Dodge Challenger GT Shines in the Snow
Winter is No Challenge for this Challenger
Last week I spent a day driving around Maine and New Hampshire in the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT, and while the heavy snowfall during our drive time would have hampered the experience in most two-door muscle cars, the standard all-wheel drive system of the new GT package made short work of the snow-covered roads.
In most cases, automakers plan media first-drive events in Southern California, Florida or some other warm weather location so that the vehicles don’t need to deal with adverse weather conditions. In order to showcase the capabilities of the all-wheel-drive Dodge Challenger GT, FCA wanted us to experience the car in the worst conditions possible, so in mid-January we flew to Portland, Maine to spend some time driving the first-ever American muscle car that isn’t rear-wheel drive.
Before getting into the driving fun, here is a quick rundown on the 2017 Dodge Challenger GT. It comes standard with the 305-hp Pentastar V6, the 8-speed automatic transmission, all-wheel drive, a heated steering wheel, heated Nappa leather SRT seats, the 8.4-inch UConnect infotainment package, and a long list of other premium features. The key features are the AWD system, the heated seats and the heated steering wheel, as this is a year-round driver — not a high-performance machine. Dodge wasn’t looking to build a traction beast for the drag strip. They were looking to offer a Challenger that folks who live in snowy areas can drive all year long … and they achieved those goals.
FCA had us fly to Maine with the hopes that we would experience the AWD Challenger GT in rough conditions, and they got their wish. The night before our drive, a snow storm blew into town, laying down a half a foot of fresh powder. While the snow was lighter during our drive, it continued throughout the day. In the city of Portland, Maine, the roads were slushy, but as we made our way into the Maine countryside, the conditions quickly worsened.
Once we had strayed from the highway, the country roads got narrower and the snow got deeper, but the Challenger GT’s AWD system did a remarkable job of keeping us pointed straight ahead. An hour into our drive, we were seeing literally nothing on the road but plow trucks, Subarus and SUVs — all of which were all-wheel drive of four-wheel drive. By New Hampshire, the roads were so narrow that oncoming trucks would force us to pull off the road into snow that was at least a foot deep. Those situations led to the toughest tests for the AWD Challenger.
At one point a trio of large plow trucks came barreling toward us, prompting us to pull off to the side of the road where the shoulder had a drop of several inches. We dropped off into much deeper snow as the trucks blasted past, and we were forced with pulling the Challenger GT back onto the road, uphill, out of deep snow. Mind you, this is with the standard all-season tires and not high-end snow tires, but it didn’t matter. The Challenger GT climbed right up out of the deep snow and up the snow-covered hill.
The next big test came when we arrived at a stop sign where the road had another steep incline. At this point in the drive, the roads were heavily covered in snow. I watched the truck in front of us make it a short way up and stop, the driver likely putting it in 4WD before slowly completing the climb. The Challenger GT hit that hill and with the standard AWD system automatically engaged, the big Dodge coupe never slowed a bit as we climbed the hill. The AWD system engages when temperatures drop below freezing, when the wipers are on, when Sport Mode is engaged or when the wheel speed sensors detect slippage.
At no point in the course of our four-hour drive did the Dodge Challenger GT struggle with the snow-covered roads, although we were driving carefully. We were on public roads around other people, so the goal was just to get safely from point A to point B – with point B being Club Motorsports in New Hampshire. Once there, we spent a few hours pushing the AWD Challenger GT to its limits in a safe environment, including an autocross course and a straight-line acceleration area (read: short drag strip).
The snow on both tracks was packed down rather than cleared, with a machine continuously packing the snow down between runs. On the acceleration track, the Challenger GT would accelerate comfortably and confidently far more quickly than anyone would ever attempt on a public road. On the snow-covered autocross course, we were invited to push the Challenger GT as hard as we could, fishtailing and drifting around the tight, technical track. With the help of an O’Neil rally school instructor, we were shown how the AWD system could get the big Dodge coupe out of slippery situations, while also being a ton of fun to throw around the snowy curves. This also displayed how well the Challenger GT still feels like a RWD car, while the added grip of the AWD system makes it very capable in deep snow.
Few owners will ever drive the Dodge Challenger GT as hard as we did at the race track, but the point was that even in deep snow when being pushed hard, the AWD Challenger GT is just as surefooted as any AWD SUV. Best of all, thanks to the loaded interior with a heated steering wheel and seats, we were nice and comfortable in the frigid New England weather.
While this V6-powered Challenger isn’t going to replace many Hemi cars, this is the perfect car for a Mopar lover who wants to sport the muscle exterior styling and comfortable interior of the modern Dodge Challenger. Best of all, when those conditions aren’t met for the AWD system to be engaged, the Challenger GT functions like a normal rear-drive model.
The 2017 Dodge Challenger GT is one great winter vehicle inside and out.
