The large car segment is smaller than many car shoppers realize. It’s dominated by a few cars, including some models specializing in power, such as the 2023 Dodge Challenger. However, there are other good options in the segment, such as the 2023 Volkswagen Arteon, so car shoppers may want to compare the two large cars. Here’s a look at three advantages of the 2023 Dodge Challenger over the Volkswagen Arteon.

1. The 2023 Dodge Challenger is a much more affordable car

One of Arteon’s most significant issues is its price, as its starting price tag is significantly higher than many of its peers. The 2023 Arteon has a starting MSRP of about $42,500, a nearly $2,000 increase from what the 2022 model year started at. The Challenger, meanwhile, is a much more affordable car. That said, Dodge hasn’t released pricing details for the 2023 model year, but it’s not expected to be too different from the 2022 model year’s pricing.

According to Edmunds, a 2022 Challenger starts at about $30,000. The Dodge muscle car is almost $13,000 cheaper than the Volkswagen sedan. Even if Dodge increased the Challenger’s price by $2,000 for the 2023 model year, the Challenger would still be over $10,000 cheaper. This ultimately means that car shoppers can either save a lot of money or equip their Challenger with many options.

For example, the Scat Pack trim starts at about $45,000, which is more expensive than the standard Arteon. It gives the Challenger new features, including an 8.4-inch touch screen which is an upgrade over the standard Challenger’s 7-inch touch screen. However, the most significant upgrade is power, a key advantage the Dodge has over the Arteon.

2. Dodge gave the Challenger a lot of powerful engine options

Since the Challenger is a muscle car, there is a long list of engine options that will suit the needs and budget of car shoppers. The standard Challenger has a 3.6-liter V6 that gets 303 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque. The Arteon, on the other hand, only has one engine option, and it’s a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that gets 300 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

In comparison, Dodge gave the Challenger five different V8 engine options. There’s a 5.7-liter V8, three 6.2-liter V8s, and a 6.4-liter V8. The Scat Pack trim, for instance, gives the car the 6.4-liter V8 engine, which gets 485 hp and 475 lb-ft of torque. That said, while the 6.4-liter engine has the most significant displacement, it’s not the most powerful engine option that Dodge offers.

The Hellcat engines win that battle with a 6.2-liter V8. They’re all supercharged and get 717 hp, 797 hp, and up to 807 hp, respectively. This means all three Hellcat engines have more than twice the horsepower as the Arteon, and the most powerful version gets almost three times as much. However, the most powerful Hellcat option will cost a lot, starting at over $84,000. 

3. The 2023 Dodge Challenger can tow some things

No matter which engines or trim car shoppers choose for the Challenger; it will have one practical advantage over the Arteon. The Dodge muscle car has a towing capacity, while the Volkswagen sedan doesn’t. 

The Challenger can tow up to 1,000 pounds when configured for it. The Arteon, according to Edmunds, has no known towing capacity. That said, the Arteon does have a known payload capacity of 915 pounds.