2010 Dodge Challenger R/T: Falling in Love With Power

By Anne Proffit

Anne Proffit

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3,385 views Oct 19, 2010

2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8

Going through a mid-life crisis?  The 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T is the perfect cure for that.  A member of the 1970s hot-rod posse, the Challenger came back to life in 2008 as a modern take on the aggressive two-door muscle car.

Dodge has been very successful with this new Challenger.  It has all the nostalgic cues on exterior and interior yet is contemporary enough to satisfy anyone that might use it as a daily driver. 

My taste in automobiles has a tendency to run toward small, lithe and athletic types – think Scion tC, Kia Forte Koup, Subaru STI, Mazdaspeed3 and that ilk.  But I found, after a week with the 2010 Dodge Challenger, that I enjoyed the core values of this rear-wheel-drive coupe like its power, its agility and, believe it or not, this muscle car’s economy.

The 2010 Dodge Challenger two-door coupe sits on a 197.7-inch-long body with width of 75.7 inches and 57.1-inch height.  Its wheelbase is a lengthy 116 inches and its weight is a hefty 4041 pounds. 

Dodge fits its 5.7-liter V-8 HEMI engine making 372 horsepower at 5200 rpm (redline is 5700) and 400 pound-feet of torque at 4400 rpm.  The HEMI's ability to shut down half its cylinders at speed is one of the reasons for its efficiency.  The noise of this running gear resonates through two articulated pipes at the rear, yet doesn’t intrude much on the cabin – unless you’re wide open, and then it’s an aphrodisiac of the highest order.

This particular Challenger R/T was equipped with Dodge’s pistol grip shifter to stir an optional six-speed gearbox – a five-speed automatic is standard.  This is one of the nicer domestic manual transmissions I’ve worked with; clutch uptake is exceptionally smooth and the driver can easily, thanks to the flatness of the torque curve, lazily shift from fourth to sixth and back again.

I had possession of the Detonator Yellow Challenger R/T with its matte black R/T racing stripes during the fall week NASCAR was in the Los Angeles area.  We happily screamed back and forth to Auto Club Speedway in Fontana from Long Beach four times and, even though the EPA ratings are 15/24 mpg from the 19-gallon tank, this Dodge consistently returned 22-23 mpg on regular fuel as it ripped through traffic.  We also spent a fair amount of time in city driving and stop-and-go jams endemic to the L.A. basin with no complaints.

This car is a delight to drive, thanks to its innate power and sporting suspension.  Steering has just the right amount of heft to it and the anti-lock performance brakes are excellent, stopping this very large coupe with any histrionics.   Dodge fits front, side and head curtain airbags for the Challenger R/T, giving it the kind of protection every driver and passenger deserves.

Some have lamented the interior of the 2010 Dodge Challenger’s as boring, as it hearkens to the original, but I like the strictly business nature of the cabin.  With dark slate gray leather seating for its four bucket seats, it is a bit on the dark side, but there are accents of matte silver here and there that brighten it up.  Gauges are cream with gray rims, black letters and red pointers.  The trip computer lies at the base of the 160-mph speedometer.

The windows dip on entry – and only the front two windows open at all, with one-touch operation for the down function only.  The rolled leather seats have a multitude of adjustments for the driver, are exceptionally comfortable and offer great lateral and manual lumbar support.  The passenger’s seat has manual adjustments and gains access to the rear with a pull from the top.  There are air outlets in the rear and good space, but leg and foot room at the back is a bit lacking.