Kudos to the Challenger, the unofficial winner of this review.

(Should have gotten the SRT8...)

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What? I just like big cars.

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Camaro - 163 points - Fantasy Garage

Challenger - 148 points - E39 M5 in your pocket or just happy?

Mustang - 140 points - E39 M5 in your pocket or just happy?

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It should get way more love than it does because there is a lot to love about it in comparison to the other two.

First, Chrysler nailed the styling. The look of the car is near perfect without any weird angles, proportions details or being overdone. It is the very definition of a neo-classic and will likely be the most unique of the three.

Sit in the Challenger after being in the Mustang and Camaro. It really doesn't give up anything to either one of them when it comes to design, materials or build quality. In fact the Challengers I've been in had better fit and finish than the 2010 Mustang I drove. The seats are the best of the three, firmly padded, thickly bolstered and perfectly shaped. The gauge cluster is modern and very easy to read at a glance (not so in the Mustang or Camaro). The wheel is a little too large but the buttons are the most user-friendly and it tilts and telescopes. The centerstack of the Challenger is also the easiest to use. I don't think it was Chrysler's intention but it does have a very retro feel though it uses Chrysler's modern corporate parts. That's a good thing though and you won't need to spend an hour reading the manual to know what everything does unlike the button-heavy Mustang or uncommonly-styled Camaro stack. Everything in the Challenger is very easy to read at a glance and understand even if you've never been in one. Just skip the nav and go for the rotary headunit and save the dough. The Challenger is also easy to see out of in all directions yet retains the low-top look that made LX Chrysler's hot in the first place and that the Camaro may have taken too far.

The dynamics of the Challenger I would describe as 85% of the Camaro's. It's certainly better than the Mustang, keeps most of what it good about the Camaro's performance and handling yet it has a softer edge and would be a much better daily driver than both. Bodyroll is the most pronounced but there are lots of aftermarket companies with solutions for those who don't like that.

The HEMI V8s are similar to GM's LSX V8s as well. In fact the Challenger's powertrain is much like it's handling, nearly as good as the Camaro's. It feels like a modern engine design with an free-revving nature and it sounds different than the LS3 but just as good. It's also nearly as explosive off the line. You can tell this car is the heaviest but it certainly doesn't feel slow. It delivers the driving experience and tire-burning antics muscle car nuts love. Bonus that the pistol-grip manual is the best of the three and coolest looking to boot.

The other huge advantage the Challenger has is that's is very practical. Like the doomed LSX GTO the Challenger has a large backseat that can accomodate normal adults in some semblance of comfort, the Mustang and Camaro cannot. Unlike the GTO or the other two ponies the Challenger's trunk can also swallow anything a normal fullsize sedan can. It's huge and the opening is a normal rectangle so loading it up for a roadtrip would be a breeze.

All in all I think the Challenger drives much more modern than the Mustang and delivers the similar performance to the other two while being arguably the best styled car and there's no question it's more practical and unique. Chrysler does ask a little more money for it but compared to the Camaro (and especially the Mustang) it doesn't seem out of line at all.

If you're in the market and want a car you can really enjoy every day and justify to a significant other then get a Challenger while you can.

It's really something special.

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Krewson, you're dead to me.

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I immediately fell in love with it when Road and Track took it out a few months ago ... until they actually got inside it. I was heartbroken.

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