Like its Chrysler 300 sister car, Dodge's Ontario-built "4-door coupe" uses a previous-generation Mercedes E-Class platform as a base, one of the main contributors to its excellent road manners. Better still, it's now available with all-wheel drive. The engine range is extensive: 190-hp, 2.7-litre V6; 250-hp, 3.5-litre V6; 5.7-litre, 340-hp or 350-hp, Hemi V8, with the automaker's MDS cylinder deactivation technology; and the full-bore 6.1-litre, SRT8 Hemi V8, making a supercar-like 425 hp. AWD is available on the V6 models and the regular R/T; the special-edition Daytona R/T and the SRT8 are RWD only. Looks, usability, value, RWD performance or AWD stability -- that basically sums up the Dodge Charger. What's not to like?

RWD or AWD, Hemi V8, roomy, handsome

Large, some tawdry materials, ho-hum V6 engines