Picture Gallery: 2008 Dodge Avenger SXT | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4
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They work quite nice too — but let’s get down to basics first. The Dodge Avenger is built on the same platform as the Chrysler Sebring I tested just a few weeks ago. Available in SE, SXT and R/T trim the Avenger is available with a range of engines, starting with a 2.4L four cylinder power plant all way up to the 3.5L high output V6 available on the R/T Avenger — the same engine I tested in the Chrysler Sebring.
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The Avenger SE starts at $21.995, my tester (the SXT model) has a starting price of $24,095 with my tester pricing out to just over $27,000.
The options including in my tester include: convenience group (which includes heated seats and mirrors) for $500, the premium convenience group (which adds climate control and auto headlights) for $750, the sports appearance package which adds the cool spoiler on the rear for $400 and, of course, let’s not forget the Boston Acoustic sound system — a bargain at $250.
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On the inside it becomes plain as day that these vehicles are closely related. The colours and textures of the plastics are the same, the shapes are very similar and the buttons and switch gear are located identically.
It will be interesting to be able to contrast and compare the Avenger with the Chrysler Sebring I tested just a few short weeks ago. Obviously going from the high output V6 in the Sebring to the 2.4L four cylinder engine in the Avenger is somewhat of a let down when it comes to straight line performance. As hard as it may be to believe, there is a lot more to a car than how fast it goes from 0-100km/h. And the Avenger should certainly have the advantage at the pumps.
2008 Dodge Avenger
MSRP as tested: $27,370
For more information on Dodge and the Avenger visit Dodge Canada
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To start, the interior lighting in the Avenger is amazing: the use of four LED (light emitting diodes) casting white light into the compartment is utterly brilliant, literally. The amount of light that is cast allows you to see everything in the cabin and not just a small area, as in most vehicles. The white backlit theme continues on behind the gauge cluster and makes driving at night a real treat.
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Another unique feature in the Avenger is the heated and cooled cup holder in the centre console. After hitting the local fast food joint tonight I tried out the cooled cup holder. Not sure if it did anything, but my ice didn’t melt — although it was only on for five minutes. There is also a small compartment on top of the passenger side dash which has a cooling compartment for canned drinks.
The plastics in the Avenger, unfortunately, are the same quality — if you can call them that — as in the Sebring. My tester has only 1800 km on it and there are nicks and marks all over the interior. The hard plastics on the dash mark up easily mark up with the slightest nudge. Other fit and finish details are a little disappointing as well, such as the trunk lid: no handle and no carpeted lid makes it seems like they just didn’t care.
Like the Sebring, though, headroom and leg room are excellent, so you are getting a lot of car for a low entry point if that is what you are looking for. You lose a bit of polish around the edges but sometimes functionality overrules vanity.
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My tester is powered by a 2.4L four cylinder engine producing 173hp, coupled to a four speed automatic transmission. The vehicle certainly won’t win you any drag races and it does feel slightly sluggish if you are cruising at 80km/h and need to make a quick passing maneuver, but cruising around town and getting up to speed from a stand still is fairly uneventful. One notable, though: unlike many domestic engines the 2.4L engine seems to produce its power up high and you really feel a surge of power after 4500 rpm.
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On cold starts the Avenger’s steering rack kind of groans, like an old dog getting up after a good night’s rest. This seems to go away after a short bit of driving, although it makes me wonder what would happen in the dead of winter.
The brakes also have a sporting quality to them with good initial bite and a pedal that is easy to modulate with good feedback. As a result the Avenger encourages more aggressive and playful driving than the Sebring did.
Although still no sports car, if the space and convenience of a larger sedan is one of your requirements as well as more sporting intentions the Avenger would be my choice over the Sebring, although I’d would have to suggest opting for one of the larger engines and perhaps even the all-wheel drive option for even more fun.
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Reversing the Avenger is somewhat of an issue due to the high rear belt line, and the groaning steering wheel has started to annoy me as it is happening more and more now that the cold weather is here.
Perhaps I did a little more highway driving this week than I normally do but typically any fuel savings are quickly offset by a few short jaunts around town. The fuel economy I achieved in the Avenger this week was impressive. While the high output V6 engine in the Sebring I tested performed rather poorly in the fuel economy scale, the 2.4L four cylinder in the Avenger averaged 8.6L/100km for this week; that is compact car territory and a great achievement!
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2008 Dodge Avenger
MSRP as tested: $27,370
For more information on Dodge and the Avenger visit Dodge Canada
October 10, 2007, 12:33:28 pm James' neighbours will be wondering why he's driving a rental car this week...
October 10, 2007, 02:16:09 pm I'll take mine in red or black... that colour really does not suit it.
October 10, 2007, 07:01:53 pm
That Avenger, and many Chrysler vehicles look very fleet style..ie. "cheap".
October 11, 2007, 12:38:57 pm Dodges build great looking cars. I just can't help thinking they are doing something wrong. I have not seen many threads of people wanting to buy Dodges or even recommending Dodges. Why is that?
Wing: Have you tried sitting in the back and looking out of the rear side window. Can you see anything?
Also how hot does the drink warmer keep your coffee? If your coffee is cold does the drinks warmer, warm up your coffee a little?
October 11, 2007, 12:42:57 pm Cortina: Yes I sat in the back and was worried about the way the window slants but I found it fine for seeing out the side window. You can't see directly beside you but slightly forward and to the side is fine.
I don't drink coffee so I can't help you there, I don't think it will warm your cold coffee though... it can't get that hot or it would burn / melt things you put in there by accident like wrappers and stuff. It just gets slightly warm / slightly cool.
October 11, 2007, 01:06:45 pm Cortina : with 3 kids, I would love to buy a car like the Charger or Magnum...but Chrysler is staying away from manual transmissions, keeping enthusiasts - including me - at bay. Even if a stick would only grab 5% of sales, the added exposure in car mags would generate "free" showroom traffic.
The drink cool-warm-ers are just plugged into the HVAC system. My '01 Passat had that feature...in the glove box.
October 12, 2007, 02:41:34 pm
Go to this link and scroll through the Chrysler section:
http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=23
They've burned a lot of people. I know I've been specifically warned against buying Chrysler products by ex-Chrysler owners.
October 12, 2007, 02:49:33 pm
Go to this link and scroll through the Chrysler section:
http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=23
They've burned a lot of people. I know I've been specifically warned against buying Chrysler products by ex-Chrysler owners.
That link is just about useless, most of recall are before 2000
October 13, 2007, 02:45:55 pm
Go to this link and scroll through the Chrysler section:
http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=23
They've burned a lot of people. I know I've been specifically warned against buying Chrysler products by ex-Chrysler owners.
I wouldn't make that a blanket statement. I know 2 PT Cruiser owners who are both satisfied. I know that is hardly a statistically valid sample but it does show that Chrysler has been known to build the occasional good car.
October 13, 2007, 04:03:46 pm Design design design. They lack that.
The outside well the charge is good but the avenger looks a bit odd like it's not quite sure what it wants to do. Once inside the fit and finish and just the greyness of it all doesn't make it a great experience. They have what looks like LED reading lights but instead of looking cool they just look odd. It's little things like that which makes it so much harder to sell those cars to people. Especially when people think your cars will break.
October 13, 2007, 04:21:21 pm
That's why I said they burned a lot of people, not all people. The PT actually had an above average rating on CR for a while. And even machines with generally bad reputations always have some happy owners, especially if they got one built with extra care, trade off frequently or are mechanically sympathetic (ie follow an annual clearing computer codes/changing transmission oil procedure). I had good luck with an early 80's X-body GM I had for a while, and they were known for nightmarish reliability.
And of course some people have higher tolerances for trouble or like the vehicles for qualities that override reliability. One of my buddies really liked his HD Dodge pickup with the Cummins diesel, although he remarked in passing once he was on his third transmission. When he got another truck he went Dodge again.
I think that's where the domestics have to excel. There's no way they can match the reliability reputation of Hondayota until they earn it back over time, but they can beat them on styling, fun to drive, interior quality, etc, right now. Combine that with their traditionally larger dealer network and they could do well. The Avenger/Caliber/Nitro/Compass level of effort is not enough IMO, if all the advertising and huge discounts on Chrysler products lately is any indication.
Interestingly I remember a time when Chrysler was known for their bulletproof drivetrains, the slant six or the 318 combined with an 3 spd automatic pretty much ran forever. It's not like they can't design and build reliable stuff.
October 13, 2007, 05:04:27 pm
October 13, 2007, 09:54:10 pm
Quite true. Up until the early '70s Chrysler was always known for leading the domestic makes in engineering. Unfortunately those days are long gone as are the engineers. Their problem back then was build quality and product planning.
During the financial crisis in the late '70s Chrysler purged itself of much of its engineering staff. Then in the wake of the Daimler takeover at the turn of the century another whole bunch of people left. Given the instability of the company right now I would be wary of any new Chrysler product for a few years. God knows what you're going to get... leftover M-B bits, supplier-designed pieces, or in-house stuff. They seem to be in disarray. Combined with their deisgn idiom which tends to be love it or hate it, and their seeming inability to design a decent-looking interior regardless of price point, I find their offerings (except for Jeep) pretty unappealing.
October 13, 2007, 11:15:50 pm
Heated/cooled cupholders??