Dodge Avenger Overview

The Dodge Avenger shares all of its major mechanical systems and components with the Chrysler Sebring, although it is by no means just a clone. The front-drive Avenger chassis shared with the Sebring was designed from the beginning for a convertible as well as a sedan, and that means that it is extraordinarily stiff and strong. It's also designed to meet all of the crash regulations aimed at pedestrian safety and get multiple five-start crash ratings, too.

The sibling entry, the Chrysler Sebring, although it starts at about the same price, is a rounder, more traditional design for a different customer. The Dodge Avenger will reach out to those buyers looking for something different in a huge part of the market that offers a lot of sameness: front-wheel drive, four-cylinder or V6 engines, around 100 cubic feet of interior space, navigation, satellite radio and lots of interior storage spaces. This is the largest single passenger-car market segment, and very few of the competitors have the combination of style, features and options that the Avenger offers. Those features include a drink cooler in the dashboard, an optional beverage cooling/heating system in the center console, and an optional rear-seat entertainment system in a sedan body (most are found in minivans and SUVs).

The proposition here is a simple one: a scaled-down Charger four-door coupe for those family sedan buyers who would really like to have a car that looks like a big Charger, but operate their lives on a four-cylinder or V6 budget and sensibility, not a 5.7-liter Hemi budget.

There are two trim levels, the SXT and performance-oriented R/T. The standard engine for each is a 2.4-liter flex-fuel four-cylinder with variable valve timing; it is rated at 173 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque, it can operate on gasoline or E85, which is the blend of 85-percent ethanol and 15-percent gasoline, and it is matched with a four-speed automatic transmission. Optional on the R/T is a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 235 horsepower and 232 pound-feet of torque; it uses a six-speed automatic.

There are few changes for 2009. Some trim and interior items have received enhancements, 18-inch chrome-clad wheels are available on the R/T, there's a new color, and there have been changes to the options.