Dodge

2010 Dodge Avenger R/T

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH positions.
What's Hot: Rear-seat DVD player rare for this class.
What's Not: Fuel economy below many competitors.
How It Got Its Score: The V-6 Avenger suffers because of its lower fuel economy, and the fact that many safety features are optional rather than standard.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.6

2010 Dodge Avenger SXT

What it Is: A midsize five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH positions.
What's Hot: Low base price.
What's Not: May safety systems only available on more expensive models.
How It Got Its Score: The Avenger SXT scores lower than many other four-cylinder sedans because many safety features aren't available even as options.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.9

2010 Dodge Caliber Heat

What it Is: Five-door, front-wheel drive hatchback.
Who it's For: Families who want five-door hatchback convenience and need only two LATCH positions.
What's Hot: Low base price, satellite radio standard (requires subscription), Chill Zone beverage storage.
What's Not: Stability control, navigation not available.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth
How It Got Its Score: The Caliber gets good gas mileage and mostly good safety ratings except for the IIHS side-impact test.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.7

2010 Dodge Caliber Rush

What it Is: Five-door, front-wheel drive hatchback.
Who it's For: Families who want five-door hatchback convenience and need only two LATCH positions.
What's Hot: Hatchback body offers good cargo space.
What's Not: Stability control and side airbags not standard.
Family Friendly Options: UConnect navigation, phone and web options, Chill Zone beverage storage.
How It Got Its Score: The manual transmission Caliber gets decent gas mileage and mostly good safety ratings except for the IIHS side-impact test. The Rush slips a little against the Heat based on fuel economy.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 7.6

2010 Dodge Challenger R/T

What it Is: A large, two-door sport coupe.
Who it's For: Families shopping for a two-door sedan who can live with only two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Just the right touch of retro styling, Hemi V-8, all the electronic goodies are available.
What's Not: Apart from the electronics, not a long list of features.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, web access
How It Got Its Score: Compared to other muscle cars, the Challenger's big trunk and three-across rear seat help significantly. The R/T's higher price and poor fuel economy hurt its score.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.4

2010 Dodge Challenger SE

What it Is: A large, two-door sport coupe.
Who it's For: Families shopping for a two-door sedan who can live with only two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Just the right touch of retro styling, all the electronic goodies are available.
What's Not: Apart from the electronics, not a long list of features.
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, web access
How It Got Its Score: Compared to other muscle cars, the Challenger's big trunk and three-across rear seat help significantly. Its price is low, but even the V-6 gets poor fuel economy.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.8

2010 Dodge Challenger SRT8

What it Is: A large, two-door sporty coupe.
Who it's For: Families shopping for a high-performance sedan who can live with only two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Just the right touch of retro styling, Hemi V-8, all the electronic goodies are available.
What's Not: Power comes with price—the $1,700 gas guzzler tax
Family Friendly Options: Navigation, Bluetooth, web acccess.
How It Got Its Score: Steep price tag is the biggest drag on the score

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 5.9

2010 Dodge Charger R/T

What it Is: A full-size five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, but want a traditional sedan.
What's Hot: Aggressive styling and a powerful V-8 engine.
What's Not: Poor fuel economy and crash test scores.
How It Got Its Score: The Charger R/T's lousy fuel economy and poor IIHS crash test scores penalize it significantly.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.3

2010 Dodge Charger R/T All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A full-size five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, but want a traditional sedan.
What's Hot: Aggressive styling and a powerful V-8 engine, plus all-wheel drive traction
What's Not: Poor fuel economy and crash test scores.
How It Got Its Score: The Charger R/T's lousy fuel economy and poor IIHS crash test scores penalize it significantly.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.2

2010 Dodge Charger SE

What it Is: A full-size five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, but want a traditional sedan.
What's Hot: The same styling as the more powerful models, but with better fuel economy.
What's Not: Poor crash test scores, and short on features.
How It Got Its Score: The Charger SE's lower price bumps it higher than other Charger models, but its poor IIHS crash test scores penalize it significantly.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.6

2010 Dodge Charger SXT

What it Is: A full-size five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, but want a traditional sedan.
What's Hot: Aggressive styling and a big back seat.
What's Not: Poor fuel economy and crash test scores.
How It Got Its Score: The Charger SXT's so-so fuel economy and poor IIHS crash test scores penalize it significantly.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.6

2010 Dodge Charger SXT All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: A full-size five-passenger sedan.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points, but want a traditional sedan.
What's Hot: Aggressive styling and all-wheel drive.
What's Not: So-so fuel economy and poor crash test scores.
How It Got Its Score: The Charger SXT all-wheel drive's fuel economy suffers compared to the rear-drive model, and its poor IIHS crash test scores penalize it significantly.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 6.4

2010 Dodge Grand Caravan SE

What it Is: A front-wheel drive full-size minivan.
Who it's For: Families who need maximum hauling and three LATCH points.
What's Hot: Sliding doors, lots of interior space and a low price.
What's Not: Many features only available on more expensive SXT model.
How It Got Its Score: While the Grand Caravan falls short in a couple of areas, its low base price gives it an excellent Family Friendliness rating.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 9.1

2010 Dodge Grand Caravan SXT

What it Is: A front-wheel drive full-size minivan.
Who it's For: Families who need maximum hauling and three LATCH points.
What's Hot: Available dual DVD screens and satellite TV.
What's Not: Some premium features of dubious value.
How It Got Its Score: While the Grand Caravan falls short in a couple of areas, it's priced aggressively to give it an excellent Family Friendliness rating.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 9.1

2010 Dodge Journey SE

What it Is: The Dodge Journey is a five-passenger crossover utility vehicle.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Attractive styling and good interior room, with an optional third row.
What's Not: So-so fuel economy, considering the four-cylinder engine.
How It Got Its Score: The Dodge Journey has many of the pieces in place, giving it a good score compared to other five-passenger crossovers.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.4

2010 Dodge Journey SXT All-Wheel Drive

What it Is: The Dodge Journey SXT is a five-passenger crossover utility vehicle.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Attractive styling, optional seating for seven, and all-wheel drive.
What's Not: So-so fuel economy next to the competition.
How It Got Its Score: The Dodge Journey has many of the pieces in place, but its so-so fuel economy and standard 5-passenger capacity limits its Family Friendliness score.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.0

2010 Dodge Journey SXT Front-Wheel Drive

What it Is: The Dodge Journey SXT is a five-passenger crossover utility vehicle.
Who it's For: Families who need no more than two LATCH points.
What's Hot: Attractive styling, optional seating for seven and built-in booster seats.
What's Not: So-so fuel economy next to the competition.
How It Got Its Score: The Dodge Journey has many of the pieces in place, but its so-so fuel economy and standard 5-passenger capacity limits its Family Friendliness score.

Quick Specs

Family Friendliness: 8.1