2008 Dodge Avenger – First Drive:
Dale Earnhardt was called the Intimidator, Arnie was called the Terminator. Why? Because Earnhardt’s #3 in a rearview mirror scared the bejeezus out of fellow race drivers, and Governor Schwarzenegger snuffed out bad guys in his own special biomechanical kick-ass way. Now we have the Dodge Avenger (a reintroduced name on the new Stratus replacement), so called because it avenges the carnage the imports have brought upon the midsize domestics. Well, actually, no it doesn’t really, um, avenge, so much as it offers bold American style wrapped around a mediocre sedan, with all-wheel-drive arriving later as an option. The 2008 Avenger represents an admirable effort, but one that ultimately gives Honda and Toyota little to worry

Some enthusiasts or former owners may remember the Dodge Avenger when it arrived in coupe form in 1995. That model lived on for about five years, and since then the Avenger name has been absent from the market. Following the release of the redesigned 2007 Chrysler Sebring, Dodge brings back the Avenger for 2008 as a sedan that is based on its Chrysler sibling but with markedly different looks. The two cars share common underpinnings as well as windshields and front window glass, but are visually unique. The front-wheel-drive 2008 Dodge Avenger goes on sale in February, 2007 with an all-wheel-drive version arriving a few months later.

Priced at $18,895 including a $675 destination charge, the SE is the least expensive option among the 2008 Dodge Avenger offerings. With that entry-level sum buyers get a front-wheel-drive midsize sedan powered by a 173-horsepower four-cylinder engine mated to a four-speed automatic transmission, air conditioning, a CD/MP3 player, 16-inch steel wheels, a height-adjustable driver’s seat, keyless entry, and the usual array of electronic goodies such as power windows. Realizing consumers’ clamor for value, Dodge also included cruise control, front-side airbags, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and a tire pressure monitor. The piece d’ resistance is the Chill Zone cooler atop the glovebox, which draws air from the a/c system and chills up to four beverage cans.

Not everyone is cool with driving a base model, feature-laden or not, so Dodge offers a mid-level variant of its all-new Avenger sedan. Starting at $19,795, the SXT comes standard with the SE’s four-cylinder/four-speed powertrain but adds 17-inch alloy wheels, antilock brakes, a couple extra speakers for the radio, body-color exterior trim, a handy fold-flat front passenger seat, and numerous little touches including illuminated vanity mirrors, a lumbar adjustment for the driver, an adjustable center armrest, and what Dodge calls Yes Essentials cloth seat fabric. What makes this woven wonder unique is its ability to resist stains and odors, a claim that we wanted to, but ultimately did not, test.

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