Pros & Cons
- Composed despite heavy mass.
- Theatrical V8 sedan drama.
- Real four-door muscle.
- Fuel consumption demands discipline.
- Traction easily overwhelmed.
- Aging interior polish.
2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Review with Vyocar
A two-ton, four-door muscle car that somehow pulls off daily-driver composure while blasting full-blown V8 theater at everyone within earshot, right up until its weight and rear tires remind you this party has limits.
Overview
I climb into the 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee and the first thing I notice is the complete un-subtlety of it all, a two ton slab that refuses to fly below the radar even if I beg politely. This thing is for people who values fast cars but are not ashamed admitting they also like a little theater, because the bright exterior hue is basically a loudspeaker, and yes the bright exterior hue (it’s actually Header Orange, not General Lee Orange) makes sure the whole parking lot knows what I brought. Add the flat black rear wing, the tape stripes, plus the flat black rear wing and tape stripes, and you have a sedan that turns heads constantly while I pretend I am just here for groceries. Under the hood is the 6.4 liter V8 with 470 hp and 470 lb ft of torque, numbers that would make even a Dodge Challenger SXT owner envious, and that is the kind of number that makes fast cars fans grin even when they try to act mature.
Then I open the door and get hit with the coal bin black interior, and yep it is coal bin black enough to feel like a cave, but the vibe is decidedly throw-back in a way that works. It also looks decidedly throw-back without feeling old, because the cabin layout is familiar and the car still feels modern where it counts, like daily controls and seat comfort. Compared with a Dodge Charger R/T, this one has more bite, but what I care about is how it behaves when I am not playing hero, and the road manners are quite composed for something this loud looking. It is weirdly sleek in motion, a beauty and a beast in the same commute, which is perfect if you value anonymity but bought the wrong paint color and now have to live with it, like me. And yes, the whole package reads composed and modern even while it is shouting Header Orange at everyone within eyesight.
Pricing, Trim Levels, and Best Pick
Powertrain, Transmission, and Driving Dynamics
The honking 6.4-liter “392 Hemi” V8 engine gives this sedan a proper 470-horsepower presence, and yes, it really is 470 horsepower with lb-ft torque at 475. Pair that with the five-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, and the whole thing feels old school in a good way. I stomp the right pedal and the exhaust note turns heavenly fast, even through the well-insulated cabin. Around town it keeps the little drama vibe, and the ride is similarly polished as long as you accept it is resolutely firm but still surprisingly composed over rough pavement.
When the road gets twisty, reality checks in, because Charger’s poundage is always riding shotgun. It stays cornering flat up to about eight-tenths, then those relatively narrow 245-section Goodyear summer rubber start negotiating for mercy. The rear tires are especially easy to overwhelm with a less-than-judicious foot, and the racing paddles on the steering wheel are more of a suggestion than a solution when it could spin in any gear. The acceleration is strong, but it is not a Corvette Stingray Z51 that drove like a dream in every situation. Still, the sound is the kind that makes me forgive things, and honestly more wouldn’t go amiss when you hear it from outside the car, especially if you have friends who are behind me enjoying the chaos. That is the charm of pushrod V8s: messy, loud, and weirdly usable if you respect the throttle.
2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Fuel Economy Test
I showed up with the optimism of a guy who still thinks he will eat one chip and stop. In the real world, this Super Bee is not here to play eco hero, it is here to turn fuel into noise and questionable decisions, and that is the whole point. Still, I ran it like a normal human would, commuting, errands, a little highway, a little stop and go, and the number that kept landing on my notes was 18.2 mpg. Is that “good”? For a big V8 sedan that wants you to mash the pedal like you are late to the season finale, it is honestly not terrible. The catch is simple: behave and it will act like a grown up, get spicy and the gauge drops faster than my self control near a drive thru.
Interior, Comfort and Space
Step into the Interior and the vibe is pretty clear fast: Interior comfort is high, even if design and feature content come up short in the way that makes you squint and go, really Dodge. It is a four-door, which means I can actually tote five adults out to dinner without turning it into a hostage negotiation, and that counts for a lot when you live with real humans. The seats feel built for hours not minutes, and the appearance does its best to distract you from a few plastic bits that look like they came from the bargain bin behind the parts counter. Still, compared with a Dodge Challenger SRT, this thing feels like the grown up choice, assuming the grown up choice still wants a sunroof and a V8 attitude.
Then you start poking around and the story gets funnier. There is a long list of items you will want, and a few that didn’t make the spec sheet, because of course they didn’t. The good news is the cold weather basics are here: heated leather seats, Heated/cooled seats, and a heated steering wheel. The bad news is the rest of the feature content can feel like it is playing catch up, because heated leather seats are all on the long list but some of the little polish stuff is missing when you go hunting for it. I like the day to day Comfort, but I also side eye Reliability like I am checking my phone battery at 2 percent. You get the point.
Cargo Space & Family Practicality
After a week in the car, I can tell you this 4dr Sedan is basically two personalities duct taped together in the best way. It is a proper sedan with a trunk that actually earns its keep, swallowing grocery runs, backpacks, and the random bulky stuff real life throws at you when you are not pretending to be a race hero. But it also is a four-door that will happily turn your calm errand into a giggle fit, because yes, it can still rip off mid-12-second quarter mile times while you are doing normal human tasks. Need to tote five adults and go out to dinner without anyone whining about space? Done, and done again, because I literally pictured five adults out to dinner and this thing just shrugs and says, cool, which restaurant. Practical enough for the crew, petty enough for your inner teenager.
Infotainment, Connectivity & Tech
You get the 8.4-inch uConnect system, and yes, it is the part of the cabin I touched more than the steering wheel in traffic. The menus on the uConnect touch-screen are quick enough that I am not sitting there jabbing at glass like I am trying to skip an ad, and the uConnect system layout actually makes sense. I ran navigation on day one because I have pride, but not enough pride to admit I still miss turns, and the built in navigation system kept up without drama.
Now let us talk sound, because Dodge clearly assumed I would be half deaf from the exhaust. The decidedly loud stereo comes in hot, and the regular stereo can fill the cabin like a blockbuster trailer at full volume, whether you asked for that energy or not. The back-up camera is the real daily win, with best back-up camera quality around vibes that made me double take because I have driven newer cars that look like they are filming through a fogged aquarium. I will say it, this setup has every feature known for the era, and the whole Technology package feels oddly confident, like it is side eyeing a Chevrolet SS and saying, yeah I can do grown up too, now watch me leave two black lines on the way out.
Final Verdict: Should You Buy the 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee?
If you want a four door sedan that behaves like it drank three energy drinks and picked a fight with your senses, yes, I get it, I bought into the same fantasy. You get that 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee attitude with a 6.4 liter 392 Hemi V8 pushing 470 horsepower and 470 lb ft of torque through a five speed automatic and rear wheel drive, which means it will hit hard, sound rude, and occasionally make you look foolish at a stoplight if your right foot gets confident. Can you live with 14 mpg city and 23 mpg highway, plus a ride that feels firmly planted even when your spine is filing a complaint? If your daily life includes commutes, errands, and the occasional need to carry actual humans, the cabin and trunk make it doable, but the tech and polish remind you it is from an era when “good enough” was a whole strategy. So I’d buy it if you crave big noise, big shove, and muscle car theater in a practical shape, and I’d walk away if you want quiet comfort, subtle looks, or anything resembling restraint.
FAQs about the 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee
Daily Use
Is the 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee a good daily driver or just a weekend muscle car?
Reliability
How reliable is the 2014 Dodge Charger SRT8 Super Bee compared to other performance sedans?
Comparison
What makes the 2014 Charger SRT8 Super Bee different from the regular Charger R/T?
| SPEC | DETAIL |
|---|---|
| Engine | 6.4-liter naturally aspirated “392” HEMI V8 |
| Drivetrain | Rear-wheel drive (RWD) |
| Power / Torque | 470 hp / 470 lb-ft |
| Transmission | 5-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters |
| 0–60 mph | ~4.3–4.5 seconds |
| Quarter Mile | ~12.5 seconds @ ~112 mph |
| Top Speed | ~175 mph (electronically limited) |
| EPA Fuel Economy | 14 city / 23 highway / 17 combined |
| Real-World MPG | 16–19 mpg combined (normal mixed driving) |
| Fuel Tank | 19.1 gallons |
| Suspension | Sport-tuned independent suspension front and rear (SRT performance calibration) |
| Brakes | Brembo high-performance 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS |
| Wheels / Tires | 20-inch forged alloy wheels • 245/45ZR20 Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires |
| Steering | Hydraulic power steering |
| Curb Weight | ~4,300 lbs |
| Body Style | 4-door full-size performance sedan |
| Seating Capacity | 5 passengers |
| Trunk Capacity | ~15.4 cubic feet |
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