Not for me.

This review is based off a rental over a long weekend.  I drove a Charger SE around town and across the state during this time.  This particular model had a V6 and 4 speed automatic, 4 wheel disc brakes, and rear wheel drive.

It certainly has a style that catches your eye.  It looks low and powerful.  Someone said it reminded them of what the Batmobile should look like. When my daughter saw it sitting in our driveway, she squealed...well, like a school girl.  But after we had a chance to drive/ride in it, you could see some confusion and then disappointment.

I'm 5'7" and was able to fit in comfortably.  I've been driving a truck for quite a while and recently moved to a SUV.  It took me a while to get used to not having to climb up into the vehicle so it really felt odd for me to have to slide down into this vehicle.  It really felt like you were sitting on the road.

This particular car had an electric adjustable drivers seat and I was able to quickly adjust it to fit me.  I often complain about the lack of thigh support or lumbar support but I was able to find a comfort zone in the Charger.

Adjusting the rear view mirrors was simple but I think that's where the first negative impression was created.  The mirrors are small.  I'm very sensitive to blind spots after driving a Dodge truck for years.  I guess this is a good time to bring that up.  The low roof that gives this car it's sleek look also reduces visibility.  Small mirrors only add to the blind spots.  Toss in thick door pillars and a high trunk with a small rear window makes for a car that you have to be very alert to manuever in traffic.  Did I mention the high trunk?  That also reduced rearward visibility but added to the trunk space.

The steering wheel is adjustable for tilt.  It did not obscure the gauges and I was able to view all easily.

The basic gauges were speedometer, tachymeter, fuel, and temp.  The illuminated gauges were white with red needles.  I found them easy to read and see -  no complaints here.  I'll get to the cruise control and turn signal in a bit.

The rest of the front dash with the radio and A/C controls looked very plain.  It was easy to see and use but looked so plain.  I didn't see anything poorly fitting or excessively cheap looking but I think this started the letdown.

Initial driving impressions are a mixed bag.  I could see the windows would make for poor visibility.  Once we got rolling, the hood just sort of kept getting longer and longer.  After a while, I kind of felt like I was sitting in the back seat of a normal car.  I found myself often having to lean forward to clear the ceiling if I wanted to see traffic lights and signs. 

I was told that the engine was a V6.  After starting, it was quiet and I could barely hear it.  When starting off, it felt responsive and capable.  Around town, it handled business well.

But when we got on the freeways, it quickly ran out of steam around 50 mph.  Driving to eastern Washington, I had to take it on Hwy 18 and then on to I-90.  That means going over Tiger Mountain and Snoqualmie Pass.  On I-5, it held up until about 50 and then it began to strain.  Around town, it was averaging around 22 mpg.  But once we hit the freeway, I kept thinking that there was a hole in the 18 gallon gas tank as the fuel mileage dropped off severely.  Driving up Tiger Mountain, the engine was straining to keep up with the speed limit and the transmission kept downshifting.  Once we got on to I-90, it struggled to maintain the 70 mph speed limit and it only got worse as we began approaching the pass.  When I left Tacoma, I had a half tank.  When we crossed the pass 45 miles later, I was down to 1/16th of a tank and looking for a gas station.

After a peek under the hood, I realized it was a 2.7L V6.  Holy Moly!  2.7L?  I didn't know they made V6's that small.  That would even make for a decent 4 cylinder.  The 178 horses were adequate around town but definitely out of it's league on the freeway.

Once we got on the freeway, another big negative quickly got noticed.  The road noise is deafening.  The good news is that it drowned out the protests of the underpowered engine on the freeway.

The steering tended to feel heavy and understeer.  I actually kind of like that feeling.  To me, it just feels solid on the road and requires minimum corrections.  Another person said she thought it felt too heavy and clumsy.  I did find that while making turns, the wheel takes it time to swing back.  You know, as you make the turn, you loosen your grip to let the wheel slide through your fingers as you straighten out.  Well, the Charger takes its time and there were some times I had to speed things up to straighten out safely.  Having said that, it didn't bother me too much but I would hate to drive this vehicle on a winding mountain road or take evasive manuevers.  The heritage of this vehicle is straightline racing (with a real engine) and would never be confused as sporty.

Speaking of heavy, the vehicle really does feel like it has a long nose.  I know it's heavy because it bottomed out on many driveways and even once in a dip on the freeway.  I can tell you that it's not a good thing and very bad for the front suspension.  I suspect that this vehicle will suffer from premature wear out.

I guess I'll mention the cruise control and turn signal now.  Imagine  looking at the face of a clock.  On my SUV, the turn signal is at 9 o'clock postion and the cruise control (stem) is at the 4 o'clock position.  On the Charger, the cruise control is at 10 o'clock and the turn signal is at 7 o'clock.  I found myself kept hitting the cruise control stem everytime I wanted to turn.  When I caught myself and went for the turn signal, left turns were fine but I found that I had to really reach down for right turns.  Just another distraction and irritant.

To use the cruise control, you have to push the stem in, towards the steering column.  Once you reach your desired cruising speed, you flick it down (like making a left turn).  To accelerate, make a right turn.  To cancel, push the stem forward.  Of course if you stepped on the brake, it automatically disengaged.  Once I got the hang of it, it worked fine but I still kept hitting it while wanting to use the turn signals.

The windshield wiper control is on the turn signal.  While it was easy to use, I found myself often glancing down to locate it in order to use it.  It just seemed out of place.  Taking your eyes off the road to look for something is always a bad thing.

Another oddity was that the radio antenna is in the rear window.  At first glance, I thought it was a rear window defroster.  But the black wire pattern is very obvious and to me, distracting.  It made the small rear window seem that much smaller and harder to see out of.

In summation, three other people rode with me at different times this weekend.  In all cases, myself included, it started off with an excitement at the look of the vehicle.  I wish I could drive an RT version with a large V8 but at the end of the day, I want to give it back.