Honda Accord vs Dodge Charger

The 2023 Dodge Charger retained much of its design from its 2015 update, which introduced a sleeker nose and sharper LED taillights. Despite its age, the Charger maintained a distinct and modern appearance compared to its competitors like the Accord, Altima, and Camry. The base model was considered somewhat plain, but the V8 versions, especially the Scat Pack with its widebody kit, stood out with their aggressive styling. The Swinger variant featured unique elements like flared fenders, bronze wheels, and a matte black spoiler, giving it a bold and almost tasteful look, despite some retro decals and badges.

Inside, the Charger's interior was reminiscent of 2011, with a dated feel due to its small touchscreen and plasticky controls. While the Nappa leather and Alcantara seats added some luxury, the overall quality was not top-notch. The Swinger edition included green stitching and unique badges, but the interior remained basic. Despite its age, the Charger offered a familiar and straightforward space, allowing drivers to focus on the driving experience.

The 2023 Honda Accord underwent a redesign, adopting a more technical and conservative look compared to its predecessor. The new design featured a dark grille, LED headlights, and a Canyon River Blue paint that garnered compliments. The Accord EX trim, priced at $37,000 in Canada, came with a pewter wheel finish, offering a subtle yet stylish appearance. Inside, the Accord EX boasted durable cloth seats with contrast stitching and a metal mesh dashboard trim that integrated the air conditioning vents seamlessly. The digital instrumentation and touchscreen infotainment system reflected Honda's attention to detail and refinement, making the Accord EX a well-outfitted option for its price and class.

The 2023 Dodge Charger came standard with a 3.6-litre Pentastar V6 engine, producing either 292 or 300 horsepower, depending on the trim, and 264 pound-feet of torque. This engine was shared with other Stellantis brands and was the only option paired with all-wheel drive, available on the SXT AWD and GT AWD trims. However, the AWD system was criticized for its slow response in adverse weather conditions. The ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, on the other hand, was praised for its smoothness and efficiency, achieving fuel economy as low as 7.8 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway.

The Charger also offered several V8 options, including the 5.7-litre Hemi V8 with 370 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque, and the 6.4-litre V8 in the Scat Pack, delivering 485 horsepower and 475 lb-ft of torque. The SRT Hellcat models featured a supercharged 6.2-litre V8, producing up to 807 horsepower in the Redeye Jailbreak variant. Despite its power, the Hellcat's rear-wheel drive setup often struggled with traction, especially in drag races. The Charger's handling was commendable, with good grip and steering precision, although its large size made it less agile in tight corners. The braking system, particularly on the Scat Pack Widebody trims, was exceptional.

The 2023 Honda Accord EX was equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine, generating 192 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. This engine, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT), powered the front wheels. While the CVT was adequate for everyday driving, it lacked the excitement of the discontinued 2.0-litre turbocharged engine. The Accord's suspension system, featuring a MacPherson strut front and multi-link rear setup, managed the car's weight distribution effectively, providing a comfortable and responsive ride.

The Accord's fuel efficiency was rated at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres in combined driving, although real-world testing returned 8.2 L/100 km due to high temperatures and continuous air conditioning use. The Accord excelled in urban environments, offering excellent visibility and easy manoeuvrability. On winding roads, the Accord's dynamic tuning inspired confidence, although the CVT's Sport mode was less satisfying. The brakes performed well, even in extreme heat, but the tires were a weak point, lacking grip during spirited driving.

The 2023 Dodge Charger, despite its large size, offered a surprisingly tight interior. Headroom was adequate for a 5-foot-11 individual, but the footwells were cramped, and the transmission tunnel limited rear legroom. The rear seats also suffered from poor headroom, possibly by design for its role as a police vehicle. The trunk, however, was spacious, offering 470 litres of storage. The Charger's controls were a highlight, with large, easy-to-find buttons and switches for climate control, lighting, and audio systems. The touchscreen and instrument panel provided additional features without requiring extensive menu navigation, making the Charger a familiar and user-friendly environment.

In contrast, the 2023 Honda Accord offered a more spacious and comfortable interior. Standard features in Canada included heated exterior mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 10-way power-adjustable driver's seat, heated front seats, and a 60/40-split folding rear seat. The Accord EX also came with a power sunroof, although some might have preferred additional features like a power-adjustable front passenger seat, rear air conditioning vents, and rear USB charging ports. The driver's seat lacked sufficient seat-track travel for taller individuals, and the hard plastic lining the centre console could be uncomfortable. However, the rear seats provided excellent leg support and legroom, with easy access and decent storage space. The Accord's trunk was slightly larger than the Charger's, offering 473 litres of space, and featured a convenient handle for closing the lid.

The 2023 Dodge Charger lacked some of the latest infotainment and driver-assistance features found in other Stellantis vehicles. It featured an 8.4-inch touchscreen with fast, logical menu structures and clear legibility. The system included wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, voice recognition, and SiriusXM. The Charger SRT Dashboard app allowed for extensive customization of various performance parameters, including throttle, steering, dampers, and transmission settings. The Performance Pages feature provided real-time data on power and torque, while the Hellcat models included additional cooling functions for the supercharger. Despite its age, the Charger's technology offerings were tailored to enhance the driving experience.

The 2023 Honda Accord EX came with a 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster and a 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. While not the largest screens available, they were functional and user-friendly. The infotainment system offered Bluetooth connectivity, wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, text-messaging support, and HondaLink connected services, including Wi-Fi access and an SOS emergency call button. The EX trim featured an eight-speaker audio system, but lacked SiriusXM satellite radio. Physical controls for the stereo and main functions were appreciated, although the tuning knob's placement was confusing. Overall, the Accord EX provided basic but effective technology, balancing modern features with simplicity.

The 2023 Dodge Charger performed reasonably well in crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), receiving four out of five stars overall. It earned four stars for frontal crashes and five stars for rear passenger side tests. However, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) ratings were based on the 2015 Chrysler 300, which shared the same chassis, raising questions about their relevance. Standard safety features were limited to rear parking sensors and a backup camera, with optional advanced features like forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control available on higher trims.

The 2023 Honda Accord came equipped with Honda Sensing, a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS). This included adaptive cruise control, traffic-jam assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, and lane-centring assist. Additional features included a reversing camera with multiple views, automatic high-beam headlights, traffic sign recognition, a driver monitoring system, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. The Accord's safety systems were praised for their accuracy and refinement, and the car earned a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS for 2023.