Competes With: Ford Mustang, Honda Accord Coupe, Nissan Altima Coupe

Test Drive: 2009 Dodge Challenger SE

The fact that everyone likes the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 is no big surprise. It has lots of power, surprisingly good handling, great looks of course, and a classic V-8 rumble that'll knock your socks off. But that version of Dodge's muscle car costs nearly $40,000, and these days, 13 mpg in the city will scare off a lot of buyers.

That's why there's a 2009 Dodge Challenger SE. With a 250 hp V-6 and four-speed automatic, it gets much better gas mileage. At $22,000 to start and with plenty of standard equipment, the Dodge Challenger SE offers good value. But best of all, with the same body lines as the more muscular versions of the Challenger, drang without the sturm, if you will.

We gravitated to the V-6 version of the Dodge Challenger at the beginning of our drive, with sort of a "let's get it over with" mentality. However, as the miles piled up, we realized that the base model was far from a pretty penalty box. Sure, V-6 Challenger is not particularly fast, but it's not really slow, either. The Challenger SE interior is just as comfortable as the more expensive cars – no lowball materials here – and although the driving experience isn't particularly athletic, it's certainly comfortable and quiet. There are definitely worse ways to spend $22,000 on a car.

The Engine

Challenger SE buyers looking for the kick-in-the-pants power delivery of the R/T or SRT8 will be sorely disappointed by the 250-hp V-6 under the hood. Then again, what were those people driving the SE for in the first place? The reality is that the 3.5-liter engine has good power and with 250 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,800 rpm, there's enough grunt to motivate the SE's somewhat portly 3,720 lb. bulk. Dodge estimates that 0-60 mph will take just under eight seconds, and our seat of the pants agrees with that estimate. If your expectations are realistic, you won't be disappointed by the engine. It even sounds pretty good, although it won't send shivers up your spine like the V-8s do. Problem is, with city mileage only 1 mpg better than the V-8 in the Challenger R/T, the Challenger SE is almost purely a consideration because of its sticker, not its economy.

You might take issue with the transmission though. The Challenger SE shifts quickly and smoothly enough, but with only four forward speeds, there just aren't enough gears. We'd much rather see the five-speed auto from the rest of the lineup in this model, although we suppose it would bump up the price a little. Still, the added acceleration and likely fuel economy gains from an extra gear would probably be worth it.

Ride & Handling

As the base model, the Challenger SE is oriented more toward ride comfort than handling, and it nails its targets. The Challenger's multilink independent front and rear suspension do an excellent job of soaking up ragged streets and highways, but still provide good body control through whoop-de-doos, in corners and in the rest of driving life. Even with the optional 18-inch wheels that were on our test car, we had no problems with the Challenger SE's ride.

The same is true for the SE's steering and braking. Again, this isn't a performance Challenger, so we're willing to forgive the light steering effort and smaller brakes on the model that we drove, since it's likely the buyers of this car are more interested in the base Challenger's ability to tackle rush hour traffic than tackle corners. The lone complaint we have is the fact that antilock brakes are optional; if Honda can make them standard on a $14,000 Fit, then Dodge can make them standard on a $22,000 Challenger SE.

Outside & Inside

The Challenger SE shares virtually every exterior body panel with its V-8 brothers, leaving differences down to the details. For example, there's no rear spoiler, the chin spoiler isn't as deep as the SRT8, and the gas cap is just a regular ol' piece of painted metal, and not the chromed "Fuel" door on the R/T and SRT8.

Inside the story is even more the same. The Challenger SE shares its interior fittings with the R/T, right down to the comfortable front seats. Like the 2008 Challenger SRT8 we had already driven, we were impressed by the quality of the interior fittings and their assembly. We were even more impressed that they hadn't been lowballed for this entry-level version: the dash is still soft-touch, as are the door tops, and there are nice feeling surfaces on most areas of the cabin. It's still not a particularly exciting design, but the functionality of it can't be questioned. It's also supremely quiet inside, especially with no V-8 rumbling in your ears. At speed on the highway, the Challenger SE is a silent runner, one willing to soak up numerous miles without complaint.

You can soak up those miles with one companion, maybe two, but stuff four in the Challenger and it's more difficult. The 16.2-cu.-ft. trunk can certainly swallow everyone's luggage, but the rear seat's limited leg room means it's temporary use only. Keep your passenger load limited to just one and you'll find you have plenty of room for cups of coffee, iPods, cell phones, purses, wallets, or a few Gordon Lightfoot 8-Tracks if you want to carry the retro theme to a logical conclusion.

Next Page: 2009 Dodge Challenger SE Summary & Specifications
Read the Overview: 2009 Dodge Challenger