Dodge Avenger test drive since 2007

Daring ram

Built on the Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger chassis has a more expressive design and at the same time a smaller set of options.
The advertising campaign around the Dodge brand is built on 4 whales - powerful, comfortable, daring and reasonable, or abbreviated wise. Applying this quartet of concepts to the target audience of the brand, it can be described as young people with an average income level. They are ambitious and love speed, but still not wealthy enough to afford really powerful cars of prestigious brands. So you have to look for alternative options for self -realization. Someone will choose a compact and relatively affordable hot hatch like Ford Focus ST or Mazda 3 MPS, family are forced to pay attention to larger models. Here you can’t count on a particularly powerful engine, but you can choose a machine with a bright and dynamic design. And then our today's hero Dodge Avenger comes to the stage. The ram built on the Chrysler Sebring chassis - I'm sorry, this is the emblem on the hood has a more expressive design and at the same time a smaller set of options. As a result, the machine is more affordable and hot, which is achieved due to a different suspension setting, but still has a spacious salon suitable for family needs.
Avenger design is easiest to describe as a sweeping. They painted him, it seems, by hand, and they did not skimp on the dimensions. Massive bumers that no European manufacturer, coarse radiator grille, spectacular hips of the rear wheel arches, stylish 17-inch wheels with high-profile tires can afford all this resembles the legendary Dodge Charger from the golden 70s when American roads plowed the Muscle Cars , and we had the 24th Volga. This style either clings at first glance, or leaves cold -blooded forever, and the second is less likely.
Having opened the driver's door, you expect to see the continuation of the bright exterior, but the gaze sticks into the gray and wooden plastic. Yes, the Americans never paid much attention to the interior decoration, but not to the same extent! It is great, of course, that such plastic can be used many times and it is cheap in production, but even in the new Hyundai Verna materials are clearly better. Partly saves the interior only an abundance of polished inserts for metal, which carries a raid of sports and lightness. Theoretically, you can try to look at things wider, for example, the softness of the front panel plastic is a stereotype invented by marketers. After all, this does not affect the characteristics of the machine, but only heats our pride, the softer, the more expensive, which means cooler. In America, another value system is cooler for the one whose car is longer and has more cylinders. Hence the mismatch of views. At the same time, if you close your eyes to hard plastic, then according to the sound insulation parameter, Avenger is approaching a related Mercedes and confidently ahead of the Japanese and Korean rivals.
Before the eyes of the driver, the driver is a stylish combination of three columns, which at night is completely poured with bluish neon light. This is not very good in terms of contrast, but it looks impressive. According to the designers, the design of the central console echoes the form of lamb horns, although I could not find such associations, but you? The services of front passengers are not only a large number of cup holders and a powerful audio system with the ability to play 6 MP3-disks and even DVD, but also a two-story glove box, the upper part of which is formed under 4 banks with a volume of 0.33 liters and can be cooled. For the surcharge of multimedia with a 20-gigabyte hard drive for storing navigation cards, MP3-muses and photos, a 6.5-inch display and Bluetooth support. In addition, the center has the opportunity to make short voice notes, so it works as a recorder, which can come in handy, for example, when communicating with traffic police officers. The inner door handles deserve special attention: it seems that they were designed to be calculated on Tyson Mike or brothers Klitschko. By the way, their form again causes associations with the old Volga. Review through a narrow rear window, of course, mediocre, but the lateral mirrors are large and correct.
The rear sofa, as expected, is quite spacious here to sit both together and three. But the open trunk shocked. It was only possible to convince himself that hard plastic in the cabin is not as terrible as the trunk lid was completely naked. The usual painted metal, with burrs after stamping, is completely deprived of not only upholstery, but even handles for closing. Only a lever for opening the trunk from the inside has recently been provided, this is a standard for all American cars. It turns out that playing hide and seek, American children love to close the car in the trunk, but they do not always manage to get out of there. Such a simplification, of course, has little effect on the running qualities of the machine, but it looks too frightening. We agree with this statement in the Russian representative office of Daimlerchrysler: they assure that now there is an active dialogue with the Americans who are trying to convince at least formal upholstery in the trunk.
Compared to Chrysler Sebring, which disappointed with his running qualities, the Avenger - this is how Avenger was translated from English. You can even say that he took revenge on his older brother. To the accuracy and severity of reactions inherent, say, BMW, the American is still very far away, but in terms of energy intensity, he will give a head start to many. The buildup characteristic of Americans is completely absent, while even on broken St. Petersburg paths the suspension did not allow a single breakdown. For even greater control over the machine, I would like to add reactive force to the steering wheel and reduce the diameter of the steering wheel. But even in this form, Avenger is a very pleasant car in driving, on which you can drive quickly and at the same time with comfort. Irreplaceable quality for a country where two mutually exclusive proverbs are held in high esteem: which Russian does not like fast driving and in Russia two problems, fools and roads
Dodge was even more pleased when driving on the verge of slipping. The provocative discharge of gas sends the car to a slight skid, which is controlled by the stabilization system. But even without the help of Avenger electronics, it remains clear and convenient to control.
Control the handling and the new World 2.4-liter engine with a capacity of 170 hp, which is produced by the Alliance Chrysler, Mitsubishi and Hyundai. That's just the couple is not the most suitable thoughtful archaic 4-speed machine. The duet works harmoniously, but without a light. You can sort out the steps by downloading the selector along the transverse slice, but the choice is small. In the city, the first two transmissions for a very cheerful acceleration to 125 km/h are enough. The transition to the third, which theoretically should bring the speedometer arrow to 200 km/h, sharply reduces the dynamics. But even at close to maximum revolutions, the engine of the motor is heard in the cabin very moderately, and if you move mainly on the 4th stage, then in the cabin you can even talk without raising voices up to 150 km/h.
A great combination of drive and comfort. Although for a more dynamic driving, a basic 2.0-liter 156-horsepower engine with a mechanical gearbox is probably better suited. Moreover, according to the factory characteristics, its maximum speed is exactly the same as that of the tested Avenger, and the price is 1800 euros less. It seems that the impudent Dodge really ventured to encroach on calm in the lower business class segment. Of course, it will not be easy for him to compete with more neat and obligatory, but sometimes completely faceless sedans from Korea and Japan. Luck loves newcomers, especially those impudent as Avenger.
Text and photo: Leonid Pavlov.
 
+
Price
Original design
Suspension setting
 
-
Salon finish
Not very dynamic power unit
 
The price of the tested car -? 26 072

Complete the test of the tested car
Frontary airbags
Side airbags
Inflatable curtains
Abs
Anti -boom system
The system of dynamic stabilization
Steering amplifier
Automatic transmission
Multifunctional steering wheel
Adjustable steering column in height
Adjustable steering column by departure
Steering wheel decoration with leather
Electric heating of the front seats
Light sensor
Rear -view mirror
Bluetooth kit for phone
Remote Central Castle
Climate control mono
Electric drive and heating of external mirrors
Electr -glass lifts are front
Rear electric windows
Back seat
CD changer
Trip computer
Fog lights
Alloy wheels
Tire pressure sensor
Cruise control

Specifications
Body
Body type 4-door sedan
The number of places 5
Trunk volume, l 438
Equipped mass, kg 1510
Full mass, kg 2 040
Length, mm 4 850
Width, mm 1 843
Height, mm 1 497
Wheel base, mm 2 765
Road clearance, mm 156
Engine
Type of gasoline, with distributed fuel injection and phase change system
Front location, transversely
Location and number of cylinders R4
Working volume, cm 2.36
Cylinder diameter/piston stroke, mm 88 x 97
The degree of compression is 10.5
The number of valves per cylinder 4
Maximum power, L.S./q/min 170/6 000
Maximum torque, NM/rpm 220/4 500
Transmission
Gearbox 4-speed, automatic
Front drive
Front suspension independent, mcpherson
The rear suspension is independent, multi -link
Front brakes Disco ventilated
The rear brakes are disk
Tires 215/60R17
Dynamics
Maximum speed, km/h 200
Acceleration time 0-100 km/h, from 11.7
Fuel consumption, l/100 km
city cycle 12.3
country cycle 6.9
mixed cycle 8.9
Fuel tank capacity, l 64
Fuel AI-95 gasoline
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Source: Carclub.ru