Can you daily drive a Dodge Hellcat?
If you’re a muscle car fan looking for an over-the-top means of getting to work and school, the Dodge Hellcat may have crossed your mind. It’s tempting to pick up the keys to a fun-horsepower Dodge Challenger or Charger and use them for just about anything. However, there are a few things to consider before you start building up the mileage on this supercharged Mopar, like selling a kidney to fill the tank.
Is the Dodge Hellcat hard to drive?
Driving the Dodge Challenger Hellcat is no more difficult than other muscle cars. However, it is different. The supercharged Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat produce 707, 717, 797 or 807 horsepower, depending on generation and trim level. This can make a rear-wheel drive car a bit unresponsive, but not unmanageable. Hit the accelerator in any gear and the muscle car tends to want to eat its legs.
However, unlike the muscle cars of yesteryear, the Dodge Hellcat has an array of driver assistance technologies and a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). So the Hellcat is better at active and passive safety than its raucous reputation suggests.
Are Dodge Hellcats practical?
Well, yes, and no. The Challenger platform is large and practical, with the largest trunk in the muscle coupe segment. In addition, the Charger has a spacious cabin that can be accessed through four doors. This makes the Charger a practical sedan, not just a wild muscle car. However, and this is very important, there are a few things that keep the Hellcat Challenger and Charger from being great daily drivers.
First, insuring a Mopar muscle car will cost you, especially if you’re a young man in a big city. In fact, insuring a 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat may cost you more than insuring a Porsche 911. Next, many Hellcat drivers tend to adopt a “kill all the tires” mindset at some point. The widebody tries to remedy that with larger contact patches in 305/35R-20 tires, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to budget for tires.
How much fuel does the Dodge Hellcat use?
Fuel cost is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the Hellcat’s success as a potential daily driver. This supercharged 6.2-liter V8 is thirsty, but not as thirsty as you might imagine. The 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat has an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) city rating of 13 mpg and a highway rating of 22 mpg. According to Car and Driver, the Hellcat is not far behind its rivals like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 in terms of fuel economy.
However, in addition to your tire budget, you’d better put some money aside for gas if you want to daily drive any of the big cats.
Is the Hellcat a good daily driver?
While a Dodge Charger or Challenger SRT Hellcat might be an attractive option for buyers looking for a fast daily drive with character, it’s a bit impractical. Between the insurance, the fuel, the excess power and the sheer size of the cars, it’s a little less practical than, say, a Subaru BRZ. Still, with plenty of interior space, affordable warranties, and driver assistance technologies, the Dodge Hellcat is a daily driver.
Scroll down to the next article to learn more about the Dodge Challenger!
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