The Case For The 3.6 - I Bought A Beautiful 2018 Dodge Challenger! 

I would’ve given you a hard time about not getting a hemi but mine just eat a cam… so I’m gonna keep my mouth shut.🙃

3:15 “you don’t need more than 300 hp to have a good time on the street” - AGREED… in the 90s I was a dealer tech and worked for GM dealers a couple of times. After doing a 20k service on a ‘94 Z28, I took it for a test drive… it was a BEAST, more power than local roads could handle. If you punched it in 2nd gear, it started to go sideways. That year LT1 produced 275hp & 325 torque at 2400rpm, more than enough for fun in the street. Good on ya for getting the V6, and nice car 💪🏼

One of the BEST looking modern cars 😄

My daily driver is a 2019 V6 Challenger.....nothing but wonderful. I bought it new, now it has 115k trouble free miles. And I average 29 mpg!!!!!!! I drive 55 miles each way to work..... Mine is "Destroyer Grey"!

I waited until the 2020 models were coming out and the dealer had to get rid of his 2019 stock... I paid $18,340 BRAND NEW - 3 miles on it. Looks good, goes fast, great milage, total win 🏆

I’ve flogged the 3.6 liter in a charger we had at my old job and it took it on the chin and asked for more. Got to rent a Challenger GT in Florida for a week last year. They are very nice cars. Comfortable, roomy with an actual back seat and a decent trunk. Nice choice for a daily. And best part, it’s a Mopar and it looks great in that color!

I am British and returned a broken Mustang to San Francisco Airport whilst on holiday and they gave me one of those with a V8 and I will never forget it nor will my Wife!

Fun video. The refresh was in 2015. People forget the V6 runs 0-60 in ~6 seconds flat, which is pretty good. It’s also reliable.

My first Challenger was a 2018 in this same color, It was a v6 and a former Hertz rental car. I bought mine in 2019 and I think it had 18K miles. It was loaded with everything but nav. The V6 had plenty of power and made about 27/28 as I recall. You'll be fine with this and you'll enjoy it. Cool!

Being able to own an original Charger AND a newer Challenger is the best of both worlds. You've got your performance and manual shift when you want it....and a fun good looking comfortable car that's easy to drive for every day. Excellent choice!

Overall, the people who bought the original 60s /70s chargers, challengers and roadrunners also agree with you as the hemi is fairly rare in them. More 318, 383, and 440 6 packs were sold than hemis. Even though the hemi made more power!

Best New car I ever bought......absolutely LOVE mine ❤️

Dude, I'm very happy for you!!!!! You are really going to love that car! You work hard and you deserve it 👏 ✨️

Yes, I agree Jamie. You found the goldilocks zone. She's a beauty. Another great video. Thank you

Man, Jamie, drive what you like and forget about comments. I miss the world we had before people were able to make comments without doing it to your face . Looks like a really nice ride … dammit-now you have me wanting one.

You did good Jamie. I like it and it's what you like. Not what everybody else is like if you're a happy with it. That's on you don't worry about what anybody else says about you or about that car.

I can understand why you would buy a new Challenger - it's gorgeous. I should know, I have a 2018....Hemi. You're a good mechanic, you can always put a Hemi in it and make it a sleeper. Sorry, I like my R/T and the sound. To quote Brother Lee Watts: Where there's life, there's noise. Screw the three prong, those are for old people. Yes, you will use the paddle shifters, it's a blast in M. Those wheels are great! It took me some time to get used to them. My original battery is still in my car. You need to use a good buffing cloth. The seats are great, no knee pain driving this car. If you hit the door handle with the water, the lights will come on. I'll take those wheels.That is a great looking hood. I'm buying a 2023 and am not fond of the hood design. I've got over 120K and no problems with the Hemi. I rented a V6 and couldn't wait to get back in my R/T.

You must work 18 hour days. But thx!!! The channel is great!!!!

Congratulations! Love the color. I am so excited for you. I check the local market for Challengers daily. Someday I will join the club. Enjoy your new ride.

In the Challenger, the 3.6 is rated at 305hp. In the Chargers, 292hp or something like that. 2011 was the first year for the 3.6 in the Challengers and Chargers. 2015 was the first year for the 71'ish grill and taillights on the Challenger. 2015 was also the first year of the restyled interior and 8 speed auto (in the Challenger).

Sir Jamie... I 199% agree with the 3.6 choice. Have a Truck with that engine and it's amazing how potent that sucker is....

I've had my SXT+ since new for eight years now. Still love it. Jack of all trades. It is a daily commuter, etc. No plans to get rid of it. No engine/transmission issues so far. Scratch magnet. Good vid. Thanks.

That is a sweet new ride! Congrats Dude!

Good luck with it, Jamie! Nice looking car!

Cool ride! Love the color.

I had a 2017 and 2019 AWD V6 Challenger. The V6 was plenty for me and both cars were fun to drive. The only reason I traded in the 2017 was it wasn't great in snow with the rear wheel drive. The 2019 AWD was great in the snow. I regret and miss my 2019 Challenger. Should never have traded it in.

Best Chrysler offering in decades. I raced a Vette with that car and won.

Congratulations on your new purchase.

Had a 2015 Charger SE V6. Drove Uber with it for 2 years. 264K miles when I traded it in 2019. Engine was still surprisingly strong at high mileage. Trans went out.

My mom is nearly 80 and she drives hers daily. My brother freaked out when she bought it and went out and bought a ss Camaro lol, he sold his Camaro and drives a old Nissan. I'll never understand that guy🤠

Love it.. My magic number is 400. Owned a 2005 GTO for 9 years, loved every minute of it. Sold it with 189k miles on it and replaced it with a modified Cadillac CTS-V. Now I just have stupid horsepower. It was much easier to use and enjoy the 400 hp in the GTO. The power I have now is almost scary and is very unpredictable on most normal street surfaces. I don't regret what I have now and I absolutely love this V but I can totally understand your reasoning..

I really enjoyed the 2014 I drove when i was out there. Fun cars and not slow. Good fuel economy.

Paint code PRV 😎 Beautiful color in the sun.

Nice find. It does have the "Look" of a R/T and meets your needs. Good Deal.

Congratulations and happy motoring Jamie!

I bought a 2013 Challenger SXT+ last February (48K miles) with the V6 and LOVE IT. I didn't want a Hemi either and this V6 has all the giddyup I need. The car is stunning (Redline red) and gets lots of attention and compliments. My daily driver is an Inferno red 2008 Caliber SXT I bought new that just flipped 60K miles. I think the Caliber got a bad rap, this car has performed flawlessly for 16 years. I'm not a fan of the CVT tranny (especially compared to the Challenger's fun 5 speed auto!!!) but for a reliable hauler and commuter car, this Caliber has been terrific. Anyway, your excitement over your new Challenger matches mine and it was a fun video to watch.

Got a 2017 scatpack. You sure don't need more than 300 hp...but more sure is fun! Nice car - love the color.

I know we talked about this before. It's not about trying to have the fastest car because you never willl. It's about having fun and enjoying your ride everytime you drive it.

Congratulations on the new car! It’s beautiful. Thank you for the great content as usual.

Great cars! Me and my wife had one each, great gas mileage and enough power too, put over 200,000 miles on each of them with no problems, only problem i ever had was with the smart windows, the switch goes bad in the door handle and the windows jump up and down until the battery runs down, other than that no problems at all! 👍

After driving a Grand Caravan for 10 years, I forgot that driving could be fun. A 2018 Charger GT (awd) reminded me how much I missed driving for fun. Restarted my passion for Mopars. It was a great car that I sold for more than I paid for it during the crazy used car prices days. Allowed me to get my Dart Swinger & Valiant (both of which are also currently broken). Miss that Charger during bad weather and the winter. It was great. The Penestar engine is a great addition to the Mopar power plant stable. The electronic refresh was in 2016/17, if I remember correctly. Could be wrong.

Congratulations, you deserve that car. Enjoy from Napa California

Thought I felt the ground shake all the way here in New England. DDG modernizing. Congrats on the new aquasition. 🎉

My sister bought one as a driver until she could find the perfect fast version that she would keep. Five years later and she still has it, and won't sell it. It is the perfect daily driver.

I bought a 3.6 Charger to hellcat swap but it was too nice to gut so i found another shell. Now i daily it. The 2wd is the way to go. Lighter, better milage. Get some snow tires, that is, if you don't have anything else to drive in the snow?😊

The 3.6 is a great engine! We have one in our Cherokee. It has plenty of power!

I drive my Black 2022 SXT Blacktop package Challenger 100 miles a day and average 28-30 mpg, already have 49k miles on and love it.

I think you made an excellent choice. Smooth ride, decent economy and quiet inside plus plenty of comfort. Like you said, 300hp is decent and plenty enough to handle freeway on and off ramps etc. Its a really nice color too. Have fun!

Love our 2017 Dodge Challenger GT AWD in Go Green. Love the 40 mpg Imperial on the highway, half that in town in the Winter. It gets mid 20's towing our 16 foot Lund Fury fishing boat down the highway. Yep, our boat, you should see the looks. I have a Reese Class 2 hidden hitch on it.

I remember when 300 HP was a BIG DEAL!!!

Wow Jamie that is a really sharp looking car!

The key to your purchase is the phrase DAILY DRIVER cause if you truly have the $$$$ to daily a Hellcat or even a well optioned Hemi car you probably are not working a Blue Collar job. I think your choice makes total sense as you can drive it everyday to work run errands the wife and kiddos can use it when needed and you have no stress about rock chips or parking lot dings. Its the best of both worlds in my opinion it looks cool, its fun to drive, its comfortable and you can legit afford fuel to drive it all the time. Again who does that with a Hemi car really? Also you have the knowledge and ability to fix the common issues this car has not everyone can nor do they appreciate that fact. Nice car love the color.

I held out for a Plum Purple GT, and finally found one. When you use the paddles, it activates the AWD. Great for WV curvy roads. Summer and Winter.

I traded in my 2016 GMC Sierra for my 2019 Dodge Challenger GT (in Octane Red 😎👍) two months ago and I couldn’t be happier with it. I wanted a solid grand touring-ish car - something affordable with decent power, that was comfortable and fun to drive on long trips, and would also return good fuel economy. The Challenger is about the only car that really did all of those things well. The GT package comes with the same suspension as the RT models (and if you spec it with the Performance Handling Group, you’re getting all of suspension components from the ScatPak cars). Those suspension components combined with the lighter weight of the V6 actually makes it pretty satisfying to drive. On a three hour drive to Columbus, OH yesterday, it returned 30.3 mpg. Which is absolutely ridiculous for a car like the Challenger. The worst fuel economy I’ve seen so far is around 27 mpg, and that’s still nothing I can complain about. I don’t really see what having a V8 under the hood would benefit what I want from the car, honestly. Well, other than mostly shutting up people who shouldn’t be worrying about what the hell I’m buying and driving to begin with. But anyway…

Nice car. My Wife had a Grand Caravan that had a 295 hp 3.6 pentastar. That thing was impressive for a minivan. We crossed the country many times with it and towed a couple cars with it. Loved the Pentastar.

As an owner of a 2010 R/T Challenger since brand new welcome to the modern Challenger family.

I drive a Charger GT and love it. I had a mechanic at the dodge dealership tell me he drives a GT because he won't touch a HEMI since he fixes them all day.

It was hard to buy my 2012 mustang, my first non v8, but I put 100k miles on that thing and literally zero issues after 12 years. The v6 ford and dodge cars are super fun, super easy to maintain and plenty fast for daily, and are fairly cheap. I think I like v8 in vintage way more. They dont even have to go fast.

This video was like a mirror of my life. I just traded my 2012 Focus daily driver that I bought new for a 2023 Sublime Challenger SXT because I was bored with the Focus and wanted something new. It was absolutely the right choice; I love the Challenger, and the 3.6 has plenty of power. I also miss the 35 mpg I got with the Focus on my commute, but now I have a Challenger instead of a Focus, so it all balances out. I have less to spend on my huge fleet of old junk (more deja vu), but I'm happy.

I owned a 2019 SXT Plus in B5 Blue absolutely beautiful. And quite quick for a V6 and probably the last real American touring car. Big comfortable and rides great. And feels much lighter than it is. And infinitely more practical than the mustang with it unusable rear seats. Enjoy it, I certainly did. I needed something larger and upgraded to a 2023 Durango GT Plus, same powertrain.

Fact - a 5.7 R/T auto with a LSD added is the perfect all around performance car. Additional fact - 6.4 cam and headers bolt right on and in for more perfection. The only issue with the 3.6 is the lack of upgrades - it will always be better to sell is to it and buy an R/T if the day comes when you want more power. The 5.7 is not only very quick, but a good blank canvas for upgrades.

Nice upgrade. Well earned!

Congratulations on the new Challenger. I look forward to your purchase of a Scat Pack (or perhaps an i6 Charger) With the 3.6 you'll only need to watch out for the plastic oil cooler. The aluminum upgrade/replacement is readily available. When you INEVITABLY (one of us, one of us) upgrade to the Scat Pack, the only "mandatory" upgrade is a Melling high volume oil pump (to free you from worries of cam/lifter failure.) I purchased a 2018 Challenger GT (AWD) new before trading up to a 2020 Scat Pack, Shaker Hood. My average mpg is the same and the only downside is that the 392 demands premium fuel. The 3.6 runs best on 89 octane, as recommended by the owner"s manual. (Either engine will run on any fuel, just not well.) However, I'm seriously considering selling the Challenger and just dailying a 1988 Plymouth Gran Fury for simplicity's sake so whatever. Cheers from VA.

I rented one in Vegas, it was black and had a thousand scratches on it and almost 200,000 miles. It was an awesome cruising car, and it was a little more exciting than a Kia (a lot actually). I too have a 2014 Ram 6 popper that we bought new for a shop truck. We have the same truck with a hemi (also with the tick) and I’d take the 6 cylinder any day. Although the hemi does have 225,000 miles

Jamie I caught the new car bug in 2018 myself (August) and bought a pink elephant Chrysler 300S 5.7 Hemi brandy new off the dealer lot. I was wanting a Charger R/T Hemi but actually scored the upscale Chrysler for the same money or less. My old college buddy was a salesman there, and said the "S" model 3.6 and Hemi look identical, and no one would pony-up for the V8 to look identical, for like $4000 cost. They had the car for 8mo and sold over a dozen Pentastar 6 cars around it, and it HAD TO GO before September. I nego'd with them for days, and finally got it for a little less than the top dollar I swore myself to. ZERO regrets, I love it!! A friend loved it so much, he bought a Touring V6 model around November (his medium blue, mine ceramic grey), and he loves his too. He gets 31mpg hwy and I get 29mpg hwy, but his gets a better spread around town. Mine actually has a trip odometer that I never use or reset, and it shows over 26mpg over the whole (13,000mi) history of the car. I haven't even put a battery in it yet! I have changed the oil at 2000mi, 5000mi, and 10,000mi, and it will be due again at 15K. I use 5w20 Penzoil Platinum synthetic oil with a Lubegard BioTech additive (to ward off Hemi problems, we'll see!!) and a Purolator "BOSS" 10K rated filter. This is my first car not to see 3K oil changes. going with 5,000 instead of the recommended 10K(!!!). I like your Chally and ENJOY!! I know I love my THREE HUNNIT!!

The 3.6 are surprisingly quick. And really good on gas mileage. I have a 2014 with the 5 speed auto. I can get 30+mpg when cruisihg on thr highway. Upgrade the lower i take to a style they call the PUG. Put some PUG (pentastar upgrade) injectors. And a good real CAI that actual takes in cold air. and thry are real fun. There are even adapters for 85mm hemi tbs to go on them. Because the way the computer system worksit will automatically adjust for those upgrades and increase hp without a tune.

Agreed on the 3.6 as a DD. If it was going to be a weekend fun ride, I would probably get an R/T 5.7 6-speed combo as a nice performance/value balance with that bitchin exhaust note. I do have to say, I actually like the wheels that are on it...

I have its brother, cousin, whichever you wanna call it. Lol. 2016 Chrysler 300 with the same V6. Daily driver to and from work. Perfectly happy with it. 😊

You did great, I had a Pacifica with that motor 2018 3.6 would SMOKE THE TIRES, Wife laid rubber down, and you would not believe unless you were there in traction control was on Needless to say, I was proud . And that's front wheel drive. I drove a Toyota Van it had nothing on a Pacifica.

Its a beautiful car, wise choice!

You're making me seriously consider a V6 now. I love the Challenger - and agree the latest was the greatest looking - but 4 doors does come in handy so 300 for me. I was comfortable with the 3.5 but not so sold on the Penta 3.6...until this video. All cars have their respective Achilles Heel, but many are decent. A 300S with a 3.6 might actually be doable when new (read: used, new to me) car shopping comes next year. Great video...and yes, that color is nice! I so appreciate ALL your videos!

Looks like a winner. I hadn't seen a Challenger in that color before. I'm surprised it wasn't more popular.

LOL Ok, you've convinced me. Now I'm looking to trade in my 01 Acura on one. (Acrua is getting to the point of needing more work than I have time for). Love your vids.

I've been watching your new videos getting the Demon ready to drag race and I was fascinated with how different the driving experience is between the Demon and your Challenger here. Both have 300 ish HP both are 2 door Muscle ish cars albeit from different eras and the driving experience could not be much more different. The Challenger is fun but subdued where the Demon is a riot and in your face. Now the Challenger might be a little more rowdy if it was a manual with say 5-6 gears to row but it still (in my opinion) would not be close to the level of the Demon it terms of seat of the pants excitement and Joker smiles per mile. So I wondered what a well tuned 300hp "ish" 318 magnum overdrive automatic equipped 70-76 Dart / Duster / Scamp (Demon as if they are for rich people) would be like, arguably you could build a really nice handling, riding, stopping and going car for about what you pay for a modern low mileage v6 Challenger if you weren't too picky on paint (like with the Garbage can Cuda but with actual body work) and did the work yourself and didn't charge yourself labor. The best of both worlds? Maybe ....things that make ya go Hmmmmmmmmm. You have spoken about a slant 6 daily I think I would prefer 318 Magnum with overdrive or a nice modern 5-6 spd Manual if I could find one that's affordable.

I just bought a 23 Charger GT AWD. I have 2 Hemi Chargers, (12&14), but I'm selling the 12 with 150K. I'll be honest, giving up the Hemi for a V6 is a big step for me. The dealer made me a deal I couldn't turn down, I just hope I don't regret it. My wife jokes with me that I'm finally growing up. Her car is the 14 with a Hemi and AWD, so at least I'll still have a V8 to get my kicks.

I agree that the 3.6 is a good engine, I test drove a 2016 Chrysler 300 with one and it was pretty quick. The 3.7L v6 also has some good power.

I had a hemi Challenger and it was great. But I had to sell it and replaced it with a 2010 Charger with a 3.5 V6. It’s nice, gets good mpg, and is decently fast, I run synthetic oil and 89 octane gas. For just a daily driver the V6 isn’t too bad.

Also despite its flaws. Imho the 3.6 pentastar will be remembered like the slant 6. Or 318. A good mass produced engineml. That everyone has overlooked. I saw a video of a guy tearing down a 400,000 mile one. Stolill barely on the stock timing chain guides. Besrings and bores looked like new.

Just right. Well described.

I love old iron and I get a lot of joy. In driving to town and back in my old cars. But I fully agree with you if I need to put the family in or if need to go cross-country or take a road trip. It's a lot nicer to have something a little newer. A little bit better fuel mileage and a little bit, more comfortable and more dependable. A lot of times the fun part of driving the old cars to town and back is the thought in the back of your head. Will you make it home? nice upgrade on the daily

Congratulations on the new ride! Pretty nice, man. With 300HP out of a V6, you'll have fun and not eat gas like crazy. Or cams. LOL. Take care, Jamie. And enjoy!

Very nice color, I’m with you on all the DD points. Had a3,6 in an 06 300 and no issues. Yup, I have a Challenger 2010 SRT8 stick 6.1 Thanks for another great video

Well done! love that color!! nothing wrong with gettin a couple mps and being comfortable at same time.

I love engines that run super smooth and are super efficient, and usually when you put those two together you get an engine that puts out a lot of power for it size and gets very good gas mileage. Vs. if they need/want more power, they just make it bigger. Plus the engine usually weighs less to boot. The only downside I can see to it is it's a smaller engine making more power, so you'd think that would make it not as reliable, but that doesn't seem to be an issue either. I guess if they can build an engine with higher quality standards that would take care of that problem, obviously. Lol.

Wise choice. Most importantly it's fun to drive and puts a smile on your face. I'd buy all black wheels of some sort and one of those aftermarket 71 'Cuda grilles to set it apart. It's a beautiful color and a very nice looking car!

This is probably one of the nicest videos I've watched in a long time! Subscribed!

I bought one just like it. Same color with blacktop pkg. It's my daily driver. My Barracuda if left unattended for more than 30 minutes will disappear as Albuquerque is like number 1 in the country for car theft.

Great car, I owned one for 4 years and it was awesome, traded it for a 6 speed 392 as its was not my daily

Congratulations on the purchase, Jamie. And for the unexpected short clip from Dead Dodge Detailing. 🙂

I had 2 Toyota Carollas. 1989 and 1990 the two door coupe with the flip up headlights. They both blew Cold AC. Sweet little cars. My daughter sold her Challenger got more the what she paid for it. Had the V6 and they haul ass. Plenty of Power. 👍

I love the retro look of those. And as an old guy... I can appreciate getting better fuel economy. Having said that, I drive a 17 Ram 1/2 ton 4×4 with the 5.7 hemi. It gets decent mileage, IF you can keep your foot from hittiing the floor!😂

I’m not gonna dis your choice in powerplant, but I did daily my ‘09 R/T to 265k when the engine cradle bolts rusted off and I replaced it with a ‘22 Shaker. I’m going to recommend a wheel you won’t park next to - Charger cop wheels. When I first needed new tires I bought a set of new steel wheels and dog dishes, painted them Tor-red to match my ‘09 and suddenly it was 1970! Youngin’s didn’t get it, but they’re going on the ‘22 (it’s Tor-red, too - so I’m in a rut) next rubber change (maybe with red lines…)

Great choice Jamie, the wife has the 3.6 in her Jeep and loves it. If it is what you like who cares what others like right.

I Iike your new car, good choice. Nice color to, have fun enjoy it, best regards.

The folks at Brampton made a lot of very good cars for many a year (home of the Charger and Challenger, of course). We've had more than a few of the Chargers (I prefer it to the Challenger; less bulky/floppy feeling) - *all* of them R/T models with the 5.7 *hemi* . Loved them all, bought them all new and got six figures out of each of them without so much as a hiccup - there's nothing wrong with a hemi if it's properly maintained. Heck, the current one in the stable is the longest-lived so far (wife loves it and won't part with it), a black on black affair with all the bells and whistles (including really nice leather). Again, zero issues over 100k miles now - and I've had it down the track to the tune of a 13.9, bone freaking stock. Slap a set of Michelins on it, change the oil with Mobil1 when it says to and enjoy forever. Oh - and resale is a ton better on a hemi than a penthouse whatchamacallit. - Ed on the Ridge

The six cylinder is good it rocks in my sisters 300c

🇺🇸👍 Got the same comments you did when my wife bought a new 2016 V6 automatic MUSTANG WHY DIDN’t you buy a GT because 300 HP retuned 334 HP and premium fuel only. Now 93K miles and one water pump later is still a great car but I still love my 4 other MOPARS.👍

Someone was definitely dancing on your roof! And i think he might have been singing to a "single mom" 😂

We used to rag on a kid who got a 2009 v6 way back when it was new because of the lack of power ( 250-60?) but now with almost 310hp out of the 3.6 the haters are starting to eat humble pie and buy these up.

I bought a new v6 one in 2009, decent car but handling was not it's strong suit it leaned plenty in the turns. 20 mpg seemed to be what it got consistently with my driving habits. There are performance upgrades available for the 3.6 engine as I'm sure your well aware of. I have a hemi Ram (2020) now and keep the oil changed and I have extended warranty for a reason. Nice looking car when the time comes for wheel and tire replacement get the charger police steel wheels with the dog dish center caps that would look bad ass on that car.