Overview & Reviews

Thus far, Dodge has used the name "Avenger" on two wholly different cars from different time periods. The first Avenger was a midsize, two-door coupe born in the mid-1990s. Noted mostly for its stealthy good looks, the original Dodge Avenger also featured a reasonably roomy cabin and an appealing blend of handling and comfort. It enjoyed some success both with critics and consumers, though at decade's end it faded away with little notice. After a long hiatus, the Avenger name resurfaced in 2008 when Dodge deemed it fitting for the successor to the Stratus sedan.

Unfortunately, the second-generation Avenger has not enjoyed the positive reaction of its two-door predecessor. Despite a midlife overhaul that corrected many of its initial glaring faults, the Avenger has always been one of the least competitive midsize sedans. Consumers will find that most competitors, both import and domestic, offer more space, superior interior designs and a higher level of overall refinement.

Current Dodge Avenger
The Dodge Avenger shares much of its engineering with the previous-generation Chrysler 200 sedan. The differences between the two come down to styling, as the Avenger's more aggressive shape is aimed at a younger audience. There is a choice of two engines: a 2.4-liter, 173-horsepower four-cylinder or a 3.5-liter V6 good for 283 hp. The four-cylinder sends its power to the front wheels through either a four- or six-speed automatic transmission, depending on trim level. The V6 gets a six-speed auto with a manual-shift mode.

The Avenger's trim lines are SE, SXT and R/T. The SE is reasonably well equipped, while moving up to the SXT will get you features like an upgraded transmission, automatic climate control, a power driver seat and a six- (rather than four-) speaker sound system with satellite radio. The sporty R/T comes with the V6 engine as standard, plus 18-inch alloy wheels, a sport-tuned suspension, remote start, heated front sport seats, leather and cloth upholstery, Bluetooth and an upgraded audio system.

The Avenger's interior boasts soft-touch materials and tight construction, but the look is a tad generic, the available in-car electronics are behind the times and there isn't as much space for passengers. As for the Avenger's engines, the base four-cylinder is barely adequate (especially with the four-speed automatic) and sounds unrefined. The V6 engine is very strong, however, and also returns commendable fuel economy. Handling is also pretty good, although again, not quite up to the class leaders.

In total, the Dodge Avenger is a solid sedan if you're prioritizing a V6 power plant and value. But in general, we think you'd be better served by most other competing models.

Used Dodge Avenger Models
The second-generation Dodge Avenger debuted for 2008 and is represented by the current model. However, the Avenger was so poorly received that it underwent a major overhaul for 2011, which included updated styling, a revamped interior with higher-quality materials, added safety features and a more powerful 3.6-liter V6. It has been essentially unchanged since then, other than a renaming of trim levels for 2012 (originally Express, Mainstreet, Heat, R/T and an additional fully loaded Lux trim).

From 2008 through '10, there were three engine options: the current four-cylinder, a 2.7-liter, 189-hp V6 and a 3.5-liter, 235-hp V6. There were also three trim levels -- SE, SXT and R/T. The base four-cylinder-only SE came with air-conditioning, a CD stereo, full power accessories and cruise control. All-wheel drive was optional in that first year on models equipped with the 3.5-liter V6. For 2009, all trim levels received more sound insulation, the 2.7-liter V6 became a fleet-only engine option later in the year and the R/T trim was newly available with the four-cylinder engine. For 2010, the SE trim level was deleted and the Express trim added.

These early model year Avenger sedans suffered from a variety of ailments. Neither the four-cylinder nor the V6 engines were particularly good in regards to performance, refinement or efficiency. The interior was also far below that of the competition, with designs and materials that were best described as rental-car quality. If that wasn't enough to drive buyers away, the Avenger was also stuck with lifeless steering, excessive body roll and underachieving brakes. We highly recommend that you look at different used family sedans.

The first Dodge Avenger was sold from 1995-2000. Employing a platform derived from the Mitsubishi Galant and similar to the one used in the contemporaneous Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Avenger had the Chrysler Sebring coupe as its twin and debuted with two powertrains. The first was a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 140 hp mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic -- all borrowed from the Dodge Neon. The step-up engine was a 2.5-liter, Mitsubishi-built V6 with 155 hp, mated to a four-speed automatic. The Avenger's trim lines were base and ES.

Initially, the base model opened with the four-cylinder engine, 14-inch wheels, a radio and dual airbags. The V6-powered ES model came with an upgraded suspension, antilock all-disc brakes, 16-inch alloy wheels, rear spoiler, air-conditioning, a cassette deck and cruise control. Base models could add most of the ES's items, while ES models could add leather seats and a sunroof.

The Avenger's biggest changes came in 1997, when meaner styling adorned the body and new 17-inch wheels were made available to ES models. More significantly, both the base and ES now had the four-cylinder standard, with the V6 optional. For the Avenger's final year in 2000, Dodge made the V6 standard on both, and also loaded up the ES with a power driver seat, leather and keyless entry.

The Dodge Avenger was a fairly appealing coupe in its day as long as the V6 was specified. The front seats were comfortable, and unlike in most cars sporting two doors, the Avenger's rear seat actually offered some semblance of comfort for adults. The Avenger also held the advantage of actually looking like a coupe instead of a bland sedan with two fewer doors. However, the Avenger's record for reliability is notably poor. As such, we wouldn't recommend it as a used-car purchase.

User Reviews:

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  Love this car - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By jcs - October 19 - 2:00 am

  The gas mileage is great 27 mpg town and I have got 33 mpg on the highway. I had trouble with the mygig radio system. The dealer replaced it once and Chrysler came out with updates later, this is a computer problem. The only other problem I have with it is the front passenger set is very uncomfortable. The styling is very good

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  Its a dodge - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By rich - October 19 - 2:00 am

  i like the looks of the car but thats about as far as it goes. with 112,000 on the 2 struts, 2 rotors, 5 sets of brakes 2 crank shaft sensors the paint bubbling across the hood and chipping in front of the rear wheels, windows make a terrible noise when going up, tranny is terrible it shutters between 1st and 2nd which they say is normal. this only the start to a poorly designed car. not a good choice for a high mileage car.

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  Loving it so far - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By trish - October 17 - 2:00 am

  I was getting tired of driving my truck for commuting so I wanted a nice family car. They kept showing me the Altima and I hated that, then the charger, but I felt it was too big. Then I saw the avenger. I loved it. Have had it a while now and I have no complaints. Totally made the right choice. Not sure why it got such bad reviews, especially when compared to an altima, had one, those things poor.Overall very pleased

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  This is Love - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By JusBringIt - October 13 - 2:00 am

  I bought this fancy car over 230 miles away from home in Pennsylvania. Ive been through the best and the worst with this car and every time I turn it on, it returns the favor. Ive made some additions over the 3.7 years Ive own the car, however nothing that takes away from the original showmanship. There were very few problems with this car and most of them were self inflicted. The only issue I have is that I dont have a manual transmission. Keep up the maintenance and the car will give you years of service. This car drives even better than it did the day I bought it. It ages like wine.

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  Love it but has flaws - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By R-RAIDER - October 5 - 2:00 am

  Same as everyone elses complaints: (my car only has 30k miles), my shifter stuck in park (had to get towed), rain/snow dumps in trunk if you lift the lid too fast, turn signals get stuck and sometimes when you signal to make a turn it goes into the high beam mode. If rear passengers put their feet under drivers seat you can knock the wire harness which sets off the airbag indicator (simple fix), but Im having problems with it stalling in the rain. Other than that. Im a big car type person but this car not only looks sharp but is fun to drive. It handles well. Sound system rocks too.

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  Mistake - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Upset - September 28 - 2:00 am

  I bought Dodge Avenger 2008 and have not been happy with it overall. I bought it on Sep 14th, and I had airbag light come on Sep 17th, for no reason at all. Its unsafe, because when air bag light is ON it means that the air bags are OFF, and I was upset about it all weekend. On Sep 20th my mechanic found the transmission fluid leakage! after driving for few days and regularly applying breaks I discovered that all 4 brake pads and the rotors need to be replaced. The actual seating is somewhat comfortable, but it rides like crap! It feels very bumpy, like the car has worn out, or no shock absorbers. I test drove it on a smooth road, now I drive it and it feels so rough. I am disappointed.

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  Dont buy Dodge - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By mboyd0026 - September 27 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car in early 2008. Within the first week the car was parked and upon returning it would not start AT ALL. It had to be towed on a roll back to the dealer to fix. It took a week for them to fix a sensor issue from when it was built at the factory. Then within the next 2 months the transmission started to shift hard and at times stall. Then around 12,900 miles on it the brakes went out on the front. I was told this was normal wear and tear? To date we have replaced the shift module 4 times and the brakes 2 times. The trunk leaks and the car stalls occasionally. Airbag sensor has been out twice. And the tire pressure sensor comes off and on.

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  Dont Know Why Edmunds Hates the Avenger - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By JGoldy - September 20 - 2:00 am

  OK. For reasons still not completely understood by me, Edmunds hates my car (08 SXT). I would just like to point out, to any prospective buyers, what this car entails. Put against its competitors (Altima, Accord, Camry, etc.) the Avenger clearly beats all others on the appearance front. Also, the Avenger has a better speaker system (I know from personal experience). The engine is mid pack, putting out 178 hp and with a ~10 second 0-60. Also, from personal experience, I KNOW that the cabin is also bigger and more comfy than competitors. I have no clue why this car get so much flack. I guess its because it looks like a Charger and is expected to act like it.

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  300.000 miles and running excellently - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By Carlos - September 18 - 2:00 am

  We bought this car with 235,000 miles to travel driving to Mexico in 2008, not only we did that, now we are in Argentina with the same car after 65.000 miles of adventure, fun and good memories. The best buy ever and a good friend to have. I only can say thanks to my car.

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  Never would buy this model again - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By SED - September 5 - 8:35 am

  Bought this car, used, still under warranty. At 20K miles it took five trips to dealership to fix trunk leak, one week to fix shifter that was stuck in park, three weeks to fix transmission issue. Tho dealership kept taking it in to fix it, it shouldnt have had so many issues in the first place. Brakes started squealing at 20K too. Never got the gas mileage we expected. Paint started chipping off in spots.