1999 Dodge Avenger Review, Prices, Photos

1999 Dodge Avenger Review, Prices, Photos

1999 Dodge Avenger Review, Prices, Photos

1999 Dodge Avenger (continued)

Walkaround

Two trim levels are available: $16,120 Avenger and $18,395 Avenger ES.

The standard powertrain is a 2.0-liter, 16-valve four-cylinder engine hitched to a five-speed manual transmission. A 2.5-liter, 24-valve, V6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission are optional.

Avenger ES comes standard with air conditioning, tilt steering, leather wrapped wheel, speed control, power steering, a cassette player and aluminum wheels.

The Dodge Avenger offers a good value when compared with the $21,095 Chevrolet Monte Carlo Z34, $22,250 Toyota Celica GT, and Toyota Solara, which ranges from $19,058 to more than $26,800. The new Mercury Cougar, priced in the $17,000 range, is a closer competitor. At 190.9 inches bumper-to-bumper, the Avenger is 1 inch longer than the Solara and 10 inches shorter than the Monte Carlo.

Our Avenger ES came with a $2,020 customer-preferred options package that includes leather low-back bucket seats, power windows/mirrors/locks, six-way adjustable driver’s seat, CD player and keyless entry. It was fitted with anti-lock brakes ($600); automatic transmission ($695); 2.5-liter V6 engine ($610); power sunroof ($640) and upgraded stereo with graphic equalizer and Infinity speakers ($325). A $630 discount brought the total price to $22,440.

Our ES was painted with an eye-popping Indy Red clear coat that accentuated its high-flying profile. Its aggressive, windswept lines are more predatory than the Chrysler Sebring Coupe’s more contoured shape, and the Avenger’s compact grille and hungry-looking air dam suggest a car that’s ready to gobble up the miles and anything else that gets in its way.

The Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger share basic platforms with the Mitsubishi Galant and Eclipse and all four are built at the same Normal, Illinois, plant.

Interior Features

The Dodge Avenger’s cabin is smartly laid out, with gauges that are instantly readable and switchgear that is easily reachable.

When the driver’s seat is pushed all the way back, it delivers enough headroom and legroom for a six-foot driver. Its 43.3 inches of front legroom is the same as the Camry Solara SE’s, and surprisingly more plentiful than the Monte Carlo Z34. But we wished the manually adjusted driver’s seatback offered more precise adjustments.

The Avenger is better than most two-door coupes when it comes to climbing into the back seat. An adult can easily pass through the driver’s side opening – as long as the driver’s seat is slid all the way forward. The back seat offers sufficient legroom for two normal-sized adults. In fact, the Avenger offers as much rear legroom as the much longer Monte Carlo and it’s comparable to the Solara.

Nice features include the digital compass readout that appears in the upper right corner of the rear-view mirror; all cars should have compasses, but many don’t. And instead of having to reach over and behind your head to locate a dome light switch, the Avenger provides good map lights accessed by three small, easy-to-locate buttons that run along the bottom of the rearview mirror. Recessed cupholders in the Avenger are far superior to unsteady slide-out trays popular in other cars.

1999 Dodge Avenger Review, Prices, Photos