Your Clubs

It's a rare occasion when I find myself excited about a car before it hits the showroom floor. Normally, a redesigned vehicle takes months (or sometimes years) to appeal to me. Not so with the 2008 Dodge Avenger R/T AWD. From the moment I saw some spy photos, I was sold on this car. Would that alone be enough to convince me that this vehicle is a worthy contender in my battle to find the ideal family car?

At first glance, the Avenger's exterior nearly screams "Baby Dodge Charger". From the aggressive front end to the oversized chrome wheels and menacing stance, the car could easily pass for the Charger R/T's kid brother. The car looks tough, and not many cars can achieve that just sitting still.

I normally clock around 500 miles per each one week evaluation. However, this test was far from the norm. My schedule included a trip from Ohio to Michigan and from Michigan to western Pennsylvania. With a good mix of highway driving and extreme elevation, I was confident that at the end of this trip, I'd know with certainty whether or not this car would receive a passing grade.

I got well acquainted with the Avenger on the first leg of our trip. The leather seats were very firm, yet comfortable. The seating position makes it seem as though you are sitting higher than you would in a typical vehicle, but that is merely an illusion. Visibility is sufficient, save for the blind spot that seemed larger than normal due to the awkward shape of the quarter windows. The interior is a mix of sportiness and luxury, with tasteful accents, and every one of the many controls within easy reach.

Our test model had not only all the bells and whistles, but I was amazed at the wide array of toys that I had no idea were available. These are the things people *wish* someone would invent. A compartment of the dash that holds four cans of soda, with ducts that pump air from the air conditioning to keep them cold. A cup holder that can keep your Caribou coffee steamy hot, or with the switch of a button, can keep your cold drink a constant 35 degrees Fahrenheit. You really have no grasp of how handy such gadgets are until you get accustomed to them. The optional sound system provided concert-quality audio, and a CD player that never skipped once.