Oct. 27, 2025

Speed, Size, and Hellcats

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With Dodge thinking real hard about bringing the Hellcat, we take a look at two of our favorites. A three-row family hauler with 710 horsepower sounds like a punchline, but the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Premium makes a strong case for everyday insanity. We dive into the details that matter: the captain’s chairs that make carpool easy, the Laguna leather and heated second row that keep everyone happy, and the SRT Performance Pages that tempt you to explore every drive mode. From red Bremb...

With Dodge thinking real hard about bringing the Hellcat, we take a look at two of our favorites.

A three-row family hauler with 710 horsepower sounds like a punchline, but the 2023 Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat Premium makes a strong case for everyday insanity. We dive into the details that matter: the captain’s chairs that make carpool easy, the Laguna leather and heated second row that keep everyone happy, and the SRT Performance Pages that tempt you to explore every drive mode. From red Brembo brakes and 20 by 10 wheels to the 10.1-inch Uconnect system and a thundering Harman Kardon setup, the Durango blends comfort, tech, and raw force in a way few SUVs can touch.

Then we talk numbers and nuance. A 6.2-liter supercharged V8 with 710 hp and 645 lb-ft moving 5,500 pounds to 60 in under five seconds feels unhinged, yet the competition suspension and AWD deliver a firm, stable ride on the highway. Towing up to 8,700 pounds, seeing real-world fuel economy in the teens, and confronting a six-figure sticker spark the bigger conversation: what are you really buying when you choose a Hellcat badge? We stack the Durango’s capability against the short list of rivals and find that very few full-size SUVs play in this power league.

To round out the picture, we jump into the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody and explore why a shape born in 2008 still sells out. Wide fenders, a flat-nose grille, and hood nostrils serve retro muscle with modern grip, while a thick SRT wheel, high-bolstered seats, and bulletproof Uconnect keep the cockpit focused. With 717 hp and 656 lb-ft on tap, the Challenger raises the eternal question: should you use all of it? We unpack the burnout myth, traction realities, daily drivability, and how the Hellcat compares with Mustang Mach 1, Camaro ZL1, and Charger Hellcat.

If you’re weighing a supercharged SUV that can tow the toys or a coupe that time-travels to the glory days, this conversation maps the trade-offs in power, price, and practicality. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves big horsepower, and leave a review to tell us whether you’d pick the Durango or the Challenger.

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00:10 - Durango Hellcat Overview

01:04 - Trims, Seating, And Family Practicality

01:46 - Exterior And Interior Features

02:29 - Powertrain, Weight, And Towing

03:04 - Real-World MPG And Ride Impressions

04:19 - Pricing And Competitor Reality Check

05:28 - Challenger Hellcat Review Begins

06:13 - Design, Interior, And Retro Appeal

07:31 - Burnouts, Traction, And Driving Etiquette

08:35 - Challenger Pricing And Competitors

10:35 - Where To Watch And Listen

WEBVTT

00:00:10.560 --> 00:00:15.679
All right, um, time now for the car review.

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Now, Mr.

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Mars had the chance to drive.

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Don't be smiling at me on when I give this introduction.

00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:26.960
Had the chance to drive the Dodge Durango SRT Hellcat.

00:00:27.280 --> 00:00:33.520
And that's all I'm gonna say because I know that you'll rub it in even more now that you've had a chance to drive it.

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So we're we're talking about the 2023 Durango SRT Hellcat Premium All-Wheel Drive.

00:00:42.079 --> 00:00:43.119
Now I'm gonna explain that to you.

00:00:43.439 --> 00:00:44.399
Okay, please do.

00:00:44.640 --> 00:00:58.000
Now the Dodge Durango, uh, you can actually, if you count the different editions that they have listed on their website, you can actually get 18 different trim levels or whatever you want to call it of the Durango.

00:00:58.399 --> 00:01:02.399
However, we're gonna just talk about the three Hellcat editions.

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You can get the uh SRT Hellcat, the SRT Hellcat Plus, the SRT Hellcat Premium, which is the one that we had.

00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:11.439
This is a full-size SUV three-row.

00:01:11.840 --> 00:01:15.120
We had the six-passenger version because we had the captain's chairs in the second row.

00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:18.159
One of my granddaughters, I was taking her someplace in it.

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She said, This is a family car?

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Yes, this is a family car when you get everything in it that you really want.

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And uh it has a distinctive SRT badging.

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Uh ours had the dual racing stripes on it, the uh SRT performance hood, had projector headlamps, LED daytime running lamps, all that good stuff you're gonna find out there.

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SRT red brimbo brakes had power sunroof, power lift gate, 20 by 10 inch wheels.

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Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.

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Now you go to the inside of it, and this is where you're really gonna see that it's uh is could be a family vehicle.

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Laguna leather seating.

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Got the high performance bucket seats up front.

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Uh they're heated, ventilated.

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The second row has also bucket seats that are heated, and it has a console in that second row, so it's very comfortable for the rear passengers.

00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:10.400
Uh up front, you're also gonna find out you've got a 200 mile per hour speedometer.

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And you're also got a 10.1 inch touchscreen where the nav with the UConnect system is, nav.

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You're gonna find your SRT performance pages there.

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It's got wireless charging on it, it's got the Harman Cardin audio with 19 speakers with subwoofer and 825 watt amp.

00:02:25.280 --> 00:02:28.240
So there's power in this vehicle on everything.

00:02:29.360 --> 00:02:34.240
Now, the uh the Hellcat was first introduced in 2021.

00:02:34.319 --> 00:02:39.199
It was really only supposed to be a one-model year production, but it keeps going because people love this vehicle.

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It does weigh 5,500 pounds, so it is a large vehicle.

00:02:43.439 --> 00:02:45.919
And it's heavy in the all-wheel drive configuration.

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Now, under the hood, you're gonna find the 6.2 liter V8, 710 horsepower SRT Hellcat engine, 645-pound piece of torque, eight-speed automatic.

00:02:57.199 --> 00:03:03.759
Now, you can properly equip this vehicle, and I don't know that I would do it with the Hellcat motor, but 8,700 pounds of Durango is capable of towing.

00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:11.599
Now, the EPA says you should be able to look for 12 miles per gallon in the city, 17 on the highway, and combined 13.

00:03:11.919 --> 00:03:18.159
Now, for the two tanks of fuel that I drove this vehicle during the week, I had it across 238.3 miles.

00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:20.879
It got what?

00:03:21.599 --> 00:03:23.520
I did not drive it over here this week.

00:03:23.919 --> 00:03:24.240
Why is that?

00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:25.919
Because it sucked down too much gas?

00:03:26.159 --> 00:03:30.960
No, because we were at the Autorama, it came in with the Autorama and it had the truck full of all our stuff in it.

00:03:31.199 --> 00:03:31.680
Okay, I see.

00:03:32.400 --> 00:03:35.120
It hurt my feelings to leave it sitting in the driveway for a couple of days.

00:03:35.360 --> 00:03:36.319
I'll bet it did.

00:03:36.560 --> 00:03:39.680
Well, you could have transferred it from the truck to the back of the uh Hellcat.

00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:43.120
I was afraid it wouldn't hold it all, but uh we have a lot of stuff.

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But anyway, zero to sixty in less than five seconds, according to Dodge.

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It does have a competition suspension on it.

00:03:49.680 --> 00:03:51.759
And so you're gonna have a firm highway ride.

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It comes with that.

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Yeah.

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When you get that engine common combination package with all-wheel drive, that's what you're gonna get.

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But it's not that rough.

00:04:02.000 --> 00:04:03.599
You know, you're going down the highway at a rough.

00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:05.840
No, it weighs almost three tons.

00:04:06.080 --> 00:04:06.479
Exactly.

00:04:06.560 --> 00:04:10.080
And when you've got the engine that you can hear, mommy, my wife went to sleep.

00:04:10.159 --> 00:04:13.120
We were cruising, and she just Yes, exactly.

00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.560
She thought it was great for that, and I said, Great, then I'm gonna get one.

00:04:16.879 --> 00:04:19.040
But she didn't like that idea too good.

00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:25.199
Anyway, so if you're looking at a Dodge Durango, you can get into this vehicle for$40,645.

00:04:25.680 --> 00:04:27.360
But we're talking about the Hellcat.

00:04:27.680 --> 00:04:32.399
So a base trim hell price on a Hellcat is$91,740.

00:04:32.639 --> 00:04:33.199
Wow.

00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:42.720
Now, uh you can get the Hellcat for$93,335 and the Hellcat Plus for$99.339.35.

00:04:43.360 --> 00:04:52.639
Or you can get, as tested, the MSRP on the Durango SRT Hellcat Premium All-Wheel Drive for$106,420.

00:04:53.519 --> 00:04:56.560
Now, I went out and I looked to see what you could compare this to.

00:04:56.639 --> 00:04:58.720
Now, there's a lot of full-size SUVs out there.

00:04:58.879 --> 00:04:59.040
Yeah.

00:04:59.199 --> 00:04:59.519
The V.

00:05:00.160 --> 00:05:02.000
There's some of them that have all-wheel drive.

00:05:02.079 --> 00:05:02.240
Yeah.

00:05:02.639 --> 00:05:05.759
But none of them have 700 plus horsepower.

00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:07.040
So I just didn't even bother.

00:05:07.199 --> 00:05:10.720
Well, if you get one of these weird, it would be the Escalade V.

00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:14.720
I I'd have enough trouble staying and keeping gas in this one.

00:05:14.879 --> 00:05:15.439
Yeah, yeah.

00:05:15.519 --> 00:05:15.839
Exactly.

00:05:16.000 --> 00:05:18.800
So uh, but anyway, uh it's it's a very impressive vehicle.

00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:24.800
It'll do a lot of and that's my review of the 2023 Dodge Drangle SRT Hellcat Face.

00:05:25.279 --> 00:05:26.959
It's not a smile, it's a smirk.

00:05:27.199 --> 00:05:28.000
Oh, I love it.

00:05:28.160 --> 00:05:28.480
All right.

00:05:28.639 --> 00:05:33.199
Hey, the In-Wheel Time Car Talk Show is available 24-7 through the iHeartRadio app.

00:05:33.279 --> 00:05:34.800
Just look for In Wheel Time Car Talk.

00:05:34.959 --> 00:05:46.319
We also did 2022 Dodge Challenger.

00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:55.920
Available trim levels, the SXT, the GT, the RT, the RT Scat Pack, and the SRT Hellcat.

00:05:56.399 --> 00:06:00.240
Not only did I have the Hellcat, but I had the Hellcat wide body.

00:06:00.480 --> 00:06:01.680
How many passengers?

00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:03.199
Four or five.

00:06:03.439 --> 00:06:08.160
If you want to stick a third person in the back seat back there, I don't is there even a seat belt back there for that?

00:06:08.959 --> 00:06:09.279
I don't think so.

00:06:09.519 --> 00:06:10.079
Someone in the middle?

00:06:10.240 --> 00:06:11.040
It's four people.

00:06:11.199 --> 00:06:13.600
Anyway, exterior changes from last model year?

00:06:13.839 --> 00:06:14.240
None.

00:06:14.480 --> 00:06:19.600
This car was originally introduced in 2008, which was 15 years ago, if you're counting.

00:06:19.759 --> 00:06:26.480
And if you stop and think about it, what car is still around that's 15 years old that they sell everyone that they make?

00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:28.160
It's truly amazing.

00:06:28.399 --> 00:06:30.560
Uh I it it's a yeah.

00:06:30.720 --> 00:06:32.399
Um exterior features.

00:06:32.639 --> 00:06:39.199
Wheel opening extensions allow for wider, bigger wheels and tires, and that's really what it's all about.

00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:42.399
Trying to get the power to the road.

00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:48.319
Flat-nosed grill is a direct uh descendant of the original back in the 60s.

00:06:48.480 --> 00:06:51.120
Uh She-Jack air nostrils on the hood.

00:06:51.439 --> 00:06:51.920
No, no.

00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:53.040
Oh well, they could be, yes.

00:06:53.439 --> 00:06:54.560
They did say wide body.

00:06:54.720 --> 00:06:54.879
Yeah.

00:06:55.040 --> 00:06:56.000
You're gonna sneeze?

00:06:56.160 --> 00:06:59.120
Oh uh front splitter and rear spoiler.

00:06:59.279 --> 00:06:59.680
Said that.

00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:05.040
What I liked, the retro styling that never gets old in my book.

00:07:05.199 --> 00:07:06.639
Uh what could use improvement?

00:07:06.720 --> 00:07:07.279
Nothing.

00:07:07.439 --> 00:07:13.759
I like the way it is and I like the way it looks, and uh they're not gonna change it, and I wouldn't recommend they change it.

00:07:13.920 --> 00:07:15.040
That's what sells the car.

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Interior highlights, thick SRT steering wheel, uh, well-laid out dash that is getting a little dated, but it still works.

00:07:23.680 --> 00:07:25.279
Great infotainment system.

00:07:25.360 --> 00:07:27.600
That Chrysler system just really works for me.

00:07:27.839 --> 00:07:30.319
Comfortable, high bolstered seating.

00:07:30.480 --> 00:07:35.360
Uh, cargo trunk room is relatively small for a mid-sized car like this.

00:07:35.600 --> 00:07:38.879
What I liked about it, the race car styling on the interior.

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What could use improvement?

00:07:40.240 --> 00:07:40.720
Nothing.

00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.680
Waiting on the electric replacement, and I can't wait.

00:07:44.160 --> 00:07:48.160
They they do they do such a good job at hot rotting.

00:07:48.240 --> 00:07:51.279
I can only imagine where the electric is going to go.

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6.2 liters supercharged V8, 717 posted horsepower, torque of 656 pound feet.

00:08:02.399 --> 00:08:05.759
Transmission, eight-speed automatic transmission.

00:08:06.000 --> 00:08:13.920
It's rated for 13 miles per gallon in the city and 21 on the highway for a combined total of 15.

00:08:14.319 --> 00:08:15.600
17.3.

00:08:16.079 --> 00:08:16.959
Well, I mean.

00:08:17.920 --> 00:08:18.800
I'm sorry.

00:08:18.959 --> 00:08:21.920
I know that the car will smoke the rear tires.

00:08:22.079 --> 00:08:22.720
I know that.

00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:24.240
Why would I want to do that?

00:08:24.399 --> 00:08:25.279
I don't want to do that.

00:08:26.000 --> 00:08:26.879
Now, yeah, I know.

00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:29.680
Well, and it's not my car.

00:08:30.480 --> 00:08:37.120
Now, Mars, on the other hand, if you just see and hear his comment, he says, exactly.

00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:39.279
So, in other words, that's what you do.

00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:44.480
Kimberly Schultz, I just wanted to go ahead and call him out on this.

00:08:44.879 --> 00:08:46.879
You've lit those tires up, haven't you?

00:08:47.279 --> 00:08:48.720
In the name of research, yes.

00:08:48.879 --> 00:08:51.120
I mean, you've got to figure out just to what extent.

00:08:51.440 --> 00:09:00.399
Guys that do it on YouTube and stuff, whenever you're the Stellantis and the and the Dodge engineers, they all know exactly how to do that.

00:09:00.559 --> 00:09:03.279
So they can they can do these funny cars all day.

00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:04.480
We all know how to do it.

00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:09.600
You take the traction control off and you put it in low or shift it through the gears.

00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:09.840
No.

00:09:10.080 --> 00:09:12.320
And just keep burning the tires all the way down the track.

00:09:12.559 --> 00:09:13.759
No, no, no, no.

00:09:14.159 --> 00:09:15.200
Okay, well then how do you?

00:09:15.600 --> 00:09:18.639
We're gonna have to give you lessons on how to do a proper burnout.

00:09:19.360 --> 00:09:21.200
Next time we get a car, yes.

00:09:21.519 --> 00:09:21.840
Okay.

00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:26.480
I don't want I'll watch from the curb a long way back.

00:09:26.639 --> 00:09:29.600
Because I all I can see is that car going down the road.

00:09:30.080 --> 00:09:31.200
We're not talking about a Mustang.

00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:32.639
Ryan and handling.

00:09:32.799 --> 00:09:35.919
What I liked about it, the race car like suspension.

00:09:36.080 --> 00:09:42.240
Uh, what could use improvement, adjustability, but then it wouldn't be a race car uh uh uh suspension on it.

00:09:42.320 --> 00:09:44.639
What it I I have a comment after all this, but that's okay.

00:09:44.720 --> 00:09:45.279
I'll wait.

00:09:45.440 --> 00:09:45.759
Okay.

00:09:46.399 --> 00:09:49.200
Now then, let us talk about pricing.

00:09:50.639 --> 00:09:58.559
Now, the base trim price on the Hellcat, the base trim price is sixty-three, five thirty.

00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:02.639
The price is tested was eighty-eight thousand dollars.

00:10:03.679 --> 00:10:10.080
But if you want to get into a challenger, a six-cylinder like my daughter's got, thirty thousand dollars.

00:10:10.240 --> 00:10:11.279
Yeah, that's good.

00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:14.320
It's like what, 305,000, 308 horsepower?

00:10:15.279 --> 00:10:16.240
There's plenty of juice, yeah.

00:10:16.559 --> 00:10:16.799
Plenty.

00:10:16.960 --> 00:10:17.279
Yep.

00:10:17.519 --> 00:10:18.960
Competitors to this vehicle.

00:10:19.120 --> 00:10:19.840
Well, duh.

00:10:19.919 --> 00:10:24.480
The Mustang Mach 1, it starts at 57,665.

00:10:24.879 --> 00:10:35.600
The Camaro ZL1 starts at 65, 895, which I think would probably be the closest competitor, but not really, as far as horsepower is concerned.

00:10:35.759 --> 00:10:40.720
And then there is the Charger 4-door, because I can't find any more two-doors.

00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:46.000
Charger 4-door starts at 79,595, and that's the Hellcat version.

00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:57.600
Okay, so you got 780 horsepower, you've got bolstered seats, you got wide body, you got big tires, you got all these accoutrements on the dashboard to fix performance, but oh, don't you dare light those tires up.

00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:01.279
Yeah, Don.

00:11:01.679 --> 00:11:02.960
Don't you dare.

00:11:03.279 --> 00:11:04.080
I didn't.

00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:05.360
I didn't light them up.

00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:06.960
It's there to light tires up.

00:11:07.200 --> 00:11:09.840
Here, here's my here's my reason.

00:11:10.320 --> 00:11:17.840
Because if I did that, I'd either one, get caught by the police to get a big ticket, or I'd wreck it.

00:11:17.919 --> 00:11:20.240
I'd put it into some some light pole down the street.

00:11:20.480 --> 00:11:21.919
Or you get caught by Dodge.

00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:24.399
Because that's my luck.

00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:25.120
I'm not going to do that.

00:11:25.360 --> 00:11:25.840
Why would I do that?

00:11:26.080 --> 00:11:27.600
The point is all of that, all of that.

00:11:27.919 --> 00:11:28.960
Did I floor it a time tough?

00:11:29.120 --> 00:11:30.320
Did I floor it a time or two?

00:11:30.559 --> 00:11:31.120
Absolutely.

00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.440
It takes it just a split second to say, oh, spin spinning the rear tires.

00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:42.080
Need to bring it back a little bit or shift it up to the next gear, and then you shift it up to the next gear, and it still wants to spin the tires.

00:11:42.399 --> 00:11:45.679
It's got it's got more horsepower than most people could handle.

00:11:46.080 --> 00:11:46.559
That's what I'm saying.

00:11:46.720 --> 00:11:47.679
That's kind of like can't fix.

00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:51.039
And the car is not.

00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:59.919
We also video stream on Facebook, YouTube, and inwheeltime.com podcasts at your fingertips on over a dozen of the most popular podcast outlets.

00:12:00.080 --> 00:12:04.559
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Speed, Size, and Hellcats

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