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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  Long time loyal dodge customer... nothing good about this dodge - 2010 Dodge Avenger
  By cloud23465 - June 4 - 3:08 pm

  Where to begin. Already had to replace 2 window regulators on the front of this car with very little use. I baby this car and it is well taken care of for a 4 1/2 year old car. Dealer ship screwed me on $450 for the passenger window regulator that failed in about 3 years of ownership. Now a year later the drivers side is out. I will try to replace it myself but, once done I will not use the windows anymore. I am and the family has own and sworn by Chrysler since the 70s. Weve own 71 Barracuda, Satellite 72, A Ram charger, Dodge Daytona, Chrysler Sirius and Concord, Ram vans and Trucks and a first series dodge avenger (1996) so, I am not just some fence jumper

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  Great car for the price - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By bv41706 - March 1 - 9:14 pm

  Bought mine new with 3 miles on it in 2012 and have loved every minute driving it. I have a long drive to work and take business trips from time to time and if I leave it in cruise control on the highway set between 65-70 mph, i have gotten 36+mpg average on the highway. I have had trouble getting it to start in the cold, but only the one day when the temp here in NY dropped to -20 overnight and i realized that it was because i had left something plugged in and have had no trouble since. I have had no problems with it and i just today turned 48k miles on it and it still drives like the day i bought it. no problems whatsoever.

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  Great, Good Looking U.S. Car - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lameduck9 - December 14 - 8:36 am

  We bought this Avenger SE after looking at several others cars. We checked a few others that we liked the looks but they were 3K+ more. We loved the looks of the Avenger, outside and inside. I was surprised at the great ride, it was a little on the firm side which I prefer, like sports suspension. The 2.4 has adequate power for the average person but for the young at heart, the 3.6L has more than enough power for the amateur road racer. The 4sp Auto is standard on the SE, Dodge should dump it and make the 6sp. standard on all Avengers. Look for all the incentives for a great deal!

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  However designed the seats should be FIRED! - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By gogoallison - October 16 - 2:50 am

  The front seats have a horrible design flaw. The non-removable head rest tilts your neck 45 degrees forward. After driving for several hours, I was sick with a headache. My friend drove the next day and he got sick too. Another person rode as a passenger and she got sick. You wont notice the bad design in a test drive but you will notice it after about an hour. How did such a bad design ever get approved? So far, everyone who has spent time in the front seat of this car has become ill.

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  Great Affordable US made car - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lameduck9 - September 26 - 9:35 am

  You must buy this car with incentives to get a great deal. We paid $16K and got a great trade-in price. This car is great looking, fun to drive, not to bad on gas and gets some great comments. The 2.4L is fine for everyday driving but if you want to super acceleration opt for the V-6 with 283HP. They should do away with the 4sp auto have the 6sp auto as standard, but its not that bad. The SE exterior looks super sharp with a little bit of chrome tweeking. The interior is great looking and functional. The trunk has plenty of room. The handling and ride are superb on this model and better on the more expensive models. You cant go wrong with this car and the average family can afford it.

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  2013 Avenger - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By lousal - August 20 - 2:40 pm

  I bought this vehicle mainly because of USAA reviews and price. I am extremely satisfied with it. My gas mileage is above the stated mileage. Last trip of about 130 miles I averaged 34 mpg. The acceleration is a little sluggish but that is what you have with a 4 cylinder engine. It is comfortable during long trips and very roomy. Both myself and my wife are not small people and we do not have any problems with roominess. The only problem I have had is that the manual states 4.5 qts of oil including oil filter but when I changed the oil and added exactly 4.5 qts it only showed half way within crosshairs on dipstick. I called the service department and was told that is normal.

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  Screeching noise - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By matchbox20fan - July 18 - 9:17 pm

  My avenger makes a horrible screeching sound when I back up in low speed and apply brakes. My backing plate, rear rotors pads and clips have been replaced only to make the sound worse and now noise is heard when I go forward also. I have notified Chrysler only to be turned away because no dealership can find a problem. Yet all heads turn when my car is leaving

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  My 2011 Dodge Avenger is JUNK - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By don419 - June 24 - 6:24 pm

  I bought my 2011 Dodge Avenger New (23 miles on it) I started having transmission problems at 500 miles, clunking,jerking, its scary sometimes, it now has 21000 miles been in shop 14 times, still no fixed, Dodge Corp. says all dodges do it , its normal.. there liars to me the main dodge mechanics came on feb 4 and checked my car out I don`t know how when it was in my garage on that day..I feel that anyone wanting to buy a car Stay Away From Dodge there Junk..this is my first dodge & last.. Dodge transmission mechanic told me the computer needs updates witch Dodge doesn`t have, last Tuesday Beth at Dodge Corp. told me it was a one driver car ! Liars , Liar`s , Liar`s . Very Sad Com

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  Dodge exclusive. None other like it. Increasing the fleet. - 1997 Dodge Avenger
  By pepteye - June 21 - 11:46 pm

  A Dodge boy needed a commuter. OK Mitsubishi in Wolves clothing. That said it is a unique offering. 4000 lbs and 30+ MPG is a good compromise. When Im making my commute for 50 miles each way over a 1800 foot pass in the silicone valley I feel good. Take care of the timing belt it will cost you if it breaks. Best Dodge commuter until the new Challenger gets 30MPG. and you have 30K to spare.......Have one for the daughter and will likely win up with 4. CAME BACK A KILLER WENT OUT A WINNER...Thanks Brad....

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  Good car for the price. - 2013 Dodge Avenger
  By aclarke7 - May 21 - 7:28 am

  So I purchased a 2013 Dodge Avenger three months ago. I bought it because the price was great, the car looks great, and it fit what I wanted and needed in a car. The car overall is exactly as Edmunds describes it in that it does have sluggish acceleration in the 4 cylinder. It is comfortable and has some nice added features to it. The Bluetooth works great and the car is a pretty good build for what it is. Be warned the gas mileage is on the low end compared to many other cars in the same class. That is the biggest downfall for what would otherwise be a great car. So far my car has not hit its estimated MPG rating at all which was a little disappointing.