First Drive: 2008 Dodge Avenger

Previews

The Dodge version of the Chrysler Sebring gets a new name, but does it face the same fate?

Although the mid-size-sedan segment is a cash cow for most players in the field, Dodge just hasn’t been able to get one right since the full-size Intrepid (remember that?) more than a decade ago. For 2008, Dodge is making a fresh start with an all-new mid-size sedan that will make you forget all about the old Stratus, which went away last year with few people noticing. Renamed the Avenger, an aggressive name that recalls that decidedly unaggressive Mitsubishi-based coupe that Dodge sold in the 1990s, the new sedan arrives at a party where it’s extremely hard to stand out.

Behold the “Chargerette”

The Dodge sheetmetal is as radically different from the Sebring as the Sebring is, well, different from everything else in the mid-size-sedan segment. Essentially, the new suit is a full-size Charger skin tailored for a smaller body, with a crosshair grille, tall body sides, broad shoulders, muscular fenders, and a kicked-up side rear window with ugly black plastic covering the corner where we think glass should be. The Avenger’s squared-off contours, especially up front, give it a small measure of distinction from its big brother, and it’s generally agreed in our camp that the “Chargerette” is way better-looking than the Sebring. Faint praise, perhaps, as it nevertheless fails to be either menacing or inviting. In a field that includes more elegant sedans such as the Toyota Camry and Saturn Aura, the Avenger looks rather overwrought. Inside, the story doesn’t get much better. Hard shiny plastics create windshield glare that would make polarized sunglasses a lifesaving investment. Dreary gray tones abound, and although the dashboard is completely different in design from its Chrysler cousin, it conveys the same discombobulated, rental-grade feel. Moreover, if you do wind up renting an Avenger, pack light: Its 13-cubic-foot trunk is a cube shy of both the Honda Accord’s and the Pontiac G6’s, and a whopping 5 cubic feet smaller than the Nissan Altima’s. On the upside, the rear seat offers legroom galore, and most Avengers come with a flat-folding front passenger seat to help accommodate extra-long items that won’t fit even after folding one or both of the 60/40-split rear seatbacks.

Trim Levels

The SE stripper model is clearly a bone thrown at National Car Rental, and as far as we’re concerned, that’s where it should stay—it’s about as basic as transportation gets in the mid-size segment. Folks who actually have to live with an Avenger shouldn’t even look at it unless there’s an SXT or R/T badge on the back. The SXT comes standard with 17-inch wheels (up from the SE’s puny 16s), a chrome grille, stain-resistant fabric, and a healthy amount of much-needed brightwork to dress up the drab interior. R/T models, however, get niceties such as automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped wheel, and padding for that hard armrest. R/Ts also get automatic headlights, fog lamps, and 18-inch alloys. SXTs and R/Ts have a healthy list of options, including a DVD entertainment system, leather upholstery, a Boston Acoustics sound system, and Chrysler’s bitchin’ MyGIG nav/audio combo system with Sirius radio, Bluetooth connectivity, real-time traffic reporting, and a full 20 gigs of hard-drive storage for MP3s and even a few photos.


Performance and Availability

Powertrains

We got our first peek at this car in Paris, where it debuted packing a diesel to lure Europeans to Dodge. However, we won’t get a diesel-powered Avenger here anytime soon. Rather, home-market Avengers come with the same three powertrains as the Chrysler Sebring. SE and SXT models come standard with the 2.4-liter Hyundai/Mitsubishi/DC-developed inline-four “World Engine,” mated to a four-speed automatic. Easily the most frugal of the bunch, this setup is also noisy and rather lethargic—no surprise considering the Avenger’s 3400-pound base curb weight. We didn’t get a chance to get into the 189-hp, 2.7-liter V-6 during our limited time on the press launch, but we did spend a considerable amount of time in the Avenger R/T, with its 232-hp, 3.5-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic with manumatic controls. Although somewhat gruff at high revs, the engine is thoroughly up to the task of getting the Avenger up to speed and has enough power to warrant the standard traction control. Expect a 6.8-second 0-to-60-mph time, which is what we recorded in a 3.5-liter-equipped Sebring. The highway is where the Avenger is at its best. The ride is comfortable and the cabin is admirably quiet, thanks in no small part to the stiff structure—roughly 60 percent stiffer than the outgoing Stratus. We would love more steering precision, but the suspension tuning seemed adequate, neither sloppy nor sporty. Stopping from those speeds is also fairly unremarkable, which is a good thing, although safety-conscious Avenger shoppers should consider that all but the R/T feature drum brakes in the back, and ABS is standard only on the SXT and R/T. Shortly after its launch, the Avenger R/T will be offered with all-wheel drive, which we don’t expect will liven performance too much but nonetheless should make the Avenger more appealing to Snowbelt residents. However, no matter which wheels are doing the driving, the Avenger R/T is still no match for the gutsy six-cylinder variants of the Nissan Altima or Toyota Camry. Of course, all that could change once the SRT folks get hold of it.

The Herd Is Safe

The 2008 Avenger will hit the market toward the end of 2007 at a starting price of $18,895—cheaper than the Stratus it replaces. The SXT offers more value for an additional $900. R/T models will set you back $23,545. From a feature-per-dollar standpoint, those prices are competitive, but they sit squarely in the middle of Camry, Accord, and Altima territory, each of which conveys a significantly better sense of quality and offers quieter, more refined powertrains (particularly in V-6 arrays). So, does the Avenger have what it takes to tip the herd of cash cows from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and even Hyundai? Well, let’s just say the farmer is going to get a good night’s sleep.

BY STEVE SILER
www.caranddriver.com

See also:
Video: Dodge Demon Concept