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Residents of the United States likely take their driving privileges for granted. Not so in Saudi... Read More
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A lot of darts have been thrown at Chrysler's Dodge Avenger and Chrysler Sebring mid-size sedans over the past few years, with more than a few folks blaming the company's slide into bankruptcy at least in part on the lack of a quality mid-size offering that could compete with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
Chrysler has shown that its aware of the problem, and there will be new or redesigned mid-size sedans soon, as part of the company's alliance with Fiat. Until then, the current Avenger and Sebring must carry the torch. Dead cars driving, indeed.
The Basics
The Avenger comes in three trim levels: SXT, Express, and R/T. A 173-horsepower 2.4-liter four-cylinder is the base engine on all models, but the R/T is available with a 3.5-liter V-6 that makes 235 horsepower. Four-cylinders are paired to a 4-speed automatic transmission, while V-6s mate to a 6-speed automatic.
My tester was an Express, with a base price of $21,230. Standard features included ABS, a rear window defroster, air conditioning, heated front seats, a fold-flat front passenger seats, a tilt/telescope steering wheel, a 12-volt outlet and 17-inch wheels. Note the admission of traction control and an antiskid system: They are available as options.
Speaking of options, the Inferno Red Crystal paint ran $245, a Customer Preferred Package 24U cost $425 and included traction control and an antiskid system, a power sunroof cost $845, and Chrysler's Uconnect multimedia suite--which included a wireless cell phone link--ran $360. Add in the $750 destination charge, and the total came to $23,855.
Performance
The four-cylinder is surprisingly strong in around-town driving, but the downside is that it trashes about like a hooked fish. It's not a pleasant sounding engine, by any stretch of the imagination. The good news is that it's quiet when puttering about at low RPM.
Avenger's ride is another pleasant surprise, it's generally composed even on the most broken pavement. The same can't be said of the handling: It's average at best and exhibits a little bit of body roll.
