Tired of settling for a smaller car? Miss the roar of an engine that is glorified for muscle, and not just gas mileage? If big bodies and big engines float your boat, these throwbacks may be just your ticket!
That buyer who gets a thrill from stepping on the gas pedal and hearing a supercharged engine roar to life…the one who lives for how it makes heads turn as it rumbles down the street…is still alive and well in America, assuring continued popularity of the Dodge line-up of Challengers and Chargers. And the 707-horsepower one that wears a Hellcat badge sends a message of independence and resistance to status-quo like no other. Its super cool “red key” is your power release; use the black key to limit its ferocious engine when you drop it off in the valet line or lend it to junior. To get the family’s approval, you might argue that the 4-door Charger can comfortably seat adults in the back seat and carries a full trunk of cargo. They’ll appreciate a nice ride, and you can keep your boyish driving antics, the SRT race track mode selector, and the red key a secret.
If you’re looking for something a little more tamed-down, but still with the fury of a 5.7 liter V8 HEMI good for 363 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque, you may find the big, powerful, comfort you’re looking for in the 2016 Chrysler 300 Sedan. Remaining distinctively American in style, the 300 puts a strong emphasis on upscale appointments and a quiet and smooth ride quality, disguising the beast under the hood and saving it to stir things up a little when the mood strikes. Our 300S model came with a sport-tuned suspension that made us feel in confidant command of its bulk and brawn with a firm grip on the Tollway at all times.
With the debut of the full-size 2016 CT6, the Cadillac brand once again has a flagship sedan. Who needs V8, when our Premium Luxury AWD sported a turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 spitting out an impressive 404 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. While the CT6 brings back sweet memories of America’s Cadillac culture of yesteryear, it equally illustrates just how far our definitions and expectations for luxurious and powerful big sedans have come. Fully embracing Cadillac’s new “Art and Science” design philosophy for the 21st century, the all-new CT6 is a stretched version of its midsize rear-wheel-drive CTS sedan platform. It interior adornments are everything you would expect in a luxury stretch limo, and in spite of the fact that it measures a full 8.5 inches longer from nose to tail, clever engineering and lightweight aluminum help it weigh in about the same as the CTS. The diet gives it that extra ummph that nostalgists will appreciate. With the CT6, Cadillac did a nice job of delivering on its new design philosophy while also incorporating some of things that may draw back Caddy-loyalists who still appreciate big, bad and beautiful sedans.
