2021 Dodge Charger

SXT is the best-selling 2021 trim and carries the base 3.6L Pentastar V6 at 292 hp; the lineup spans to the 797-hp Hellcat Redeye Widebody new for 2021.

Volume SXT's Pentastar V6 produces 260 lb-ft; torque climbs sharply through the V8 trims, topping out at 707 lb-ft on the supercharged Hellcat Redeye.

Published instrumented and manufacturer figures place the base V6 RWD Charger in the mid-6-second range to 60 mph; the SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody is Dodge's quickest four-door at a claimed 3.6 s.

The naturally aspirated 3.6L Pentastar V6 delivers smooth, predictable (if unremarkable) power with no turbo lag or hybrid-transition complexity; it lacks the drama or immediacy reviewers praise in the V8 SRT variants.

Every 2021 Charger trim uses the ZF-derived TorqueFlite 8-speed automatic, long regarded as one of the best conventional automatics on sale — smooth around town and decisive under hard acceleration with no hunting.

AWD is offered only as an option on the base SXT and GT V6 trims with a simple, non-adjustable active transfer case — it is unavailable entirely on R/T, Scat Pack and SRT Hellcat/Redeye, so the performance-focused majority of the lineup is RWD-only.

2021 spans four distinct gas engine families — a 3.6L V6, a 5.7L V8, a 6.4L V8, and a supercharged 6.2L V8 in two states of tune — but it is gas-only with no turbo-four, hybrid, or EV alternative in this generation (the Charger EV arrives with the following generation in 2024).

EPA rates the volume SXT RWD V6 at 23 MPG combined — the most efficient configuration in the 2021 lineup; AWD and the V8 trims trail it.

City driving is where the full-size, 4,200+ lb Charger's mass costs the most economy even with the base V6.

The 8-speed automatic's tall overdrive gearing gives the RWD V6 Charger a respectable highway cruising figure for a full-size rear-drive sedan-coupe.

An 18.5-gallon fuel tank combined with the EPA 23 MPG combined rating gives the volume SXT RWD a real-world range in the mid-400-mile band, typical for the segment.

EPA's standard assumptions put the base V6 Charger around $2,900/yr in fuel — the cheapest to run in the lineup, though still toward the higher end for the coupe segment given the car's size and RWD/AWD-only layout.

The volume SXT/GT V6 trims run on regular 87-octane unleaded with no performance penalty; only the V8 R/T (89 octane recommended) and supercharged SRT trims (premium required) call for higher-octane fuel.

NHTSA's full 5-star overall rating for the 2021 Charger sedan, built from 5-star side and rollover results and a 4-star frontal result — the top band for this item.

IIHS rated the 2021 Charger Good on moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, and head restraints, but Marginal on the driver-side small overlap front test, and the car did not earn Top Safety Pick or TSP+ for any trim.

The volume SXT trim ships with only a backup camera, rear parking sensors, ESC/RSC and traction control standard; AEB, adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and lane-keep assist are all bundled into an optional Technology Group across every trim rather than standard anywhere in the lineup except the top Hellcat Redeye's cruise control.

IIHS rated the optional front crash prevention system Superior for vehicle-to-vehicle performance, but the Charger has no pedestrian detection at all (rated 'not available'), so it falls short of the top band that requires nighttime pedestrian performance.

Blind-spot and rear cross-path detection is offered across most non-Hellcat trims but only as an optional add-on, and functions as an alert system rather than an active-intervention one.

LaneSense lane departure warning with lane-keep assist is optional and limited to corrective nudges rather than true lane centering; it's not offered at all on the Hellcat variants.

Adaptive cruise with stop-and-go is available as an option on most trims (standard only on the range-topping Hellcat Redeye Widebody) with no integrated highway-assist layer beyond basic ACC.

The 2021 Charger has no hands-free highway-driving system of any kind — no BlueCruise/Super Cruise/FSD-style offering across the lineup.

IIHS tested all four 2021 Charger headlight configurations and rated every one Poor, citing excessive low-beam glare and inadequate illumination on curves.

Reviewers consistently flag the Charger's thick roof pillars, small rear window and low, sloping roofline as hurting forward, side and rear sightlines, with the backup camera the main compensation.

The Charger offers three full sets of LATCH anchors (more than many rivals), but IIHS rated the system only Marginal for ease of use since the lower anchors sit deep in the seat bight and require extra force and maneuvering to attach, and the low roofline complicates loading a seat.

Charger's four-door sedan-style body (marketed as a coupe nameplate) seats five across all seven 2021 trims.

Consistent across 2021 trims; mid-pack for the coupe band given the Charger's low-slung roofline.

Generous for the coupe segment, aided by the Charger's long LD-platform wheelbase.

Benefits from the Charger's four-door sedan body shell despite its coupe-segment classification, well above typical two-door coupe rear headroom.

Exceptional for the coupe segment band — the Charger's sedan-based rear doors and long wheelbase give it class-leading rear legroom versus two-door muscle-car rivals.

Large, conventional trunk with a 60/40 split-folding rear seat and standard trunk pass-through on most trims — a practicality edge over two-door muscle-car rivals.

Conventional but roomy console bin, door pockets and a 60/40 folding rear seat with standard pass-through; no standout innovation but genuinely useful everyday storage for the segment.

SXT/GT cloth and leatherette seats are praised as comfortable for daily and long-haul use; rear bench benefits from the car's sedan-based legroom, though lower trims lack bolstering.

SXT/GT V6 models ride notably plush and absorb bumps well for the segment; firmer-tuned V8 performance trims (not the volume configuration) trade some of that compliance for body control.

Reasonably composed at highway speed for an aging platform, but the SXT V6 lacks the extra sound insulation of top trims and tire roar is noticeable on the base wheel/tire package; no instrumented decibel test found specific to 2021.

Heated seats, heated steering wheel and remote start are not standard on the volume SXT — they require the optional Cold Weather Group ($695) or Plus Group package; remote start alone is standard.

SXT RWD is the entry trim at $29,995 MSRP plus Dodge's $1,495 destination charge for 2021; shown for reference only, not scored on its own.

SXT RWD V6 is the volume trim (consistent with cat1/cat2 scoring); as typically equipped with a popular-options or technology package it transacts roughly $2,500 above the $29,995 base MSRP.

Edmunds' True Cost to Own breaks out 5-year maintenance and repair separately for the SXT V6; combined cost sits mid-pack for the coupe/muscle-car segment band.

iSeeCars' residual-value study pegs the standard (4-door) Charger at 41.1% five-year depreciation, i.e. 58.9% retained — mid-pack within the coupe/muscle-car segment band and roughly in line with the broader sedan segment average (38.9% depreciation).

Standard FCA/Stellantis 3-year/36,000-mile basic limited warranty, the shorter end of the mainstream band (vs. Hyundai/Kia's longer coverage).

Standard 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty, the shorter end of the segment band — at the floor set for the coupe/muscle-car class.

No complimentary scheduled maintenance is included on mainstream 2021 Dodge trims; buyers get only a short (3-month) Uconnect Assistance/Navigation trial, a longer (5-yr/10-yr) telematics Vehicle Performance/Safety & Security package for remote diagnostics and stolen-vehicle features, and a basic roadside-assistance-call feature through Uconnect — no free oil changes or service visits.

$32,500 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (58.9% retained, or about $19,143) leaves about $13,358 in depreciation. Add the projected $8,762 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $22,120 in total.

J.D. Power rates the 2021 Charger's overall Quality & Reliability at 81/100 ('Great' tier, 81-90 band), while Consumer Reports has no fresh predicted-reliability score for the current LD-generation Charger and only carries forward average marks from prior years with no flagged problem areas — a genuine average/mixed-signal picture rather than a clean top-tier verdict.

Dodge jumped 13 spots to 8th overall in Consumer Reports' 2021 brand reliability rankings, the best showing of any domestic brand that year, and Dodge/Ram topped J.D. Power's 2021 Initial Quality Study ahead of Lexus, Mitsubishi and Nissan — a genuinely strong multi-study showing even though it isn't a top-5 CR finish.

The 2021 model year is covered by two NHTSA safety recalls: 21V516 (2020-2021 Charger/Challenger/300 — windshield urethane bonding may be insufficient, allowing detachment in a crash) and the later-discovered 24V198 (2018-2021 Charger/300 — side curtain airbag inflators may rupture, risking occupant injury). Neither is a powertrain or fire campaign, but the airbag inflator issue is a genuine injury-risk defect, placing this above a clean record but below 'few, minor' recalls.

The volume SXT trim's 3.6L Pentastar V6 has a decade-plus track record with many examples passing 150-200k miles; early 2011-2013 valve-seat issues were resolved by running changes well before this model year, leaving occasional rocker-arm tick and gradual oil-consumption complaints as the main lingering gripes rather than a systemic flaw.

Reviewers consistently flag the 2021 Charger's cabin for extensive hard, rubberized plastic on the lower dash, door panels and console that reads as budget-grade for a car in this price class, even though the switchgear and uConnect surfaces are solid — a below-average showing relative to rivals like the 4 Series or 2 Series in this peer set.

Contemporary reviews describe assembly as solid with no rattles or squeaks in test cars, an improvement built up over the LD generation's long run, though it isn't singled out as class-leading and sits behind the German-brand peers in this comparison set.

Dodge shares Chrysler/Jeep/Ram's large, long-established nationwide Stellantis dealer network, and Dodge's 2021 J.D. Power Sales Satisfaction Index score (796) ranked 4th among mass-market brands with a 17-point year-over-year gain — adequate-to-good coverage and improving satisfaction, short of the segment's luxury-brand leaders.

RepairPal lists Charger average annual repair/maintenance cost at $652 — roughly in line with the mainstream large-sedan/coupe segment — and the Mopar/Charger platform has one of the largest aftermarket performance and replacement-parts ecosystems of any American car, keeping routine parts cheap and plentiful even as a few powertrain components (timing chain tensioner, PCM) run above average.

2021 is the last model year before the Charger's 2022 shift to the larger Uconnect 5 10.1-inch screen on upper trims; every 2021 trim uses the 8.4-inch unit.

Uconnect 4 is consistently praised by reviewers as one of the more intuitive, quick-responding systems of its era, with physical climate knobs retained alongside the touchscreen.

The 2021 Uconnect 4/4C system supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto standard across trims, but only via wired USB connection — wireless projection was not introduced until the Uconnect 5 update on later Chargers.

Uconnect's built-in voice command and optional embedded navigation (4C NAV) are functional and reasonably accurate but are generally bypassed in favor of CarPlay/Android Auto maps by most owners.

Base 6-speaker system is adequate; optional Alpine 9-speaker (GT and up) and Harman Kardon 19-speaker systems (R/T and above) are well regarded, but the SXT volume trim's standard audio is unremarkable.

The volume SXT uses analog gauges with a small 3.5-inch monochrome/color driver information display, not a configurable full-digital cluster; a 7-inch customizable cluster display is available only on higher trims.

Uconnect 4 on the 2021 Charger supports software updates delivered over Wi-Fi or at the dealer, but scope is limited to infotainment/map and bug-fix updates rather than whole-vehicle feature-adding OTA.

The Uconnect app supports remote start, lock/unlock and vehicle locate, but requires an active SiriusXM Guardian/Uconnect Access subscription after the trial period, and users report a multi-minute lag for commands.

SXT offers a mix of USB-A ports plus a 12V outlet; USB-C and wireless charging pad are available only as part of higher-trim option packages, not standard on the volume configuration.

Keyless entry, push-button start and remote start are standard on the SXT volume trim, though phone-as-key is not offered.

A standard backup camera covers the volume trim; front/rear ParkSense parking sensors are optional and no 360-degree surround-view camera is offered on the Charger at any 2021 trim.

Head-up display is not offered on any 2021 Dodge Charger trim.

Four full-size doors and sedan-class rear legroom make car-seat installation easier than a true two-door muscle coupe, but the low roofline and wide door sills still complicate bucket/booster loading versus an SUV or sedan.

Forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring and lane-departure warning are all optional extra-cost packages on the SXT volume trim rather than standard, a weak proposition versus mainstream family cars with standard ADAS suites by 2021.

Rear legroom and trunk space are genuinely strong for the segment, giving real four-occupant road-trip viability, but rear-seat amenities (no rear climate vents or USB on base SXT, limited rear entertainment) are thin.

The V6 SXT is relaxed and comfortable in traffic with a smooth 8-speed automatic, though its large footprint and heavy, numb steering add some fatigue versus a compact commuter car.

19/30/23 mpg city/highway/combined for the volume V6 RWD is below-average for a commuter car of any size, and Dodge requires regular fuel (an advantage) but the Charger's size and curb weight keep real-world consumption mid-pack at best.

At nearly 17 feet long with a 37.7 ft turning diameter, the Charger is noticeably large and cumbersome for city parking; standard backup camera helps but there is no surround-view system and sensors are optional.

The Charger is a passenger sedan-coupe with no tow rating, no bed, and a conventional trunk — it has essentially no work/towing capability beyond what any large sedan trunk offers.

While the LD-platform Charger (including its Pursuit police-package variant) has a reputation for mechanical durability, the SXT consumer trim is not built or equipped for work-site abuse and lacks any wear-oriented interior options.

No onboard power outlets suited to tools, no tie-downs, no rack or upfit ecosystem — the Charger has effectively no jobsite utility.

A comfortable highway cruiser with plush V6 ride and a 23 mpg combined rating giving roughly 440+ miles of highway range on its 18.5-gallon tank, but driver-assist tech (adaptive cruise, lane centering) is optional-only on the volume trim, limiting fatigue reduction on long hauls.

Low ground clearance and a street-tuned RWD/optional-AWD sedan platform give the Charger essentially no off-pavement ability; no roof rails or accessory tow package are offered.

A large 16.5 cu ft trunk with standard 60/40 split-folding rear seats and a trunk pass-through gives genuinely useful cargo flexibility for a coupe-class car, though there are no roof rails or exterior cargo-carrying options.

The V6 SXT handles curvy roads competently with good composure for its size, but reviewers note the suspension's sensitivity to midcorner bumps and a general lack of sportiness versus the V8 performance trims.

Electrically assisted steering is accurate enough for confident placement but reviewers consistently describe it as heavy, slow to respond, and numb — lacking genuine feedback.

Standard brakes on the SXT provide adequate, consistent stopping power for daily driving without the larger Brembo units reserved for performance trims; no instrumented 2021-specific stopping-distance test found for the base V6 car.

The 3.6L Pentastar V6 paired with the 8-speed automatic shifts smoothly and calibrates well for daily use, though throttle response is leisurely compared with the V8 trims.

The Pentastar V6 is a mature, well-isolated engine that runs quietly under normal conditions with an inoffensive note under load; it lacks the V8 exhaust character that defines the performance trims.

SXT/GT/R-T share a 37.7 ft curb-to-curb turning diameter; widebody performance trims (not the volume configuration) grow to 39 ft.

A low, sporty driving position with good wheel/seat adjustment range on SXT (manual height/tilt-telescope); logical control layout, though the low roofline hurts outward visibility and ingress/egress versus a sedan.

The V6 SXT is pleasant and relaxed rather than genuinely exciting — most of the Charger's enthusiast appeal and 'fun' reputation is concentrated in the R/T, Scat Pack, and Hellcat variants, not the volume trim scored here.

The $29,995 SXT includes keyless entry/start, remote start, a backup camera, dual-zone climate control, a 7-inch Uconnect touchscreen, and a leather-wrapped wheel — generous for the price versus rivals that charge extra for remote start and a backup camera, though SXT still lacks items like power seats or blind-spot monitoring that cost extra.

Across the range the Charger is a standout on power/capability per dollar — a roomy, four-door, 16.5-cu-ft-trunk car with genuine muscle-car performance, topping out at a supercharged 797-hp Hellcat Redeye for well under $80K, far less than comparable-output luxury performance sedans.

Nine distinct 2021 configurations span $29,995 (SXT RWD V6) to $78,595 (SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody), with RWD/AWD choices on the V6 trims and a clear, well-spaced ladder from base to top-of-range performance.

The Charger sold roughly 78,400 units in 2021, up about 15% year-over-year, comfortably outselling the Mustang (52,414), Challenger (54,314) and Camaro (21,893) individually — it has no direct four-door muscle-sedan competitor and effectively owns its niche.

Dodge/SRT carries real enthusiast cachet from the Hellcat halo and muscle-car heritage, but the mainstream brand's broader image is held back by middling reliability perception and an aging, budget-feeling interior on volume trims.

2021 fell in the middle of the industry-wide chip shortage, which suppressed incentives broadly; Dodge still offered modest rebates/dealer cash on Charger (historically one of the more heavily incentivized nameplates in its class) but nowhere near the discounting levels seen before or after the shortage.

The 2021 Charger rides on the LD platform dating to 2011, last majorly refreshed for 2015 — six years carry-over styling and an interior/gauge-cluster layout reviewers explicitly call out as dated, with no redesign before the nameplate's planned retirement a few years later.

Reviewers consistently liked the Charger's practicality, V8 character and value but rarely picked it over newer rivals in head-to-head tests, citing vague steering and midcorner bump sensitivity; it collected no major 2021 comparison-test wins or industry awards (NACTOY, 10Best) despite its enthusiast following.