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SS versus Dodge Charger

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28K views 86 replies 59 participants last post by  the Captain  
#1 ·
Ya know... I bought the SS more on a whim than I should have. No regrets, but it kind of hit me last week that I could have bought a new Dodge Charger with a powerful V8, RWD, leather, all that stuff, for less money. I got the auto, so the lack of a manual on the Dodge isn't an issue. Granted the Dodge is built with Chrysler quality and the interior looks rental-car cheap, but there is a significant price difference.

Just curious if anyone is more familiar than I with the Dodge and can identify more differences between the two to help justify the price difference and maybe make me feel a little better about my purchase.
 
#4 ·
As I was waiting for my SS to arrive I went over to the Dodge dealer and sat inside a high-end Charger. The seats were head and shoulders above the SS in terms of comfort. The doors were much more solid, and the interior was nicer, the trunk was huge, and the tires were larger. Even so, I was so committed to the SS that I didn't care.
 
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#5 ·
I had a 2014 SS and traded it in on a 2016 Charger Scat Pack when Chevy didn't want to deal on the 2016s. The Dodge was nice and fast, but just wasn't as nice to drive as the SS. I also got tired of the Dodge quality real quick, after several issues and being told "that's just how it is" on fit and finish (hood misaligned, trunk misaligned, weather stripping popping out all the time, pixels out on Nav screen), I traded it in on a BMW for the wife and ordered a 2017 SS M6 from Myron. The Dodge is cheaper, but not the quality or overall performance of the Chevy SS.
 
#20 ·
I had a 2014 SS and traded it in on a 2016 Charger Scat Pack when Chevy didn't want to deal on the 2016s. The Dodge was nice and fast, but just wasn't as nice to drive as the SS. I also got tired of the Dodge quality real quick, after several issues and being told "that's just how it is" on fit and finish (hood misaligned, trunk misaligned, weather stripping popping out all the time, pixels out on Nav screen), I traded it in on a BMW for the wife and ordered a 2017 SS M6 from Myron. The Dodge is cheaper, but not the quality or overall performance of the Chevy SS.

WOW, that is still a problem on them........
 
#6 ·
The SS is a better handling car, and if we're talking vs. an RT, then it's faster too. Certainly more rare. And I am long familiar with the LS V8's so I'll always prefer them, plus the aftermarket is far wider than the Hemi. The Charger is bigger and heavier but not really packaged well so the interior IMO felt even a little tighter than the SS.

Now, in recent weeks I hear of people finding some insane deals on Scat Pack Chargers, that's with the 485hp Hemi and the 8 speed, as low as mid 30s. $35K or less for a 485hp sedan is nuts. Tough for the SS to win buyers against that, unless you need the manual of the SS. The 6.4 Hemis are putting down 420-430 stock at the wheels, that's 70-80hp more than an SS, so you're going to be about a half second slower through the 1/4.

That said I have zero regrets for my purchase, though it helps I got mine at 20% off. $40k vs $35K, I'm still sticking with the SS. $50k vs $35k, well gets a little tougher.
 
#8 ·
The Charger and Challenger's have become the new Civic and Integra's of 2016
 
#9 ·
I look at it like this. You can go to any 1 mall in America and see 20 (or more) Chargers in the parking lot. You'll have to go to 20 or more malls to see 1 SS. I dig that. That makes it worth it to me. For what it's worth, where I work, Chargers are regularly targeted for break-in's by thieves. They hit other cars, but they hit all the Chargers.
 
#30 ·
To be fair the Charger has one thing going for it - The rear seats fold down and the actual trunk opening is larger. So it's more capable of hauling larger items. My only real complaint with the SS was that the rear seats couldn't fold down which would of been a non-issue for me if they would have brought the wagon version over to the US..
 
#12 ·
If the charger had been offered with a stick, I'd be driving one, and the SS would have never made it into my driveway.
 
#14 ·
Have a bud with a beautiful blue Scat Pac, nice car, but it seems smaller in the rear seat than my SS. The spec's indicate slightly less legroom in the SS but I swear the rear foot room seems bigger, just easier to be in the back seat in the SS. I've had my Dodge and I won't be doing that again. This is my first Holden but so far, I haven't any reasons to regret my decision. It is more than the money that determines what car I buy. Lots more.
 
#15 ·
I have a 2006 SRT Charger and have loved it. My daughter drives it now. I think the SS Is a more refined car but the Chargers, especially the SRT/Scat Packs are more visceral. I absolutely love the sound of the modern Hemi. For me, the choice would be between a new SS and a gently used Hellcat Charger. I think the Hellcat would win but it's not a completely fair comparison.
 
#21 ·
That ZF 8AT is a much better automatic transmission versus the 6AT in our SS. The ZF is an industry standard and if the SS came with it I bet more people would have been okay with having the auto vs. manual. Also, the UConnect infotainment system is much more intuitive vs. the MyLink that we have.

I owned a Challenger Scat Pack and it was a great car. If I could have gotten a hold of a Charger Hellcat, I never would have gotten into the SS. I also searched for 5 months for a dealer willing to sell one at a reasonable price...and if I found one I would have traded the SS in on one. Never happened and I began modifying my SS. Now, I am happy with my Supercharged SS and won't be sedan shopping for quite a while.
 
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#23 ·
I test drove the SRT charger before buying my SS. The charger wasn't a bad car. Better seats, better automatic trans, better nav system, better engine. The charger drives like the heavier car that it is though. The SS handles well for its size and the mag suspension gives it exceptional body control that charger lacks. Steering feel in the SS was much better as well. Overall the SS felt more connected and agile, the charger was stronger and more disconnected. A possible advantage of the SS is its anonymous styling. A big advantage for the charger is that parts will exist in the coming years.
 
#26 ·
I have a buddy that had an old Charger RT and recently picked up a Charger SRT392. He got the car for about 50k out the door. Very nice and comfortable interior, vastly better infotainment w/ excellent performance software, and its straight up faster with more HP and a great 8 spd auto. It has big Brembos, and selectable suspension and exhaust. It's an awesome car for what it is.

If you're really into the "muscle car" vibe and like big, fast cars with lots of colors, spoilers and scoops, and lots of performance related do-hickeys, then the Charger is an excellent choice. If you would rather have a subtle but well-rounded car that can do all performance driving tasks well (just not the best in any category) then the SS is one of the better choices.


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#32 ·
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You can't fit 3 child car seats in the back of a Charger either. 54" vs 58". I (we) would be in a Charger 392 if 3 could fit in the rear.
The 392 is a far superior bargain than the SS or Scat Pack. There's also much much fewer 392 Chargers than SS es.
The SS is like the perfect compromise tween a SUV and Mini Van
.
 
#29 ·
I had this exact same debate when I bought my 2016 SS. Dodge's quality from years past made me skeptical, even though now it seems they've greatly improved it. At the time, I found my SS in July of 2016 during the 20% off sale. I also lucked out and found a separate dealership while shopping around who had an SS marked down all the way down to $35.1k, so the dealer I was at matched their price if I agreed to buy then and there. Safe to say, "Sold!". No regrets at all!

I do agree on what so many others have said, the chargers and challengers are fun, but are a dime a dozen. I've seen 3 other SS's in my area in the year I've owned it. Def a rare find it seems.

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#31 ·
I had a '16 SS that I traded in December when we decided that we needed an SUV in the stable. (We rescued a pup that turned out to be part Great Dane.) So, I'm currently driving what was my wife's '13 Charger R/T --- that's the version with the 370hp 5.7 liter Hemi --- for the next year or two while I decide what I want next. Here's my opinion of each:

I bought the '16 SS during last year's 20% off sale in July (and picked the car up the night before the seat recall hold put cars on lockdown) and paid roughly $37K. Back in '13, we bought the R/T at roughly $29K --- car was $34K and there was a $4,500 rebate program on Hemi vehicles that Spring.

Paint quality is much better on the R/T. The SS had more chips when I traded it at 8,500 miles than our R/T has at 47,000 miles. And the R/T has spent a lot of time on vacations and country roads visiting my in-laws.

I don't have the panel misalignment issues or weather stripping issues that others have mentioned, but am aware that they exist.

The interior materials are nicer in the SS --- but there's no glaring "chrome" in the R/T. The seats are about a toss-up. A little better lateral support in the SS. Far more comfortable in the R/T. The back seats fold down in the R/T. The front cup holders are heated and cooled (very effectively) and the rear cup holders are easily accessible in the R/T. There's a proper coin holder in the console and plenty of room in front of the shifter for my iPhone as well as a storage area next to the shifter.

Our R/T has a sun roof and there's still room in the overhead console for a sunglasses holder and HomeLink -- which I gladly paid Snakey to add to my SS.

As others have said, the Uconnect infotainment system in the R/T is FAR superior to the MyLink system in the SS. The wonkiness of the MyLink system was a major factor in my decision to trade the SS on an SUV instead of trading the R/T. I'm a sales guy and work out of my car. The frustration caused by the MyLink and Nav system in the SS led to it finding a new home. I need things to work --- every time!

The exhaust sound from the LS3 in the SS is FAR superior to the R/T. One of the things that I really miss is the bimodal exhaust. I am considering changing the exhaust on the R/T .... just haven't found the "right" system.

The magnetic ride for the SS makes the car feel sportier than the R/T. However, the R/T is quieter and smoother around town and more comfortable on the highway. Even in '13, the R/T still had a LOT of Mercedes Benz in it and it handles MUCH better than you would expect from a car its size.

The fuel mileage on the R/T is much better than the SS and uses 89 octane versus 93. I routinely get 18-20 in the R/T around town (depending on traffic) versus 16-17 in the SS. On the highway at 78mph, the R/T gets 25-26.5 versus 21-22 in the SS.

The R/T has been very reliable in its first 47,000 miles. No issues at all. Just a couple of normal software updates. I did just do the brakes. My wife was side-swiped a little over a year ago and I think we missed a damaged front rotor during the repairs. The SS had the infamous high-side transmission failure at less than 3,000 miles and it took multiple trips to the Chevy dealer to get the seat belt and other recalls resolved.

Still ..... I do miss the uniqueness of the SS, the SLIRHM color, the extra ponies, and the exhaust sound.
 
#38 ·
I test drove a Charger R/T last year before buying the SS, similarly optioned.

The Charger is a great family car, and definitely pulls off a more aggressive design than the SS, which I like. But the Charger also feels MUCH heavier and much more ponderous, and visibility out wasn't very great. It is much cheaper, though. The SS is a much better fit for me, but if the Charger was available with a manual it would be a much tougher choice.
 
#42 ·
While I was waiting the good wait for my SS to show up on these shores, Ill not lie that I fancied a new SRT Charger at a different dealership. We had numbers down etc, etc. Ultimately, it came down to me wanting a stick. Now that mine is blown, I have zero regrets. I saw, no joke 4 Scat Chargers on the way to work today. While I do still prefer the brutal appearance of the SRT, I remain happy with my semi-sleeper.