Strengths

Sporty styling; safety; long list of cool high-tech options

 

Changes

Few changes were made to the 2010 Avenger, and they mostly fall into safety systems. Four-wheel anti-lock brakes are now standard on all models, along with driver and front passenger active head restraints. There's an upgraded instrument cluster for the interior, but for the most part, standard features and options remain the same.

 

Value

For a mid-sized sedan, the Avenger stands out in two ways: its aggressive, sporty styling, which is borrowed from the Dodge Charger, and its fuel economy, which hits 30 mpg on the highway. It also has an impressive selection of gadgets, such as the standard Chill Zone bin for keeping drinks cool and a year of Sirius Satellite Radio. Upgrading from the base-level Avenger to the sportier R/T means a nicer interior and the a more powerful optional V6 engine.

 

Overview

There are only two Avengers to be had, the base-level SXT and the top-level R/T. They both come with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 4-speed automatic transmission. The R/T can be had with a choice of two V6 engines: a 2.7L that makes 173 horsepower and a 3.5-liter V6 capable of 235 horsepower. Both V6s come connected to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Safety features in the Avenger include multistage front airbags, active head restraints for the front seats and front and rear side-curtain airbags. Four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes are standard, but the ESP stability control system is only available as an option on the R/T.

The SXT has a healthy list of standard features, such as air conditioning, adjustable steering wheel, cruise control, power everything including mirrors and a Chill Zone beverage cooler. The R/T has everything the SXT does, but adds 17" aluminum wheels, fog lamps, a 6-disc CD changer and heated leather power seats. R/T buyers can upgrade the wheels to optional 18" wheels, two hard-drive-based media player stereos are available as is a power sunroof.