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2011 Dodge Avenger West Palm Beach

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2011 Dodge Avenger Line Up

Dodge Avenger R/T was introduced in April 2011 as a 2012 model. Same powertrain as the Heat, but with R/T attitude: black grille and trim, and sportier interior, including a unique gauge cluster with big tach in the      center. But it's the sports suspension, stiffer at every angle and roll, that makes the R/T unique. If you bought a Heat and added the R/T suspension kit, you'd have a sleeper. It wouldn't look as cool, but sometimes that's the definition of sleeper.

• Dodge Avenger Express  is well equipped with power windows and     mirrors, keyless entry, 60/40-split rear seat, rear defroster, cruise control, tilt-telescoping steering wheel, tire-pressure monitor, and air conditioning. It uses the 2.4-liter engine with a 4-speed automatic     transmission.
• Dodge Avenger Mainstreet features the 6-speed automatic transmission plus six speakers instead of four, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power driver's seat, satellite radio, trip computer, and more options.
• Dodge Avenger Heat brings it on with the new 283-horsepower V6 mated to the 6-speed automatic. Also: a touch screen, foglamps, spoiler, and 18-inch wheels.
   
• Dodge Avenger Lux comes with the 2.4-liter engine (V6 optional) but more comfort and upscale looks, including leather upholstery, handsfree phone hookup, chrome wheels, no spoiler.

2011 Dodge Avenger Design

The crosshair in the grille, the Dodge symbol, doesn't work for us on the Avenger, partly because it's plated-chrome plastic. Even the body-colored crosshair on the R/T doesn't help much, although it might work if it were black like the eggcrate background. That black eggrcrate works best in the horizontal openings on the lower fascia, three of them separated by small vertical struts. It doesn't seem as if much work went into making the dual headlamps sleek. There are twin character lines on the hood, deep enough that you can see they're V-shaped, that should accentuate the long hood but don't.

Its shape suggests the Charger, especially at the hips and roofline, but doesn't inspire like it. But it's still clean, so give Dodge stylists some stars. There's no cladding or ding strips on the sides. Body-colored door handles and mirrors (except on the Express), nice. The fascia/bumpers, front and rear, are smooth but need to be sculpted more, or something.

Inside the 2011 Dodge Avenger

The fabric on our seats was boring in beige; since the fabric itself is good and rugged, we think it would look great in black. The seats are comfortable for cruising and long hauls; they're not as supportive as they might be in corners, but not every Avenger buyer wants a Charger.  The numbering on the gauges misses, not ugly, cluttered or hard to read but no style; we wonder why carmakers keep playing with this, especially since Dodge has done it right before (2009 Ram, for example). Actually, the tachometer is hard to read, too small and out of the way (except on the R/T).

The doors are designed well, with comfortable leather armrests (in our Avenger Mainstreet), a good grab handle, door pockets, and small levers that make opening the doors easy. Besides the simple and roomy layout, the best part of the interior might be the expensive feel of the leather used on the steering wheel, on Mainstreet and up models. The worst part might be the cheap looking trim, some chrome and some faux aluminum.

Powering the 2011 Dodge Avenger

We ran our Avenger at a spirited pace through a long climbing section of curves, and were impressed by how nicely it responded to steering input, even when we pushed it. On smooth curves it dove in with accuracy; and on choppy ones it stayed stable. Bumps don't upset the Avenger, it fends them off well. There's a point where the firm suspension could be firmer, but that point is beyond where most people ever drive. If you want to drive like that, the R/T is for you. But the R/T suspension isn't required for merely spirited driving, the everyday suspension works fine for that.

Conclusions

The Avenger chassis is shared with the Chrysler Sebring, which was designed to be a convertible as well as a sedan, so it's stiff and strong, and you can feel the tightness in both the cabin and handling. It earns five-star crash ratings from the government's NHTSA. Styling-wise, the Avenger isn't bad looking, but it blends invisibly onto the highway with the vanilla sedans, unless you're a MoPar fan with your eye out for them. It misses an opportunity to be eye-catching, like its big brother the Charger. It competes in a tough midsize field, against cars with distinctive looks.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com