2018 Dodge Challenger

The 2018 Dodge Challenger has a functional interior that’s also spacious, but it lacks the sleek design and high-quality materials that you’ll find in some class rivals. Both rows of seats have enough room for adults, and the trunk is among the largest in the class. The tech offerings are headlined by the user-friendly Uconnect infotainment system.

• "There are no squeaks or rattles to speak of. The upper door panels on our test car did shake, as if loose, when we closed the doors, but this is a minor quibble with what otherwise appears to be a well-built automobile for the price." -- Edmunds
• "The front seats are comfortable, and adults can, indeed, sit in the back seat and everything looks terrific and operates well. A nice place for a drive." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• "The seats are quite good – and get more bolstered as you go up the line – and the cockpit-like layout is clever. Still, even the SRT models stray toward hard plastics and you can't really take the uplevel leather seriously. Thankfully the optional Uconnect nav and infotainment systems work fine." -- Automobile Magazine (2015)

Seating

The standard Challenger seats five – one more than the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro. It also offers more head- and legroom than the other two, so up to three people (or two adults, comfortably) can ride in the back. Depending on the configuration, the Challenger Demon has anywhere from one to five seats, as you can outfit it with only a driver's seat to save weight if so desired.

Houndstooth cloth upholstery and a six-way power-adjustable driver's seat come standard. Available features include leather upholstery (including premium options for Nappa or Laguna leather), heated and ventilated front seats, sport seats with added bolstering, and a heated steering wheel.

The Challenger’s large doors make it easy to get into and out of the car, but they’re also heavy and unwieldy, especially in tight parking spots. The front seats have plenty of space, though the optional sunroof cuts into headroom for tall people. The rear seats are the largest in the class, and this is perhaps the only sports car that can comfortably accommodate adults in the back.

There are three full sets of LATCH connectors for installing car seats. That’s uncommon for a five-seat car; they usually only feature full sets of connectors in the rear outboard seats and a lone tether anchor in the middle. You won’t have any problems with the Challenger’s tether anchors. The lower anchors in the outboard seats are set deep in the cushion but are otherwise usable. The lower anchors for the middle seat are hard to use; in addition to being deeply set, they’re also hard to maneuver around and require a lot of force when attaching straps.

• "The Challenger has a lot of front legroom and shoulder room. Headroom is slightly compromised by the sunroof, though most 6-footers will still fit. The rear seat isn't quite made for all sizes, but it is far bigger than those of competitors and offers three seats versus two." -- Edmunds
• "There's plenty of room in front for driver and front-seat passenger, and the rear seat can accommodate three people (although they might be snug), making the Challenger the only muscle car deserving of that claim." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• "The Challenger's cabin redeems itself in back, where rear occupants will be treated to perhaps the most spacious back seat in any mass-market coupe. There's sedanlike room back there, plain and simple. Other sporty coupes just can't touch it." -- Autotrader (2016)

Interior Features

Standard features in the Challenger include dual-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, and the Uconnect infotainment system with a 7-inch touch screen, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, integrated voice command, and two USB ports.

Available features include a power sunroof, satellite radio, a six- or nine-speaker Alpine audio system, an 18-speaker Harman Kardon audio system, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning, rear parking sensors, and an upgraded Uconnect system with an 8.4-inch touch screen and navigation.

Unlike previous model years, the 2018 Challenger comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, giving you an easy way to sync your smartphone with your vehicle. The Uconnect infotainment system now comes standard with a 7-inch touch screen (it was 5 inches in previous years), but it’s still as responsive and easy to use as ever.

See 2018 Dodge Challenger specs »

• "Controls consist of a combination of knobs and buttons that are large and easy to use. Some functions are tucked away in the touchscreen, but otherwise it's one of the most user-friendly interfaces in the industry." -- Edmunds
• "Alas, the Challenger's cockpit is otherwise as dull as the exterior is delightful. Visually linked to the awful dashboard in the previous-generation Charger sedan, the Challenger's dashboard looks simplistic and outdated compared to the new Charger's stylized dash. Materials have improved over the years, but again, the new Charger does it better." -- Autotrader (2016)
• "In the center of the instrument panel is the touch screen that we've liked in other Dodge and Chrysler vehicles. The retro-style gauges for tach and speedometer look fantastic, and there's a sharp-display TFT screen nestled between the two." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)

Cargo

The Challenger’s 16.2-cubic-foot trunk is huge by sports car standards (and would be a respectable total for a large sedan as well). The rear seats fold down to provide space for larger or longer items. The only problem with the trunk is the high liftover height, which can cause problems when you’re loading something heavy.

• "Coupes aren't generally known for a spacious cargo area, but the Challenger boasts a trunk that puts the Mustang and Camaro to shame. Cargo measurements are just slightly smaller than those of the Charger sedan." -- Edmunds (2017)
• "The trunk is surprisingly large and useful, despite a pretty high liftover." -- Kelley Blue Book (2016)
• "Trunk liftover is quite high and the opening narrows between the taillights. The flat, wide trunk floor is not particularly long. Rear seats fold, but not with a smooth transition from the trunk floor." -- Consumer Guide (2015)