The 2026 Dodge Durango And Charger Scat Pack May Be The Perfect All-American Two-Car Garage

Think about your dream two-car garage. What do you see? Many car enthusiasts might think a sensible daily driver (maybe with a little bit of character) alongside a “weekend fun car” would be a perfect combination. There are countless versions of this combination to choose from in the automotive world, with family-friendly SUVs and crossovers alongside sportier cars that feel equally at home on the road or the track.

Today, we are focusing on a two-car garage sourced from one specific marque: Dodge. This iconic American automaker, known for its prominent place in muscle car history, still has plenty to offer today. For our two-car garage, we have chosen the Durango, an SUV that has been on sale for a decade and a half but has been updated enough still to feel fresh, and the Charger Sixpack, the only option for gearheads looking to buy a new combustion-powered Charger. And if that doesn’t quite sound like your combination of choice, we are also looking at another (all-Dodge, of course) pair of models.

The 2026 Dodge Durango: An Old Model With A (Kind Of) New Heart

We start with the first member of this dream two-car garage, the 2026 Dodge Durango, a new version of a very old model. A large, practical SUV with an eye towards performance, the Durango can make a great daily driver option for drivers who have a family to transport, but don’t want to give up on a fun driving experience.

The 2026 Dodge Durango is the latest member of a family with a long history. The model was first introduced in 1997, but the third and current generation arrived in 2011. As a result, the Durango is currently the oldest SUV on the market that you can still buy new. The current generation of the Durango was not supposed to hit the market at all because the model was marked for discontinuation after 2009. However, Dodge later changed its mind and decided to bring out a new version of the model.

Despite being a member of the same generation as the 2011 model, which is what makes the Durango a record-breaker, the 2026 model is a little different. The SUV has undergone some changes in the past 15 years, with new engines, new features, and design updates. The biggest change for 2026 is related to the vehicle’s engine, because the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 has disappeared from the lineup, while the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is now the standard engine on the Durango’s base-level GT trim. The V8 produces 360 hp, 60 hp more than the V6-powered model.

The high-performance R/T trim, meanwhile, also gets a new engine. While in 2025 this trim was powered by the 5.7-liter V8, it now gets a 6.4-liter Hemi V8, producing a whopping 475 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque (a boost of 115 hp over last year’s model). This is the only engine option available for the R/T. According to Dodge, the Durango R/T is the most powerful new car you can get while spending less than $50,000.

The Charger Sixpack: Because Combustion Isn’t Quite Dead

Sitting next to the Durango in our dream all-Dodge garage is the Charger Sixpack. This name is Dodge’s moniker for the combustion-powered version of this legendary model. While Chargers of decades past were traditionally powered by a V8, the Sixpack sports a 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six, which can produce either 420 hp in Standard Output guise or 550 hp for the High Output version.

In both versions of the model, the engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, a choice that might upset some dedicated Charger enthusiasts. The Sixpack also has a “burnout button” on board, which converts the four-wheel-drive drivetrain to rear-wheel-drive.

The powerplant at the heart of the Charger Sixpack is the Hurricane, which can already be found in some Stellantis models and can also be purchased as a crate engine. Both the standard output (Cat 1) and the high output (Cat 3) versions of the “Hurricrate” can be purchased. A 1,000-hp version dubbed the Cat X, oriented towards race use, is reportedly in the pipeline as well.

In terms of design, the Sixpack is very similar to its electric sibling, with a few unique styling cues. The front end is slightly different because the Daytona has a nose more reminiscent of the classic model of the same name, along with an aerodynamic R-Wing. The Sixpack, on the other hand, features neither of these design elements. A grille in the Sixpack occupies the space the Daytona fills with the R-Wing.

The Cost Of This Garage

With the Durange R/T and its sweet V8 coming in at under $50,000, and the Charger Sixpack Scat Pack costing roughly $55,000, you’re looking at a total of $105,000 for this two-car garage.

Want A More Modern All-Dodge Garage? Try The Hornet SUV…

Maybe the Durango and Charger Sixpack aren’t quite your thing, but you’re still interested in what Dodge has to offer for your dream two-car garage. If you want a Dodge SUV that’s a little more modern than the aging Durango, you’re in luck. Two years ago, the company launched an SUV called the Hornet, which borrows its name from an unrelated 2006 concept car that never resulted in a production model.

The new Hornet was designed by Jeff Gale, whose father, Tom, had been responsible for creating the iconic Viper sports car. A crossover SUV, it shares a platform with several other Stellantis models, including the Alfa Romeo Tonale, the Jeep Compass, and the Jeep Commander. It also shares some styling cues with the Tonale, having a sleek, aerodynamic silhouette and narrow headlights.

Two powertrain options are available for the Hornet. There’s a gas-only option that pairs a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine with a nine-speed automatic transmission and a plug-in hybrid option with a 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-four with two electric motors and a six-speed automatic transmission. The gas-only powertrain produces 260 hp, while the hybrid produces 288 hp. The Hornet hybrid gets to 60 miles per hour in 5.6 seconds, versus 6.5 seconds for the ICE variant. However, the electrically assisted version is a little slower on the top speed front, reaching 128 mph while the gas-only Hornet goes up to 140.

A high-performance variant of the model, the Hornet GLH (“Goes Like Hell”), was recently introduced in concept form and is going to enter production later this year. The GLH is set to feature a host of performance upgrades, such as a lowered suspension, a new exhaust system, and 20-inch wheels.

And The Charger Daytona (If You’re Willing To Upset A Few Gearheads)

While choosing the Hornet over the Durango is unlikely to be a particularly controversial choice, if you choose the EV version of the Charger over the combustion one, you may be at risk of ruffling some feathers. This variant is called the Charger Daytona, as a homage to the historic nameplate that several different high-performance Chargers have worn over the years.

The Charger Daytona was introduced in concept form in 2022, at the “Dodge Speed Week” event in Michigan; the production version arrived two years later. The model is available in both two-door coupe and four-door sedan body styles. It is visually quite similar to the Charger Sixpack, except the few design differences we mentioned earlier. The Daytona offers two choices of powertrain, both featuring two electric motors. The R/T version produces 496 hp, while the Scat Pack version bumps output up to 670 hp. Both versions have a single-speed transmission that sends power to all four wheels.

The Daytona has not quite encountered the same level of success as other cars that have carried the nameplate. Sales numbers were relatively poor from the start; not long after the model was launched, Dodge began to offer discounts as a way to attract the attention of more prospective buyers. The base-level R/T trim is already on the chopping block for 2026 for this very reason, although Dodge did use the word “postponed,” implying it could potentially make a return in the future. If you’re considering buying a Charger Daytona R/T, make your decision quickly, as time is limited.

How Much Will A Daytona And Hornet Cost?

A 2025 Dodge Hornet GT Plus (the best model in the range) starts at roughly $36,000, while a Daytona costs a lot more than its ICE-powered brother. The base R/T, which will be killed off for the 2026 model year, costs $60,000. Since it will soon be gone, the Scat Pack will be the only option, and it’s roughly $74,000. Basically, going this route costs $110,000. We’d rather go the old-school V8 and inline-six route.

Sources: Dodge