Dodge Charger SRT8

The interior is a virtual sea of plastic, save for the leather seats and leather trim around the door-mounted window controls. The seat stitching is uniform and tight. Surprisingly, I found a large piece of rusting steel wool under the intake runners.

The first thing I adjust when I get into a car is the driver’s seat. The Charger’s power front seats never quite felt “right” no matter what I did. In front of the seat controls is a small rocker switch that moves the pedals fore and aft depending on leg length.

The steering column tilts and telescopes. Surprising for a muscle-car, the Charger’s HVAC system included both heated seats and dual-zone climate controls. Using it for other features such as the cd/radio/satellite/other controls was straightforward. I drove it to our favorite coffee shop in Capitola and the engine thrived in the uphill sweepers of Hwy 17.

The Brembo brakes work exceptionally well. Under less cardiac stress and off public streets, our brake tests showed that the Brembos halted the Charger faster than a fly caught in a spider’s web. Using maximum brake force at high speed did not upset the dynamics of the Charger, nor did the brakes lock up.