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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  Major Improvement - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By muttl - December 16 - 7:19 pm

  I recently purchased a 2012 Avenger SXT after owning an 06 Stratus since it was new. While the Stratus was very reliable the front rotors were warped more often than not. The Avenger appears to have a much higher quality associated with it. Both vehicles had the 2.4 liter engine. The refinements in the engine and the addition of the 6 speed Transmission have made a major improvement to the functionality of the car. Its smooth and quiet when accelerating. It corners and handles bumps well. The Avenger sits higher and is easier to enter and exit. Overall a very nice improvement over the Stratus.

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  Love my Dodge! - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By johntesh71 - November 16 - 10:18 pm

  Ok so Im officially 3 months into ownership, and I cant find one thing wrong with this car.....The car now has 5000 miles on it and hasnt required an oil change or any major maintenance since I got it...The car is still fast as hell with its stock 295 HP V6, beating out 0-60 times of 5.7 seconds and quarter miles of nearly 14 seconds at nearly 100mph.....But still the wonky Torque steer and the very speedy transmission get in the way of any true performance from this cars amazing engine which still gets around 31MPG highway and nearly 24 city...I have never owned a better vehicle in my life and Will never stray from my Chrysler products for as long as they exist.

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  Just dont do it - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By neverbuydodge - November 10 - 4:06 pm

  Bought my car new in Sept 08. Radio has been replaced 3 times now! First time the CD player refused to open/eject. 2nd time the radio mysteriously erased my collection of over 300 songs Id downloaded, and stopped loading my pics. 3rd time the radio started acting odd, then just died altogether. That was finally replaced with a "new" radio, on which the screen now randomly goes completely black so that you cant use the touch screen at all, and most of the buttons are on the touch screen. Tires were cracking and had to be replaced at around 30,000 miles. Transmission has a leak now. Dealership and Corporate both were a pain to deal with, very frustrating!

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  I LOVE THIS CAR! - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By rtm82 - November 8 - 10:52 pm

  Mulled over whether or not to buy for over six months!! Could not decide what car to buy, was looking at Kias, Fords, Hyundais and Chevys. After doing market research and driving each one about 5 times (poor salesmen), I finally decided that the Avenger was the funnest! Not to mention, the MYGIG system is awesome! I was a little unsure about my purchase after I made it, but every day after I bought it, I fall in love more and more! This car has all the power I need, and if I drive it nice, this awesome V6 still gets 25mpg in town! I am so happy I took my time to make a decision, this is a perfect car for me!

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  Love this car! - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By dodgeman23 - November 8 - 4:21 pm

  This is my 2nd Dodge Avenger. They seem to get better and better each time. I only have 600 miles so far on this car, but I can see already how good it is. The biggest improvement I see so far is the interior quality and ride quality which is far better than the 2010 that was traded in. Almost no wind noise at highway speeds. It handles much better than I would have expected. So far, I have not found any flaws with this car...its perfect. Too early to gauge highway MPG, but I expect it to be better than my 2010 which got 37.5 mpg on the highway. I am very please with this car and suggest anyone who has not driven one yet, give it a try.

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  If This Helps Just One Person..... - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By badavenger - November 2 - 4:15 pm

  If youre considering buying an 08 Avenger, DONT!! My warranty expired on 10/09/11 (due to time, not mileage), 4 DAYS LATER, while getting new tires, the valve stem split apart when the valve cap was removed. Dodge wont authorize reimbursment of TPMS valve assembly. Then 15 days later I find out I need a new alternator after hearing a whining noise and battery idiot light came on while stopped. Theres only 32,000 miles on the freakin car!!! If I can help just one person save money with this review, then the time spent registering as a new user is worth it.

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  It Is What It Is - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By notimeatall - October 17 - 11:12 am

  Recently bought a base model 08 Avenger with ABS for my kids to drive. Theyve already totaled one vehicle so I was looking for something safe and inexpensive. While I would never have bought the Avenger new, this car has worked out very well for us. Key points for us were: Safety - IIHS Top Safety pick. Check out the side impact videos on IIHSs site. Cost - We bought this vehicle for $7000 less than a comparable mileage 08 Honda Accord would have cost. I dont expect it to last like a Honda, but we only expect 6K miles per year, and the $7000 will buy a lot of nuisance repairs! I would not, however, have considered the $20K for new one - they DO depreciate FAST

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  2011 3.6 Dodge Avenger Lux - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By kuvasz101 - October 12 - 9:06 am

  I am in my 50s and have driven all types of cars. I have owned numerous Chrysler performnace cars. I wanted something sharp looking and fun to drive. I cant stop driving this car, I love it. The handling and performance are great. The auto climate control works super. The sound system makes it a pleasure on long trips. I could honestly say this is the best car I have owned for its money.

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  Dodge for Life!! - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By johntesh71 - September 22 - 11:25 am

  Bought the Avenger Heat with the Pentastar V6. Very powerful and sporty car, Getting just around 33MPG Highway way above the est. 29MPG and about 25 in the city....Just hate those Early shifts from the transmission, and also the unavoidable torque steer from the 300 HP engine bogging down the power steering. The entire is like a jump into a lavish sport sedan....Soft touch leather everywhere, Dodge U-connect phone is sometimes awful....The touch screen gets gummed up really easy, but the seats are stain resistant and everything is easy to see and very user friendly. Love this car and hope to keep it for many years to come.

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  AVENGER HEAT - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By budley1 - July 26 - 8:10 pm

  I had one of the first road runners in Seattle. This car is just as fun as that was. I average 24mpg and have a heavy foot. After 3 months there is little I would change.