Scat Pack or Hellcat: Which is the Better Value for the Charger?

Scat Pack Charger can make Hellcat power for less money, but there are plenty of other factors.

Since the Hellcat package was introduced for the Dodge Charger for the 2015 model year, owners of other models have been debating whether it is a better deal to buy a stock Hellcat or to buy a Scat Pack and modify it. Fortunately, the YouTuber HQen2000 has a video comparing a Procharged 392 car to a stock Hellcat. The result is a video that will make Scat Pack owners nod in agreement while Hellcat owners are likely to shake their heads and laugh.

Supercharged Scat Pack

The video begins with the owner of the bright yellow Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack walking us through the modifications that he has installed thus far. This includes a Procharger D1SC, a Tazer, a set of Hellcat-style wheels wrapped in 315-milimeter wide tires out back and an array of dress-up items that don’t improve performance. He explains that after paying $40,000 for his car that carried an MSRP around $48,000, he has added about $14,000 in modifications, leading to a total spend of $54,000.

He points out that his Scat Pack Charger made around 630 rear wheel horsepower with the supercharger and although that it is in the general range of a stock Hellcat, he lost the one race that he had with a stock supercharged Charger. He includes footage of that odd race, where he jumps out to a gigantic lead to start the race, only to have the Hellcat come storming around on the top end.

The owner of this Scat Pack also points out that the Hellcat cannot be ordered with adaptive cruise control while his car has that feature and he insists that without the 392 Hemi’s cylinder deactivation system, it is considerably more fuel efficient than a Hellcat.

Finally, he points out that he only paid $54,000 for his Scat Pack Charger in its current state while a Hellcat costs well over $70,000.

Hellcat Advantages

After talking about his Scat Pack, the host looks at the features that the Hellcat Charger has that his Scat Pack does not. This includes the supercharged Hemi with slightly more wheel horsepower and a warranty, the stronger 8-speed automatic transmission, the Harmon Kardon sound system and the SRT steering wheel.

He insists that the interior is pretty much the same in his Scat Pack as it is in the Hellcat, but he fails to point out a few key features that his car does not have. The Hellcat comes with an adaptive, adjustable suspension system while the Scat Pack comes with a fixed sport suspension system and the Hellcat comes with huge 15.4-inch Brembo rotors under 6-piston calipers up front while the Scat Pack comes with a lower performance braking system.

Debunking Questionable Info

I should point out that I am the proud owner of a Hellcat Challenger and in addition to excluding some key features of the supercharged package, there are a few other discrepancies with this comparison.

First, the host claims that his car is considerably more fuel efficient than a Hellcat because it has cylinder deactivation, but my Hellcat gets the same 25-26 miles per gallon as he does and I have the less-aerodynamic car.

Second, he claims that buying a Hellcat Charger will cost you at least $20,000 more and he goes so far as to talk about the fact that he couldn’t get a Hellcat for anywhere near as low a price as he paid for his Scat Pack or his wife’s Challenger T/A, but he never goes into any detail. The fact of the matter is that used Hellcat Challengers and Chargers are readily available in the high 40k to low 50k range and brand new, loaded Hellcat cars can be found in the high 50s to low 60s.

Based on that, while a loaded Hellcat Charger at MSRP might cost $20,000 more than his modified Scat Pack Charger, but at $54,000, I only spent about $8,000 more for my loaded Hellcat with comparable wheel horsepower, more features and a warranty.

He also claims that his Scat Pack with tinted windows and Hellcat wheels is more special than a stock “run of the mill” Hellcat, but I have taken my car to plenty of shows and in near-stock form, it turns plenty of heads.

Finally, he claims that no one will race a Hellcat, but lots of cars will race his Scat Pack. I have no issues finding races, but it seems that the cars that he is happy about beating are cars that wouldn’t be any challenge to a stock Hellcat car.

Silver Charger Image for Dodge Forum: Patrick Rall

Join the Dodge Forums now!

Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com

Facebook   Twitter