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A flyer alright: The Dodge Avenger
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When the world goes bad for some, different people react in different ways. Some quietly brood until good news comes along, some get mad, some get even more mad.
Some buy an Avenger, and let it be bad for them.
By that I mean super-bad in a Rick James kinda way, only without Rick James in the equation. Then it would be super-bad in the wrong way.
And while no-one would ever accuse the Dodge Avenger of having soul, none would say it lacks spirit. Or grunt. Or all-out outrageousness.
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Muscle frame and plenty under the hood
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For this is bad-boy motoring encased in a muscle shell that screams attitude to your fellow motorists, who might, just might, think twice about cutting in this car's long, cragged, super-sculpted shark nose, which more than once reminded me of my own doberman, cute though she is.
Teeth - snarling, biting, baring, etc - is perhaps just one of the goals behind the design of the newest Avenger to sit alongside its sister Charger - one-time Car of the Year - and the Magnum wagon, in a super-muscle lineup that also includes the legendary spittin' Viper, which I hope to take out in the next coupla months.
And while the one-up-from-basic model Avenger I took out for a week couldn't compete with the Charger R/T hemi monster I drove to an airstrip a couple of months back, this one could fly, figuratively. At least, that's what it looked like parked outside Long Beach's Skyharbor; on the wing it'll hit a mile-a-minute in seven and a half seconds, all the while sounding a gorgeous almost turbine-like roar from a perfectly-tuned exhaust note.
It also differs in that it's built from the new Chrysler Sebring chassis - the D-segment - while the Charger rests on the 300's platform, which means that it loses something along the way in terms of feel and control, which is excellent in the 300. Dynamics-wise, think shorter cabin but more head-room.
It doesn't feel bad in any way, certainly not super-bad, but I just like a bit more control in those front wheels and they spin from a standing start. Yes it's enormous fun to spin them, indeed to spin them while at low speeds, though to be able to do this with some frequency is not necessarily a good thing: ie, when a teenager, your kid will love pushing the understeer to its full.
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Parked at Long Beach Skyharbor
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And remember that Dodge doesn't include traction control unless you buy the stability control as an optional extra on the SE, but it comes standard on the R/T.
And I drove the middle-of-the-line 2.7-liter 189 horsepower V-6, a good way from the R/T which delivers an extra 50 or so ponies, but which delivers spades more torque than the basic 2.4-liter four-cylinder model.
So it may, therefore, be the best of the bunch, neither underpowered or overpowered (if there is such a thing). Brakes should really be disk across the range, but the one I drove had drum. Gas is good across the model ranges at about 21 and 30 town and highway respectively.
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Prominent grille
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Apart from a good snap of pace, the ride is unremarkably good, in that there are no unpleasant surprises here: it will smooth over most bumps and dips in town though it remains stiff enough to allow firmness on the freeway and acceleration when needed.
Inside is restrained and functional, with a nod towards performance features in terms of bucket seats and sports trim. Angled toward the male driver it got the all-important nod of approval from the wife, who liked its chill container for keeping her vodka icy - I'm just kidding - and the dual-temperature cupholders.
This one came with Sirius satellite, which I don't prefer to XM, but came with a touch-screen nav system that worked well. And thankfully Dodge included an Mp3 and memory car hookup.
It's roomy for five but, remember, this is one car that will move more sluggishly when filled. Still, those in the back will enjoy the DVD hookup on the 7-inch screen in the back.
You could watch old episodes of The Avengers. My guess is it won't be Rick James.
*Dodge Avenger comes in three trims from $19,120 to $24,870 MSRP*
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Easy to read, modern dials
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Clean, ergonomically sound interior
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