These Are The Greatest American Muscle Cars You Can Buy

Although the first true American muscle car was introduced in 1949 with the Oldsmobile Rocket 88, it wasn’t until the 1960s that muscle cars enjoyed their heyday. It was during this time that Americans embraced their love for powerful vehicles, and the major American automakers introduced high-performance vehicles into their lineups to meet the growing demand. 

While there aren’t as many Detroit-bred muscle cars in production today, there are still several American muscle cars to choose from. There are even luxury vehicles that have the qualities of a muscle car for drivers who want something more sophisticated. Or, if you want to own a classic, there are many vintage muscle cars to choose from. With many muscle cars across many different trim levels, we’re breaking down the best muscle cars for power-hungry drivers. 

What is a Muscle Car?

Muscle cars don’t have a standard definition, but for the purpose of this article, we’re categorizing traditional muscle cars as American coupes and sedans with powerful v8 engines. They typically come standard with rear-wheel drive rather than front-wheel drive, but all-wheel drive versions are also available. (You can learn about the differences of RWD vs. FWD here.) With their fast acceleration and straight-line speed, muscle cars are considered the best vehicles for drag racing, and these performance cars are also relatively affordable when compared to the foreign sports cars. Along with the standard American muscle cars, we’re also including an analysis of foreign and American luxury vehicles that we feel embody the essence of a muscle car. 

Best Muscle Cars for 2022

Each American muscle car is iconic in its own right, but some perform better than others. We determined the Best Muscle Cars based on iSeeCars Best Cars Analysis. The winners are cars that are the longest-lasting, hold their value the best, and have the highest average safety ratings from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The vehicle’s torque and horsepower are also taken into account. 

1. Dodge Charger

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The top-ranked muscle car is none other than the Dodge Charger. With a powerful V8 engine in its R/T, Scat Pack, and SRT Hellcat models, this spacious sedan is as comfortable as it is powerful. The Dodge Charger R/T boasts a 5.7-liter V8 engine with 370 horsepower, while the more powerful Scat Pack has a 6.4-liter V8 that offers 485 horsepower. However, the most powerful of all are the famed Dodge Charger Hellcat and the new for 2021 Hellcat Redeye trim. Both have a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that produces 717 horsepower for the Hellcat and 797 horsepower for the Hellcat Redeye. Both can achieve zero to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and the Hellcat Redeye can run the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds.

2. Ford Mustang

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A second famed American car, the Ford Mustang ranks second. Though generally classified as a sports car, its high-performance versions earn the muscle car designation. First is the Ford Mustang GT, which has a five-liter V8 engine that provides 460 horsepower and is available with a six-speed manual transmission or a 10-speed automatic. The Mach 1 replaces the discontinued-for-2021 Bullit trim and has the GT’s V8 engine but increases the horsepower to 480. The highest-performance variant is the Shelby GT500 with a supercharged 760 horsepower V8 engine with 625 pound feet of torque to make it the most powerful car that Ford has ever produced. 

3. Chevrolet Camaro

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In third place is the Chevrolet Camaro, which earns muscle car distinction with its LT1, SS, and ZL1 trims. With a starting price of $34,000, the beloved Chevy Camaro LT1 is the lowest-price V8 muscle car on the market and comes with a 455-horsepower engine and a performance suspension. The SS comes with the same engine, but adds more technology and safety features. The Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 is the most powerful and expensive trim and comes with a 650-horsepower supercharged V8 engine. Along with the Mustang, the Camaro is generally considered a pony car rather than a muscle car due to its size, but we are categorizing it as a muscle car based on its engine performance.