There is good news, bad news – and insane news. Which would you like first?
The good news is there’s finally a four-door Charger for 2026. The second-worst mistake Dodge (Stellantis) made three years ago was to make the new Charger initially a coupe only. The worst mistake, of course, being that it was also electric. The two-door looked great but inherently limited its buyer appeal because most people – including cops – need a sedan. The old (2023 and prior) Charger was hugely popular with police departments all over the country because it was rear-drive, fast – and had room in back for the arrested. The Charger coupe has pretty roomy back seats because it’s a big car – but it’s the getting in and our of them that’s the trouble.
The driver or front seat passenger has to get out first.
Coupes don’t sell nearly as well as sedans for exactly this reason – especially to police departments. Dodge just gave away the huge fleet vehicle market to Ford, which sells Explorers to cop shops that weren’t able to replace their Charger sedans with new ones.
Well, that’s been fixed. For 2026, Dodge offers the Charger as both a coupe and a sedan – the coupe now serving, effectively, as the replacement for the cancelled Challenger. This gives Dodge a pair – to sell. That’s good.
Ready for the bad?
Neither is available in a form that could be described as “base” or “entry level” – even by luxury brand standards. The 2026 Charger sedan’s starting price is $56,995 – which is more than $20k higher than the base price of the 2023 Charger sedan. This isn’t just inflation.
It is insanity.
Dodge has decided to offer the 2026 Charger sedan only in high-performance (Scat Pack) form, which accounts for the more than $20k uptick in price vs. back in 2023, when you could buy a new Charger with a 292 horsepower 3.6 liter V6 and and an MSRP of $33,200. It was – by far – the most affordable large, rear-drive sedan on the market and lots of people bought one because lots of people could afford to buy one. The Hemi V8 versions of the Charger were available – for those who could afford to pay more and were willing to pay more – but they were not the volume sellers.
The V6 Charger was a way for middle income Americans to get into the kind of car that was otherwise a car for rich people only – because the only other cars that were similar (front engine RWD) and of comparable size were models such as BMW’s 5 Series sedan and the Mercedes E-Class sedan (the latter was even related to the Charger, dating back to the era when Chrysler was part of the DaimlerBenz combine).
The 2026 Charger comes standard with a 550 horsepower version of the 3.0 liter inline/turbocharged six cylinder engine that Dodge is rushing into the front lines to deal with the “electrification” fiasco. The good news is it’s an engine. The bad news is that this Charger is nearly as expensive as the Charger without one; i.e., the “electrified” version that almost no one has bought.
The electric Charger – which Dodge is still trying to sell – stickers for $59,995. In other words, the new Six Pack Charger, with the turbo-inline six instead of a battery and motors, is only $3,000 less expensive. Both are $20k-plus more expensive than the base 2024 Charger with the V6.
The assumption appears to be that extreme performance – the Scat Pack Charger is capable of accelerating to 60 MPH in 3.9 seconds – will sell this new Charger sedan. But wasn’t that essentially the same assumption underpinning hopes that the battery-powered Charger would sell? High-performance is great, if you’re wanting that – and able/willing to pay for that. It is what sells BMW M3 sedans and Caddy Blackwings and Porsche Panameras.
You may have picked up on something there.
All of those are luxury brands sell prestige. Is Dodge prestigious? No offense to Dodge or the people who like them (I’m one of them). The people at Stellantis appear to believe that Dodge can compete with BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac and Porsche. The problem with that idea is that Dodge isn’t BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes or Porsche – and good luck trying to persuade the people who buy those brands of cars to buy a Dodge for BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes and Porsche money.
This has been tried before. See the VW Phaeton (and more recently, ID Buzz) debacles. VW not being Audi, you see.
What is Dodge thinking? Apparently – arguably – Dodge is not thinking, which is just the problem.
A new Charger with a less powerful – but much less pricey – version of the Hurricane six could be just the thing to reverse the mess created by removing the engine (and the rear doors) from the Charger three years ago. There are doubtless many people who would love to buy a new four-door Charger, if they could.
But a Charger that comes standard with a base price pushing $60k is probably not going to fare much better than the Charger that didn’t come with an engine – or more than just the two doors – has.
Never mind how quickly it can get to 60.
 . . .
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I suppose we shouldn’t be surprised. Most Stellantis products are vastly overpriced for what they are. In some cases they could HALF the price and it’s still too high.
It’s no wonder their sales are in the toilet.
Mopar used to have Dodge, Plymouth, Desoto, Chrysler, and Imperial. Note the (2) high end prestige brands which commanded a premium price.
Using Dodge for high end stuff isn’t very good marketing. Of course, the real problem is mean and median income havent increased tenfold in the last 50 years. New cars are luxury cars until that corrects.
At that price it needs to be a very loaded Hemi model, not a 6. Even this 6.
If the starting price doesn’t come down, it will get cancelled in a year or two.
These are supposed to be volume models, not a luxury priced thing.
Rich, the Scat pack w/6.4L model was a high end model that started at 51K in ;23. Read below. Pretty confident the 5.7 and/or 6.4 and/or 6.2 blown hemi’s are coming back too.
Stellaris probably has done the market research.
They know there is no money in the low and middle classes for a new car at any price.
Dodge is a working man’s brand that used to sell in volume to make money.
If volume is low then you have to sell each unit at more to make your revenue.
They have no choice.
They know (1) that retail customers buying cars are on the upper end and (2) fleet buyers such as cops don’t care about the unit price when they’re whipping the tax mules to cover it.
I disagree Pat. Fleet buyers and cops absolutely weigh the costs of these things. At least in the majority of non-corrupted places. Sure, I can agree that bigger cities that have 100+ cop cars probably don’t pay much attention to +/- $10K/each, and they’re likely lobbyist/salesman making the deals/corruption.
My suburban area cops buy Explorers and Tahoes that are basically stripper models before they add all the cop car stuff.
My rural area cops drive used old cop cars they buy at auction. It was big deal in the town when the chief got a new-to-him old Durango with 100K mi. on the clock.
Your local heros need to get on the grant writing and LESO/1033 money train.
https://www.police1.com/police-grants/articles/funding-your-fleet-grants-for-police-vehicles-d2OGGdpIRjm2hFkp/
https://cops.usdoj.gov/grants
https://www.dla.mil/Disposition-Services/Offers/Law-Enforcement/Program-FAQs/
https://www.marketplace.org/story/2020/06/12/police-departments-1033-military-equipment-weapons
Even little college mall cops are getting shiny new Interceptors.
https://web.cobleskill.edu/media/2024/12/16/university-police-secures-federal-grant-to-purchase-patrol-vehicles/
Hi Pat,
Yes, but I don’t think Dodge can compete with BMW and Mercedes. Yet that’s the price range this Charger is in. There are certainly Americans who want a car like this – but not many who can afford one. We’re talking close to $1,000 per month, plus prolly at least $200 more for the insurance. That’s a second mortgage – for a car.
Good luck selling that!
Totally agree, it’s a hard sell to make. But they are faced with trying to make lots of lower margin cars that won’t sell in sufficient numbers or try to move upscale for higher margins.
The last few months of 2025 saw midsize and compact car sales down -17% and -15% YOY from 2024.
But on the flip side of your premise would be does Dodge have the sales power of a Toyota, Nissan, Kia in a shrinking market space for cars?
Is it a matter of price? Probably that’s an important reason. Maybe the market is there if people could afford cars. Or maybe it’s a continuing shift to small SUVs and such. Dodge business-wise is probably hurt by not having an alternative to a RAV4 type vehicle.
Fleet sales on the other hand were up at the end of year, across government, commercial and rental.
https://www.coxautoinc.com/market-snapshot/#snapshot
Hi Pat,
I think that – had they been smart about it – they would first of all have not shit the bed by cancelling the Charger with an engine and then letting two years pass before fixing that. Now they are bringing out a $60k to start (nearly) high-performance Charger that is absurd as a family car, which the old Charger with the V6 was not.
This new Charger with the 550 horse six costs more than the previous (2023) Charger with the Hemi 5.7 did. The MSRP of that one back in ’23 was $42k. This new Charger starts $20k higher. That is an untenable upsell.
Who the fuck is buying this trash what happened to $500 used v8 power house cars price with inflation say $2000 think it just fucking greed today ever old budget action movie totaled lots of car so must have been cheap ask any older person there first car always a story about paying next to nothing for it a summer of grass cutting money and usually a cool car now you have to be a millionaire to even buy a clunker this country is fucking disgusting today.
Slow down Charger critics……… While I agree with Eric that 33 to 56 is crazy, it’s not apples to apples. The ’23 Scat Pack (amazing car) base was 51K, so going to 56K 3yrs later is not a huge thing, considering the new Scat Pack is considerably faster than the old one, via std AWD, and the HO version of the newer 3.0I6-TT.
I think they did this for marketing first, to get people excited that ‘They are back’.
They still have the lesser HP SO version of the 3.0I6-TT, and the very old but good V6, and a new 2.0T-4cyl avail to down trim this car. And they will.
Will they be able to get down to 33K? I doubt it, but hopefully 35-38K w/V6 or 2.0T.
I am glad we are at least here, so far.
Hi Chris,
I hope so – but (so far) I see no indication that a “base” Charger is coming. The problem may be that the Hurricane six was specifically designed to be a high-powered engine; the intended replacement for the 5.7 Hemi V8. It was not designed to be a replacement for the 3.6 V6. Would the Hurricane work without the twin turbochargers it was designed to work with? I assume it could be made to work. But that gets into R&D and so does simplifying the rest of the drivetrain (as by making the putative base Charger RWD rather than AWD).
Maybe they have something in the pipeline. I hope so. I want to see the car succeed – and for Dodge to survive. But if they don’t have something in the pipeline, this is going to be a huge fail and could be the end for Dodge. The electric Charger has been a disaster. Dodge can’t afford another one.
oohhhhh, a NA 3.0-I6 is a great idea! I have no idea if that’s what their thinking. But I very highly doubt that they are only going to make/sell the HO version for the Charger. Makes zero sense to retro a plant to make a low volume car.
I would bet they are absolutely looking on how to get back into the cop car game and the HO Scat Pack is not it.
I’m pretty sure I heard the SO (std output) 3.0-I6TT is going in that car, and for sure some hemi variants as well. IDK know what lesser trim engines will go, but it has to be the old V6 or new 2.0T, and who knows, maybe your NA I6 idea?
Still glad their back. And if the Grand Cherokee high trims don’t offer a better engine than the dumb 2.0T buy ’27, I’m buying the Charger Scat Pack HO 3.0T.
Way back when cars came with multiple engine choices. I remember looking for a Carter Thermoquad in the wrecking yard and Spotting a Dodge Polara and figured it had to have a V8 with a 4 barrel. Nope, it had a slant six under the hood. Looked really roomy under that hood.
Some people buy a car on looks and don’t really care if it’s not fast. That’s why Ford and GM sold Mustangs and Camaros with straight sixes because it allowed you to buy a sporty looking car and have economy of, well an economy car.
Dodge should remember this before it’s too late.
Exhibit #1, the Mustang with a 4 cylinder.
Basically that was a Falcon with looks that attracted a younger buyer.
Nothing wrong with that.
It was affordable and you still had a neat car, especially in a convertible.
Mostly only hormone-poisoned young men cared that it was slower and didn’t sound as good.
Hi Pat,
Yup. Another example is the ’80s-era Mustang, which sold bigly. The majority were four cylinder powered. It was aa car that appealed to people who just liked the sporty looks but didn’t need the 5.0 V8 or want to pay for it.
‘The 2026 Charger’s starting price is $56,995. It is insanity.’ — eric
WTF?? At first glance, one might think Stellantis is deliberately trying to throttle sales of the Charger to cut its gas-guzzler CAFE fines. But those fines have been zeroed out.
As a fallback stance, one could claim that a six-cylinder engine — given its rarity these days — is inherently a luxury product, regardless of its pedestrian marque. Though there’s some truth to this assertion, nevertheless it should be possible to sell a rather plain vanilla six-cylinder sedan for $20,000 less than this stunning sum.
Evidently the US auto market has malfunctioned. $50,000 in counterfeit paper dollars — an average new car price last year — now is to be the minimum price, it appears. At least for the insane luxury of ‘six in a row’ under the hood. [In the Before Time, the full expression was ‘six in a row don’t go.’]
Tomorrow the Supreme Court has designated as ‘opinion day.’ [That’s EVERY DAY for some folks.] It may issue an opinion on V.O.S. Selections v. Trump, the tariff case, severely constraining the megalomaniacal wheeling and dealing of the Orange Caudillo.
How will this notoriously unstable character react when his power is challenged? The hacks in black had better emplace some anti-aircraft guns on the roof, I reckon, to ward off them black helicopters bearing Israeli commandos.
Reminds me of the old dad joke: why do chicken coops have 2 doors? If it had 4 doors it’d be a sedan.
Off topic, but I’ve seen old mini vans made into really nice chicken coops. The birds love it and they’re insulated and have lots of greenhouse area in cold climates.
If the local government zoning Nazis allow it.
The cure for high prices is….
High Prices!!!
In a fairly short time, there will be YYUUUGGGEE discounts on these models, perhaps lowered akin to the 2023 prices(?).
But either way, less than MSRP, although still redonkoulously expensive…
YMMV….
A $60,000 dollar loan, over the course of five years, gives the buyer a $1,000 per month car payment. Never mind the insurance. Or the maintenance. Even worse, what is a real kick in the teeth, is that is this an automatic transmission? The least they could do is offer the option of a standard trans. And how about eliminating all the safety crap no one wants? Oh, and how about an 8-cylinder engine, while we are at it, and the gas mileage be damned? Whoops, never mind, I was dreaming there for a minute.
Indeed, Shadow –
I ought to have mentioned the automatic-only (and AWD only) things. But it’s the almost $60k-to-start base price that dooms this Charger. Dodge will sell a few. As in a few. And then it will be over.