Confession Time: I like the Dodge Avenger

"Logansteno: Bought a VW?" (logansteno) 02/28/2014 at 17:49 • Filed to: None

1

29

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was the inspiration for this post. I've never understood what all the hate the Avenger got was for. Yes, before Fiat got a hold of Chrysler, the power trains were lacking. But, what Dodge vehicle didn't have a crap motor unless it had a Hemi. Now with the Pentastar, it has ample power for a relatively cheap price, as show earlier with !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Styling wise, it does a good job looking like a little muscle car. The pre-refresh car had some square edges that have been rounded out to make, what I think, is one of the more attractive mid-sized(ish) offerings on sale today. It especially looks good in the blue as shown above. There is one downside to the styling though and that would be rearward visibility.

The inside is perfectly fine for a cheap, entry level sedan. I wouldn't exactly call it class leading, but I'm positive there are worse offerings on the market. The seats are relatively comfortable (at least in the '09 R/T I ride in a lot) if they haven't changed them since Fiat took over, I'd call them all day comfortable. It has a good stereo as well, so long as you don't go for the bottom rung, non-touchscreen version.

I can't speak for much on the post 2011 version, but I can speak for earlier versions. Yes, it is average to drive. But, who outside of car enthusiasts really care about how hard you can put a car into a corner before it under-steers into a tree? For the average consumer, it drives just fine. It's not a BMW and it wasn't designed to drive like one. It was built to be a comfortable sedan for a Mopar fan.

(Identical to my girlfriend's mom's car)

My girlfriend's mom is perfectly happy with her Avenger. And it actually does catch people's attention. She says she gets complemented all the time on it, actually. She thinks it's a comfortable, attractive sedan that drives perfectly fine for what it is. She even likes the interior amenities, just not all the plastic. She wants to trade up to a new one before they go out of production. I wouldn't mind having one, either. And I know there are actually a lot of people who like them, as I see more and more every day.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 17:51

0

the Avenger and 200 are OKAY, IF they have the pentastar V6.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/28/2014 at 17:55

1

Sometimes I forget they still offer the rental special 4 cylinder. Yeah, I'd only take a Pentastar.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 17:57

3

The downward slope of the roof represents the downward slope of MY MARRIAGE .

GreenN_Gold > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:01

1

They're as good as they've ever been. It's a shame they couldn't have gotten them more right in the beginning. I test drove an R/T and had no real issues. I wish the suspension was sportier, it felt a little sloppy for my taste. The V6 has plenty of grunt, though.

MoparKetchup > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:02

2

Shhhh don't tell anyone, but I've always been obsessed with this particular Avenger from Mopar:

http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1058328_m…

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > MoparKetchup 02/28/2014 at 18:04

1

100% lustworthy

Milky > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:04

3

As a Mopar fan …. it looks like shit. Sorry but it had to be sad. Chrysler has a shitty habit of trying to stick designs onto cars where it just doesn't work. AKA Crossfire/Sebring & Charger/Avenger. I don't even know when they started making it, but it looks about a decade old.

Ohh and it came with this interior, thats should be enough ….

I've been in a few, its really hard to sit in a car and not touch anything.

jkm7680 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:11

0

I rebuke you in the name of Lord Jesus Christ! The confessional booth is now closed.

ttyymmnn > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:13

0

I feel like I don't even know you any more.....

;-)

oldirtybootz > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:16

0

It's always been the worst car in its class and I'd argue that it's the worst on the market today, or at least the most outdated. Aside from the Pentastar it has nothing going for it, it even has that clunky old Uconnect still. It's the definition of "just a car", not particularly desireable but it does its decently, if not as good as the rest of the segment.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > GreenN_Gold 02/28/2014 at 18:17

0

The early ones had their issues, but this debuted during a strange time for Chrysler. I mean, they came out in '08 and Chrysler was already pretty much toast by then.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > oldirtybootz 02/28/2014 at 18:22

1

I feel like, just maybe, they would've updated it more when they refreshed it if they didn't already know it was going to be killed off in a matter of years. The Dart was coming in and a new 200 was probably already in the works with no plans of a new Avenger. They just wanted to update it enough to make sure they could still be sold in the time it was going to stay around.

GreenN_Gold > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 18:46

0

I'm aware. Cerberus should have never been in the car business. The interior was the biggest problem the car had. The first ones were a joke. They got much better after some much needed investment in the interior.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > GreenN_Gold 02/28/2014 at 18:53

0

There was one neat feature in that interior, and that was the heated and cooled cup holders, but that's not exactly something to that would sell someone one an otherwise crap interior.

jy15btx > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 19:00

1

YAY! SOMEONE ELSE! SOMEONE ELSE!

A coworker has a newer one with the V6 and he loves it! No hes not an enthusiast but he loves the looks and the deal he got on it. Its a good car for what it is. Yes it has cheap plastic but its an entry level car. That goes back to 2007, what entry cars then didn't have any?

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > jy15btx 02/28/2014 at 19:07

0

Exactly! To someone who's a non enthusiast, it's the perfect car! Good power, comfy suspension, and you can get them freaking cheap. And there was no such thing as a plastic free entry level car in '07, or even now I'd argue.

GreenN_Gold > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 19:08

1

They did attempt to put a lot of features in (same with the Caliber), it was just the materials, finish, design, and execution of their interiors back then that was a let down.

Let us not forget the Chill Zone.

Or the rear DVD.

Or the under-seat storage.

GreenN_Gold > GreenN_Gold 02/28/2014 at 19:09

0

Allpar apparently didn't appreciate me linking to their image. How dare they treat a loyal reader that way!!!

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > GreenN_Gold 02/28/2014 at 19:11

0

The rear DVD player is the only thing that isn't on my girlfriend's mom's. And the Chillzone thing is the shit. Perfect for roadtripping purposes.

GreenN_Gold > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 19:21

0

Did it comes with what appears to be R/T Cola? Lol

Red for R/T Classic, and black for R/T Zero, naturally.

It would be cool to have one of those cans from the ad, actually.

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > GreenN_Gold 02/28/2014 at 19:26

0

Those are pretty cool cans. Dodge should have paired up with R/C and done a special edition R/C cola for the Avenger release.

oldirtybootz > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 19:42

0

Still, lipstick on a pig.

Skif6996 > Logansteno: Bought a VW? 02/28/2014 at 19:57

0

I don't know why Dodge makes midsize cars, other than rental business. They never advertise them. They don't market them for shit. Refreshes are always mild and too late... if they ever happen. It's as though Dodge consistently wants their midsize cars to fail. I don't know why. This is coming from a guy who is a fan of Dodge. I own an R/T Stratus coupe.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > MoparKetchup 02/28/2014 at 20:22

0

please tell me its AWD and is rallycrossing.

MoparKetchup > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 02/28/2014 at 20:27

0

Magnetti-Marelli parts, including a modified suspension, high-performance brakes, rally-style hand brake, 18-inch alloy wheels, and a purpose-built racing interior, complement the Mopar upgrades to the car.

Mopar's contributions are, as you might expect, mostly in the power and appearance department: an exhaust and intake boost output from the stock 283 horsepower to 300, an 8-point roll cage, and unique Mopar/Magneti-Marelli graphics.

No awd... 300HP FWD TORQUE-STEER DIARRHEA. But I wouldn't mind soiling my pants once in a while in a car like this.

Blake Noble > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 02/28/2014 at 21:10

1

MY WIFE HAS TRICEPS NOW.

Justin Young > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To 03/01/2014 at 00:57

0

EVERYBODY NEEDS A HELPING HAND!

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > Blake Noble 03/01/2014 at 10:10

0

SHE ONLY LOVES ME WHEN I COME BLOOD

WHAT DO THESE PILLS DO?!

Inflame333 > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 03/05/2014 at 08:44

0

Nope because they realized how fucking stupid it was and axed the idea! Thank god!