Tested: 2026 Dodge Charger R/T Sedan Is a Portly Performer

• What's new: The Dodge Charger Sixpack offers a choice of two twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engines.
• Why it matters: The base engine makes 420 horsepower and pushes this 4,907-pound four-door Charger to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.
• Edmunds says: The gas-engine Charger is more fun to drive than the electric Charger Daytona.

With launch control engaged, the R/T Plus knocked off the 0 to 60 mph run in just 4.7 seconds and cleared the quarter mile in 13.0 seconds at 105.7 mph. Details on the experience are courtesy of our very own director of vehicle testing, Jonathan Elfalan. "This thing weighs over 5,000 pounds with a driver, so the 420 hp and 468 lb-ft of torque feel less dramatic than expected. Launch control is accessible via the screen or a hard physical button below it, and it proves effective. There's a selectable rpm range for LC from 2,000 to 3,200 rpm, depending on surface conditions. We used the max 3,200 setting. Hold the brake and pin the throttle, then release the brakes." 

It's clear that Dodge wanted even the SO-engined Charger to be quick, so the gearing in its eight-speed automatic is pretty short to maximize acceleration. How short? Jonathan explains: "The gearbox requires a shift to fourth gear (!!) before 60 mph but rips off very quick, dual-clutch-like upshifts. This transmission exceeded my expectation for the class and vastly outperforms the 10-speed auto unit in the Mustang Dark Horse." 

The Charger uses a brake-by-wire system (that's where the brake pedal is connected electrically, instead of mechanically, to the brake system), which provides a sporty, short pedal stroke with a nice, firm feel. But the sheer mass of the Charger (4,907 pounds on our scales), and its hard-wearing all-season tires kept its stopping distance from 60 mph from besting 119 feet. While that's not a poor stopping distance, performance-oriented cars usually stop much closer to 100 feet. Our man Jonathan describes the experience: "The ABS cycling feels slightly crude but keeps the car completely stable with minimal nosedive. Under heavy braking, there is surprisingly little tire noise, and just a little body shudder, which is the primary source of noise."

During our handling evaluations, the Charger R/T did better than expected, even outperforming a two-door Scat Pack we tested earlier, but it could still benefit from a more refined stability and traction control systems. Jonathan says, "This is a heavy machine with highly predictable handling, making it far superior to the quick but unpredictable Charger Daytona EV. On the skidpad, front-to-rear balance is solid. It leans into mild understeer with a progressive front breakaway that is easy to manage. Body roll is remarkably well controlled for a 5,000-pound vehicle. Steering weight is balanced but lacks physical feedback, requiring you to rely on visual and auditory cues to find the grip limit. Sport mode automatically disables traction control, but stability control seemingly remains active. Auto (default) drive mode reactivates these systems, creating a frustrating mix of delayed throttle reactions and brake nibbling that makes the car noticeably less predictable. At least the AWD system provides consistent traction so you can apply throttle aggressively out of corners."

Having tested both the High-Output and now the Standard-Output Charger Sixpacks, the gas-engine Chargers are far more convincing and better to drive than the EV Charger Daytona we had as part of our One-Year Road Test fleet. A four-door Charger R/T starts at $53,990 (including destination), so don't expect the thrills to be cheap, and if you want the HO engine, you'll need $58,990 (including destination) to step up to the Charger Scat Pack. As much as we'd love to see a huge supercharged V8 stuffed into the new Charger, the car could benefit a lot more from changes to its chassis and electronic systems.