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The 40 mpg Cars of 2013

2008 Dodge Avenger

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Dodge Avenger

Overview

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2008 Dodge Avenger Review

By KBB.com Editors

Offering bold, muscle car-like styling combined with a comfortable ride, predictable handling and reasonable fuel economy, the all-new Dodge Avenger is the Dodge Charger of the mid-size sedan segment. Far from a ham-fisted hunk of steel, the Avenger offers an impressive list of comfort and convenience options, such as a navigation system with real-time traffic information and a heated and cooled cupholder. The Avenger is also one of the few cars in the segment to offer all-wheel drive.

You'll Like This Car If...

If you've got a muscle-car mindset but are in the market for the balance offered by a mid-size sedan at an affordable price, the Avenger is the most NASCAR-esque option out there.

You May Not Like This Car If...

From the powertrains to the passenger cabin, the Avenger doesn't deliver the same feeling of refinement as many of its competitors.

What's New for 2008

The all-new Avenger replaces the Dodge Stratus and offers mid-size sedan shoppers a combination of bold styling and interesting and appealing in-cabin features.

Driving the Avenger

Driving Impressions While the Dodge Avenger rides nicely, handles decently and conveys its occupants from here to there no worse for wear, it does it all with less refinement than the category's...

best. Acceleration isn't as effortless, upshifts aren't as smooth and highway cruising isn't quite as relaxed. To add perspective, though, the segment leaders with which the Dodge must be compared are widely considered some of the best vehicles on the road. The Avenger is indeed on par with its most like-minded competitor, the Pontiac G6. Unremarkable road manners notwithstanding, when loaded up with MyGIG(tm), a rear-seat DVD system and the heated and cooled cupholder, some may find the Avenger one of the most entertaining cars in the category.

Favorite Features

MyGIG(tm)
This optional hard drive-based system includes navigation with real-time traffic information, MP3/WMA music and JPEG image uploading via a high-speed USB port, auxiliary audio input, voice recognition, voice message recording and playback, Bluetooth(r) hands-free cell phone connectivity and more.

Rear-seat Entertainment
The Avenger's available rear-seat DVD video system—a feature uncommon in the segment—includes dual headphones plus audio and gaming capability.

2008 Dodge Avenger Details

Interior

Compared to the best interiors in the segment—more and more of which are beginning to mimic the look and feel of a premium sedan's—the Avenger's passenger cabin sends out more of an entry-level vibe. On the other hand, its options list is one of the most sophisticated in the segment, with a hard-drive navigation/entertainment/communication system, rear-seat DVD entertainment system and a heated and cooled cupholder. In between the base cloth and available leather seating, the Avenger offers an exceptionally stain-resistant seat fabric called YES Essentials(r). A fold-flat passenger seat doubles as a dinner table or desktop and, combined with the fold-flat rear seats, helps accommodate longer cargo.

Exterior

Unlike the Chrysler Sebring (that looks nothing like its Chrysler 300 big brother), the Avenger's strong rear shoulders, squarish taillamps and sloping roofline are all grafted with varying exactness from the Dodge Charger large sedan. All R/T models get a rear spoiler, chrome-tipped dual exhaust outlets and 18-inch aluminum wheels.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

A base-equipped Avenger SE includes an AM/FM/CD/CD-MP3 sound system with auxiliary input jack, air conditioning, power windows/locks/mirrors, remote keyless entry, cruise control, four-way adjustable steering wheel, delayed-off headlamps, beverage-cooling upper glove compartment, cloth seats and 16-inch covered steel wheels. Standard safety equipment includes front, front-side and side-curtain airbags, but not anti-lock brakes.

Optional Equipment

The highlight of the Avenger's optional equipment list is the comprehensive MyGIG(tm) navigation, entertainment and communication system. Other standouts include a six-CD/DVD/MP3/SIRIUS satellite sound system, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, Bluetooth(r) cell phone connectivity, heated and cooled cupholder, heated front seats, leather seats and a sun roof.

Under the Hood

The Avenger's base four-cylinder engine delivers highway mileage of up to 30 miles per gallon, the range-topping 3.5-liter V6 offers 235 horsepower and the 2.7-liter V6 balances the economy and power of the two while offering the Flex-Fuel capability of running on gasoline, E85 ethanol or any mixture of both. The 3.5-liter benefits from a new six-speed automatic transmission with Auto Stick manual-shift capability, while the other engines are matched to a traditional four-speed automatic. The electronically controlled all-wheel drive system available on R/T models operates primarily in front-wheel drive mode until extra traction is needed or anticipated. All R/T models also feature a sport-tuned suspension.

2.4-liter in-line 4
172 horsepower @ 6000 rpm
165 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4400 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/30

2.7-liter V6
189 horsepower @ 6400 rpm
191 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 19/27

3.5-liter V6
235 horsepower @ 6400 rpm
232 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/26

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2008 Dodge Avenger Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

7.9

Out of 10

Based on 338 Ratings for the 2008 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.1/10

Quality

8.1/10
Reliability

8.5/10

Performance

8.2/10
Comfort

8.4/10

Styling

8.7/10

Definitely worth the money!

By julie (CA) on Friday, May 17, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 38,500

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Virtually everything."

Cons: "The break lights looks like flowers."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I bought the avenger in february, and I can't be happier. This car is absolutely fantastic. It picks up speeds rapidly, does better on gas than my last car, is comfortable to drive, handles fantastically, and it looks incredible."

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I love this car.

By Tiny (OR) on Tuesday, May 14, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 14,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "sharp style, good quality for the price."

Cons: "only the lightness of the front end when passing."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Front end a little too light. When taking off to pass front end lifts up some and causes car to go to left and back to right. Need to keep control with steering wheel when this happens. The car is great overall. Just this one thing I believe needs to be changed."

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Warning

By IronMan (CO) on Monday, May 06, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 87,000

10 5.0

overall rating 5 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 5/10
Value: 5/10
Reliability: 5/10
Quality: 3/10
Performance: 4/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 7/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"After only 2 years after the vehicle was manufactured the car has had 3 shifters. The shifter would not shift out of park, after replacing it the first time the recall finally came out and even though the car was recalled for the inability to shift out of park DODGE charged me for it! This car was my latest and last attempt to "buy American" sorry but back to HONDA I go. Oh yeah I almost forgot the motor for the window on the driver side blew out as well and at that time the car had around 75k miles on it."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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Fun to drive. Killer Design. A proud American.

By Ron (MN) on Friday, May 03, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 20,000

10 8.0

overall rating 8 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 8/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 9/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 7/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 8/10

Pros: "Fun to drive. Killer Design. A proud American."

Cons: "Weak acceleration."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"This Avenger is a 2012 SXT. A roomy car for a tall guy like me which was one main reason why I bought it. Enough space also for grownups in the back seat. Ride is somewhat bumpy at low speeds on bad roads, but it pays well back at higher speeds. Surprisingly comfortable on longer roads trips where the somewhat hard seats show to be supportive when you best need it. Much better gas mileage that advertised, I am never fewer than 26, highway up to 35. The car is fairly quiet inside. Design, both exterior and interior is so cool, how could one not love it? Can only score 10/10. It is actually nice to ride a cool car, a feature not to underrate - I never thought about this before I bought the Avenger. Radio with big responsive touch screen; comes with one year Sirius XM. Good sound system. Dashboard is absolutely perfectly designed, clean, retro, and functional. Engine has a somewhat weak acceleration, this is perhaps the biggest con of the Avenger, but that doesn’t bother a laid back driver like me. If you need action when lights turn green, don’t buy it, then buy the 6-cylinder version instead. The transmissions is smooth, I barely feel its existence. All in all, nothing to complain about, everything works great. Fun to drive. I am a pleased owner, 20 000 miles now. I am an immigrant from Europe. I can’t understand how Americans have given up their heritage now driving those Camry and Civic. Be proud of American car design that once upon the time made this country so famous, take back you domains!"

3 people out of 3 found this review helpful

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Worst car I've ever owned

By Susan (TX) on Wednesday, May 01, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 99,353

10 2.0

overall rating 2 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 2/10
Value: 2/10
Reliability: 2/10
Quality: 3/10
Performance: 2/10
Styling: 7/10
Comfort: 5/10

Pros: "looks good"

Cons: "terrible manufacturing"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"I purchased this vehicle used in 2010 and have since replaced the alternator and the brakes (3 times). Now the check enging and electronic throttle control lights are on. This is the noisest car I've ever owned. Even with new brakes/rotators there is brake noise and dust. Steering column makes a screeking noise, have yet to find the problem. I used to think it was the dealer selling me a bad used vehicle but further research has led me to believe it's just this car. I would definitely warn you against purchasing."

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So far I'm in love!!!!

By Jen (NC) on Friday, April 05, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 6,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 9/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "looks, mpg, roomy, love the way it drives/sounds"

Cons: "blind spots"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I bought this car practically brand new. Was not even looking at the Dodge family but it was too good to pass up. It drives great even though it doesn't have the power of my old car. Up hill can sometimes be a little slower then normal but its nothing that bothers me. It doesn't accelerate as fast as I had thought it would but again its fast enough that I don't feel like I'm going to get run off the interstate before I reach speed limit. This car is not made to accelerate quickly from a dead stop but once it gains speed it is very powerful. Idle speed is great. The ride is very smooth and if you give it gas it sounds powerful. Gas mileage is great! I get 22 mpg in the city. I did notice that if you constantly push the car past 3rpm in the city then you are going to get waaaay less then 22 mpg. So I've definitely started driving easier and less angier. There are some nasty blind spots but positioning your mirrors to where you can barely see the handles of the door take care of that for the most part. I had a friend walk certain areas behind me while I was parked to get a feel for the blind spots, they actually weren't as bad as I thought. I have to agree that the cup holders are a bit tight. But my favorite feature is the radio buttons on the back of the steering wheel, literally putting the radio controls at your fingertips. The car has climate control as well, so I can set it at a certain temperature and it will adjust to maintain that temperature. Its a great family car that still has an edgy, sleek look with lots of room."

5 people out of 5 found this review helpful

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See all 338 reviews