Driving Impressions
According to Dodge, the 2006 Charger SRT-8 can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just over five seconds and stop in 110 feet. It sure feels like it from behind the wheel.
Like its original incarnation, this new 2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8 has power to spare. Fire up the big V8, and a rumble resonates throughout the cabin. Plant your right foot and that relatively subdued sound is replaced by a glorious roar reminiscent of old-school muscle cars. The SRT folks claim the car will do 0 to 60 in a bit more than five seconds and come to a dead stop from 60 miles per hour in 110 feet, allowing the Charger SRT-8 to best all comers without a European supercar badge on the hood or a slew of aftermarket upgrades under it. While we didn’t have the opportunity to verify those impressive performance numbers for ourselves, they seem about right based on our time behind the wheel.
On the road, the Charger SRT-8’s stiffer suspension creates a car that is a joy to drive on a twisting ribbon of mountain road. Body roll is minimal and the car feels well-planted even at excessive velocities. What’s even better is that this upgraded suspension manages to achieve that level of handling performance while still delivering a livable ride-quality, making this a car that can function well as a daily driver. Steering is reasonably precise, with good heft and just a bit of vagueness on-center. Likewise the massive disc brakes haul the car down from unreasonable speeds with authority, though we’d prefer a firmer pedal feel that would make the brakes a bit easier to modulate.
On the racetrack, the 2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8 performed quite well for the heavy street car that it is, though it never really felt light on its feet. In short, the Charger SRT-8 is better suited to a spirited street drive than running flat-out at the track, though a controlled environment, like a closed race course, is the only place you’ll be able to get a real feel for the SRT-8’s true performance potential.
In the final measure, the 2006 Dodge Charger SRT-8 is a fitting heir to the original Charger’s muscle car legacy. The fact that it balances all that raw power with a healthy dose of practicality makes its purchase that much easier to rationalize.
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