The 2014 Dodge Challenger is direct about what it wants to be. It has the classic look, monster engine and simple design that evokes a time when the most complicated thing you had to deal with was disco. It stands apart from the Charger as if to say that it’s not a “me too” model that Dodge thought up at the last minute. Its wide, flattened surfaces and flushed fenders speak of an era before hybrid eco modes and going green became a thing. Let the police have the Chargers; the Challenger is for the outlaws.
On this particular day we left Raleigh destined for Leith Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM in Wendell to demonstrate that the east Raleigh suburbs of Knightdale, Clayton, Garner, Zebulon, Wendell and the like are not far eastern territories that take hours to get to.
Rather, depending on where you’re coming from, it’s as easy to get to Wendell as North Raleigh. And certainly when you’re in the market for a vehicle, it’s most important to have selection, service and a quality experience. If you can get that just 10 minutes outside of 540, why wouldn’t you do it?
Bringing it Around
Our sales representative that day was Quincy Steele, who brought a convivial spirit that goes a long way toward making the visit a fun experience. He brought our black 2014 Challenger around, which, to be honest, looked incredibly masculine. When American automakers began reviving their muscle car models around a decade ago, it was the Challenger that we first noticed for being the first of the new muscle cars that really got what that long-ago era was about.
That design was unveiled in 2008 and the company has wisely left it alone since. In all-black, without any special lighting or presentation in the Leith CDJR Wendell parking lot, the Challenger still looks positively mean, which is what good design accomplishes.
Raising the hood shows a very straightforward placement of engine, fluid tanks and air intake, which is as it ought to be. So many of the classic muscle car images show a raised hood with every component gleaming, and easy to see. While auto design has changed some since then, it makes sense that a muscle car’s engine would still be as plainly laid out as ever. Going around back to the trunk reveals a spacious 16.2 cubic feet of storage. Entry into the car and starting is keyless so long as the fob is on your person, which means that the car senses your key’s presence.
Cruising
Now that we were ready to get in, Quincy took us out to the lot of a nearby church where we switched seats. Thankfully we have it within us to drive a stick shift, so the six-speed manual transmission let us appreciate the Challenger as it’s meant to be. Many gear shifters are sterile levers that are about as fun to use as door locks, but Dodge’s engineers made the shifter so that you can feel the rumble of the engine’s reverberations. It’s a small gesture that augments the thundering that meets your ears and the sense of speed that permeates your eyes. Very nice.
And speed you definitely sense. With a 5.7-liter HEMI V8, this is why you drive this car. It’s an insanely large engine that produces 375 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque, roughly enough to shred your tires many times over. Muscle cars are made to look intimidating and get going in a hurry, which the Challenger is well-equipped to do.
Given that we are in the 21st century, however, there are features that make the Challenger a modern vehicle. Phone and audio controls are integrated into the steering wheel so that you can set tunes and make calls all without taking your eyes off the road. Voice commands make getting in touch with the right person easy, and keep you safe while driving. The available touchscreen gives you access to traffic, movies, weather, sports and gas station information while you’re on the go. The technology, however, is always kept rightfully unobtrusive because the point of being in a Challenger is not to be fiddling with controls all day. The Challenger is about cruising in a no-nonsense tribute to American automaking.
We appreciated the spaciousness of the two rear seats which comfortably fit two large adults, and the option to fold down those seats if needed for additional trunk space. It’s hard to imagine needing a larger rear trunk, however, with the width of the car’s back end.
Up to the Challenge
In conclusion, the aspects that define the 2014 Dodge Challenger are the ones that defined it in the 1970s. It has the design ethos that dominated the early coupes of that era: long hoods, flat windshields and wide tires. It’s an alternative to the hyper-focus of today on getting smaller and less dominant in designs, and affirms the right of its owner to let the engine rumble and leave rubber on the pavement.
Our thanks go to Quincy Steele and the rest of the team at Leith Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM for making this test drive possible, and we encourage you to stop by and check out the Challenger for yourself.
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