2008 Dodge Avenger

2008 Dodge Avenger 2008 Dodge Avenger
First Drive Review

Although the mid-size-sedan segment is a cash cow for most players in the field, Dodge just hasn't been able to get one right since the full-size Intrepid (remember that?) more than a decade ago. For 2008, Dodge is making a fresh start with an all-new mid-size sedan that will make you forget all about the old Stratus, which went away last year with few people noticing. Renamed the Avenger, an aggressive name that recalls that decidedly unaggressive Mitsubishi-based coupe that Dodge sold in the 1990s, the new sedan arrives at a party where it's extremely hard to stand out.

Behold the "Chargerette"

The Dodge sheetmetal is as radically different from the Sebring as the Sebring is, well, different from everything else in the mid-size-sedan segment. Essentially, the new suit is a full-size Charger skin tailored for a smaller body, with a crosshair grille, tall body sides, broad shoulders, muscular fenders, and a kicked-up side rear window with ugly black plastic covering the corner where we think glass should be. The Avenger's squared-off contours, especially up front, give it a small measure of distinction from its big brother, and it's generally agreed in our camp that the "Chargerette" is way better-looking than the Sebring. Faint praise, perhaps, as it nevertheless fails to be either menacing or inviting. In a field that includes more elegant sedans such as the Toyota Camry and Saturn Aura, the Avenger looks rather overwrought. Inside, the story doesn't get much better. Hard shiny plastics create windshield glare that would make polarized sunglasses a lifesaving investment. Dreary gray tones abound, and although the dashboard is completely different in design from its Chrysler cousin, it conveys the same discombobulated, rental-grade feel. Moreover, if you do wind up renting an Avenger, pack light: Its 13-cubic-foot trunk is a cube shy of both the Honda Accord's and the Pontiac G6's, and a whopping 5 cubic feet smaller than the Nissan Altima's. On the upside, the rear seat offers legroom galore, and most Avengers come with a flat-folding front passenger seat to help accommodate extra-long items that won't fit even after folding one or both of the 60/40-split rear seatbacks.

Trim Levels

The SE stripper model is clearly a bone thrown at National Car Rental, and as far as we're concerned, that's where it should stay—it's about as basic as transportation gets in the mid-size segment. Folks who actually have to live with an Avenger shouldn't even look at it unless there's an SXT or R/T badge on the back. The SXT comes standard with 17-inch wheels (up from the SE's puny 16s), a chrome grille, stain-resistant fabric, and a healthy amount of much-needed brightwork to dress up the drab interior. R/T models, however, get niceties such as automatic climate control, a leather-wrapped wheel, and padding for that hard armrest. R/Ts also get automatic headlights, fog lamps, and 18-inch alloys. SXTs and R/Ts have a healthy list of options, including a DVD entertainment system, leather upholstery, a Boston Acoustics sound system, and Chrysler's bitchin' MyGIG nav/audio combo system with Sirius radio, Bluetooth connectivity, real-time traffic reporting, and a full 20 gigs of hard-drive storage for MP3s and even a few photos.