Everyone loves a muscle car. They might not admit it, but there is something lovable about a big, impractical quarter-mile machine with old-school American charm. However, at some point, that impracticality catches up with our favorite big raucous cruisers, and they become temperamental in the wet or snow. Before you tuck your Dodge muscle car away for the bad weather, you might consider a Challenger GT or an AWD Charger. 

Key Points:

• The beloved body styles of the Dodge Challenger and Dodge Charger are unchanged with the addition of an all-wheel drive (AWD) system. 
• The AWD systems in both cars are only available with the Pentastar V6 platform.
• The Dodge Challenger and Charger with V6 engines produce 303 horsepower.  
• Choosing a Dodge Challenger means retro-styling with two doors, a usable back seat, and a trunk.
• Choosing a Charger provides consumers with four doors and more practicality. 

What does GT mean on a Dodge Challenger? 

The ‘GT’ badge on a newer Dodge Challenger represents the addition of an all-wheel drive system. Although consumers can not buy an AWD Challenger with a V8 like the 5.7L Hemi or the supercharged 6.2L Hellcat engines, the GT is worth consideration. Although the GT gets a 3.6L Pentastar V6 like the SXT, the SXT is stuck with standard rear-wheel drive (RWD). 

How can I tell if my Dodge Charger is AWD? 

Much like the Dodge Challenger, the Charger gets a GT badge to represent AWD. Also, like the Challenger, the Dodge Charger GT gets the Pentastar V6. Unfortunately, the Charger GT cannot be optioned with any of the monstrous V8 engines from the Mopar stable. 

Are the Dodge Charger and Challenger GT fast?

According to Car and Driver, the Pentastar V6 produces a respectable 305 horsepower and 268 lb-ft of torque. While that might not seem like much compared to the R/T’s 375 horsepower, the Scat Pack’s 485 horsepower, or the Hellcat’s 717 horsepower, the AWD shines in other ways. The Dodge muscle cars’ AWD makes the notoriously slide-happy cars more sure-footed. However, the Challenger GT is slower than its RWD counterpart by 0.1 seconds, taking 6.3 seconds to hit 60 mph. 

Which big American muscle car should you buy?

You should choose to buy a Charger or Challenger GT based on whether or not you like the body style and care about the number of doors. Any way you cut it, buying a Dodge Charger gives you a four-door platform. That means convenience and ease of access. If you would rather drive a two-door muscle car coupe, the obvious choice is the Dodge Challenger GT. A Challenger GT is a classically styled muscle cruiser with a usable AWD system. Either car you choose is sure to add practicality and style to your everyday drives. Scroll down to read more about how the Dodge Charger stacks up against a Stellantis sibling, the Chrysler 300. 

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