2023 is a big year for the Dodge Challenger. First and foremost, it’s the last year the automaker will make the gas-powered muscle coupe as we know it. Moreover, Dodge is celebrating its two beloved car models with “Last Call” editions to finish this muscle car chapter. Still, the 2023 Dodge Challenger is hitting the streets and has some promising qualities. Specifically, the doomed Mopar monster has at least three attributes that make it lovable. 

The 2023 Dodge Challenger has ludicrously powerful engines

While the Challenger’s lineup starts with the SXT and GT trims, their 303-horsepower 3.6L Pentastar V6 engines are small potatoes compared to the eight-cylinder blacktop bullies higher up in the trim offerings. For instance, the most lethargic of the V8s in the 2023 Dodge Challenger’s library is the 375-horsepower 5.7L Hemi in the R/T and the 485-horsepower 6.4L V8 in the Scat Pack. 

However, even though U.S. News calls the big, heavy Challenger a “one-trick pony,” they still commend the muscle car’s hilariously hulking horsepower figures. For instance, the 2023 SRT Hellcat produces 10 more horsepower with its supercharged 6.2L V8 than the first Hellcats, bringing the figure up to 717. Moreover, the range-topping Hellcat Redeyes and SRT Super Stocks bump the horsepower up to 797 and 807, respectively.

If you’re scrambling to buy one of the final Dodge Challengers of this generation, you’d better budget for tires. With as much as 1,025 horsepower in the limited-run SRT Demon 170, these muscle cars have the potential to play executioner when it comes to big, wide tires.

Although it’s showing some age, the 2023 Dodge Challenger has a user-friendly infotainment system

The 2023 Dodge Challenger’s interior is familiar if also dated at this point. However, U.S. News applauds the user-friendly Uconnect infotainment system. They call the system “easy to learn” and point out that the unit has simple, responsive functions. However, the Challenger’s displays are dated and lackluster compared to more recently-updated models like the post-facelift Ford Mustang and Toyota GR Supra. 

Moreover, the Challenger’s infotainment screen options are typically bigger than its most direct competitor, the Ford Mustang. For instance, U.S. News says the smallest screen potential owners can get in the Dodge model is the standard 7-inch touchscreen. However, the standard screen in entry-level Mustangs is a dismal 4.2-inch LCD screen. The Challenger’s larger screen option edges out the Mustang’s, with an 8.4-inch unit versus the Ford’s 8-inch screen.  

How roomy is a Dodge Challenger?

The third attribute that U.S. News applauded the 2023 Dodge Challenger for is its general roominess. For instance, the Dodge packs more backseat room than the Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. Moreover, the Challenger has a more accommodating cockpit with wider seats than its direct competitors. 

Additionally, the 2023 Dodge Challenger packs around 16.2 cubic feet of storage. That’s cavernous compared to the Mustang and Camaro. For instance, TrueCar says the 2023 Chevrolet Camaro has a cargo volume of about 9.1 cubic feet, close to half the space of the Challenger. Of course, the Dodge model is a larger, heavier car than the tauter Chevrolet and Ford models. 

Why is Dodge discontinuing the Challenger?

Despite the tenure and “so what” attitude of Tim Kuniskis and the Mopar minds that built these muscle cars, the Challenger is heading to the chopping block. Not even the Challenger can survive the industry push for efficiency, hybridization, and electrification. 

Will you pick up one of the last Dodge Challengers? Tell us in the comments below!