Dodge Avenger History
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The Dodge Avenger is a four-door, mid-size sedan with a companion Chrysler Sebring in the corporate stable. But it hasn't always been a sedan--and its future beyond the 2011 model year is uncertain.
The first Dodge Avenger actually was a two-door coupe, built by Dodge and Mitsubishi in the latter's Illinois assembly plant. Based on Mitsubishi running gear, that Avenger offered a choice of four-cylinder or six-cylinder powerplants, manual and automatic transmissions, and handsome styling that hid the fact that the underpinnings were shared with the concurrent Mitsubishi Galant. This Avenger was sold from the 1995 to 2000 model year.
Dodge revived the Avenger nameplate in 2008. The new front-drive sedan also is built on a platform derived from Mitsubishi products, though it's likely to be the last such vehicle, as Chrysler is now in a global alliance with Italy's Fiat Group.
The current Avenger made its debut with a choice of three engines: a base 2.4-liter four-cylinder came with base cars, while higher-priced versions could be outfitted with either a 2.7-liter V-6 or a 3.5-liter V-6. (In other markets, the Avenger also comes with a choice of a smaller four-cylinder or a turbodiesel.) All-wheel drive was offered for a short time, but has been deleted as Avenger sales have dropped. The Avenger's cabin is spacious, and its chunky styling has some appeal, but it's become a rental-car special because of its uncompetitive handling, acceleration, and general refinement.
For the 2010 model year, the Avenger returns with just two powertrain options. The 173-hp four is among the least pleasing four-cylinders in the Avenger's class, which includes the Ford Fusion and Volkswagen Jetta and the Hyundai Sonata. The smaller V-6 engine has been dropped, leaving the front-drive Avenger with its top engine choice as the 235-hp V-6. With this engine, a sport-shift six-speed automatic is the only transmission offered--and it's got issues, with a hesitation in downshifts. Fuel economy ranges from 21 mpg city, 30 highway, with the four-cylinder to 16/27 mpg with the V-6. Handling on the R/T edition is suitably tight, but other features suffer from a boundy ride and plenty of road and powertrain noise.
Material and build quality is a big downer in the Avenger, and safety's a bit behind the pack. In the insurance industry's IIHS tests, the Avenger scores "good" ratings for front and side protection; in government safety tests, the Dodge Avenger earns a five-star rating in frontal crash tests, but it hasn't recently been tested for side impact.
Chrysler's alliance with Fiat means big changes are coming to its product lineup. A new mid-size sedan and possibly a hatchback are coming in the 2011-2012 model years for the Dodge brand, but it's not certain if the Avenger nameplate will carry over to them.
