Although inspired by the mid-'60s car of the same name, the new Charger bears only a passing resemblance to that earlier model. This car has modern, and macho, lines, with big contours in the sides, a curving roofline, and a spoiler on the trunk lid.

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Dodge fits the Charger with its new Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6, an engine making 290 horsepower. It is adequate for the Charger, but not particularly powerful.

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The Charger easily seats five, with plenty of legroom in the rear seats.

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The suspension is fairly standard, fixed technology. It has a somewhat rubbery feel but does a good job of damping out bumps and keeping the car from wallowing in the turns.

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Despite this sedan's size, the trunk of the Charger is not huge. It fits one standard CNET editor comfortably, but two would be a crowd.

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The cabin of the Charger is surprisingly nice, and has such amenities as a push-button ignition, heated and cooled seats, and even heated and cooled cup holders. The infotainment system uses a large, 8.4-inch touch screen in the dashboard.

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Dodge gives the Charger a hydraulic-electric power-steering unit, but the feel is on the numb side.

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There are two buttons for voice command, one for the phone system and one for other infotainment functions. A more integrated system would be easier to use.

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The monochromatic display on the instrument cluster not only shows trip information, but also brings up route guidance information.

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The five-speed automatic transmission is primitive for this day and age. Dodge optimizes fuel economy by stretching out the gear ratios, making second gear handle low to moderate speeds.

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The infotainment system uses Garmin software for navigation, with excellent route guidance.

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Sirius Travel Link brings in all sorts of useful data for drivers, such as the weather forecast and gas prices.

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The Bluetooth phone system copies over a paired phone's contacts, making them available onscreen and through voice command.

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The Charger's stereo offers many digital audio sources, such as Bluetooth streaming audio, iPod integration, and even an SD card slot.

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The system lists the folders from a USB drive, and can even parse MP3 tracks so as to show music by artist and album. The system will also display album cover art.

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The stereo even allows a free-form search through music libraries, making it easier to go directly to a particular song or album.

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The Alpine audio system delivers rich sound with very good vocal reproduction.

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The backup camera includes distance lines. The car is also available with blind-spot detection and adaptive cruise control.

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