2019 Dodge Challenger R/t Scat Pack on 2040-cars

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Small 3-row crossover SUVs specifications compared on paper

There's no shortage of three-row vehicles on the market for carrying seven or more people and their stuff wherever they all need to go. Just about every car company has at least one large crossover or traditional SUV with three rows of seats, and there are still plenty of minivans to pick from. But most of these vehicles are large, pricey, and frequently thirsty. Fortunately, there are still a handful of smaller crossovers that deliver 7-passenger capability in a smaller, cheaper package. We've gathered four of the small three-row set here to compare them based on space, power, fuel economy, pricing, and more. They include the very old Dodge Journey, the slightly less old Mitsubishi Outlander and Kia Sorento, and the relatively new Volkswagen Tiguan. You can see the raw numbers in the chart below, followed by a more detailed breakdown and some notes on how we like each of these vehicles. For in-depth opinions on the vehicles, be sure to check out our full reviews, and if you want to compare these with other vehicles, try out our comparison tools. Engines, transmissions and performance Interestingly, three of the four crossovers here utilize similar engines for their four-cylinder offerings. The Dodge, Kia and Mitsubishi all feature naturally aspirated 2.4-liter four-cylinder engines. Only the Volkswagen Tiguan chooses turbocharging and a smaller 2.0-liter displacement. But because of its turbocharger, the Tiguan's four-cylinder is easily the most potent, making a healthy 221 pound-feet of torque, which is more than 40 more than the Sorento, the crossover with the next most torque. The VW is also second-most powerful, just one horse behind the Sorento. The Outlander is the least powerful in the four-cylinder class. The Journey is only barely better, but it will probably feel as slow or worse thanks to its ancient 4-speed automatic. The four-cylinder Sorento and Outlander each have 6-speed automatic transmissions, and the VW has an 8-speed. The Sorento with a V6 has an 8-speed, too. View 17 Photos Moving up to the V6 class, the Outlander is once again at the bottom. It actually makes less torque than the turbo VW Tiguan. The Journey and Sorento are almost perfectly matched. The Journey makes a bit more torque; the Sorento makes a bit more power. The Journey also gets upgraded to a 6-speed automatic. Another powertrain consideration to bare in mind is whether all-wheel-drive is necessary.

2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye Widebody: Bring your friends on a 797-hp thrill ride

For a couple years now, if you wanted the ultimate in Dodge performance, your only option was the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Redeye. The 797-horsepower engine was exclusive to it and its widened body, and if you needed four-doors, you were out of luck. But following the addition of a widebody Charger, the company has finally seen fit to create the 2021 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye, complete with the monster Hemi. Unsurprisingly, the addition of 90 extra horsepower makes the Charger Redeye significantly quicker than the standard Hellcat. On a 2.1-mile road course Dodge tested at, the Redeye lapped 1.2 seconds faster than the regular car. The Redeye also finishes the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds, close to 0.4 second faster than the standard Hellcat Widebody. Top speed also increases from 196 mph to 203 mph. Visually, there are a few subtle cues that distinguish the Redeye from the Hellcat Widebody. It of course gets Hellcat badges with red eyes, but it also gets a unique hood. The hood, in combination with the Widebody front fascia and a special air intake opening near the wheel liner give the Redeye the maximum amount of air flow to the engine bay of any Charger variant. While the big news is the Redeye coming to the Charger, prospective Hellcat buyers have some good news, too. All 2021 Hellcats pick up 10 horsepower for 717 total. This matches the limited-edition Charger Hellcat Widebody Daytona 50th Anniversary Edition. So even if you can't reach a Redeye, the regular Hellcat will be even more potent than before. Pricing for the new Redeye has not yet been announced. Dealers will be able to start ordering 2021 Chargers this fall, so we should have pricing around that time. Cars should begin arriving at lots in early 2021. Related Video:    

Demon's NHRA competition ban: Good talking point, bad feature

One of the biggest headlines for the Dodge Challenger Demon is that, in stock form, it's so fast that the NHRA won't allow it to compete in the organization's events. It's the ultimate humble brag, "I can't drag race my car because it's so fast it was banned by the sanctioning body." Certainly Tim Kuniskis, head of FCA brands in North America, was excited. He told the press that he hugged the guy that brought him the letter banning the Demon from competition. Unfortunately, the reality is that not being NHRA-legal is kind of silly, and frustrating for owners who would want to actually race. Before we go too much farther, we should explain exactly why the Demon is illegal for NHRA competition. The car is capable of a sub-10-second quarter-mile time both on racing fuel and 91-octane pump gas. Cars that fast are required by the NHRA to have a full, certified roll cage, and the Demon doesn't. Now there are certainly ways to get around this. The most obvious would be for a Demon owner to have a company install a roll cage. Using less grippy tires than the barely street-legal Nitto cheater slicks would probably help bring that time down, too. There's also the option of putting the car into Eco mode, and, yes, the Demon has one. In Eco mode, the Demon makes just 500 horsepower, and trips the lights at the quarter-mile in 11.59 seconds, which will avoid the roll-cage requirement. However, none of these options are ideal. For one thing, if you bought an 840-horsepower car, you're not going to want to limit it when you get to a closed course such as a drag strip. Similarly, you're not going to want to ditch your super-sticky tires at the strip, especially when they're standard equipment. Finally, having to go aftermarket for a roll cage is an inconvenience at minimum, and it seems like a strange oversight considering the rest of the car. This is a car from the factory that comes with drag radials, no passenger seats, a racing fuel tune, air conditioned intercooler, and even skinny front wheels for drag racing. Its purpose is clear, but for some reason, Dodge stopped short of giving it a roll cage that would allow it to compete. Perhaps adding a roll cage would've made it difficult to pass safety regulations, and we would be more disappointed if the car wasn't allowed on the street. Even so, it seems like an odd stopping point.