Dodge Avenger/Charger (New/Used Car Advice)

Advent

Hello there folks,

I was curious if anyone had any first hand experiences with the newer model Chargers and Avengers. I'm researching them as a potential second car. The look on these cars just strikes me, but I've read a ton of mixed reviews.

Potentially relevant details are that I'm driving in the Northeast (midstate NY-Orange County); so the weather can be somewhat nasty and there a good deal of hills/windy roads.


I'm currently driving a salvaged 93 Dodge Spirit with 79k miles. It runs perfectly fine, and I'll be giving it over to my brother who is currently sans-vehicle. I'll likely be waiting till near December to go shopping, and have at least half the price of the vehicle for a downpayment.


Thanks in advance!

takyris

Okay, quasi-useless, so take it as that:

I drove a Dodge Avenger for five years (one of the old ones). It was a fantastic vehicle until the day the basic warranty expired, at which point everything that wasn't nailed down started falling off the damn thing. Maybe it would have been a better car for someone who liked to tinker with it every weekend to keep it in working order -- I myself am not a car person. I know it, I accept it, and I embrace it. As a non-car-person, the Avenger was a damn money sink. It was a money sink that got decent gas mileage and handled well, but it was a money sink nonetheless.

I know, not the new ones, so potentially useless. But if the descriptions say anything about it being based on the old model, then I would strongly advise against getting one. I didn't put enough mileage on the damn thing to have as much stuff go wrong as did.

TexiKen

From what I've read and heard, the transmissions turn to crap very fast on the Avenger. This was what I read about a lot before Chrysler did their lifetime powertrain warranty on all new vehicles, so a few people were kinda SOL.

The Charger I've heard good things about. It's just the lack of MPGs that mess it up. It would be the one to get due to its weight if wind is a problem where you live.

I've also heard the blind spots (in most Dodge vehicles, actually) are bad.

If you look at the Avenger, look at the Chevy Malibu and Saturn Aura as well. None of those are AWD vehicles though.

Edit: Chrysler does have that $2.99 a gallon for 3 years gas card. The way it works is that they give you a card that ties into your credit card, and when you use it at the pump it only charges you $3 a gallon despite the pump price. The catch is having it as a part of your credit card, but also that it is only limited to roughly 700 gallons a year. I also believe this messes with how much you can haggle on the cars price.

Pheezer

Pro-tip: Before you buy one, calculate how much you'll be spending in gas (and use the city mileage to do it), and how much you'll spend on insurance. Think long and hard about whether or not you'll be able to justify those costs, and try to consider the fact that Dodge vehicles do not depreciate slowly.

takyris

Hell, yes, the blind spots in the Avenger were huge.

Jean Claude Van Calm

I have an 07 Charger SXT (the V6) - probably the best bang for the buck if you're set on a Dodge.

PROS -
4 Door (I have a family, something you may overlook but it's nice to have in the future or for friends).
More power than the V4, more MPG than the V8. The gas mileage is actually pretty decent.
The car is freakin heavy, like a beast. Some people may think of this as a bad thing but it stays in the turns and wind is not even a factor, seriouslly here in Texas the wind is horrible. It's funny seeing trucks and little cars struggling and I'm just stickin to the road.
It has the power to not get stuck in the snow and is heavy enough to stay on the road. AWD for the win.
It just looks awesome lolz.

CONS -
It's a big car, sometimes I feel like I'm trying to ram a truck into a little parking spot. If you're not James Bond I wouldn't even attempt parallel parking, made harder by next con.
The blind spots are bad, but managable - it's really just a psychological thing I think, if you freak out like you're 80 years old because the side mirrors feel too far away, stay away.
Sometimes I feel the need to drive really, really, reeeaaally fast.

I guess thats all I can think of now.