Dodge Avenger (07-09) - Review

Roomy and comfortable, the Avenger comes with air conditioning as standard (as you'd expect) plus electric windows. The under-damped ride, however, does mean there is often a feeling of 'floating' after travelling over undulations which can make passengers feel sea-sick. The rear bench will easily accommodate three tall adults though.

The Avenger has a large boot, although it falls short of the best cars of this size. There is a split glove compartment with what Dodge calls a 'Chill Zone' in the top. Basically it's a cubby sculpted to accommodate four 330ml cans and keep them cold by using the air conditioning to ventilate the compartment. There is also an optional heated/chilled cupholder, although in practice this is less effective than perhaps it should be. Fabric seats are embedded with a soil and liquid repellent chemical, which should make them easy to keep clean but the 60/40 split folding rear seat is fitted only to the higher-spec SXT model.

The interior of the Avenger is spoilt by the hard plastic surfaces around the dashboard and doors, which makes it look instantly cheap. Even formerly budget brands, such as Skoda, Hyundai and Kia, offer soft-touch materials in their large saloons. The Avenger is fairly comfortable in and the instruments are easy to read while top models come with electrical adjustment for the driver's seat along with heated front seats - the steering column also adjusts for reach and height. Rear three-quarter vision is spoilt to a certain extent by the thick rear pillars, making reverse parking tricky.