Dodge Avenger road tests and consumer car reviews

Dodge Avenger 2.0 SXT diesel 2009

Like many others I was a bit put off by the many negative reviews by the press, but after looking at the alternatives I decided to bite the bullet and buy a year old Avenger. After now driving it for a year I totally love it. I get around 49mpg, which is amazing for the size of the car and the drive is very comfortable. As others have said it is a bit plasticy inside but everything is well positioned and it has so many gadgets. I got the MYGIG entertainment system and satnav which I couldn’t live without. It also has the added attraction of its looks, it stands out from the crowd and most people have to look twice at it to find out what it is. I would definitely recomend this car to others.

Responses to this review

Hi, I have problems starting the engine. Can you help? I have a 2009 Avenger SXT diesel CRD. viras55@hotmail.com Thanks - Pachier Virasami from England

Dodge Avenger CRD SXT 2008

I’ve had mine for 6 months now, and all I can say is, I don’t know what car the motoring press have been driving! The diesel lump pulls like a train. It handles well (there is a front strut brace available from Dodge for £30 for the 2011 Avenger that sorts the ride out). There is loads of room inside, the boot is 440 litres. I drive this car for work and do 100-200 miles a day, and always feel fresh as daisy. I have just done Austria in a day, a total of 840 miles with just one stop for diesel and a coffee and it didn’t even miss a beat! At Autobahn speeds (100+) the road noise is not intrusive. It’s not a Mondeo, and that’s the whole point, the highest spec Avenger is cheaper than the very base model Mondeo. The Interior isn’t that bad, I’ve seen worse in Nissans and the new BMW 1 series. If you want a reasonable, reliable family saloon that’s different and you don’t want to play the badge game, you could do a lot worse.

Dodge Avenger 2.0 sxt 2008

I have had mine a year now and these will only get rarer as not many for sale and Fiat/Dodge aren’t selling anymore models. The comfort is really good with supportive seats and heated leather. So many extras and if you can live with a bit of plastic here and there (this is the same for all the Dodge/Jeep/Chrysler US market) then you will have a good bargain 2nd hand. I have the 2.0 world petrol vvt engine which is actually a Mitsubishi/Hyundai development so totally reliable and strong torque in 2/3/4th gear. I get an average of 32mpg and 38-40mpg on dual carriageways. Car tax is 185g.km (£200 year) which is good for a car this size! It is a beast at nearly 5m long and nearly a foot bigger than a 3 series but is actually easy to swing about and gets in smaller spaces than you might think. I’m most impressed with the handling and ride comfort over the months as like everyone else I thought reading bad reviews it would be like riding on wooden wheels (years of Clarkson and co slating US cars), but I would say this is a nice cruising car and very easy to drive. The mygig sat nav 20gb music media dvd system is amazing with the upgraded boston audio amp and 6 large speakers the sound of bass and clarity is superb. This is all done via the touch screen (and has bass/mid/tre) hands free built in and blutooth/u connect voice control system worth getting one if you can as I know they were £1500+ extra new. Overall I was a bit cautious about buying a car no one has heard of and the bad reviews by everyone (only AA and yahoo seem to give it what it deserves), but for value for money and extras and the beast like US looks so glad I went for it. Don’t follow the sheep and be different.

Dodge Avenger CRD SXT 2008

Postives: Absolutely cracking car. Has everything, including the looks. Fantastic performance, despite being very economical. Hasn’t missed a beat since new, even in rain and snow with temepratures down to minus 18c. Appears to outperform VW’s and Audis with the same engine, which is weird. Negatives: Parking this beast can be tricky. Advice: Upload your mp3s, put some drinks in the cooler, stick the heated seats on, turn on the sat nav, hit the motoway, stick it in cruise and relax.

Dodge Avenger SXT 2009

Yes fantastic. Many options and driveS well, but the alloy wheels are too soft and easy bend.

Dodge Avenger 2.0 CRD SXT 2008

What can I say.. .as I suspected Clarkson was wrong.... he’s probably never been near a Dodge Avenger..... It’s fantastic! The 2.0 CRD SXT has everything, and I mean everything: ABS, EPS, remote CL, climate control, heated leather seats, heated/ chilled cup holder, chiller cabinet, electric adjustable seat, steering wheel stereo controls, cruise, tyre pressure and MPG monitoring, compass, temperature sensors, front/side/curtain airbags, etc. Think a fat demanding American, this car meets his every need, and goes further. It even has a glow in the dark boot release handle in case you get car jacked and stuffed in the boot. Equipped with the MyGig the 20 gig hard drive stores masses of MP3s and photos, DVD player, Eurpoean SatNav, amazing radio, voice activated controls, uConnect telephone system.. The CRD engine is VW and very efficient. Does have a strange burble sound at low revs. On the motorway it wants to shoot past the legal limit, bags of power. The handling is great. The ride is soft, but doesn’t lean. The styling is striking. Brute like looks, the envy of boy racers. Better equipped and £5k less than a basic 2.0 (140BHP) TDi VW Passat. It’s not rocket science.

Dodge Avenger Saloon 2.0 SE 4dr

I recently test drove this car as I was looking for something a little different than the usual run of the mill saloon cars on offer. First impressions were good, it’s definately an impressive looking car and I really wanted to love it but after a very bouncy ride and a closer look at the interior, which looks a bit cheap, I realised that there are better saloons out there for the money.