starts at $19,995 and as tested with the Blacktop Appearance group, Navigation with Rear backup camera, Rallye Group, Super Track Pak and black painted roof it comes to $37,065.  Check out the rest of the 2016 Dodge Charger lineup and any current incentives.

2016 Dodge Charger SXT Driving & Performance

The view other drivers will see most.

The view other drivers will see most.

Dodge offers a very capable eight speed automatic on the 2016 Charger and rear wheel drive is standard. You can upgrade to All Wheel Drive on two models if you need it. There is no manual option for the 2016 Dodge Charger. It is simply not an option, so if that’s at the top of your list you need to check out the Dodge Challenger.

The 3.6L V6 in the Dodge Charger SXT delivers 292 horsepower that is available as soon as your foot asks for it. The eight speed automatic transmission shifts at opportune times to deliver a smooth and powerful ride.

Control the driving mode with the Super Track Pak.

Control the driving mode with the Super Track Pak.

With the Super Track Pak installed you can control the changes take place when switching from normal to Sport Mode, including;

  • Engine/Transmission – Sport or Normal
  • Paddles – On or Off
  • Traction Control – Sport or Normal
  • Steering – Sport, Normal or Comfortable

With these options set up you can choose how you want the car to handle. You can also change these settings for the normal driving mode. The Sport button is more than just a button, it does change the driving characteristics of the car. While it will ding your fuel economy, it certainly delivers more fun for your fuel.

You get many options to see gauges and data as well as support for Launch Control.

You get many options to see gauges and data as well as support for Launch Control.

On the way to Thanksgiving dinner over the river and through the woods the Charger delivered passengers and precious cargo of pies through the start of snow and ice without losing traction on the cold wet road. The brakes will stop you fast when someone decides cutting off a Go mango Charger full of pies is a good idea.

When winter left and a warm, dry fall day returned Sport mode delivered the fun that we wanted with impressive handling on twisty roads, spirited acceleration on straight aways and opportunities to leave a little rubber behind when desired. There is definitely a difference between this and the 707 horsepower Dodge Charger Hellcat, but the SXT is no slouch.

The 2016 Dodge Charger is only available with an eight speed automatic.

The 2016 Dodge Charger is only available with an eight speed automatic.

With the Super Track Pak you can test your 0-60 time, 1/8 mile time, 1/4 mile time and brake distance. This is all recorded on a digital ticket on the dash that you can save and share. It’s a fun way to track your performance, but if you try it on public roads in a Go Mango Charger you may end up with another kind of ticket, so it’s best saved for the track. The Super Track Pak includes Launch Control, which allows you to take off faster, without a burnout, which will save you a small amount of time on your run.

During a week of driving on dry roads, cold roads and downright nasty wet roads the 2016 Charger SXT proved fun and capable on straightaways and around corners.

The Fuel economy is rated at 23 mixed with 19 city and 31 highway. This is a fair assessment of the Charger’s fuel economy. If you prefer to spend most of your time in Sport mode driving with an eye on performance expect those numbers to drop.

2016 Dodge Charger SXT Design & Interior

The Dodge Charger SXT attracts attention, and Go Mango only adds to the eye catching design.

The Dodge Charger SXT attracts attention, and Go Mango only adds to the eye catching design.

The Dodge Charger stands out among other sedans with more attitude than the competition dares place in a four door car. Whether you’re driving a Go Mango Charger SXT or a more understated black or white model, this is a car that calls for attention.

From the aggressive lines to LED fog lights and the distinct grill and tail lights the Charger is undeniably inspired by muscle. the 20-inch gloss black painted aluminum wheels and Black painted top on our SXT really set the design off.

A driver focused cockpit greats you as you slide in for a ride.

A driver focused cockpit greats you as you slide in for a ride.

The Dodge Charger SXT driver seat is a spacious cockpit geared towards the driver. Heated cloth seats are comfortable and don’t have aggressive bolsters that you find on many performance cars. The rear seat is comfortable, but not spacious for adult passengers.

2016 Dodge Charger SXT Technology & Safety

The 2016 Dodge Charger includes a large touch screen with UConnect that allows you to connect your phone to the car for calls and media playback. The car also includes support for apps, like Pandora, and there is a hotspot built-in to the car that allows you to connect devices to the internet, though only on 3G.

The UConnect system is easy to use and the touch screen is responsive.

The UConnect system is easy to use and the touch screen is responsive.

The touch screen is responsive and it is easy to control car settings, media and phone calls using the screen and the steering wheel controls. You can use voice control to make changes and to find destinations or make calls. There are multiple USB charging ports, including two in the back seat, two 12V power outlets and optional Beats Audio speakers.

Dodge offers a variety of safety and driver confidence features on the 2016 Charger. We spent the week with a backup camera that includes sensors to let you know when you are close to another car and Blind Spot monitoring. The Blind Spot and Cross Path Detection compensates for the reduced visibility out the rear window, making it easy to change lanes without worrying about something hiding where you cannot see it.

Although not included on our model there are a variety of additional safety options that you should consider including Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop, Lane Keep Assist and smart breaking options that can help you stop faster based on a variety of factors.

1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. Denva

    12/07/2016 at 10:24 am

    We have the 2015 Charger SXT Rallye with tech package, and it is pure joy to drive. If they ever release the V8 with AWD, we’ll be upgrading. Told the wife it’s a large family sedan, and it does work well in driving the family around town. The U-Connect software doesn’t seem to allow updating to the latest release, and updates are few and far between. When I travel and rent Chargers I can see the new enhancements to the software, and want them in my current car.

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