- sedan
- 14,995 overpriced
- Palmdale, CA
-
- autoshopper.com
2012 dodge avenger review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Value that's easy to live with. introductionthe dodge avenger is an honest, straightforward sedan at a good price. In certain respects it's less sophisticated than some competitors, but it's powerful, comfortable and reasonably economical to operate. It's also quiet and pleasant to drive. a thorough update for the 2011 model year made the avenger much more competitive in key areas. For 2012, the avenger model line-up has been revised, replacing super-hero sounding names with five simple alpha-numeric designations, and making prices even more attractive. dodge calls avenger america's most affordable mid-size sedan, and based on current retail prices, we can't disagree. Yet the avenger isn't just selling price. We might call it a mid-size package with compact value. avenger has been styled as a smaller version of dodge's hot-selling, full-size charger. It's clean, tightly creased and not bad looking, but it doesn't stand out in any particular way, and certainly not like the charger. The quality of the interior materials isn't the best in the class, but the avenger is comfortable and the controls are intuitive and easy to use. the avenger se retails for hundreds of dollars less than the next competitive mid-size sedan, and it comes well equipped. With the 4-speed automatic transmission, the avenger se is epa-rated at 21/30 mpg city/highway. It's thousands less than other mid-size v6s, yet it's the most powerful v6 in its class. Epa ratings are 19/29 mpg. avenger r/t comes with the v6, a sports suspension and racy stripes and interior treatment. We might call it a contemporary muscle car. Loaded with navigation and the boston acoustics audio upgrade, an avenger r/t we tested barely cracked $27,000. the avenger chassis is shared with the chrysler sebring, which was designed to be a convertible as well as a sedan, so the chassis is stiff and strong. Dodge aced the suspension, and both ride quality and cornering response are excellent, benefits of that rigid chassis. Trim levels have been renamed for 2012, and there are five available. avenger se 18,995) is powered by a 2. 4-liter, 173-horsepower i4, matched to a 4-speed automatic. Sxt also upgrades to eight-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, six-speaker audio with siriusxm, automatic temperature control, body-color heated exterior mirrors and 17-inch aluminum wheels. avenger sxt plus comes standard with the v6, premium cloth seats with red stitching, a 6. 5-inch touch-screen media center, fog lamps, rear deck lid spoiler and 18-inch aluminum wheels. Sxt options include a cold weather package 295) with heated seats and remote start, a power sunroof 895) and a sun/sound package 1,640) that adds the sunroof, gps navigation and 276-watt boston acoustics audio. avenger r/t 25,595) is the sport model, with the v6, firmer suspension, leather-bolstered sport seats and unique graphics inside and out. It comes standard with the cold weather package and boston acoustics audio. The avenger is rated a top safety pick by the insurance institute for highway safety. walkaroundthe dodge avenger isn't bad looking. It's smooth and clean with sharp creases, but it just seems to gets lost among all the mid-size vanilla sedans. It misses an opportunity to be eye-catching, like dodge's full-size charger. the avenger was significantly updated for 2011, with a slightly wider track and wider standard tires. The changes create the impression of a lower, wider stance and a better planted car, and we certainly like it better than the original 2008-2010 avenger. avenger's shape suggests the charger, especially at the hips and roofline, but doesn't inspire like its larger sibling. Its clean look is emphasized by the lack of cladding or ding strips on the sides and body-colored door handles and mirrors (except on the base se). The bumpers, front and rear, are smooth. They need to be sculpted more, or something. the crosshair grille is a dodge trademark, but it doesn't work for us on the avenger, partly because it's plated-chrome plastic. And it doesn't seem as if much work went into making the dual headlights sleek. It's easy to spot for its monochrome paint scheme, black headlight background and go-fast slash stripes on the front fenders. The body-colored crosshair on the r/t grille helps some, and the black egg-crate in the grille and below the bumper is an improvement. most cars in the mid-size class are trying to look like sleek luxury sedans, with varying degrees of success. It's not particularly exciting, but neither is it annoying, frustrating, or inconvenient, as are many cars with interiors and controls that try to do too much or be cool. The avenger is simple: everything in its correct place, and not too much of it. That alone makes driving more relaxing. the avenger's dashboard is big and slabby, perhaps described as monolithic. The doors are well designed, with comfortable armrests, a good grab handle, door pockets, and small levers that make opening easy. The best part of the interior might be the expensive feel of the perforated leather on the steering wheel, standard on all but the base se. The worst part might be some cheap looking chrome and faux aluminum trim. An interior overhaul for 2011 improved fit and finish substantially, but the avenger's interior materials are still not best in class. in front, the avenger feels a little more enclosed than the roomiest cars in its class, partly for the massive impact of the dash, but it doesn't feel confining. The fabric on the base seats is good and rugged, though a bit boring in light colors and better in black. The front seats are comfortable for cruising and long hauls, but not as supportive as they might be in corners. Those in the sporty r/t have leather bolsters, red stitching and unique, z-striped fabric inserts. The bolstering improves a bit, but the sport seats are still a bit too much like heavy, cushy barcaloungers for truly aggressive driving. the instrument package is a nicely lit cluster of three gauges, with the largest in the center and one on either inside. All models have a tach, and a fuel/temperature package on the left, with a digital display on the bottom that allows the driver to scroll various options. On other models, the speedo stays in the center, and the problem reading the right gauge (the tach) becomes a little less crucial. the avenger has thumb-wheel controls for cruise and audio on the steering-wheel spokes. The lights, wipers etc. On the column stalks are easy to find and operate, but the stalks themselves feel a bit more shaky or wobbly than those in some competitors. There are three big, solid, perfectly placed knobs for climate control at the bottom of the center stack. They're as good as any car gets. avengers equipped with navigation or the boston acoustics audio upgrade hav.
14,995 Palmdale, CAPalmdale, CA at autoshopper.com