America's Latest Fuel Sipper: Dodge Challenger?

Our good friends over at Popular Mechanics have been on a fuel-saving tear as of late, putting the brand-new Jetta TDI up against the reigning mileage champ, the Toyota Prius, and following that comparison up with a test of Chevy's Cobalt XFE. What's the next obvious choice for a mileage run? None other than the Dodge Challenger. Wait... excuse me? The Challenger was created to burn rubber and gas, right? Sort of, as one of the reasons people will buy one is for that "I live my life one quarter-mile at a time" Vin Diesel image, but that doesn't mean that all Challengers are equipped with a gas-guzzling Hemi V8 engine. In fact, there is a perfectly decent 3.5-liter V6 engine option for the base-model, though it's saddled with an ancient four-speed automatic transmission.

So, if there is a Challenger out there that isn't exactly being marketed towards the racer crowd, how does it rate on its fuel mileage merits? Eh, we've seen worse. It's EPA rated at 17 mpg in the city, 25 on the highway. All right, we've seen better. But, how did it do in real-world testing? After 669-miles of mostly highway driving, the pony car managed 23.4 mpg. For what it's worth, we got 24 mpg in our own testing. While that's certainly better than what you're likely to get in a V8 powered model, it's not exactly miserly. In any case, now you know.

Related:

Major car-maker haps: Detroit gets their bailout, Daimler selling their last 20% of Chrysler, world's largest Chevrolet dealer group closes

First US-Built Chinese Vehicle Now On-Sale

Comments

[jacobomorales]

just another piece of american shi-t!!! for all you dumb rednecks!!

[Horus]

YEAH!!!! ....and uh...SUCK ON THAT!!! THATS RIGHT!! YEAH REDNECKS..­.LIKE THAT DONCHA!?! ...cuz uh...SUCKE­RS!!! HA!!! ....hm..uh­...BOOYAH!­!!....and stuff...

[bob8788]

funny response

http://barackobamacans.blogspot.com/

[RaleighNC]

A Ford Model T gets 25 mpg.

[KenGirard]

Some high school kids built a street legal 0-60 in 4 seconds, 50+mpg bio-deisel sports car in shop class... on a high school budget. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/17/eveningnews/main1329941.shtml

And Detroit still can't do it with a budget of millions.

[Mr Grey]

I agree. Backyard mechanics and assorted other people keep building very fuel efficient and electric vehicles in garages and shops across America. Detroit can't or won't? Maybe they want a bigger bailout.

[Horus]

Not ""can't"..­.WON'T.

[mamacat]

There seems to be a lot of effort by Detroit to tinker with low mpg models to make them marginally better, instead of coming out with new models that are both economical and fun to drive. This Challenger would have been interesting 20 years ago, but coming out today it just reinforces the image that the Big Three don't care about what people need.

[JScott]

I rented a Chrysler 300 with the 2.7 L 190 hp V-6 and it seems QUITE adequate to pull it
around the interstate occassionally topping the ton. And there were Challengers of the prev. generation that all were'nt a huge v-8, so nothing new here.

[jon-mullen]

So apparently America hasn't made advances in aerodynamics since the trip to the moon? Another wonderful new idea from the American auto companies. You guys want your bailout now?

[darthdarcy]

Sweet..!

I'll take the Hemi V-8..pleas­e..!

[KillTheMessenger]

I would expect to find a 3.5-liter V6 only in a piece of construction equipment these days. In a car its a waste of metal.

[SeenItBefore]

I rented a Citroen in France this summer... turbo-diesel, and we averaged 44.5 mpg highway/city. The vehicle had brilliant performance, lots of room, comfortable and great styling. We drove it almost 5000 miles and enjoyed it so much, when we returned to the States, I looked up my local dealer.

You can't buy one in the good ole USA, or Canada, or Mexico... Do I hear NAFTA?

[KillTheMessenger]

This has nothing to do with NAFTA. It's the result of a total mismatch between reality and the upper management of US car companies. Some of these managers seem to suffer from PTSD, because what else on Earth could explain the

"Put on something more metal!"

Hummer ads than a

"Honey, did you put the full metal jacket ammo crates into the RV?"

mentality?

And I think the rest of them just did not make it emotionally out of high school
where the leading advice for finding a girlfriend was measured in horse power
and car stereo noise level. Nothing under 150dB (takeoff noise of a 747) needed to
apply. But there are rumors that the Chevy Volt had to be fitted with a larger engine
because the car stereo was a real drag after GM management requested that it
should be able to replicate the noise level of the Space Shuttle solid rocket engines
measured three feet from the exhaust nozzle.

[JScott]

I thought you could get one via the grey market, there used to be a company that did it, dunno if they are still in biz tho. Yup they are cool cars, the seats/interiors are so comfy, altho their controls are a little confusing (maybe not so much anymore).

[LOCUTUS13]

I watched a program on the Science Channel called Future Cars and they had two turbo diesel racing cars that that got 110gph while doing 150mph if my memory is correct. I want one of those!

[UKThom]

That is HARDLY a fuel sipper!!

More like a car that makes up for something that is lacking otherwise.­..

Sorry, was that offensive?

[ferrarimanf355]

I'd rather take a Challenger than a soulless Prius.

[KillTheMessenger]

I'd rather take a Lamborghini than a pubescent Challenger. Real men either drive cars that are transportation tools or they drive tasteful luxury items. The Challenger is neither. It's just the result of a wet dream and probably smells like one on the inside, too.