Few cars from the last few years can rival the Dodge Challenger Hellcat in terms of the hype factor. When it first came out in 2015, it caused an enormous buzz. Think about it: in the era of downsizing and emission regulations, Dodge - a company that is not exactly associated with daring vehicles - decided to make a car that screams "power." So they took their aging Challenger and stuffed a supercharged 6.2-liter Hemi engine in it. The result was 707 hp, 650 lb-ft of torque, 0-60 in 3.6 seconds, and a quarter-mile time of 10.85 seconds. Crazy numbers and a crazy car, right?

Well, not quite. After the dust settled, it became apparent that the Hellcat might not just be the perfect sports car, after all; much to the disappointment of its fans. Don't get us wrong - the Hellcat is an amazing machine and a true statement of what simple power can do to a rather benign car. Nevertheless, there are still a few facts about the Hellcat that shouldn't be ignored, for better or for worse. These facts are what this article will examine.

15 It's Pretty Expensive

red dodge challenger hellcat
via autotrader.ca

Starting with the most obvious one - the Hellcat is not exactly a cheap car. It starts at around $61,000, but with options and power bumps that number can easily go over $80,000. Sure, it's a bargain for a car with this amount of power - 797 hp in the top Redeye version - but it's a lot for a Dodge that's been on the market for 12 years now.

14 The Tires Aren't Cheap Either...

dodge challenger hellcat wheel closeup
via blog.dodge.com

Maintaining a high-performance car is an expensive hobby - and many gearheads seem to forget about it. Consider the Hellcat tires. While it comes standard with all-season tires, the real fun begins if you equip it with the optional summer Pirelli P Zero. They're amazing tires - but hardly cheap, considering the rate at which the RWD Hellcat consumes them. Expect to pay as much as $360 per tire!

13 ...Just Like The Insurance

a silver and a blue dodge challenger hellcats side by side
via hagerty.com

Car insurance can be a real financial burden - especially if you're driving a 707 hp rear-wheel-drive coupe. It might not be so expensive if you're an older driver with a clean record. But if you're under 30 and only drove economy hatchbacks before, the insurance rate might just make the idea of owning a Hellcat implausible for you.

12 Gas Alone Can Bankrupt You

black dodge challenger hellcat fuel door
via automotiveaddicts-com

If you're wondering how many miles per gallon you will get with a 707 hp Hemi, the answer is simple - not a lot. More specifically, 13 in the city and 22 on the highway. And these are only the official figures. If you stomp the throttle at every traffic light - as you will do, since it's a Hellcat - they will definitely drop.

11 Defective Oil Cooler Lines

leaking oil cooler lines of a hellcat
via hellcat.org

Now onto the mechanical issues. Many Hellcat owners have reported issues with the oil cooler lines. Apparently, the stock lines are not strong enough to withhold Hellcat's performance and can rupture if the car is driven hard frequently. This is more than a major inconvenience since it could lead to your Hellcat leaking oil and result in engine damage.

10 Paint Defects Are A Common Issue

paint defects on a blue dodge challenger
via moparinsiders.com

Another problem that many Hellcat owners have complained about is paint defects. Imagine the disappointment of picking up your brand new Hellcat only to discover dirt particles trapped under your clearcoat or uneven primer. Low-quality paint jobs are not exclusive to the Hellcat and have plagued Dodge for a few years not. It's just a shame that their most special cars are also affected.

9 The Hellcat Is Useless Outside Of A Drag Strip

black dodge challenger hellcat burning rubber on a drag strip
via autoevolution.com

The Hellcat might have a ton of power, but ask yourself - is all this power really useful? Let's face it, the Hellcat is designed to go really fast in a straight line, nothing more. It's hard and definitely not recommended to try and use all of Hellcat's potential on public roads. Unless you're planning on frequenting your local drag strip, ask yourself - what are you going to do with all its horses?

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8 The New Shelby Obliterates It

orange Ford Shelby GT500 behind a grey dodge challenger hellcat
via roadandtrack.com

The Hellcat might have been the coolest muscle car out there when it came out in 2015. But the competition hasn't been fiddling - especially Ford. And quite frankly, their new Shelby GT500 completely blows the Hellcat out of the water. The Shelby not only has 760 hp, but it's also tuned for amazing handling. Considering the similar price, we believe that the Hellcat stands no competition to the Shelby.

7 It's Genuinely Scary To Drive

red hellcat in the rain
via topspeed-com

Speaking of that handling: it is, perhaps, one of Hellcat's weakest points. Let us put it simply: everything will be fine as long as you don't turn the steering wheel. With all that power going to the rear wheels, it is extremely easy to spin out. And don't even think about driving it in rain or snow - in a Hellcat, that could be downright scary and dangerous!

6 The Internal Competition

silver, red and blue hellcats on the road
via motor1.com

Once upon a time, the Hellcat was the coolest muscle car on the planet - when it was a standalone model. You could either get the Hellcat or nothing. It seems like Dodge really harmed its image with all the offshoot models of the Hellcat that followed: the ridiculous Demon, the Widebody, the Scat Pack, the Redeye, etc. For the average muscle car buyer, it's hard to navigate all these different yet similar models.

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5 It's Still A Dodge

yellow challenger hellcat rear end
via cacsw.org

We couldn't have written this article without avoiding the elephant in the room. Is the Hellcat crazy and mind-bogglingly fast? Yes. It's also a crazy and mind-bogglingly fast Dodge. It's one of the most special muscle cars to ever come out, made by the same company that is responsible for such atrocities as the Dodge Nitro. To put it mildly, Dodge doesn't have the best reputation and, sadly, this reputation applies to the Hellcat, too.

4 Poor Safety Rating

purple challenger crash test
via youtube.com

There's no denying that one would want to feel safe in a car with 707 hp. Unfortunately, that's not exactly the case with the Hellcat - and the Dodge Challenger, in general. In 2016, the IIHS did a comparative crash test between the Mustang, the Camaro, and the Challenger. Out of the three, the Challenger performed the worst, especially in the small-overlap front collision test. This is not the knowledge that we would feel safe driving the Hellcat with!

3 The Arrogance Tax

red hellcat burnout
via roadandtrack.com

There are a few cars that have a cult following that has grown into a bad rep. The Hellcat is one of them. Admit it: we've all read posts or seen videos about "That Hellcat Guy." You might have even interacted with one of them online through a pointless, overly defensive argument. Truthfully, the Hellcat is a brilliant car, yet its reputation has been soiled by the arrogance of some of its owners. Before considering a Hellcat, consider if you want to be one of these people.

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2 EVs Knocking On The Door

white tesla in front of a black hellcat on a drag strip
via roadandtrack.com

It would seem that with Hellcat's 700+ hp, no car that costs less than a house would even compete with it in terms of straight-line acceleration. Except that such cars exist - we're talking about electric vehicles, course. Many of them - especially the high-performance Teslas - would easily beat any Hellcat from 0 to 60. The advent of exciting and affordable electric cars really begs the question of whether cars, such as the Hellcat, really make sense anymore.

1 The King Is Dead - Long Live The King

orange and yellow 2016 challengers in front of an orange first gen challenger
via autoevolution.com

On top of all, one fact that shouldn't be ignored is how old the Challenger is. Effectively, it is a car that was conceived in the mid-2000s and has been on the market for 12 years now. Dodge can upgrade it all they want, but the Challenger - and, thus, the Hellcat - is just morally and mechanically outdated. According to Motor 1, there are rumors of a completely new, redesigned generation of the Challenger will arrive in 2023. Until then, we'll have to enjoy the same old Challenger - no matter how much power it makes.

NEXT: Top Secret: 15 Things You Never Knew About The Dodge Charger Hellcat