This week we are reviewing the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack. Our vehicle was assembled at the Brampton plant in Canada and has an MSRP of 61955.00 CAD.
Fun Factor: 9
Can it Family: 6
Fuel-Friendly: 4
HWY-warrior: 10
Karaoke-Friendly: 7
Baby-Friendly: 6
City Cruising: 4
As a family, the Dodge Challenger has always been the more practical muscle car for us, with its seating capacity of 5 compared to the rest that only offer seating for four. Those 5 seats are useable, especially if you compare the legroom to other 2-door coupés. The added comfort comes at a price; it's a lot heavier and slightly less agile compared to its competitors. The Dodge Challenger comes in different engine variations and even has an AWD option when equipped with the base V6 Pentastar engine. The Challenger might have one of the most insane power bands going from a respectable 305hp to an insane 797 hp!
The vehicle we tested was equipped with a massive 6.4L V8, making 485hp and 475 lb-ft of torque; while this isn't the crazy Redeye ultra-performance variant, this V8 was still a handful to drive. Especially after enjoying the AWD system on the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk putting down the power to the four wheels instead of just the rear ones. As a result, the Scat Pack might be the most potent Challenger that you can enjoyably drive daily. Yes, the Demon & co give you almost never-ending power; however, as a daily driver, the Scat Pack is a perfect mix of power & comfort.
Family trips and Challenger have always rhymed well with us. We initially tested the Dodge Challenger R/T 6 years ago and drove around Vermont discovering farmers' markets and activities with the family. Then we got to try the Challenger R/T Shaker with its distinctive rumble and visited the city of Québec with the whole family. We were able to fit a stroller plus everything we needed to satisfy our little ones. We were more limited in the locations we could drive to feel its driving prowess this time around. We were still looking for something that matched and fitted the look and feel of the Challenger. We started driving in the Lanaudière region known for its small country roads that offer a beautiful view of Québec terroirs. Then we stumbled upon this hidden gem called the Magasin General Petit Moulin located in Sainte-Marcelline-de-Kildare. The convenience store presents vintage memorabilia, homemade Asian cuisine, and an exterior look reminiscent of something we would see off Route 66.
The interior space is well packaged for long-distance driving; even though this is a 2-door coupé, the rear seats are easily accessible for children. Our 3 children found the rear seating comfortable. Naturally, we aren't surprised by how comfortable the vehicle rode with a partner like Mercedes to develop the Challenger platform. The trunk is enormous, but it's opening is oddly shaped and makes it harder to get in larger items such as a stroller. Getting in larger items will require some planning ahead.
The fuel economy of the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack was 11.9L/100km, and in the city, it's fuel economy was less than impressive with its 16.2L/100km. On the HWY, we achieved a whopping 8.5L/100km; this is lower than Dodge's figures, which state the Challenger's Hwy consumption at 9.6L/100km, and its city consumption should be 15.8L/100km.
While muscle cars have always been built for Hwy cruising, the Scat Pack variants have been historically constructed to achieve the best quarter-mile. Don't get me wrong; the Scat Pack offers outstanding acceleration; however, it lives in the shadow of the mighty Hellcat Challengers. This reaffirms my belief that the Scat Pack is the most powerful daily Challenger on the market. It's the one that balances great V8 performance, returns decent fuel economy and is enjoyable to drive cross country. Oh yeah, and it gets a lot of attention with its massive cold air intake!
The Harman/Kardon sound system in the Challenger does not disappoint with its 18-speaker. Although, we still think the best soundtrack while driving comes directly from its V8 engine's rumble. We found the infotainment's use relatively easy and loved how everything was laid out logically. The Uconnect infotainment also offers the possibility to have both Apple Car Play and Android Auto; for this to work, it needs to be tethered via a USB cable.
The Dodge Challenger provides ISOFIX ports for 3 car seats; yes, what other 2-door coupé has seating capacity and latches for 3 car seats! Currently, only the Challenger makes this possible. That doesn't mean it will be easy to install them as the latches are located far inside the seats and are quite hard to reach. Our car seat took us a significant amount of time to install. The complication didn't even come from getting it inside the vehicle, rather from the latches' location. Younger kids will require help getting inside the car as the door is quite massive, and once you move the front seat forward, the access to the rear seat is a child's play for them. The same goes for the belt buckles as they are easy enough to grab and buckle autonomously.
Driving any Challenger in the city will get people's attention and even more so with a huge air intake. The vehicle's low stance made us sometimes cringe, especially around speedbumps, where it will be nearly impossible not to scratch your front splitter on it. The Challenger Scat Pack is also a long vehicle; parking it in narrow streets will be laborious. During our parking test, we noticed the Challenger takes up more space than certain mid-size SUVs.
Why would we buy the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, or what we liked about it? It is available as a Manual, naturally the V8 rumble, it can fit 3 car seats, comfortable on long road trips and finally how much fun it was to drive.
Why would we not buy the Dodge Challenger Scat Pack, or what we did not like about it? The trunk lip is small, and the trunk opening is high, the location of the ISOFIX ports and accessibility, and the city's fuel economy.
Dodge has lent us this vehicle one week as a press vehicle. We have no affiliation with FCA Canada. The above is a recollection of our personal opinion of the car referred above.
Additional pictures taken by Df&f and by Luis G Manrique.
