For people who don't necessarily want the Challenger for performance reasons and more so for the visual, the SXT Plus fits the bill. But that doesn't mean it lacks in the performance department. Equipped with the tried and true 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar, the Challenger SXT Plus packs 305 hp and 268 lb-ft of torque. Although that might not sound like much next to the Hellcat, the numbers are comparable to the V-6-powered Camaro (323 hp) and the Mustang (305 hp). But the big news is that the archaic five-speed has been replaced by the eight-speed automatic. The switch-out bumps fuel economy up from 18/27 mpg city/highway to 19/30 mpg, but that's not even the best part. The new gearbox's smooth and seamless shifting makes the Challenger slightly faster.

Our tester went from 0-60 mph in 6 seconds flat, an improvement over the 2011 Challenger Rallye's 6.4-second run. In the quarter-mile, the Challenger whizzed through in 14.5 seconds with a trap speed of 96.9 mph; the Rallye did it in a slightly slower fashion in 14.8 seconds going 94.8 mph. It also performed much better in the figure-eight course with a 27.9-second run and 0.73g average versus the Rallye's 27.0 seconds and 0.62 g's. It was during the figure-eight course that one editor pointed out that the Challenger SXT Plus seemed way too quiet, and it's true. When you see something like the Challenger hustle around a figure-eight, you'd expect to hear the V-8 roar. Alas, the SXT Plus completed the course much quieter than we anticipated. Off the track, the Challenger proved to be a smooth grand tourer, though its muscle-car roots really came out in corners. Although its performance suspension allowed it to remain rather stable, you can really feel the car's 3,900 pounds.

When viewing the entire Challenger lineup's performance numbers, the V-6-powered models might look like chopped liver. But when you consider all other things the SXT Plus has to offer — smoothness, comfort, sufficient fuel economy, and capability — it proves to be much tastier treat.

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2015 Dodge Challenger SXT Plus
BASE PRICE	$30,990
PRICE AS TESTED	$33,675
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 2-door coupe
ENGINE	3.6L/305-hp/268-lb-ft DOHC 24-valve V-6
TRANSMISSION	8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST)	3,900 lb (53/47%)
WHEELBASE	116.2 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT	197.9 x 75.7 x 57.5 in
0-60 MPH	6.0 sec
QUARTER MILE	14.5 sec @ 96.9 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH	105 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION	0.91 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT	25.9 sec @ 0.73 g (avg)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	19/30/23 mpg
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY	177/112 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	0.85 lb/mile