The Dodge Avenger has a base price of $18,895.It's been a while since I've driven a Dodge. So, when I got into the 2008 Dodge Avenger, I was immediately surprised and delighted.
I must admit, much of that was due to the compartment above the glove box that serves as a cooler. And it was pre-filled with four nicely chilled cans of pop. Since I was going through caffeine withdrawal, that can of Diet Coke was a lifesaver on the commute to the office.
I've seen the likes of this clever little cooler in Land Rover vehicles in the $60K range, but this is the first time I've seen anything like it in a car that costs less than $20K. And this feature is standard. The downside of the "Chill Zone Storage Bin" is that it cools via air vents that send air-conditioned air into the compartment. So, the idea is to put something in there that's already cool, or that can be cooled over a long period of time during a road trip.
But still, that Chill Zone is pretty ingenious. It was dead space, and Dodge turned it into something that actually makes sense. And this is just the beginning of the car's clever features.
My second favorite feature was the ambient lighting. All interior lights glowed with a bluish tint due to the LED lightbulbs. It cast a cool hue over the car and made it appear that much more interesting at night.
Along with the Chill Zone, the Avenger also sports a heated/cooled front cup holder. Again you're not going to heat something up or cool it down solely with this cup holder, but it will let you keep something cold or hot just a little bit longer.
One of the current must-have features is an iPod input jack, and this car had it. The jack was a little finicky and I had to make sure it was connected properly, but once plugged in, I could set my own music. I'm amazed when I get in any car at this point -- no matter what the price point -- and this jack isn't standard fare.
Another thing that should be standard: side-curtain airbags. And they are on the Avenger. It also has standard front seat-mounted side airbags and advanced multistage front airbags.
The Avenger has a nice and low starting price of $18,895, and the test vehicle was an Avenger R/T, which had a base price of $23,545. Because the test vehicle as pretty neat as it was, the only option was the leather seating surfaces with heated front seats ($775). The as-tested MSRP was $24,320.
The interior appointments were sporty if a bit plasticky. I liked the optional leather seats, though one of my passengers who owns an Audi commented that he thought they looked cheap. Well, what do you expect for a car in this price range? At $20K, they are totally fine. The two-tone leather surfaces didn't look like they would tear or crack easily, and they are much easier to clean than cloth.
The test car had standard six-way power adjustable seats, and that combined with the tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel provided a very good driving position. With audio controls on the steering wheel, I could easily keep my hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Even the good driving position couldn't make up for the side blind spots in the Avenger. The rear windows are very small, and if you're looking to get into a passing lane, you better make sure you check your mirrors. Not to mention the fact that if you were a rear passenger, I think you'd feel a bit claustrophobic with the lack of window space.
The test vehicle came with the top-of-the-line 3.5-liter, high-output V-6 engine, which produces 235 horsepower. Thus the ride in the Avenger test vehicle was more than a little spirited. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.
While I thought the vehicle was well powered, there was one thing that bothered me during the test week, and I couldn't quite figure out if it should be attributed to the engine or to the transmission. When I would slow down, but not stop completely, then try to accelerate swiftly, there would be a little bit of a skip or slip. Almost like a stutter before the gear would catch and the vehicle would accelerate. I don't know that this is necessarily a deal breaker, but it's definitely annoying.
Other engines available with the Avenger include the 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine and the 2.7-liter V-6, which can operate on E-85 fuel. Fuel economy across the engine lineup is really good any way you look at it. With the 3.5-liter V-6 you'll get 16 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway. With the 2.4-liter four-cylinder you'll get city/highway mileage of 21/30 mpg, and with the 2.7-liter V-6 you'll get 19/27 mpg.
Dodge says they are targeting Gen X with this vehicle, and being on the young side of this generation, I have to say they hit the mark. My passengers, all of whom were in this target as well, also liked the vehicle. The overall consensus is that the vehicle is comfortable, attractive and fun to drive.
The one thing that threw me a bit, however, was the fact that this car looks so similar to the Charger. Right down to the overly small rear windows. I would have liked a little more creativity in the design. Or, perhaps, this is the right inception of the car with the right name -- and it's the Charger that needs some more creativity. Hmmm. Something to ponder.
From the beginning of the test week through the end, I thought the Avenger was a very clever vehicle. Definitely a step in the right direction for Dodge. With the right price, excellent standard features and plenty of options, the Avenger is well worth a test drive if you're perusing the over-crowded mid-size market.
DriveLive around Chicago in a VW Eos
