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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  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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  Computer problem? - 2009 Dodge Avenger
  By vegilover - December 21 - 12:47 pm

  This is my second ND winter wtih this vehicle. It gets around all right, however on the first below zero day the computer gets confused and the entire car dies. this has happened both winters. The dealer claims it just needed a computer update but thats not adding up for me. Has anyone else had this problem? My warranty is almost up and Im very concerned it will happen again next winter. Its fine once they reset the computer. Very odd!!!!!

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  Great Car! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Tony - November 29 - 2:00 am

  You have to go with your gut feeling because I read the report before buying my Avenger. They are helpful but sometimes you have see it in person to decide. I just had it two months and yes when you buy something use, you will have problem but the dealer fix it right away. If you like it get it because sometime your first decision is best one. If you get it be careful changing lane because you have blind spot and might hit someone. This can be corrected when you buy little round mirror at Walmart. To me it was a gamble after reading the report but I very happy with my car.

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  Have to drive it - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Mr.Avenger - November 27 - 2:00 am

  I went car shopping and decided on my Avenger. My orange burst color is new and everyone love it. The interior could be upgrade,a little to much plastic.Since being a Artist,I upgrade the inside myself by putting my own touch inside which bought it out a lot.

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  Her name is Ruby - 1999 Dodge Avenger
  By Jessica - November 13 - 2:00 am

  Ive had this car for 5 years now and it has been great. Ive only had two major repairs. I had to replace the ball joints and the timing belt. other than that, normal maintenance is all that is required and the car runs beautifully! I take a road trip twice a year and the car always holds up nicely, better actually because it just wants to be driven! In California, we dont have to worry too much about the cold so this is not an issue. to this day it only has 100,000 miles on it and I will continue to drive it until it will no longer drive. Im sure I have at least another 5 years with it!

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  Love It! - 2008 Dodge Avenger
  By Melissa - November 9 - 2:00 am

  Granted I have only had the Dodge Avenger R/T for a week, but I love it. I have not had any problems with it and it rides awesome. Very smooth and quiet. I bought this car from the auction and it was not in selling condition, a couple hundred bucks and its a good as new. Dont base your car decisions on a couple bad reviews. My avenger already has 60k mi and it is still running like a champ!

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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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  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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  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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  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.