2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Road Test and Review

20chargerscatpackfrontbeauty2sessions ・ Photo by Ron Sessions

In 1968, Dodge dropped a high-performance big-block V8 engine into an otherwise plain-jane Coronet sedan to make the first Dodge Super Bee. This approach works just as well today. In a market teeming with all sorts of SUVs, crossovers, and pickup trucks, the Dodge brand is focusing on performance enthusiasts.

The 2020 Dodge Charger lineup consists of eight versions of its muscular four-door sedan. They range from the bare-bones V6-powered SXT sedan ($29,895) — often pressed into rental-car or law-enforcement service — to the Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition of the sensational, supercharged Hemi V8-powered Hellcat ($69,645). At $41,490 including the $1,495 destination charge, the Charger Scat Pack brings near-Hellcat levels of performance to the masses, showcasing Dodge’s largest Hemi V8 and four-wheel Brembo high-performance brakes at popular prices. New for 2020 is a Widebody version that sits 3.5 inches broader than the standard Scat Pack — fender flare to fender flare — on extra-wide tires and deep-set 20-inch wheels. The Widebody version is a $6,000 upcharge. The 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack is really in a class of one. No other four-door sedan, either domestic or imported, offers this kind of unvarnished V8 performance at this price.

Big Hemi Under the Hood

As with the American muscle cars of the 1960s, the Charger Scat Pack is defined by its big, powerful V8. It’s equipped with Dodge’s largest Hemi V8, displacing 6.4 liters or 392 cubic inches. With 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque on tap, the naturally aspirated SRT-tuned 6.4-liter V8 has the means to keep the Charger Scat Pack out in front of most traffic.

Hooked to a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, the Scat Pack can thunder from rest to 60 mph in just 4.3 seconds. While that’s eclipsed by the 3.6 seconds it takes for the supercharged 707-hp Charger SRT Hellcat to accomplish the same task, the Scat Pack’s accelerative abilities are still very impressive, especially when taking into account the Hellcat’s price tag. EPA fuel economy estimates for the Charger Scat Pack are 15 mpg city/24 mpg highway/18 mpg combined on premium fuel.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Packed With Amenities

Even though the Charger Scat Pack is nearly $30,000 less expensive than the Charger Hellcat, Dodge didn’t scrimp on the amenities.

The Scat Pack rolls with standard dual-zone automatic climate control; auto up/down power front windows; a heated and leather-wrapped tilt/telescopic steering wheel with optional power assistance; a leather-wrapped automatic floor shifter; premium stitched soft trim on the dash, door panels, and console; bright pedal trim; a universal garage door opener; push-button start; and paddle shifters. Widebody versions get a flat-bottom steering wheel. Among the available optional upgrades for the Charger Scat Pack are a power sunroof, a suede headliner, and carbon-fiber dash trim.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Tunes and Connectivity

Although not as large as some infotainment screens available on the latest RAM 1500 pickups, the Charger Scat Pack comes standard with the well-regarded Uconnect 4C system. Featuring a high-resolution 8.4-inch display, it enables easy access to audio and climate controls, paired cellphones, and vehicle information via the touchscreen’s large, brightly colored tiles, integrated voice command, and no-brainer analog volume and tuning knobs. Navigation with 3D mapping and five years of SiriusXM traffic and travel link services is optional.

Standard Scat Pack audio equipment consists of an AM/FM stereo with six Alpine speakers and SiriusXM satellite radio. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto cellphone mirroring is also included. Optional is a 19-speaker surround-sound Harman Kardon premium audio system. Or you can just listen to the intoxicating soundtrack laid down by the big-inch Hemi V8.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Front Row to Fun

The Scat Pack’s front seats are heated, lumbar-adjustable power-operated performance buckets with ample lateral support for the torso and thighs during hard cornering.

These chairs are all-day comfortable with medium-density foam cushions that won’t pinch or punish one’s butt. There are no “gotcha!” hard wings to slide over when getting in or out. The base Scat Pack seats are upholstered in cloth, while ventilated Nappa leather and Alcantara suede coverings are available optionally.  

Photo by Ron Sessions

Room for Friends and Family

Because the Charger is a standard-size four-door sedan, it doesn’t present the cramped, hard-to-access rear seat and skimpy luggage space of muscle coupes such as the Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang. 

Although the Charger’s coupe-like sloping roofline means taller passengers must duck when entering or exiting the backseat, once seated there’s reasonable headroom and legroom for two adults, or three in a pinch, as the center rear passenger has to straddle the front seat center console. The seat has a fold-down center armrest with built-in cup holders and a covered storage cubby. Heated outboard rear seat cushions are an option. The Charger’s trunk offers a generous 16.5 cubic feet of cargo space, while the 60/40 split rear seatbacks fold down, expanding luggage space and room for longer cargo such as skis or a stepladder. 

Photo by Ron Sessions

Big Grip and Stopping Power

To give the Charger Scat Pack the grip and stopping power commensurate with its 495-hp Hemi V8, Dodge upgrades its muscle sedan with vented and slotted Brembo four-piston disc brakes and 245/45ZR all-season or three-season performance tires at all four corners. Adding the optional Dynamics package substitutes wider 275/40ZR20 rubber and upgrades the front brakes with even larger-diameter rotors and six-piston monoblock calipers. In addition to front and rear fender flares, the Widebody version of the Scat Pack adds Corvette-sized Pirelli 305/35ZR20 P Zero three-season performance tires, deep-dish 11-inch-wide alloy wheels, competition suspension and three-mode Bilstein driver-adjustable shocks with Auto (everyday) Sport (firmer), and Track (firmest) modes.

The wide stance and meaty rubber of the Widebody version are good for 0.98g of lateral grip, capable of bringing the four-door muscle car to a halt from 60 mph in just 107 feet. Red-painted brake calipers are an option as well.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Ready to Rumble

There’s nothing subtle about the Dodge Charger Scat Pack, from its bad-boy looks to its ready-to-rumble soundtrack. Although the sound level drops some when cruising at low engine speeds, the delicious pops and crackles from the active big-bore dual exhaust are ever-present companions the rest of the time.

With just a shade under 500 horsepower, it’s hard to resist spinning the rear tires every now and then. Traction control and a standard anti-spin rear differential do their part to keep the extra-wide tires from going up in smoke. One neat Scat Pack feature is Launch Assist, which modifies torque to tamp rear-wheel hop. Another is Line Lock, which brakes the front wheels while allowing the rears to spin to “clean” the tires. You can also use the launch control feature: Mash the brake pedal with your left foot, then depress the accelerator to 3,300 rpm with your right foot for a couple seconds. Lift off the brake, keep your right foot planted on the gas, and be amazed. The Scat Pack’s electrically boosted steering is fairly quick, tunable for effort via the SRT Drive Modes screen, and in keeping with the sedan’s large and in-charge personality.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Keeping It Safe

Whereas the Charger Scat Pack may be a throwback to the heady muscle car days of the 1960s, it’s up-to-date when it comes to safety systems. In addition to six airbags, a backup camera, and sonar-based rear park assist that beeps with more intensity the closer the car gets to an object, the Scat Pack can be optioned with a Technology Package that includes adaptive cruise control, a forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, a lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high beams, and rain-sensing wipers — items not available in the more expensive Charger Hellcat. Also optional in the Scat Pack is a Driver Confidence Package that adds blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-path detection, and bi-functional high-intensity projector headlamps.

The 2020 Dodge Charger received a five-star rating overall from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, with four stars for frontal impact performance and five for side impacts and rollover resistance. In testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2020 Charger achieved Good ratings for moderate-offset frontal impacts, side impacts, roof strength, and head restraints, but a Marginal rating for small-offset frontal collisions.

Photo by Ron Sessions

Performance for the Whole Family

Some of the more expensive electric cars today can accelerate to 60 mph as quickly as the Dodge Charger Scat Pack, but few if any make such a spectacle of it. For a sedan this large and substantial, the Scat Pack offers plenty of stick to balance its prodigious power.

Often, the purchase of a muscle car means friends and family have to find another mode of transportation, and the family SUV gets pressed into service for Costco runs. With the Charger Scat Pack four-door sedan, however, a decent size rear seat and trunk mean the trip to Grandma’s for Thanksgiving dinner can be fun for everyone. The Charger Scat Pack with its 485-hp Hemi V8 and Brembo brakes for around $40K is a huge and uniquely American performance-car value.

Photo by Ron Sessions