For the money, this midsize sedan packs quite a bit into the standard equipment column, including rear window defroster, 6.5-inch touch screen display, 8-way power driver’s seat and heated front seats. And when fitted with the base 4-cylinder engine, the mpg highway tally adds to the overall value and buying lure. Avenger isn’t screaming with all sorts of interior gadgets and it doesn’t pour on the luxury attributes, but it does have appeal—especially on the safety side scoring 5 stars in government frontal crash ratings. The sedan provides side curtain airbags and electronic stability control as part of the safety/security trimmings.

The base powerplant for the 108.9-inch wheelbase Avenger is a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that grabs 173 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 166 pounds-feet of torque at 4400 rpm. When fitted with the 3.5-liter, high-output V6 (an option on the Avenger R/T), the power bar jumps to 235 horsepower at 6400 rpm and 232 pounds-feet of torque at 4000 rpm. The standard transmission with the 4-cylinder is a 4-speed overdrive automatic. Changes for the 2010 model year include a new instrument panel gauge cluster and four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes on all models. The front wheel drive Avenger Express with 4-cylinder engine collects estimated mpg of 21 city/30 highway and carries an MSRP of $21,230.