2010 Dodge Challenger SE

Driving around in the 2010 Dodge Challenger SE is sort of embarrassing. The two-door coupe is gorgeous, no doubt about it. It may be the coolest-looking car on the road for under $30,000. But with the V6 engine under the hood, the Challenger is not nearly as potent as it looks. The car is built for speed, but the engine is built for commuting. Compared to the V8-powered Challenger R/T, the Ford Mustang V6 and even the Chevy Camaro V6, the Challenger SE leaves something to be desired.

First and foremost, the Dodge Challenger SE is unmistakably cool. My test vehicle was coated in a lustrous coat of Deep Water Blue Pearl Coat paint ($225) with the Rallye Group of options ($750), which included 18" Rallye wheels, a bright fuel filler door, rallye stripes and a few other goodies. The Challenger stopped traffic. Kids stopped me in parking lots to say "cool car." Neighbors dropped by and asked "What do you think of the Challenger?"

That's when the trouble started. I had to explain that it was the SE model, with a V6 that produced 250 hp and 250 lb-ft of torque. There's no way to know that from looking at the outside of the SE. It looks great. Have I mentioned that? But it's like a tall guy who is great at chess. Nobody cares. They want to know if the tall guy can play basketball.

The SE can play chess. The V6 engine is certainly up to the task of getting the Challenger up and down the road. It just can't throw you back in your seat and make your eyeballs bulge in their sockets. And it looks like it could.

My first impression of the Challenger's dash was very negative. I thought it looked like a monochromatic sea of plastic, lacking detail. But, after spending a week behind the wheel, I started to appreciate the dash more, seeing its lack of detail as a virtue. It didn't distract me from driving, and didn't draw attention from the exterior at all. I even came to appreciate the cool mini tuck and roll of the seat cushions, and the way the interior felt like an authentic muscle car's.

Real muscle cars were not perfect. They had long hoods that made parking a bear, terrible sight lines to the rear and handling that only worked in a straight line. Challenger SE has the first two, but thankfully does a much better job of handling, cornering and general ride quality than a vintage muscle car could ever aspire to.