Compare the2023 Volkswagen ArteonVS 2023 Dodge Charger

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Volkswagen Arteon has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Charger doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Arteon has a standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Charger doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Arteon’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Charger.

The Arteon SEL Premium has a standard Area View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Charger only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

The Arteon has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the Charger’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Arteon has a standard rear cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Rear cross-path warning costs extra on the Charger.

Both the Arteon and the Charger have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras and available all wheel drive.

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Volkswagen Arteon is safer than the Charger:

	Arteon	Charger
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	193	222
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	3 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Max Chest Compression	21 cm	28 cm
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Femur Force R/L	.7/.2 kN	3.7/3 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	1%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.3/.52	1.21/.58
Tibia forces R/L	1.9/1.8 kN	3/4.7 kN

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Arteon the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 220 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Charger was not even a “Top Safety Pick” for 2016.

Warranty

The Arteon comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car. The Charger’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Arteon’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Charger’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the Arteon for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Dodge doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Charger.

Reliability

The Volkswagen Arteon’s engine uses a cast iron block for durability, while the Charger’s 3.6 DOHC V6 engine uses an aluminum block. Aluminum engine blocks are much more prone to warp and crack at high temperatures than cast iron.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Arteon has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of some of the engines in the Charger.

Engine

The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 8 more horsepower (300 vs. 292) and 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 260) than the Charger’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Arteon’s 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder produces 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (295 vs. 264) than the Charger GT/SXT AWD’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Arteon gets better mileage than the Charger:

			MPG
Arteon
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/31 hwy
Charger
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/30 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	16 city/25 hwy
		6.4 OHV V8	15 city/24 hwy
	AWD	3.6 V6	18 city/27 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Arteon’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Charger doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Volkswagen Arteon uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended for maximum performance). The Charger Scat Pack requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Arteon offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is much more efficient than a conventional automatic but just as easy to drive. The Charger doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Arteon’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Charger:

	Arteon	Charger
Front Rotors	13.4 inches	12.6 inches

The Arteon’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Charger SXT are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Arteon has larger tires than the Charger (245/45R18 vs. 215/65R17).

The Arteon’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Charger SXT’s standard 65 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Arteon has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Charger SXT.

Chassis

The Volkswagen Arteon may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 450 pounds less than the Dodge Charger.

The Arteon is 6.9 inches shorter than the Charger SXT, making the Arteon easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Volkswagen Arteon amounts to more than styling. The Arteon has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .3 Cd. That is lower than the Charger (.304 to .38) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Arteon get better fuel mileage.

Passenger Space

The Arteon has .4 inches more rear headroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the Charger.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Arteon’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Charger doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Towing

The Arteon’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Charger’s (2000 vs. 1000 pounds).

While the Charger 392 Hemi is not recommended to tow, any Arteon can tow a minimum of 2000 pounds.

Ergonomics

The Arteon’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Charger’s parking brake has to be released manually.

The Arteon’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Charger’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Arteon’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Charger’s power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Arteon’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Charger’s standard intermittent wipers change speed with vehicle speed, but can’t turn on and off or change speed based on changing rainfall.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Arteon has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Charger doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Arteon also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The Arteon’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Dodge charges extra for heated mirrors on the Charger.

The Arteon has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the car heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Charger.

The Arteon SEL Premium has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Charger.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen Arteon has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Charger doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Arteon SEL Premium’s Park Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Charger doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Volkswagen Arteon and the Dodge Charger, based on reliability, safety and performance.

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