2020 Honda Civic vs 2020 Dodge Charger

The 2020 Dodge Charger, with its roots tracing back to a 2006 revival, embodied a modern muscle car aesthetic. Its aggressive headlights and expansive grille were signature elements that carried over to the 2011 model, which received a significant facelift in 2015. This update introduced a sleeker front design with a thin inlet and a more open lower grille, enhancing its menacing look. The interior of the Charger paid homage to its retro origins, featuring large vintage-style bezels housing modern digital displays. The RWD platform necessitated a raised transmission tunnel, creating a cockpit-like atmosphere for the driver and front passenger. The 2020 Charger offered various trims, from the base SXT with 17-inch alloy wheels and an 8.4-inch infotainment screen to the high-performance SRT Hellcat with a widebody kit and leather upholstery.

The 2020 Honda Civic was a standout in Honda's lineup, offering a compact car experience with engineering excellence akin to luxury brands. Available in sedan, coupe, and hatchback styles, the Civic boasted a sharp design with a low and wide stance accentuated by body panel creases and sweeping LED taillights. The 2019 updates carried over to 2020, with enhancements to grilles, bumpers, and wheels. The interior featured a simple yet high-quality design, with soft-touch materials and a narrow centre stack. The Civic's interior updates included new dash accents and sport seats with red bands for the Si trim. The Civic's design was visually appealing without compromising on quality, offering a spacious and comfortable experience for passengers.

The 2020 Dodge Charger offered a range of powertrains, starting with the SXT and GT trims equipped with a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine, producing 292 horsepower in the SXT RWD and 300 horsepower in the AWD and GT versions. The R/T trim featured a 5.7-litre Hemi V8 with 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque, complemented by an upgraded suspension and active exhaust. The Scat Pack variant boasted a 6.4-litre Hemi V8 with 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque, along with Brembo brakes and launch assist. The SRT Hellcat Widebody topped the lineup with a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, delivering an impressive 707 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The Charger excelled in providing a thrilling driving experience, with adaptive suspension and Performance Pages for detailed performance monitoring.

The 2020 Honda Civic offered four engines across its lineup, all FWD. The base engine was a 2.0-litre inline 4-cylinder with 158 horsepower and 138 lb-ft of torque, paired with a six-speed manual or CVT. The 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, available on higher trims, produced 174 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque, with the Sport and Sport Touring hatchbacks offering 180 horsepower. The Civic Si featured a boosted 1.5-litre engine with 205 horsepower and 192 lb-ft of torque, while the Type R delivered 306 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. The Civic's engines were smooth and responsive, with the Si and Type R offering thrilling performance. The Si's adaptive dampers and precise steering made it a joy to drive, while the Type R provided an exhilarating experience with its powerful engine and composed handling.

The 2020 Dodge Charger stood out among performance sedans for its spacious interior. The rear seats offered ample legroom, and the front bucket seats were well-bolstered, providing comfort for the driver and front passenger. The Charger featured practical storage solutions, including door trays, cup holders, and a large centre console. Its trunk offered 467 litres of space, surpassing many performance sedans and even some large family sedans. The 60/40 split-fold rear bench added versatility for additional storage needs.

The 2020 Honda Civic provided a roomy interior, especially for rear passengers, with available two-stage heated outboard seats. The Civic's trunk offered 416 litres of cargo space in sedan trims, with the coupe providing 343 litres. The hatchback excelled with 728 litres behind the rear seats and 1,302 litres with them folded down. The Civic's interior featured a conventional PRNDL shifter, a deep centre console storage bin, and configurable cupholders. The lack of rear air vents was a notable oversight, but the Civic's overall interior design was practical and user-friendly.

The 2020 Dodge Charger featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen with the Uconnect infotainment system, offering Bluetooth, USB connectivity, satellite radio, and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system's simplicity and logical menu layout made it user-friendly, with docked icons for easy navigation between functions. The digital display screen in the instrument panel provided trip information, vehicle settings, and turn-by-turn directions for the available navigation system.

The 2020 Honda Civic's infotainment system was considered outdated, with a slower interface and complex navigation. However, it included Bluetooth connectivity and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Civic Si introduced Active Sound Control, which could be turned off, and featured a 450-watt, 10-speaker stereo. The Civic also offered LaneWatch, a camera-based blind spot monitoring system, and Honda Sensing with active safety features. The Touring trims included leather upholstery, rain-sensing wipers, and LED headlights.

The 2020 Dodge Charger came equipped with standard safety features, including front- and side-impact airbags, traction control, and rear parking sensors. It also offered forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Charger's crash prevention technology received a Superior rating from the IIHS.

The 2020 Honda Civic featured Honda Sensing, which included forward collision warning, emergency forward braking, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Civic earned a Top Safety Pick rating from the IIHS for all body styles except the Type R, which wasn't tested. It received the top "Good" rating in all six crash tests and a five-star rating from the NHTSA, except for a four-star rating in the passenger frontal crash test for the coupe.