Dodge Avenger Reviews

Graham Smith road tests and reviews the used 2007-2010 Dodge Avenger

It's widely acknowledged that the Australian car market is one of the toughest in the world, with more makes and models than you'll find almost anywhere else.The mid-sized segment is one of the most competitive within the market, and it was into that motoring maelstrom that Chrysler plunged in 2007 when it launched its mid-sized Dodge Avenger sedan.The Avenger was a mid-sized five-passenger sedan with muscular looks that set it apart from the crowd. Its chiselled lines, bluff panels and in-your-face grille were different to anything else in the market at the time, and for many took some getting used to.The edgy styling was carried on inside where the cabi n was a sea of hard plastics that wasn't really very welcoming. At launch Chrysler offered a 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine that really struggled. It was smooth enough, but it failed to come to the party when asked to perform.A 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and a V6 were added to the range a few months later. The V6 gave the Avenger some much needed punch. In 2009 a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel was added to the range to give the Avenger a fuel-miser option. If the 2.4-litre engine struggled the four-speed auto that was tacked on the back of it didn't help.It really needed another gear to help stir the four-banger along at anything like a decent clip. A five-speed manual was linked to the 2.0-litre engine when that was launched. When the V6 arrived on the scene in 2008 it had a six-speed auto, as did the turbo-diesel when it was launched a few months later. There was plenty of appeal when it came to the features list.The base model SX came standard with climate-controlled air, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, remote central locking and four-  speaker sound. Move up to the SXT and you got fog lamps, two extra speakers, leather trim, powered driver's seat, heated front seats, and larger alloy wheels.Little is really known about the Avenger in service. We hear little here at Carsguide, so we have to believe owners are happy with the purchases. Another slant on the lack of feedback from readers is that few Avengers found their way into the market, which is what is suspected. Although the Dodge brand is an old and certainly once respected one, it hasn't been here for many years and hasn't managed to get any real traction since its return.There is no reason to think there is anything fundamentally wrong with the Avenger, but buying outside the top group of brands always needs careful consideration. Check any cars being considered for purchase to make sure they have been regularly serviced.With front, side and head airbags, ABS brakes, electronic stability control, and traction control the Avenger had a comprehensive array of safety gear should it become necessary. UNDER THE PUMP Dodge claimed the 2.4-litre four-cylinder would do 8.8 L/100 km; the V6 would return 9.9 L/100 km and the turbo-diesel 6.7 L/100 km.Well equipped, economical mid-sized family car, but lacks sizzle on the road. Better stick with the known brands. 

Surely a remote release for the fuel well is a far easier option and far less bloodthirstyWith its corrugated clamshell bonnet, lambchop-shaped headlights and various other quirks, the Chrysler Sebring is certainly not your average medium-sized car.In this segment of car clones, it stands out as something a little bit different.However, if that is what you want, its cousin the Dodge Avenger looks more macho, drives better and is less quirky.I drove the Sebring Touring model with its standard 17-inch wheels for a week and found that the wheels were about the best thing on the vehicle.Despite its divisive exterior styling, at least I found it looked like it belonged to its wheels, not hovering above them like most of its under-shod competitors.The bigger wheels with a generous 60 per cent profile also helped provide a smooth and speed-bump-absorbing ride; around the potholed streets of Brisvegas.But there wasn't much else I liked.I just found too many niggling problems with this vehicle. For a start, the Yank car has not survived the conversion from left- to right-hand drive very well.Of course, the indicators are on the left, which is not a huge problem, but the parking brake is also on the left of the centre console, the bonnet release is in the left foot well, the gear indicator is unsighted on the left of the lever and the key is on the left of the steering wheel, which I never got used to even after a week of driving.There were other niggling problems, one of which left me with a gash in my left index finger.It is fairly common in the Chrysler and Jeep range to have a locking petrol cap that requires a key.Not only are they an inconvenience, but they are difficult to use. The key goes in and turns left (or is it right?) and then can't be extracted until you lock it again. You therefore have to squeeze your hand into the fuel well with the key still in the cap and try to rotate the cap to the right (or is that left?).In this juggling act I somehow managed to rip a gash in my finger on the sharp metal in the fuel well. Surely a remote release for the fuel well is a far easier option and far less bloodthirsty.But quirky things such as this could possibly be ignored if the car had good driving dynamics. It doesn't.While it rides well, it steers and handles vaguely. The 2.4-litre engine is noisy and rather under-powered, especially when faced with a hill or weighed down with a couple of passengers.In fact, my wife commented that it sounded more like a crude diesel engine than a modern petrol engine.What makes it worse is it is married to a slow-changing four-speed automatic gearbox. A six-speed manual is also available and might be a better option.No matter what you think of the exterior styling, you may find the interior a little better.It is fairly standard Chrysler fare with a fair amount of hard plastic, but some nice styling touches such as the chronometer-style clock in the centre of the dashboard, the pale green illumination of controls and the three-pod instruments.The two-tone cabin is a reasonably pleasant place to be with good legroom fore and aft and an airy feeling.But there isn't a lot of room in the cargo area with its high floor and low ceiling, plus there is only a temporary space saver spare under the floor.The steering wheel is adjustable for height, but not reach, like most American cars. However, The driver's seats is electronically adjustable to almost any position; so I was able to find a reasonably comfortable driving position. Surely reach adjustment would be an easier and cheaper way to get a good, safe driving position.The standard leather seats are very hard with a convex shape to the back support, which felt like the adjustable lumbar was pushed way forward. It wasn't.What we did like was auto up and down front windows, cup holders that heat or cool and the high quality Harmon Kardon sound system with an input jack for MP3 players and a MyGig hard drive system that allows you to store 20Gb of music on board, without having to use your iPod.That's a fair amount of tasty bits of kit for mid-sized motoring on a budget.For your $33,990 you also get a lot of safety gear including ABS, stability control, traction control, brake assist, six airbags and tyre pressure monitor.If you can get past the niggles, the languorous driving behaviour and the styling, then you will be rewarded with a car that is safe, packed with features and offers competitive value.

In a world obsessed with political correctness and body image, Dodge swims against the tide and without a hint of apology. The latest “love me or loathe me, I don't care” offering from Dodge is the Avenger, a mid-sized family sedan with enough attitude and aggressive demeanour to have less self-assured competitors letting out a whimper.“There isn't a car in its segment that looks this tough,” Chrysler Group Australia managing director Gerry Jenkins says. “Finally a car the consumer won't feel embarrassed driving.”With the signature oversized crosshair grille, square headlights styled on the giant Ram truck range and powerful rear quarters borrowed from the performance Charger, the Avenger carries off its street-tough look in a convincing manner.Even when it comes to pricing, the Avenger is not about to make an apology. The base 2.0-litre five-speed manual SX will start at $28,290 with electronic stability control and two years free comprehensive insurance.A four-speed auto SX is $30,990. The SXT with the 125kW 2.4L DOHC engine is $34,990 while a 137kW V6 version will top out the range when it arrives early next year. In a segment that not too many years ago was as sparsely populated as a ghost town, the base Avenger is now surrounded by a host of worthy options.Holden's Epica and Hyundai's Sonata are both available from $25,990, while the Toyota Camry can be had for $28,000 in basic trim. Not too far away, the outgoing Mazda6 is $29,990 (and certain to become even more affordable), Subaru's Liberty is $32,490, while a Honda Accord carries a sticker price of $30,490.However, as with many who talk tough, the Avenger is more soft-core under the surface than would be good for its street image. There were no 2.0-litre cars available to drive at the Avenger's launch in New Zealand, and that is unlikely to have been an accidental oversight.The 2.4-litre engine, as already seen in Caliber and Chrysler's own Sebring sedan, is a reasonable unit with dual variable-valve timing, but its 125kW and 220Nm is tempered by being shackled to an ageing four-speed automatic.Any performance aspirations Avenger has really will have to wait until the arrival of the 2.7-litre model early next year. Not only will that engine bring a reasonable 137kW of power and 256Nm of torque, but will also feature Chrysler's new-generation six-speed automatic gearbox.Built off the same basic platform as the Sebring with a MacPherson strut front-end and multi-link rear, the Avenger is better than capable as a family sedan. General stability of the car is good with a ride quality that never approaches plush but isolates the passengers well enough from the vagaries of moderately maintained highways. The power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering is well weighted and suffers neither from vagueness nor kickback under load.It is not particularly direct but is consistent and linear, giving confidence on challenging roads.The 2.4-litre engine, the only one available for test at the launch in New Zealand's South Island takes some urging to get the Avenger's 1500kg moving. On flat roads, the 2.4 is happy to swing along but hills take a toll on the performance. Mountains are punitive.The Avenger's interior packaging is good, with ample space in the front and genuine room for two adults and a child or a smaller adult across the rear. Plastics are hard and there are plenty of them but the colour tones are light and uplifting while control knobs are large, clearly marked (except for the radio controls on the rear of the multi-function steering wheel) and easy to use.The absence of a foot rest for the driver is a glaring omission and the claim that the steering is both rake and reach is ludicrous, given the tiny telescopic range of the adjustment.Luggage capacity is impressive, spoiled only slightly by the boot opening, which is not as large as might be expected. Rear seats fold flat, as does the passenger seat, to give huge potential carrying capacity with long-load capability.And there are clever convenience touches that lift the car above the average. A chilled storage compartment in the top of the dash can store four 500ml cans or bottles while the centre cup holders can cool or heat containers in a range from 2C to 60C. Impressive in both grades of car is the range of active and passive safety gear with stability control, traction control, ABS with brake assist and six airbags including curtain.The SX models come with 17 inch steel wheels, a single CD sound system with four speakers, airconditioning, cruise control, remote door lock, five three-point belts, non-stain cloth seats, security alarm and power windows.In the SXT (available only with the 2.4-litre engine) you can add 18 inch alloys, the chilled and heated cup holders, heated front seats, eight-way electronic adjustment for the driver's seat, multi-function steering wheel, six-disc CD with six Boston Acoustic speakers, trip computer and nice leather trim.

You'd want something fairly ferocious with a moniker like Avenger, wouldn't you? Something on massive rims that comes, preferably, in translucent black. Something in which your Marvel comic hero might rip about his rounds, making evildoers quake.Well, the Avenger is distinctive enough all right, if not quite the affront to design decency that some have unkindly suggested.And it does smite you squarely between the peepers.This is a wholly deliberate tactic, for Dodge's notion is to rough up the polite, quietly spoken denizens of the mid-size sedan segment.So beware Honda Accords, Mazda 6 and even Camry/Aurion. Shiver, Volkswagen Jetta — not least because Dodge has the temerity to use your TDI engine in its diesel variant.This bigger, even brasher brother of Dodge's Caliber is a sort of mini-muscle car, although the long front overhang on which the trademark crosshair grille is perched removes any doubt that this Ram is driven through the front, not the back, wheels.It drags a high-set bum that's spared comparison with the Accord Euro's abrupt butt only by a bulbous rear bumper, though comparison with any Japanese car seems misplaced.Even the glasshouse looks tough, the side windows meeting the C-pillar in an angular collision of glass, plastic and metal that looks singular (and conspires to rob rear vision).The Avenger's particularly unattractive optional spoiler is sure to be popular among those drawn to a car that's cast from a whole different mould to the mid-size mass. If unresolved is one word for its design, another is unadulterated.The Avenger will exercise its allure on those who can't rise to a Chrysler 300C but have a craving for a throbbing chunk of Americana. Or Amerikana, if you go for the model with the VW/Audi engine.Within, such trappings as leather trim on the top-spec diesel and V6 petrol versions (unsurprisingly, the only models available to us on Thursday in Seville) won't disguise the Avenger's sub-Kia cabin — a desert of hard, grey plastics topped by a roof lining that feels flimsily fitted.These contrast starkly with fruity fixtures such as temperature-adjustable cup holders and a multimedia entertainment system that, among its various tricks, can play movies to rear-seat passengers and store 100 hours of music.The best entry-level price in the segment is promised for the stripper two-litre, four-cylinder petrol model when the Avenger is launched locally in late July. It will be joined by a 2.4-litre petrol four and the 2.0 TDI.The 2.7 V6 follows near year's end, along with an automatic version of the till-then-six-speed manual diesel.Mid-size slayers though they're built up to be, Avengers start out north of 1500kg and rise to 1560kg in the diesel. Falcodore heavy, really.They're not hares off the line: the auto-only V6 reaches 100km/h in a claimed nine seconds — a good second and a half faster than the petrol or diesel fours.Not so long ago, big family sedans were of the Avenger's dimensions. Just 20mm short of five metres long and 1843mm wide, it's a genuine five-seater.The 438-litre boot's utility is boosted by 60/40 split folding rear seats and — unusually for a saloon — the front passenger seat folds flat. Why the space saver spare, then?By the time of the V6 Avenger's Australian debut, it will hopefully have acquired an automatic with the cogs to match its pots.Yet as inadequate as the four-speed version we drove on Thursday was, this Avenger was a spirited performer, climbing with vigour and responsiveness through the Andalusian mountains.Nose-heavy understeer is as tame as it is inevitable, but there is much to be extracted on the safe side of that.With decently weighted steering married to a flat, composed stance through bends, only the Avenger's displacement would keep it from staying with the class-leading Mazda 6.The Avenger, though, has superior NVH and ride — at least on first-world roads that have never been afflicted by the RTA. If this spec is designed for European rather than American tastes, Dodge has done as much work on the Avenger's chassis as on the sheet metal.A brief go at the diesel served to show mainly that the Yanks can barely be bothered doing stick.The shift was sloppy, the clutch doughy, and the elsewhere excellent engine couldn't move the Avenger with the same torqueative authority with which it shoves along the Jetta.If this sedan is class-leading in few respects — least of all in terms of cabin ambience or economy — it won't be mistaken for anything else on the road.In that respect — the reason for which Dodge developed the thing — the Avenger is in a class apart.And in black, it may even frighten a few felons.