- Is the Dodge Hellcat hard to drive?
- Are Dodge Hellcats practical?
- How much fuel does a Dodge Hellcat use?
- Is a Hellcat a good daily driver?
If you’re a muscle car fan looking for an over-the-top means to get to work and school, a daily driver Dodge Hellcat may have crossed your mind. It’s tempting to grab a key to a Dodge Challenger or Charger with hilarious horsepower and use it to do just about everything. However, there are a couple of things to consider before you start racking up mileage with that supercharged Mopar, like selling a kidney to fill the tank.
Is the Dodge Hellcat hard to drive?
The Dodge Challenger Hellcat is no more challenging to drive than other muscle cars. However, it is different. The supercharged Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat produce 707, 717, 797, or 807 horsepower, depending on the generation and trim. That can make the rear-wheel drive car a bit non-compliant but not unmanageable. Stab the accelerator in any gear, and the muscle car tends to want to eat its feet.
A Redeye badge | Stellantis
Still, unlike muscle cars of yesteryear, the Dodge Hellcat has a suite of driver assistance tech 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 big and practical, with the largest trunk space in the muscle coupe segment. Also, the Charger has a spacious cabin accessible by four doors. That makes the Charger a practical sedan, not just a wild muscle car. However, and it’s a big however, some things keep the Hellcat Challenger and Charger from being great daily drivers.
First, insuring the Mopar muscle car will cost you, especially if you’re a young male in a major city. In fact, insuring a 2022 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat might cost you more than insuring a Porsche 911. Next, many Hellcat drivers tend to adopt a “kill all tires” mindset at some point. The widebody attempts to remedy that with greater contact patches courtesy of 305/35R-20 tires, but that doesn’t mean you won’t have to establish a tire budget.
Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat | Raymond Boyd, Getty Images
How much fuel does a Dodge Hellcat use?
The fuel cost is perhaps the biggest obstacle to the Hellcat’s success as a potential daily driver. That supercharged 6.2L V8 is thirsty but not quite 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 isn’t far off from its rivals, like the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500, in terms of fuel economy.
Still, in addition to your tire budget, you better set aside some gas money if you want to daily drive any of the big cats.
Is a Hellcat a good daily driver?
While a Dodge Charger or Challenger SRT Hellcat might be an attractive option for shoppers looking for a fast daily drive with character, it’s a bit impractical. Between insurance, fuel, over-the-top power, and the sheer size of the cars, it’s quite a bit less practical than, say, a Subaru BRZ. However, with lots of interior space, available warranties, and driver assistance technologies, it’s possible to daily drive a Dodge Hellcat.
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