Test Drive: 2008 Dodge Avenger R/T

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

The SXT ($24,095) has the same standard 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine or optional 189-hp 2.7-litre V6 that can run on E85 (85% ethanol/15% gasoline), and adds standard 17-inch alloy wheels, anti-lock brakes, “YES Essentials” stain-resistant seat material, fold-flat front passenger seat, eight-way power driver’s seat, and six speakers. The SXT V6 also adds four-wheel disc brakes with ABS.

The R/T ($28,895) has a 235-hp 3.5-litre V6 and six-speed automatic transmission with a manual shift mode, and adds 18-inch alloy wheels, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, sport suspension, “firm-feel” steering, dual exhaust, rear spoiler, leather seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, heated front seats, heated mirrors, automatic climate control, padded console armrest, illuminated sun visor mirrors, and trip computer.

The R/T AWD ($30,895) adds a full-time four-wheel drive system, electronic stability control, traction control and touring suspension.

Note that these 2008 MSRPs have gone up slightly since the Avenger was first introduced in mid 2007.

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

My test car was a front-wheel drive Avenger R/T with two option packages: MyGIG Multimedia Infotainment w/Navigation ($2,000) which includes a 20-gigabyte hard disc drive that stores music files, photos and other digital information; a touch-screen display, navigation system, hands-free telephone, and Sirius satellite radio with a free one-year subscription. (You can also order the MyGIG hard drive without the navigation system for $650). The second option package was the Premium Convenience Group ($850) which includes a gauge display with compass, outside temperature and radio station; a mini trip computer, garage opener, tire pressure monitor, remote starting system, and a cupholder with heating and cooling functions. My test car also had optional chrome alloy wheels ($675). Including a Freight/Destination charge of $1,300 and A/C tax of $100, the total as-tested price of my test car came to $33,820.

For the most part, the Avenger’s bold styling doesn’t take away from its practical attributes: its tall roof line provides the cabin with plenty of headroom for front and rear passengers; the upright sides provide maximum cabin width; large front and rear doors make passenger entry and exit easy; and its tall, wide trunk is extremely roomy.

The Avenger’s door openings are wide and tall and the doors swing out almost 90 degrees, making it easy for passengers to get in and out. In particular, the rear door frame extends well up into the roof rather than sloping downwards like in many sedans – this provides more headroom when getting in and out of the rear. However, if you’re sitting in the car with your seatbelt on, it’s sometimes difficult to reach the door because it swings out so wide. You also have to be careful not to bang the car next to you when opening the door.

The cabin is very roomy with plenty of headroom for adults in the front and rear, and lots of legroom for rear passengers. Three adults can sit cozily abreast in the rear but there are only two fixed rear head restraints for outboard rear passengers. A fold-down rear centre armrest includes two cupholders. One design flaw is the cabin’s high “belt line” and C-pillar design which can make it difficult for shorter passengers and children to see out, particularly in the rear seat.

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

My top-of-the-line R/T model had a two-tone “slate” grey interior with perforated leather seats and a power driver’s seat with lumbar adjuster. Combined with its standard tilt/telescoping steering wheel, I found it easy to find a comfortable driving position. The front seats have generous side bolsters for support when cornering and the driver’s seat can be raised for better vision.

The plastics used in the Avenger’s instrument panel look a bit cheaper than some of its import competitors, but the panel fit and construction is quite good, and the overall design of the controls is user-friendly. Features I liked were: the attractive two-tone leather-wrapped steering wheel with buttons on the back for adjusting the audio system functions; the three illuminated round instrument pods with large easy-to-read numbers; the three large, no-nonsense dials for the heater; the overhead spotlights that illuminate the front and rear of the cabin when the door is opened; the large interior door handles and door grab handles; and the large dead pedal for resting the left foot. The seat heaters, with high and low temperature settings, were also appreciated on cold mornings. Oh, and I should mention the optional remote start feature which is handy for starting the car in sub-zero winter mornings when the car is parked outside.

One thing I didn’t like was the large, exposed bolts used to secure the front seats to the floor. They just look ugly.

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

The Avenger’s cabin also features Chrysler’s unique “Chill Zone” drink cooler on the passenger side of the dashboard above the glove-box. This holds four pop cans and helps keep them cool with a continuous flow of air-conditioned air – however they should be cool to begin with to stay cool. My Avenger also had the optional hot/cold cupholder between the front seats – by simply pressing a button for ‘hot’ or ‘cold’, the metal perimeter of the cupholder goes hot or cold as needed – I don’t know how this works, but it works well. I also liked the sliding centre armrest which slides forwards and back for resting the right arm. Inside the centre armrest is a roomy bi-level storage container with a 12-volt power outlet.

“The optional “MyGig” multimedia “infotainment” system is a good value for $2,000 – most vehicles charge more than that just for a navigation system. The infotainment system combines a 20-gigabyte hard drive for storing your own music files in MPEG form and digital photos – you can input them using the auxiliary jack or a USB port; a navigation system with touch-screen display and voice activation, Sirius satellite radio with a one-year free subscription, and “UConnect” hands free Bluetooth telephone system.

The CD player is located behind the screen which flips up with the press of a button. I must say, the sound quality of this six-speaker sound system, which includes DVD-audio, MP3 and WMA capability, is excellent. The Avenger’s cabin becomes your own little sound studio, and with so many media options to choose from, you can access all kinds of music. I especially enjoyed the “All Elvis” channel on Sirius satellite radio, except for those times when I drove through a tunnel or went into a parking garage and Elvis immediately “left the building”.

The touch-screen and auxiliary input jack allows you to import your favourite music into the hard drive, and with 20 gigabytes, there’s a lot of storage space. You can even import photos for viewing on the screen. Telephone calls, redials and phone book requests can be made with voice activation once the proper screen is selected on the menu. One thing I didn’t like was the requirement to press “Accept” in the start-up screen each time the vehicle is started, saying that you agree to obey all traffic laws and pay attention to the road – just in case you might forget to do that.

A rear seat video DVD entertainment system is also available on the SXT and R/T models for $1,200, but my test car didn’t have this option. A sunroof is also available for $1,000.

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

The Avenger’s trunk can be opened remotely with a button on the dash or a button on the key – the trunk is fully lined with a flat floor and very spacious. The split folding rear seatbacks will fold down, but the release lever is inside the cabin and the seatbacks are not lockable. The right front passenger seatback will also fold flat, very useful for storing long, narrow objects, like curtain rods or lumber, from the trunk to the passenger compartment.

For occupant safety, front, side and curtain airbags are standard in all Avengers. Government crash test ratings are not yet available, but the similar 2008 Chrysler Sebring has received five stars for driver and front passenger in NHTSA frontal impact crash tests (www.safercar.gov)

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

What surprised me about this engine was how smooth and quiet it is: it’s just a sweet, high-revving six-cylinder powerplant that responds quickly to your right foot. Floor the gas pedal, and the engine lets out a distant howl from its twin tailpipes that sounds like a small-block V8 – but it’s a muted roar that’s not likely to upset the neighbours.

The Avenger’s six-speed automatic shifts quickly and smoothly most of the time, my only complaint being the way it sometimes drops suddenly from first to second gear when accelerating slowly. On occasion, I actually found myself using the manual shift mode to extract more performance from this willing engine – normally, I can’t be bothered shifting these manumatics, but in this case, I was having fun.

Gas mileage can be thirsty in city driving, but the six-speed automatic transmission helps bring fuel consumption down on the highway. Official fuel consumption figures are 12.9 L/100 km (22 mpg Imp.) city and 7.7 L/100 km (37 mpg Imp.) highway.

Another big surprise for me was the Avenger’s smooth ride. Even with low profile 215/55R-18 inch 55-series Bridgestone radials, the Avenger soaked up pavement breaks and potholes with ease. On a smooth highway, the Avenger cruises silently and swiftly, with the engine doing no more than 2000 r.p.m. at 120 km/h in sixth gear.

2008 Dodge Avenger R/T. Click image to enlarge

Handling is quite neutral with good grip provided by its Potenza all-seasons and a firm but well-damped feel from its fully independent suspension when cornering. The fun is spoiled only by the rather dead-feeling “firm-feel” steering that is exclusive to the R/T model. Still, the variable-assist steering requires little effort when parking at slower speeds.

The driver’s visibility is generally good, but the design of the “C” pillar (behind the rear side window) obstructs the view slightly when changing lanes. For styling reasons, Dodge filled in the rear part of the rear side windows resulting in less window area. As well, the high rear trunklid and trunk spoiler ‘spoil’ the view when backing up.

Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard on the SXT and R/T and these provided a firm pedal feel and quick stops. Base Avenger SE models have standard rear drum brakes and ABS is optional.

Canadians who live in climates susceptible to slippery winter conditions (ie. most of us) might consider spending an extra $2,000 to get the optional all-wheel drive, which also includes standard traction and stability control. There are very few mid-size sedans in the $30,000 price range available with all-wheel drive, and the safety benefits of AWD are well documented.

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