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2008 Dodge Avenger Review

August 1, 2008

STYLING | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

rear quarter panel is an utter mess of shapes
Autoblog

Fails to be either menacing or inviting
Car and Driver

Hard plastics are still in abundance
Road & Track

a super-cool-looking car that afforded me several head nods
Mother Proof

The 2008 Dodge Avenger replaces the old Dodge Stratus with a welcome exterior that echoes the Dodge Charger, though there's room for improvements inside.

On the exterior, the 2008 Dodge Avenger's family heritage is readily recognizable. Car and Driver has bestowed the somewhat belittling moniker "Chargerette" upon the Avenger in reference to its appearance as a scaled-down version of Dodge's modern-day muscle sedan. Similarly, Kelley Blue Book notes that "the Avenger's strong rear shoulders, squarish taillamps and sloping roofline are all grafted with varying exactness from the Dodge Charger large sedan." Generally, TheCarConnection.com found reviewers split between the Dodge Avenger's aggressive styling cues reminiscent of the Charger, and the rather mundane styling of the front half of the Avenger. On one hand, Cars.com says "the Avenger is one of the few distinctive designs in the saturated midsize sedan market." On the other hand, a trio of reviewers felt it wasn’t convincing at all. Road & Track damns with faint praise: "its styling falls in line with other Dodge models, meaning it has substance and character that won't wilt in the sun." Autoblog says its "rear quarter panel is an utter mess of shapes," and Car and Driver reports it "fails to be either menacing or inviting."

While the jury is still out on the exterior styling of the Dodge Avenger, its base interior is panned by reviewers. ConsumerGuide applauds the Dodge Avenger's gauges for being "clearly marked and easy to see," but they also note that this 2008 Dodge cabin "falls well short of most anything in its class." Cars.com points out "some hard and glossy plastics and copious amounts of faux metal." Despite these negative sentiments, Automobile considers the Dodge Avenger's interior appearance to be a major improvement over recent Chrysler mid-sized sedans, though that might say more about the previous sedans than it does about this 2008 Dodge.

Conclusion

The 2008 Dodge Avenger exterior styling is distinctly Dodge: bold lines and a muscular body, but also some questionable angles and a letdown interior.

STYLING | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:rear quarter panel is an utter mess of shapesAutoblogFails to be either menacing or invitingCar and DriverHard plastics are still in abundanceRoad & Tracka super-cool-looking car that afforded me several head nodsMother Proof The 2008 Dodge Avenger replaces the old Dodge Stratus with a welcome exterior that echoes the Dodge Charger, though there's room for improvements inside. On the exterior, the 2008 Dodge Avenger's family heritage is readily recognizable. Car and Driver has bestowed the somewhat belittling moniker "Chargerette" upon the Avenger in reference to its appearance as a scaled-down version of Dodge's modern-day muscle sedan. Similarly, Kelley Blue Book notes that "the Avenger's strong rear shoulders, squarish taillamps and sloping roofline are all grafted with varying exactness from the Dodge Charger large sedan." Generally, TheCarConnection.com found reviewers split between the Dodge Avenger's aggressive styling cues reminiscent of the Charger, and the rather mundane styling of the front half of the Avenger. On one hand, Cars.com says "the Avenger is one of the few distinctive designs in the saturated midsize sedan market." On the other hand, a trio of reviewers felt it wasn’t convincing at all. Road & Track damns with faint praise: "its styling falls in line with other Dodge models, meaning it has substance and character that won't wilt in the sun." Autoblog says its "rear quarter panel is an utter mess of shapes," and Car and Driver reports it "fails to be either menacing or inviting." While the jury is still out on the exterior styling of the Dodge Avenger, its base interior is panned by reviewers. ConsumerGuide applauds the Dodge Avenger's gauges for being "clearly marked and easy to see," but they also note that this 2008 Dodge cabin "falls well short of most anything in its class." Cars.com points out "some hard and glossy plastics and copious amounts of faux metal." Despite these negative sentiments, Automobile considers the Dodge Avenger's interior appearance to be a major improvement over recent Chrysler mid-sized sedans, though that might say more about the previous sedans than it does about this 2008 Dodge. ConclusionThe 2008 Dodge Avenger exterior styling is distinctly Dodge: bold lines and a muscular body, but also some questionable angles and a letdown interior.  2008 DODGE AVENGER STYLING | [7 out of 10] Autoblog: "rear quarter panel is an utter mess of shapes" Car and Driver: "Fails to be either menacing or inviting" Road & Track: "Hard plastics are still in abundance" Mother Proof: "a super-cool-looking car that afforded me several head ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

Comparing the Avenger's base four-cylinder model to others in its class, it lags far behind much of the competition because of its coarse, ever-present sound and lack of refinement. In comparison, the new Malibu's four-cylinder is refined and quiet, as is the Altima's. The Sonata and Optima offer a more comfortable, quiet ride and nice interiors that feel better, even if they aren't as exciting to look at as the Avenger's. And the Fusion feels especially sporty and nimble compared to the 2008 Dodge Avenger; its interior has a basic design, but the materials are better. Roominess is one area where the Avenger does pretty well; its backseat feels capacious and has enough headroom for adults, while the backseats in several of these vehicles--especially the Altima--can be tight. At the six-cylinder level, the Avenger R/T brings a lot of features and a sporty feel for about the same money as more sedately equipped V-6 rival models. It's perhaps the best value in the lineup, but even here, its inferior-feeling interior, lack of ride refinement, and perceived quality are grounds for dismissal.

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See the Dodge Avenger in Other Years:

2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997

Comments (1 total)

  1. By David N #1, Posted: 9/26/2008

    Are you realistic?

    I was on a longterm assignment in Canada and the reantal car company gave me a base level SE Avenger. You know, the one that you said was coarse and unrefined. Well, I lived with it a month. I have also drive a Ford Fusion for a month on a previous assignment and my wife has Lexus. Here is what I thought of the cars:
    Ford Fusion was quite nice. Even for a base 160 hp car I thought its performance was good. But, it was not as nice to get in and out of as others, particularly the rear seat. Never had a problem with it.
    Dodge Avenger. Not quite as nice as the Ford. But, I did like the ergonomics as I am rather large. The Dodge was reliable, got pretty good gas mileage, and had lots of space.
    My wife's Lexus is nice but what gets me is that it really isn't that much nicer then either the Ford or the Dodge. And, it cost her over twice as much as either of them (but she is the Queen, of course!).
    Bottomline, I bought an Avenger SE for less then $17,000. So far it is everything that I wanted. I just don't see how you can beat it for the money.

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