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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  Very fun and fast car - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By ramforever - February 7 - 2:49 pm

  I have just purchased a new 2011 avenger lux edition with the 3.6L V6 this car is great have only had a few days but all you have to do is sit in this car. and your sold the comfort is amazing, My car came with the all black leather interior, loaded. then when you drive this car the interior is so quiet its hard to believe. The new V6 that I have been hearing about and now driven myself. has awesome hp and torque, put together with the 6 speed auto-stick transmission. this is the perfect combination. Chrysler did an amazing job on this car. will write another review after I put some miles on the car.

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  Great Value - 2012 Dodge Avenger
  By interpolfan1 - January 21 - 12:30 am

  The 2.4L has plenty of power,and is comfortable and fun to drive. The drivers seat sits higher than my Patriot did,so after driving Jeeps for the past 7+ years,I dont feel like Im sitting on the ground. I love the cold weather package and the stereo sounds great and is easy to access,thanks to the steering wheel controls. It has handled well this winter,though I have to remind myself I no longer have 4x4.Havent had it long enough(2 weeks)to know what the mpgs will average out to.

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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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  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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  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.

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  Better Than You Think - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By georgecavalier - May 30 - 10:18 am

  Bought in Heat trim with the 3.6 Pentastar V6... Edmunds wouldnt let me choose that for a trim. MSRP was close to $26K but I got it for just above $18K. Car has plenty of power, my only gripe with performance is the economy-minded transmission. Its quick to get to high gear and sometimes needs a stab of the gas to shift down. Otherwise, a fun car to drive that never feels underpowered. I get around mid-20s MPG but probably could do better if I kept my foot off the gas pedal. Smaller than a lot of midsizers nowadays but theres more room than youd expect. Nobody feels crampt. The cabin for 11 is much nicer with plenty of high quality materials. Rides smoothly and theres little noise.

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  2011 Dogde Avenger LUX - 2011 Dodge Avenger
  By krs4 - May 19 - 3:37 pm

  Black Pearl Coat Leather Interior Fully Loaded I looked at the Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima and the Honda Accord. If you want to stand out and have a car that is fun to drive. Buy the Dodge Avenger. I love this car! It looks so good compared to the above mentioned competitors. It is so fast with the 283 HP engine. Highway MPG is respectable and City is good too. The features this LUX version has are incredible. The UConnect system compares will with the Ford Sync system. It even does some things Sync cannot. The build in 30 GB HDD is so great. I have never written a review on-line before but I had to tell people to look at this car. It is my pride and joy! It is a little muscle car!